[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blubliss /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just want to say that the customer service of Smyth is top notch. I had a little problem with my unit and I had a new one in my hands the next day. Lorr came by personally. @Sledge - I was running without the HPEQ like Ed but I calibrated yesterday and I do notice a more focused imaging, more precise placement of sounds, it's just a bit better, but is noticable.

What happened to your old unit?

FYI, I don't run an HPEQ with IEM's, but I do have HPEQ's with regular headphones.

 

[Sledge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif There isn't a way to make an HPEQ for IEM's yet. But I don't think it's really necessary, especially with custom IEM's, because they are inside your ear canal. So, you essentially by pass the outer shape and features of your ears, which do have an effect on the sound that enters your ears. -Ed

So does using IEM's bypass the need for headphone calibration leaving only the room calibration or does it remove all calibration requirements?

EDIT: Question - What do HPEQ and PRIR stand for?

 

[Erik Garci]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsperber /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've suggested to Smyth that for "home family use" building a dual-path Realiser, supporting two separate personalized SVS presets simultaneously and having two separate headphone outputs so that two people could listen simultaneously through two separate headphone/amp paths, would be very user-friendly. They are in agreement.

This feature will be added via software, according to this quote from the new interview.

"... we realized that in fact the present box will do two users if the proper software's run in it. The box is internally ready to do two people, and we will release that software in the future. The head-tracking system is already geared up for two users."

The Realiser has three outputs (3.5mm on front; 2xRCA and optical on rear), so I suppose that one will be for user #1, and another will be for user #2.

 

[Edwood]

I suppose it's possible via having different PRIR/HPEQ loaded and outputting to the pair of RCA outputs in the rear, and a different one to the from 3.5mm headphone jack in the front? Or perhaps different PRIR/HPEQ could be outputted to the optical output as well.

 

[Erik Garci]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sledge /img/forum/go_quote.gif EDIT: Question - What do HPEQ and PRIR stand for?

HPEQ = headphone equalization
PRIR = personalized room impulse response

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sledge /img/forum/go_quote.gif Question - What do HPEQ and PRIR stand for?

HPEQ = HeadPhone EQualization

PRIR = Personalized Room Impulse Responses

Edit: Sledge beat me by two minutes.

 

[Erik Garci]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif I suppose it's possible via having different PRIR/HPEQ loaded and outputting to the pair of RCA outputs in the rear, and a different one to the from 3.5mm headphone jack in the front? Or perhaps different PRIR/HPEQ could be outputted to the optical output as well.

I think that's the idea. For example, user #1 could be listening to preset #1 (loaded with PRIR #1 and HPEQ #1) on the rear RCA pair, and at the same time user #2 could be listening to preset #2 (loaded with PRIR #2 and HPEQ #2) on the front 3.5mm jack (or maybe on the optical output).

 

[bmoura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erik Garci /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think that's the idea. For example, user #1 could be listening to preset #1 (loaded with PRIR #1 and HPEQ #1) on the rear RCA pair, and at the same time user #2 could be listening to preset #2 (loaded with PRIR #2 and HPEQ #2) on the front 3.5mm jack (or maybe on the optical output).

Sounds like a great software upgrade. Perhaps they'll have two headphone jacks in the front in future models.

 

[Erik Garci]

The new firmware and new manual can be downloaded now.

Smyth Research

By the way, I don't see any mention of two-user capability in the new manual (other than "two head-tops"), so maybe it will be in the next firmware.

 

[bmoura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erik Garci /img/forum/go_quote.gif The new firmware and new manual can be downloaded now. Smyth Research By the way, I don't see any mention of two-user capability in the new manual (other than "two head-tops"), so maybe it will be in the next firmware.

Two head tops? That's funny!

I'll download the manual and take a look. (It will give me a chance to read up before I pick up my unit).

 

[dsperber]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erik Garci /img/forum/go_quote.gif The new firmware and new manual can be downloaded now.

It looks like the most significant firmware change for me is in the channel number reassignment.

They moved the "bass management" functionality from the previous 7/8 location down to the 3/4 location. The original channels were 1-LF, 2-RF, 3-LS, 4-RS, 5-C, 6-SW, 7-LB, 8-RB. In order to utilize the "bass management" feature which was on 7/8, you had to do I/O reassignment to move C/SW from their original 5/6 over to 7/8, moving LB/RB from the original 7/8 over to 5/6.

Well now they've changed the defaults, to conform to SMPTE/ITU recommendations: 1-LF, 2-RF, 3-C, 4-SW, 5-LS, 6-RS, 7-LB, 8-RB with "bass management" functionality now on 3/4. And the default location of C/SW on 3/4 means no I/O reassignment is now needed.

PRIR files are unaffected by this channel reassignment because the channels are addressed by "label" rather than by "number". EDIT: I think I may stand corrected here (by Lorr), but haven't yet gotten the new firmware loaded so that I can double-check to confirm for myself. Lorr says the mix-block settings to implement bass management ARE ALSO BY CHANNEL LABEL... rather than by channel number. So it may turn out that I do NOT have to re-create my bass management presets after all, but rather that the settings I've currently got implemented will simply automatically follow the new channel number assignment. But it is still true that I will need to move cables around from my receiver to the Realiser, to conform to the new channel assignment assumptions.

However...

It means that the 8 cables running from my receiver's preamp outputs to the Realiser's inputs will need redoing again.

Also, it means that I will need to redo the setup/configuration for "bass management" on my presets, since those steps are performed by channel "number", not by channel "label". EDIT: Again, after Lorr corrected my misunderstanding on this, it may turn out that I do NOT have to re-create my bass management presets after all, but rather that the settings I've currently got implemented will simply automatically follow the new channel number assignment. However the cable re-doing will still have to be done, to conform to the new channel assignment assumptions.

Personally, I don't expect a 2-user firmware version released anytime in the very near future. And don't forget, even if you wanted to "share the Realiser" with your significant other, they'd need to go get their own calibration to truly do it right.

 

[dsperber]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 701 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I notice that both you and dsperber both have indicated that you prefer to listen to 2 channel music without the Realizer A8 engaged. I myself only wish to use it for 2 channel music. Could you please explain why this is the case for you? Any input is sincerely appreciated.

I'm now not so entirely convinced of the rigidity of my earlier position.

For one, I've been using "bass management" for a while now, which essentially converts a 2.0 system into a 2.1 system. Effectively low frequencies from the L/R channels (80hz and below) are sent to the virtual sub-woofer channel (for the headphones) on the Realiser, which theoretically can reproduce those low frequencies better just as the true sub-woofer in the room could probably do a better job with those low frequencies. At the same time, those frequencies are rolled off quickly on the original L/R channels as played through the virtual L/R channels coming through on the headphones.

Same thing when listening to multi-channel source, where the low frequencies from all channels are peeled off and fed to the virtual SW channel.

[NOTE: the receiver must be correctly configured to totally disable any of its own bass management processing, which was "active" by default in my Yamaha RX-V863, in order to feed 100% of L/R or multi-channel to the Realiser so that it can correctly apply its own "bass management".]

Anyway, it does sound a bit better to me, or rather I like it as contrasted with the sound with no bass management implemented in the Realiser.

Well, obviously in order to get this 2.0->2.1 result, the Realiser must be powered on. Turns out I've now gotten used to listening to CDs this way... providing more of a "room/speaker ambience" rather than the normal "headphone ambience". Different, but still enjoyable... and with a slightly "improved" bass handling out of my headphones.

But obviously, it's a matter of personal A/B-determined preference and what you then get used to.

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsperber /img/forum/go_quote.gif It looks like the most significant firmware change for me is in the channel number reassignment.

Also, the maximum number of internally stored PRIR's is 64 rather than 32.
But I'm not even close to that limit yet.

Does anything change Sound Quality wise? If not, I'll probably wait until the next Firmware revision to update, as it's not really adding anything useful for me right now.


Quote:

Personally, I don't expect a 2-user firmware version released anytime in the very near future. And don't forget, even if you wanted to "share the Realiser" with your significant other, they'd need to go get their own calibration to truly do it right.

Actually, it would be pretty important if they could add a 2 User PRIR firmware revision. If you tried someone else's PRIR there are some that sound waaaaay off in the sound. My wife's outer and inner ears are shape quite differently than mine, so she says it sound kind of hollow and tunnel like sound to her with my PRIR's.

-Ed

 

[dsperber]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also, the maximum number of internally stored PRIR's is 64 rather than 32. But I'm not even close to that limit yet.

For us peons maybe, this may seem like overkill. But I'd bet the Smyth people are accumulating quite a collection of "interesting rooms" around the world, so for them it makes more immediate sense.

Of course given that the 8.3 file names on the FAT SD flash card have to be of the form PRIRnnnn.SVS (where nnnn runs from 0000 to 0099 because of Realiser software coding design), that's not much to convey what's INSIDE those files. So they'd better carry around a spreadsheet of what each file really is, or maybe have a sub-directory on their laptops with longer names that have some descriptive text attached to the prefix portion which would match what's on the Realiser.

My own solution is to use the 2x16=32 byte "title" area of the PRIR and HPEQ files to provide descriptive text inside the file itself. The two 16-byte sub-fields of the title appear on the two lines of the display, so I use a hex editor to try and convey what that file is used for right in the file content. And then it presents the same way on the display screen.


Quote:

Does anything change Sound Quality wise? If not, I'll probably wait until the next Firmware revision to update, as it's not really adding anything useful for me right now.

Well pages 5-6 of the new manual do not suggest any actual sound difference... only this technical channel assignment change and the movement of "bass management" from 7/8 to 3/4 to conform.


Quote:

Actually, it would be pretty important if they could add a 2 User PRIR firmware revision. If you tried someone else's PRIR there are some that sound waaaaay off in the sound. My wife's outer and inner ears are shape quite differently than mine, so she says it sound kind of hollow and tunnel like sound to her with my PRIR's.

I wasn't suggesting that it would not be important from the user's perspective. In fact I agree that it would be a TERRIFIC upgrade. As Erik quoted me from a few months back, this is precisely what I had recommended soon after getting my unit... as a very home/family-friendly feature that would allow two separate humans with two separate ears to both experience SVS simultaneously while watching TV or listening to multi-channel audio.

Of course this could also be applied to the professional world, with two audio engineers listening to something simultaneously that they're both working on... as if they were both in the same mixing room, but both in "the sweet spot".

I only remarked that I'm sure they have other probably more immediate issues that might take preference in the short term. So I'd guess the 2-person functionality might make its appearance in the long term, rather than soon... but it does certainly seem like it would have lots of appeal for the home user.

 

[Edwood]

The expansion to 64 was more for mastering studios with multiple people using it. More storage is a good thing in my book. I'll be collecting PRIR's of different places over the years for sure.

As for archiving the PRIR's and HPEQ, I just put them into folders with a description on it there.

-Ed