[Sledge]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmoura /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd agree. Until you actually hear the Realiser, it's hard to believe it works as well as it does.

Even with the "standard" calibration, it's wild to turn you head and hear the sound stay stationary. Any action movie with active surrounds (like Avatar) is amazing.

 

[bdh]

Well, I believe it works as well as it does for a home theater setup, I just can't find any one who is using it for dedicated audio listening and can give a good review of it. I rarely watch movies - most of them are just too dumb - but I listen to music many hours a day. And frankly, other than the system I sold off many years ago, I still havn't heard a speaker setup that would hold my attention for more than an hour. I don't understand how audio retailers sell these super-expensive speakers when they're set up like crap and don't sound that good. Where would I go to get a profile that can better the music I get from straight headphones?

 

[GardenVariety]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, I believe it works as well as it does for a home theater setup, I just can't find any one who is using it for dedicated audio listening and can give a good review of it. I rarely watch movies - most of them are just too dumb - but I listen to music many hours a day. And frankly, other than the system I sold off many years ago, I still havn't heard a speaker setup that would hold my attention for more than an hour. I don't understand how audio retailers sell these super-expensive speakers when they're set up like crap and don't sound that good. Where would I go to get a profile that can better the music I get from straight headphones?

I just listened to the remastered Abbey Road album the other day and it was breathtaking. I just put my processor on direct and listened through the two channel AIX preset. Combined with my tactiles it really sounded better then anything I've heard in quite awhile.

 

[frenshprince]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmoura /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd agree. Until you actually hear the Realiser, it's hard to believe it works as well as it does.

Yes it's really impressive.
Too bad the Realiser A8 is not as famous as it deserves.
But I know that The Smyth Brothers and Lorr Kramer are working hard on it.

And step by step, I hope one day, it will be the first name in every mouth, when you'll talk about Headphone virtualisation.

And it means to be.
Everyone who tried it was blown away.
Ok it's expensive, but it worth it. (Who here does regret to have bought it ? I'm sure no one

)

I'm still thinking they can do some improvements about ergonomics in the setup, but even without that, it's perfect.

Im really happy with it, and consider the Realiser A8 as one of my best Home Theater invest

 

[bmoura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GardenVariety /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just listened to the remastered Abbey Road album the other day and it was breathtaking. I just put my processor on direct and listened through the two channel AIX preset. Combined with my tactiles it really sounded better then anything I've heard in quite awhile.

Two Channel AIX preset - did you do a separate 2 Channel calibration there?

When I was at AIX we did 5.1 and 7.1 but not 2 channel.

 

[GardenVariety]

I am sorry, I just use the 5.1 and use direct so it only sends the two channel signal to the Realiser.

 

[bmoura]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GardenVariety /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am sorry, I just use the 5.1 and use direct so it only sends the two channel signal to the Realiser.

OK. So it's the AIX 5.1 calibration plus "direct". Hmm, I'll have to try that here !

 

[dsperber]

It should sound just like any 2-channel source would sound being sent to the true AIX 5.1 speaker system setup, with the 2-channel CD audio being fed simply to the two front L/R speakers. You'd have heard nothing through the LS, RS, C and SW in the real AIX studio room, and you will hear it the same way through the Realiser and your headphones.

The fact that the Realiser can also handle true 5.1 input is not relevant. It's goal is to duplicate the sound of whatever source you would have sent to the real loudspeaker system that the PRIR is trying to mimic.

This is also one reason why I've settled on activating the "bass management" functionality, so that in this situation I would be "shaving off" the low frequencies (below 80hz) from both L/R channels and sending them to the "virtual SW channel" which is theoretically better able to handle and reproduce those low frequencies (as if the AIX L/R front loudspeaker arrangement was more like 2.1 instead of 2.0 handled through this Realiser-enabled crossover setup, when fed 2-channel input).

 

[GardenVariety]

It's funny, I am now in a situation where I am able to use my speaker setup once again. So, I fired up my system this weekend and ended up turning it off half way through and switching back to the Realiser. Even my wife commented that even though she doesn't like wearing headphones it sounded much clearer and agreed that we were missing small details when listening to the speakers. She also likes that we each have our own volume controls because she doesn't like listening as loud as I do.

 

[Socrates]

Could you please explain how you use "direct" for two channel recordings? What are the remote commands?
Thanks

 

[GardenVariety]

All I do is go into the menu of my receiver and change it to direct mode. I am not sure where it is in your processor but it's fairly obvious in the menu of mine. Sorry I can't be more help.

 

[dsperber]

I think the reference to "direct" is on the RECEIVER, not the Realiser.
 
I'm speculating that this is probably the same as what "straight" means on my Yamaha receiver, which is the setting that causes the receiver to apply ZERO processing of any kind in producing the output.  All input channels are simply decoded from the source and then passed on through COMPLETELY UNTOUCHED, out the preamp line outputs (for feeding the Realiser) and to the amp/speakers which is the normal primary output of the receiver.
 
So if you feed 2-channel CD audio to the L/R inputs (either analog, or digital via HDMI connection from the player to your receiver) you would get the identical 2-channel output from the L/R channels only of the receiver (nothing from the other channels) feeding the L/R channel inputs on the Realiser (nothing else on any other input channel).
 
The "straight"  setting would thus avoid any kind of matrix simulation of surround, etc., which would put artificial signals out of the other channels.  L/R in, L/R out, completely untouched, and nothing else anywhere.  Straight... in Yamaha terminology.

 

[Socrates]

Thanks for clearing that up. I'd looked through the manual and couldn't see anything on direct !

 

[Socrates]

I have a question that is only slightly Realiser related but I'd be grateful for any advice.
 
Next month I plan to go full HD (I have a six year old SD plasma at the moment).
I'll be getting the Panasonic 50V20 plasma and DMP-BD85 blu ray player which has analogue outputs.
 
If I have the player doing the decoding and feeding to the Realiser inputs and a separate HDMI feed going to the TV, will I have to change the sound settings every time I want to watch using the TV speakers as opposed to the headphones or will decoded audio go over the hdmi as well?
 
A separate question, if a HDMI connection is feeding to the TV directly how exactly does the audio work, i.e. is the multi channel automatically downmixed to stereo when it is fed to a TV, I don't think all dvd's/blu rays have stereo only soundtracks do they?
 
Thanks for any help. 

 

[Erik Garci]

 
Quote:

If I have the player doing the decoding and feeding to the Realiser inputs and a separate HDMI feed going to the TV, will I have to change the sound settings every time I want to watch using the TV speakers as opposed to the headphones or will decoded audio go over the hdmi as well?

You might have to change settings on the player to switch between stereo and multichannel, if the TV does not accept the multichannel audio over HDMI.
Quote:

A separate question, if a HDMI connection is feeding to the TV directly how exactly does the audio work, i.e. is the multi channel automatically downmixed to stereo when it is fed to a TV, I don't think all dvd's/blu rays have stereo only soundtracks do they?

I think all players can play the stereo track or can downmix a multi-channel track to stereo (if the disc has no stereo track).