[markus7]

   
It's well known and to be fixed in the next firmware. Only way to use it is to downgrade to old firmware, which obviously is a silly idea. I've emailed with Mike Smyth many times, there is supposedly a new firmware coming really soon, he said I could beta test it, but haven't heard anything in a while.. maybe I'll ping him again.
 
Surely you can make a two speaker measurement?? Or did you steal only one from somewhere.

Yes, please ping Mike. I tried to get a response from Stephen for months with no luck.
 
I did build the "perfect" speaker/room. Only one exists

 

[markus7]

   
It's well known and to be fixed in the next firmware. Only way to use it is to downgrade to old firmware, which obviously is a silly idea. I've emailed with Mike Smyth many times, there is supposedly a new firmware coming really soon, he said I could beta test it, but haven't heard anything in a while.. maybe I'll ping him again.
 
Surely you can make a two speaker measurement?? Or did you steal only one from somewhere.

Did you hear back from Mike? Something's fishy - I wrote to Lorr Kramer who normally responds within a day but haven't received any feedback within the last 5 days. Did Smyth Research go out of business?

 

[hekeli]

No.. maybe there are on a trip or something. I wouldn't jump to any hasty conclusions, it's just a smallish boutique. 

 

 

[songmic]

  No.. maybe there are on a trip or something. I wouldn't jump to any hasty conclusions, it's just a smallish boutique. 

 

 
I doubt it. I've sent several emails to Smyth Research UK in the past (on different occasions) but I was never able to receive a reply from them. On the other hand, if I contact their USA headquarters, Lorr always replies in a day or two. It's not that the UK is late in answering emails, it's just that they never answer at all... at least in my case.
 
As far as I know, their main headquarters is in UK not USA as it is where it was founded, so I don't get why their USA headquarters should be doing all the hard work answering people's questions.

 

[hekeli]

Mike has almost always answered my mails. Maybe the firmware simply is not worth talking about yet..

 

[jst0rm]

Hi guys,
 
I dont know much so I wont say much but Lorr had a family emergency and is on the east coast right now.  Just to squash the rumor mill right there.  He still responds to emails but give him a bit more time right now.

 

[markus7]

No response from Smyth Research now for months. They know about the ONE bug at least since March 2014 when I reported it. The bug has to exist since the latest firmware which was released August 2011. So the bug exists for nearly 3 years.
 
Latest news on their website is older than a year. The product seems to be dead.

 

[VandyMan]

It is a shame they have not managed to get anyone to license the tech. I would have though some pre-pro maker would want it. 

 

[darinf]

  It is a shame they have not managed to get anyone to license the tech. I would have though some pre-pro maker would want it. 

Yes. I am surprised too especially since they are formerly DTS people. They would understand all about licensing.
 
I was hoping they would to give people an alternative, but I got tired of waiting and took matters into my own hands. 

 

[hekeli]

What tech would they exactly license that someone would want to pay for? There's just some unpatentable methods (convolution etc) that anyone could do, if they thought there was a serious market for it. It's unlikely that Smyth could even provide any readily optimized "PC/x86 code", since they implemented the stuff on custom DSP processors etc, so nothing worth paying there either.
 
Darin justly took up on the playback software portion himself and now all that is left is to source some cheap ear microphones and create the PRIR/HPEQ measurement software package. A laptop could simply replace all the Realiser hardware functionality then. I would happily pay $500 or so for that. But I'd expect the software also to have all the bass routing etc functionality that Realiser currently has. And make them more flexible instead of the silly hardcoded 80hz crossovers etc. 

 

 

[davidsh]

  What tech would they exactly license that someone would want to pay for? There's just some unpatentable methods (convolution etc) that anyone could do, if they thought there was a serious market for it. It's unlikely that Smyth could even provide any readily optimized "PC/x86 code", since they implemented the stuff on custom DSP processors etc, so nothing worth paying there either.
 
Darin justly took up on the playback software portion himself and now all that is left is to source some cheap ear microphones and create the PRIR/HPEQ measurement software package. A laptop could simply replace all the Realiser hardware functionality then. I would happily pay $500 or so for that. But I'd expect the software also to have all the bass routing etc functionality that Realiser currently has. And make them more flexible instead of the silly hardcoded 80hz crossovers etc. 

 

That would be nothing short of amazing to be honest. I remember seeing a 100$ in-ear mic on ebay so they do exist.

 

[VandyMan]

  What tech would they exactly license that someone would want to pay for

This has been up at the Smyth website for years, so they clearly believe they have something to license: http://www.smyth-research.com/licensing.html

 

[hekeli]

 
This has been up at the Smyth website for years, so they clearly believe they have something to license: http://www.smyth-research.com/licensing.html

 
The problem is, there will never be mass-appeal for doing personal microphone measurements. No one would care if a receiver has such functionality, since a) if they have speakers at home, they'll probably use them anyway b) carrying the receiver to some studio is a silly ordeal c) there's a steep learning curve in any case. So no wonder there isn't anyone licensing it.
 
So if we take the personal measurement stuff away, there's not much left to license. There already exists millions generic emulations like Dolby Headphone, Silent Cinema, CMSS3D, SBX and whatever pops up every year from every manufacturer themselves.
 
Out Of Your Head is good alternative since it offers many profiles to try etc. And as you see, there's no need to license anything for implementation like this. Maybe some day receivers have something equal and can simply update new profiles from network. 

 

 

[hekeli]

Maybe only suitable play from Smyths part would be preparing a ready-to-go simple small DSP-chip/board or schematic which could be implemented easily in receivers and stuff. They already have most of that knowhow. Then go to a single good place like AIX and record PRIRs with dozens of people and dummy heads. I'm sure that would blow most generic emulations away easily. But as we know, profit margins are everything..
 
Of course there is the issue of HPEQ, but I'm sure it could be done adequate with some generic profiles or even custom parametric eq.

 

[dsperber]

As far as I'm concerned, I got my money's worth... no matter what it cost me.  Anybody else that's heard what the Realiser can do with their own custom made PRIR/HPEQ at a top multi-channel environment whose sound they like (e.g. AIX for me) and with high-end headphone playback equipment can't help but feel the same. I'm only glad it was finally brought to reality and made available for purchase by civilians like us.
 
For many many years, I used a vanilla Panasonic DIR-1000 Dolby Headphone unit with DH2 setting, driving my old Stax SRM-T1S and Omega-1 headphones via wired connection.  I thought I was satisfied, as (a) it was headphones, and (b) it something sounded like "surround".
 
In April 2009, after five years of waiting for SVS and communicating with Smyth in Camarillo, I finally got called to come and pick up my serial #0001 Realiser A8 with 8-channel analog inputs.  Met Mark Waldrep (of AIX) at the LAX CanJam show in June 2009 and arranged for a "free Realiser PRIR calibration session" (with Lorr performing the mechanics) because I bought $100 of AIX HD-Audio discs. Obviously that was a worthwhile experience, as even as I acquired four or five other PRIR's for my collection I continued to ONLY use that original AIX PRIR as the one true satisfying and natural "environment" for me and my listening needs.
 
In 2013 (coincident with my purchase of a Panasonic 65VT50 HDTV), I also purchased a second A8 from Smyth, this time their latest HDMI-enabled model (as my #0001 analog unit was incapable of being hardware-upgraded).  Simultaneously upgraded playback equipment, including external DAC via optical and then XLR to new Stax SR-009/SRM-007tII.  The original analog A8 and Stax equipment re-purposed to a second viewing/listening location in my house.  This was an expensive and extensive viewing/listening playback hardware upgrade, but I still use the same original 2009 AIX PRIR in the new A8... and I STILL feel I got my money's worth, no matter what it cost me.  This is my version of a home-theater, and is the best I can do since I can't actually have a true home theater room or even real multi-channel speakers in my 3rd-floor condo.
 
It goes without saying that SVS is worlds different and better than Dolby Headphone.  I'm looking for nothing more, and am totally satisfied with what I have. I've got two setups myself, and am trying to motivate my nephew (who's a "toy nut") to invest in one of his own.  I realize this won't keep Smyth in business forever, but it's kind of the best one individual can do.
 
They certainly have a wonderful invention, that has brought me many years of happy listening and satisfaction and will presumably do so for many years to come. Here's hoping at least a modest number of others can enjoy the same and that the Smyth brothers and Lorr continue to survive.