[Sledge]

Firmware update. This deals with the analog pass-through in standby mode problem.

Smyth Research

 

[dsperber]

Installed the firmware update this past weekend. Analog pass-through once again works.

Just in passing, in case anyone else is also using "bass management" as I am, the default channel number reassignment which first came out in the September firmware required me to do three specific things to conform to the channel changes. While there might be no impact on PRIR usage because it's based on "channel name", other functions (e.g. MIX BLOCK) absolutely ARE impacted by the channel changes because they seem to be based on "channel number".

So... just to summarize what I had to do, in reaction to the fact that channels were changed from: 1(L), 2(R), 3(LS), 4(RS), 5(LB), 6(RB), 7(C), and 8(SW) to: 1(L), 2(R), 3(C), 4(SW), 5(LS), 6(RS), 7(LB) and 8(RB)...

(1) cables from the preamp had to be pulled out and re-plugged, so that C/SW went into 3/4, LS/RS went into 5/6, and LB/RB went into 7/8.

(2) I/O assignment (channel and azimuth) had to be changed to match the signals now coming in on the rearranged channel numbers:

L1-30
R2+30
C3+0
SW4-40
LS5-90
RS6+90
LB7-150
RB8+150

and then System Configuration needed to be saved (!). Note that I don't actually have real loudspeakers, so the azimuth settings don't really mean anything since I'll never be doing any calibrating. But reassigning the input channel numbers to their correct channel names was appropriate.

(3) I already had "bass management" activated in each of my four presets (AIX 5.1, AIX 7.1, MiCasa 5.1, MiCasa 7.1). After performing the I/O assignment changes I then reviewed each of the MIX BLOCK settings for SW on each of the four presets.

Because the coefficients used to weight the other seven channels appear to have been assigned by NUMERIC CHANNEL NUMBER rather than being associated with a logical CHANNEL NAME, the values shown on channels 4 and 8 were exactly as they were previously (i.e. in fixed channel number order) and thus were wrong per the new channel name arrangement and thus had to be corrected by me.

In other words, previously SW was channel 8 and RS was channel 4. So previously the MIX BLOCK coefficients for the 8(SW) channel were:

1 L.3
2 R.3
3 LS.3
4 RS.3
5 LB.3
6 RB.3
7 C.3
8 SW 0

After the channel I/O reassignment the MIX BLOCK for 4(SW) appeared as:

1 L.3
2 R.3
3 C.3
4 SW .3 <=== should be 0
5 LS.3
6 RS.3
7 LB.3
8 RB0 <=== should be .3

with the logical channel names correctly rearranged but the MIX BLOCK coefficients still assigned exactly according to channel numbers 1-8 as they were previously, thus now being incorrect.

In other words, the names of the channels shown in MIX BLOCK had rearranged correctly, but the previously assigned coefficients for channel numbers 1-8 did not also rearrange to follow the associated channel name for that coefficient. Instead, they remained assigned strictly according to the original channel number order.

So to make things right I had to reverse the incorrectly specified new MIX BLOCK coefficients for the 4(SW) channel in all four of my presets for channel 4 (RS->SW) and 8 (SW->RB), to correctly reflect 4(SW)=0 and 8(RB)=.3.

 

[Sledge]

Slightly OT but I just wanted to mention the outstanding service I got from Lorr when it came to replacing the remote. He asked me to try a few things none of which worked, then he said he'd put a new one in the mail when he got back to the office. Got the new remote in three days tops. Luckily I had already programmed the on/off into my Logitech Harmony so I could still use it those couple of days.

In case you didn't read the manual (I haven't gotten through it all yet), the Realiser has a 2-year warranty.

 

[bmoura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Factory Camarillo PRIR is still pretty good. You'll have a chance to enjoy that one in the meantime. And then you'll be wowed even more when you get a better PRIR. It's a major upgrade. Something to look forward to.

Agreed. The factory PRIR isn't bad - especially when you match it up with your own measured HPEQ file. That was certainly my experience here. Although it isn't quite in the same league with the PRIRs I have now from AIX and Mi Casa. (Very cool!)

Here, I just ordered a Stax Headphone extension cord since the TV/Oppo Blu-Ray Disc player is a little too far away from the Couch to work well. (I moved it up temporarily to check out the Realiser).

 

[Sledge]

I also got the Stax extension cord. 8 foot. Just got it today

 

[bmoura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sledge /img/forum/go_quote.gif I also got the Stax extension cord. 8 foot. Just got it today

I ordered the Stax 15 foot extension cord. Should make listening much more comfortable. Scheduled to arrive next week.

 

[bmoura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsperber /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had nothing either. Settled on Yamaha RX-V863 receiver, since I only needed a reasonably priced external DD/DTS decoder with analog preamp outputs that also supported the lossless codecs. I have no loudspeakers so anything extra in the receiver relating to actual speakers is irrelevant to me. The RX-V863 was priced right (and does not run hot, as I learned the comparable Onkyo receivers do). The Yamaha is now my A/V-switcher (including support for three HDMI inputs), supporting HDMI and replacing the Zektor HDS4 component video (and analog/digital audio) switch I used to use. It also supports other audio-only sources I've always wanted to feed through one switcher. I also bought an Oppo BDP-83 to feed the Yamaha (via HDMI). The only quirk relating to the Yamaha's interaction with the Realiser is the standard Yamaha "protective circuitry" which shuts it off to prevent overload (e.g. if you turn the volume up too high). Because of a voltage spike that the Realiser seems to emit when it comes out of standby, if you have the Yamaha already powered on when you turn the Realiser on the Yamaha will instantly turn itself off (i.e. to protect itself from the sudden voltage spike from the Realiser, even though the Realiser is actually being FED from the Yamaha and not the other way around). Odd, but true. The solution is simply to remember to always turn the Realiser on first, and then the Yamaha on second... no matter what true source component I plan to use.

Are things still going well with the Yamaha 863 + Oppo BDP-83 combo? I'm finding that the Oppo alone doesn't always have enough volume with the Realiser here.

So I'm leaning towards getting either a HT receiver or something like the Emotiva UMC-1 preamp/processor for my Realiser setup.

 

[Sledge]

I have the Stax amp plugged in directly to the Realiser and I find the volume to be good. I have the knob on the Stax amp turned up one pip past halfway.

 

[bmoura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sledge /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have the Stax amp plugged in directly to the Realiser and I find the volume to be good. I have the knob on the Stax amp turned up one pip past halfway.

Same setup here. Volume is OK for newer movies and 5.1 music discs (like SACDs and DVDAs) but too low for older movies.

 

[Sledge]

Older as in old movies or older as in old transfers?

I have a copy of "A Christmas Carol" on Bluray sitting here. Maybe I should see how loud it is. It's from 1953 which would make it an old movie however they did an all new transfer for this release.

Alistair Sim FTW

 

[dsperber]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmoura /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are things still going well with the Yamaha 863 + Oppo BDP-83 combo? I'm finding that the Oppo alone doesn't always have enough volume with the Realiser here.

Perfectly fine. But then I'm not using the Oppo's analog outputs sending them to the Realiser. I've got the Oppo connected to the Yamaha via HDMI and the Yamaha does all decoding both for the Oppo as well as for all my other HD multi-channel and 2-channel input sources, and its preamp outputs are the feeder to the Realiser for all input devices. That's why the Yamaha is such a useful device in the setup.

I have the volume control on my Stax SRM-T1S (driving my Omega-1 headphones) set at about 2 o'clock. It is there forever, and I adjust other pre-amp upstream source devices to have their volume levels set so that with the Stax amp at 2 o'clock I have just about the right volume in my ears.

The Stax amp is fed from my DBX 14/10 EQ, with a tone control curve (for the 14-band EQ) and gain preset that I settled upon years ago and use for ALL listening from any source. As far as my ears are concerned, everything coming through this tone-control curve is absolutely perfect. The digital SPL meter on the DBX EQ (100 = 1.0v) has a "floor" of 64 when no input source signal is present, so essentially a reading of 80-90 reflects a "good, nice and loud but not overloaded normal listening" level. Anything showing in the 90's and higher is now getting very loud. So both through my ears and also visually looking at the digital meter I can objectively tell when the volume sent to the headphones will be right for me.

The DBX EQ is fed from the headphone outputs of the Realiser, and I have altered the default digital volume out of the Realiser to be -10db, from its factory default of-19db or -20db I think. So the Realiser's digital amp is set for me to be considerably louder than it originally was, which is intentional so that I can have the Stax amp at 2 o'clock.

The Realiser is fed from the preamp outputs of the Yamaha receiver, and I use the volume control on the Yamaha (which controls its preamp outputs as well as its main speaker outputs) to get the overall level shown on the DBX EQ to be maybe 82-91. Depending on the source this could mean a Yamaha level of anywhere between 0 and 8, with 2-5 typical. Source volumes vary widely (especially NBC-DT which is crap on the audio level scale, since they and Dolby believe their dialnorm value of -23 is perfect, even though other channels are at least 4db louder) so you just have to accept playing with the Yamaha volume to get the final output coming to my ears to be at the right level (i.e. DBX RTA level between 82-91). I settled on -10db for the Realiser volume to be consistent with my DBX preset as well as 2 o'clock for the Stax amp, and a volume on the Yamaha of a reasonable 0-8 (so that it would not overload and power itself off via its "protective circuitry")... in order to get a typical 80-91 on the DBX RTA display (although very loud moments of 95-102 from BluRay and other movies with extraordinary sound can occur, risking clipping from the Realiser and protective shutdown of the Yamaha).

So... fixed Stax amp volume (2 o'clock), fixed Realiser digital amp volume (-10db, up louder than default factory setting), fixed gain/tone from the DBX EQ (target RTA SPL level showing 82-90 via Yamaha volume adjustments), and variable volume on the Yamaha (0-8) depending on input source content that I've selected. The Yamaha volume control serves as my "master volume" control, and is the only variable I utilize... but I do use it regularly, as source varies.

 

[bmoura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sledge /img/forum/go_quote.gif Older as in old movies or older as in old transfers? I have a copy of "A Christmas Carol" on Bluray sitting here. Maybe I should see how loud it is. It's from 1953 which would make it an old movie however they did an all new transfer for this release. Alistair Sim FTW

Older as in older movies and material. They tend to be of lower quality and volume.
Rather than strictly using the Stax knob for volume, I'm using the Realiser volume control as well. That adds sufficient volume here.

My next challenge is testing all of the calibrations (Mi Casa, AIX, Can Jam, Smyth Lab, Factory Default , 5.1 and 7.1, etc.) with only the 4 presets on the Realiser.
Perhaps there will be a way in the future to turn the 4 presets into 8 with a software command. Hmm, time for an enhancement request to Smyth!

 

[Sledge]

They could have it so if you double pressed a preset button within 1 second, it activates a second preset. Easy way from 4 to 8 presets.

 

[bmoura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sledge /img/forum/go_quote.gif They could have it so if you double pressed a preset button within 1 second, it activates a second preset. Easy way from 4 to 8 presets.

That's similar to what I was thinking. Press a preset and another button and voila - 8 presets.

It will be interesting to see if the Smyth folks come up with something like that.

In the meantime, I'm shuffling my calibration files on/off the box to do some more comparisons.

More fun ahead....

 

[blubliss]

So I finally got around to plugging the Smyth into my reference 2-channel system. I had to get a cheap RCA > XLR box (to make the levels correct) since the Realiser is unbalanced.

Short story is, wow, this is pretty amazing. I am only using my measurement done in a 5.1 studio and the SDS/R10, but I have high hopes when I measure a reference 2.0 room it is gonna be awesome. I think the headphones do impart some sonic signature but I am primarily listening to the room where the measurement was done. Truly amazing technology.

For anyone stuck with headphones, this may be a viable solution for recreating a speaker environment.

For movies and headphones it is unbeatable.