[banjo]

For your own interest please read this exiting article from widescreen review (it's from last summer):

http://www.widescreenreview.com/attractions/os1.html

Edit: unfortunately the above link no longer works - and I have not been able to find the text on the internet.

And in this thread there is an equally positive comment from a chief engineer at Telarc.

http://www.musicplayer.com/cgi-bin/u...6;t=000497;p=0

I've contacted the company Smyth virtual technologies to ask about any news, and have been told that they're in the proces of licensing the SVS technology to different companies. I was given no specific details such as release dates and types of products. However, I was told that approx. 200 people have tested SVS at the companies test facility and that in general their experiences were the same as those expressed in the article by widescreen review. I my opinion this sounds very promising, and I think it will suit the many owners of high-end headphones in this forum to hear that they don't need to buy one of the dolby headphone packages from pioneer and philips with headphones included, but instead can use their own headphones together with SVS and in fact expect a performance that beats dolby headphone - in the future.

 

[Vadi]

Great!

 

[banjo]

Found a new comment by a ces05 go'er:

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue18/ces05dg.htm
- near the bottom of the page.

quote: "I think I just experienced part of audio's future"

this technology sounds so promising. I wish denmark was closer to california, so that I could get a demo at the company.

 

[banjo]

Just want to let you know that in my dialogue with the company representative, Steve Cheung is his name, I´ve been requested to ask any head´fier that might be critical of the perfomance of SVS to come for a demonstration at the company. It seems they are confident that you will be impressed. I know I would love to go for a demo myself, but denmark is a little to far from Camarillo, CA to make it worth the while.

I think it would be great if some experienced head-fi´er or group of head-fiers could go for a demo and write about it, to the enlightenment of our community - maybe bring a repetoire of high-end phones to compare with the stax phones the compony seems to be using for demos.

I my opinion that fact that you can reproduce the sound of a quality loudspeakers (stereo or surround) system to a degree where it is impossible? to decern any differences makes for a bright future of headphones.
I certainly can´t afford megabucks speaker systems but who cares I can copy thier sound signature with an affordable headphone system

You can find the email at cesweb 2005 by searching for
Smyth virtual technologies
Good luck


Cheers

 

[Wmcmanus]

Thanks for this most excellent news, banjo. I've not bothered to subscribe to WideScreenReview, but am curious about the interview with Mr. Smyth. Specifically, how soon will this technology become available in the marketplace, and at what cost?

 

[Erik Garci]

The interview does not mention specific information about the price and availability of actual products. Although they have an evalution unit for demos, they are not a manufacturer themselves, so they are in the process of licensing the technology to manufacturers, such as receiver manufacturers.

 

[Ripley]

I'm definitely super excited about this technology, and would love to go hear a demo. Even better, I wish they would hurry up and get it manufactured, and start shipping!

I'm up in northern California (near San Fran), but a ~6 hour trip down to Camarillo (near L.A., it seems) may be in order.....

Perhaps I could convince me to be a beta tester for them.

 

[thatopampguy]

Hi,

Any of the experienced folks from from LA could go.

Camarillo is just 20 minutes north of LA off the 101 freeway. Been there many times.

Thanks

 

[spike33]

for those of us too lazy to read all the articles, can someone summarize? What makes this new technology different from all the other fake 'surround sound' headphone systems?

 

[Frisenette]

It's not just a generalised approximation of the way the human ear and head filter sound, It's a customised version for individual use.

 

[taymat]

This should have been thought of years ago, I mean personalised eq/surround has been looked at by akg, but never taken seriously. I think I read on here that akg released an eq box that could store different peoples presets for eq after a personalised hearing test, etc that determined your ears frequency response. It's the same for surround, I believe akg realeased a box a few years ago, a different version of which is used now, that could read a memory card, like the chip on your credit car, that contained your individual HRTF ear response. Of course timing and frequency response is going to be affected by your ears shape, size and geometry. So why hasn't this been done properly yet?!
My idea:
It makes sense to me that all a company has to do is produce a parametric eq/HRTF digital processor (so you can convert to analogue afterwards for no loss of quality) with a USB port that connects to your computer. Then you simply connect to a free website online, download test tracks/tones and using software, record your responses. Then this creates a custom file, that can be uploaded to your parametric eq/HRTF digital processor and that reads it, and customises the processing accordingly. It's simple, it'll work, why hasn't a company done it yet? One box like a Behringer DEQ with a USB port and HRTF processing, one software program, one website, bit of R+D and bingo! Perfect sound for any headphone ever. Also it could be made fully customisable should you not like the headphones 'flat' sound with grado, sennheiser, akg, beyerdynamic, (re-named of course to avoid copyright issues) preset emulations and also music genre presets.
Edit: Going even further and crazier, people could upload eq/HRTF presets for certain albums that you can then download and you know will sound good, because other people have already tested them. I.e Think the mixing engineer had tin ears on Metallica's Justice for All? Maybe other people do. So you go online to find a base preset you can download that other people have uploaded, with a ***** rating you find a guy called **** and download it. Instantly it customises your already personalised eq settings to make the album sound like it should have done in the first place, and you are happy.

 

[Red1]

Quote:

Edit: Going even further and crazier, people could upload eq/HRTF presets for certain albums that you can then download and you know will sound good, because other people have already tested them. I.e Think the mixing engineer had tin ears on Metallica's Justice for All? Maybe other people do. So you go online to find a base preset you can download that other people have uploaded, with a ***** rating you find a guy called **** and download it. Instantly it customises your already personalised eq settings to make the album sound like it should have done in the first place, and you are happy.

That would be so cool.

 

[taymat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red1 That would be so cool.

I know.

I've just thought of another load of ideas as well: You set reference points for your listening with a mic so that the box knows what volume on the dial is at what db volume in real life, and automatically adapts the eq for different volumes. Like a variable loudness control for quieter/louder listening. The same box could also have a speaker mode and xlr/optical outputs for using an external dac and active eq. This is calibrated with an external mic plugged into it in your usual listening position. That way you get less problems with room response when plugged into active monitors.

 

[sfxjames]

Wow way to go Smyth, that's great!


looks like Dolby Headphone has utterly defeated my system for the 100th time, but I am floored that this will beat dolby headphone, woo'hoo!!!



Dolby Headphone

vs

Smyth Virtual Technology

 

[sfxjames]

Oops their is no competition

according to the interview DH is the platform which catalized Smyth's research into into using headphone surround.

SVS wins, it is the next best thing