[Edwood]

What conversion plug? It is USB charged/powered.

It's not USB bus powered. It has USB 2.0 so it can be used as a sound card for a computer.

According to their current specs the A16 uses a 60 watt 16V Universal PSU with different power cords for different regions. Sounds like a laptop style PSU that can utilize the usual 100 - 240V range.

 

[sandiway]

It's not USB bus powered. It has USB 2.0 so it can be used as a sound card for a computer.

According to their current specs the A16 uses a 60 watt 16V Universal PSU with different power cords for different regions. Sounds like a laptop style PSU that can utilize the usual 100 - 240V range.

Sorry, I polluted this thread by mentioning the exchange rate with respect to the Chord Mojo. The Mojo charges its battery via USB only.

 

[Edwood]

 
Sorry, I polluted this thread by mentioning the exchange rate with respect to the Chord Mojo. The Mojo charges its battery via USB only.

Ah, I see.   No worries.
 
I'm hoping that the Realiser A16 does not use power from it's USB input, as it's often prone to noise and interference.  

 

[Sordel]

Just looking at the Kickstarter now and I've got three questions that people here may be able to readily answer.
 
1) In the first place, while the unit as shipped enables you to do PRIR measurements of your own home, am I right in thinking that you would need to have your HRTF measurements done separately to plug that data into downloaded PRIRs?
2) Secondly, I see that there each of the two headphone users has a choice of RCA outputs or dedicated headphone amplifiers via 1/4" jacks. Is anyone able to evaluate whether the headphone amplifier circuits are good enough for the unit to count as a high quality headphone amplifier in its own right?
3) Given that different headphones have different frequency ranges, is Smyth Researcg likely to supply custom headphone eq correction or do they just assume that one goes with as neutral a headphone as one can find? I've been wondering whether something like the Avantone Pro Mixphones might be of value here, since they are designed to emulate monitor speakers.

 

[Edwood]

The built in headphone outputs are pretty decent, but you really would be better off using a headphone amp with more power hungry headphones. Especially magneplanar orthos.

The A16 really has a great assortment of inputs and outputs. They really did think of just about everything. I won't be using dual users (with different PRIR) but it's nice to know I can.

I'll likely use both Headphone RCA outputs to two different amplifiers so I can use different heaphone types (full size, IEM, electrostatic, etc) whenever I want without having to unplug and swap things around.

I'm also amazed they included microphone inputs for games like XBox and PS. I'll definitely be using the Game mode as well.

 

[VandyMan]

 
3) Given that different headphones have different frequency ranges, is Smyth Researcg likely to supply custom headphone eq correction or do they just assume that one goes with as neutral a headphone as one can find? I've been wondering whether something like the Avantone Pro Mixphones might be of value here, since they are designed to emulate monitor speakers.

 
You measure the headphones. You put the supplied microphones in your ears, put on the headphones, and run the test signals. That is my understanding anyway (I don't have an A8).

 

[Jon Sonne]

  3) Given that different headphones have different frequency ranges, is Smyth Researcg likely to supply custom headphone eq correction or do they just assume that one goes with as neutral a headphone as one can find? I've been wondering whether something like the Avantone Pro Mixphones might be of value here, since they are designed to emulate monitor speakers.

   
You measure the headphones. You put the supplied microphones in your ears, put on the headphones, and run the test signals. That is my understanding anyway (I don't have an A8).

 
This is correct. My headphones were equalized this way when I tried the A8.

 

[RRod]

For people interested in an introduction to the theory of all this:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20010044352.pdf
 
A bit old now, but readable and relevant.

 

[Sordel]

This is correct. My headphones were equalized this way when I tried the A8.

Interesting ... so does the unit hold multiple profiles in memory for multiple headphones? Could get complicated for Head-Fi members! I guess my questions are maybe getting to the point of detail that I should ask Smyth directly ...

 

[sandiway]

The built in headphone outputs are pretty decent, but you really would be better off using a headphone amp with more power hungry headphones. Especially magneplanar orthos.

I assume anyone investing in this device will have pretty high-end headphones, and therefore will be wanting to use their existing head amps.

 

[Jon Sonne]

Interesting ... so does the unit hold multiple profiles in memory for multiple headphones? Could get complicated for Head-Fi members! I guess my questions are maybe getting to the point of detail that I should ask Smyth directly ...

 
Yes it does. And you can change different headphone calibrations separately from your HRTF calibration (PRIR files). 

 

[jazzfan]

 

Interesting ... so does the unit hold multiple profiles in memory for multiple headphones? Could get complicated for Head-Fi members! I guess my questions are maybe getting to the point of detail that I should ask Smyth directly ...

 
Yes it does. And you can change different headphone calibrations separately from your HRTF calibration (PRIR files). 

 
In fact, the A16 has 16 programmable presets for custom profiles and whereas the A8 only had four presets.

 

[Sordel]

Yes it does. And you can change different headphone calibrations separately from your HRTF calibration (PRIR files). 

Ah, that's great. It's a lot more than I would normally pay for such a niche device but they seem to have made it as fully featured as possible so I decided to pledge for the second tranche to reserve that price.

 

[Jon Sonne]

Ah, that's great. It's a lot more than I would normally pay for such a niche device but they seem to have made it as fully featured as possible so I decided to pledge for the second tranche to reserve that price.

 
Great to have you onboard! 

 

[paulchiu]

Bank of England cut interest rates to 0.25%
The pound down to 1.31 vs the dollar.
 
Was1.33 when our A16 kickstarter started