So what you’re saying is all future inquiries about where the outstanding units are should be labeled, “2.15 bug report.’
Lol!
Smyth Research Realiser A16
Lol!
You might try. However, I don't think you will get a comprehensive answer.
weijiangnan
New Head-Fier
James has received the bug report, and he raised the issue of a full factory reset after the firmware upgrade is complete, but a full factory reset has been performed as required by the firmware upgrade, and the problem remains, except that the angle of offset isn't as great; next I'll probably keep an eye out for any effect of the 2.15 firmware's setting for the differential gain of the microphone.
I can also confirm the bug as I found around 5db channel imbalance between the L and R mic input when performing PRIR with the firmw 2.15.....measured my mic gain with proper protocol and they were fine at 0.1db...Intentionally rebalanced the mic gain to 5db with the listen to mic app from the new firmware but it didn t solve the imbalance at all.....
So downgraded to firmware 2.12 and the mic gain input went back to normal as balanced when during PRIR....
Something playing up with the new mic gain adjustment app from the new firmware...
Hope the Smyth can fix it asap bc it s a very good add on for finely balance and adjust the mic gain before any PRIR measurements..
Jonesing4A16
New Head-Fier
So friend, as I, a frustrated investor with Smyth Research, finally, after posting all of my inquires to anyone and everyone on this forum knowing anything about the Smyth's activity, how is it, may I ask, that you are privy to their schedule? Please, what is your connection with the Smyth's? Can you personally relay a message to the Smyth's, our collective disgust with how they have mistreated their A16 investors literally over years! I will inquire once again, now directly to you since you seem to know that the Smyth's are still alive, are the Smyth's actively doing anything to revive the shipment of A16's to their kickstarter and pre-order investors? PLEASE do not ignore my questions like the Smyth's never replying to their A16 investors!
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While your situation is sad I don't think the people you mentioned owe you anything. I don't see how they would get anything other than the default answer (that they intend to fulfill all orders) even if they asked, especially if the answer was going to be published. If they push hard or publish something they were not supposed to, they risk losing contact entirely which is a net negative for all of us.
I still don't agree with your use of the term "investor." You're a backer or a customer. Not that it matters much.
I still don't agree with your use of the term "investor." You're a backer or a customer. Not that it matters much.
Hi... In respecting the TOS of Head-Fi, I am limited as to what I can say on their platform. But I think it is safe for me to say that I rely on the Smyths for a unique service. This service does allow for limited contact with the Smyths. Any communication I post here is meant to be mutually beneficial to the Smyths and the A16 community.
They know... While not using those exact words... I have tried to convey the overall feeling of most when it comes to all things A16 related... Again... They know.
Although I do have limited contact with the Smyths... I am in no way a part of their business. Other than the public email responses that James relays from time to time, I am not privy to the status of any Kickstarter or preorder fulfilment.
I am very sorry if my answers are frustrating to you... I get it. It may be hard for you to believe. But I honestly think the Smyths are doing what they can to deliver on their promises.
Have you personally tried calling the Smyths? The number Google supplies is accurate.
PS. I too am hopeful that all orders will be fulfilled. IMO... The A16 is the greatest advancement in audio in decades.
Sincerely,
John
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I've been listening to a lot of 5.1 music off my A16 recently. It is really impressive what Smyth has been able to do with the surround sound. Primus's 5.1 flac for "Sea of Cheese" has really impressed me with the surround sound nature of it. I just wish there were more 5.1 or 7.1 albums. It's a damn shame the industry moved away from surround sound mixes. I guess there is hope with Atmos though, maybe.
There may be more than you think... Check out https://www.quadraphonicquad.com for releases, reviews and all thing surround sound.
esimms86
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2013
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Do you have Auro 3D capability on your A16? If so, then you may wish to obtain an Auro 3D PRIR. Auromatic upmixing works really well with the A16.
Jonesing4A16
New Head-Fier
Thank you John, and PLEASE keep conveying to the Smyth's, the A16 kickstarter and pre-order investors each and every post on this forum of our frustration with their total disregard to their original loyal paying customers!
audiohobbit
500+ Head-Fier
Maybe you're not aware of the Smyths situation: If they would pay back all the pre-orders, the company wouldn't survive this.
There is still no other product that comes even close to what the Realiser can achieve.
My greatest fear is that the Smyths go bancrupt. Yes they miscalculated in the first place, that seems to be obvious unfortunately.
So if you would get your money back, you couldn't get a new Realiser anyway.
I don't know how your financial situation is, but I'd look for a used one, or even a used older A8, depends on what you wanted to do with the Realiser.
If your time is limited, and I'm very sorry to hear that, I'd look to make the remaining time as comfortable as possible.
A working Realiser could be sold later on again to a reasonable price I think.
Unfortunately it seems that kickstarter backers who got their A16 for a very low price and now sell them, demand prices twice or triple that of the kickstarte price, because the demand (and the full price of a new one) allows that.
(so I should have backed for at least 10 units, I could have made 20.000 euro profit by selling them afterwards... if I'd have no moral code or s.th. like that...)
There is still no other product that comes even close to what the Realiser can achieve.
My greatest fear is that the Smyths go bancrupt. Yes they miscalculated in the first place, that seems to be obvious unfortunately.
So if you would get your money back, you couldn't get a new Realiser anyway.
I don't know how your financial situation is, but I'd look for a used one, or even a used older A8, depends on what you wanted to do with the Realiser.
If your time is limited, and I'm very sorry to hear that, I'd look to make the remaining time as comfortable as possible.
A working Realiser could be sold later on again to a reasonable price I think.
Unfortunately it seems that kickstarter backers who got their A16 for a very low price and now sell them, demand prices twice or triple that of the kickstarte price, because the demand (and the full price of a new one) allows that.
(so I should have backed for at least 10 units, I could have made 20.000 euro profit by selling them afterwards... if I'd have no moral code or s.th. like that...)
gimlet
Head-Fier
I have had the same experience. After I had my A16 upgraded to Auro 3D, I installed some of John's PRIRs from 3D Soundshop. The impact of Auro when listening to 16/44 stereo music (classical and rock) is really impressive. John's PRIR suite is superb for Auro 3D, especially using the Omega, Genelec and Dutch & Dutch speakers. With the right PRIRs, Auro 3D provides very natural surround and excellent clarity - I can hear elements of the mix that I never heard in standard "stereo" mode, even on headphones. Strongly recommended.
gimlet
Head-Fier
I wanted to mention a piece of my own surround audio history that might interest other members of this group. In 2016, I was lucky enough to be given a personal tour of Dolby's studio in San Francisco, and I also talked to some of the team working on Atmos about speakers and headphones. In the first of the two studios I looked at, they had a full set of overhead and surround ATC speakers (plus 2 subs). I took a wide-angle picture at the time - see below. As far as I can recall, they also had two or three Smyth Realiser A8s and Stax 404s lying around. These had been in regular use until Atmos development started, but obviously the A8 couldn't support 16 or 24 channels - hence the A16 development. Afterwards, I tried to persuade them to share their PRIRs - but no luck, unfortunately. Would be great to have a studio ATC speaker / room PRIR though - my recollection was that the ATC studio sound was outstanding, as you would expect from Dolby.
Attachments
That's what I thought as well... But apparently it's possible and not uncommon to stack 3 or 4 A8s. In one of my brief conversations with Terry Shultz, he informed me that because of the limited availability of A16s... many pros stack their older A8s to create immersive content.
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