[Got the Shakes]

I realize everyone's concerns right now (Realiser-wise) seem to revolve around getting their Realiser to Bangor, finding a freight company to do that, minimizing customs and duties, etc, etc, but with this hiatus in delivery and firmware updates, isn't it also a good time to consider where we should try to influence Smyth Research to concentrate its further efforts for development of this project?

With that end in mind, I have a few thoughts. With regard to their effort to offer a Realiser which decodes all three advanced immersive home theater codecs : to wit, Dolby Atmos, DTS-X, and Auro 3D. What I have been hearing and reading lately leads me to believe that Dolby Atmos is going to be the overwhelmingly dominant format going forward, assuming the other formats survive at all. And, if that's the case, is it reasonable, or prudent for Smyth Research to invest its resources in obtaining certification for those formats if no Hollywood movies will be encoded in them, or if, in the case of the very few already encoded DTS-X titles, Atmos encoded movies will also be available as an alternative? As I understand it, Auro 3D will be the tiniest of niche markets, if it has anything offered in it at all, so why bother? It's pretty obvious, if it wasn't obvious in 2016 that Dolby Atmos will pretty much be it, so in that respect, the Smyths are already where they need to be in terms of what the Realiser decodes IMHO.

By no means does that clear their plate, however. They have so much to do to make the A16 a viable commercial product. In order of priority, I would number those things as follows.

(1) The web interface. The 2 inch window is an absolute joke that makes using this thing a labor of Hercules esspecially for things like PRIR capture. They must provide a better interface. It should be their number one priority and be done ASAP!

(2) PRIR capture via asynchronous and/or digital feed. This is also abysmal. As it currently stands, I don't see how the A16 can be taken to a HiFi shop or a studio and used smoothly to capture PRIRS. It's just too cumbersome. A recording (Blue Ray disc and/or digital file) for asynchronous use, followed by digital feed of the measurement signals, should be their second and third priorities.

(3) Making the A16 a viable ATMOS Home Theater Control Center. They already have a lot of features for this including thing like bass management, but they need to go the rest of the way. They need to include parametric eq for individual channels, individual channel level controls, and most importantly Dirac Live as a software upgrade (and yeah, I expect to pay for that one). That should come after upgrades 1 and 2.

(4) They need to get the Realiser Exchange and customer service up to speed. I am including in this finding providers for PRIRs like what they did in finding AIX in California and Glen Poors Audio in the US when they were selling the A8. Providing other people's PRIR together with a way of personalizing them is important, but nothing will be as important as recruiting providers for Dolby Atmos PRIRs in the US, Europe, and Asia.

(5) Clean up they annoying miscellaneous issues that make the product seem like a Beta Testing Unit. To wit, no USB front out to external DAC/AMPs for processed audio, no Microsoft signed sub driver, no 24/292 or DSD processing, making their remote codes available for 3rd party utilization, and activating the Music, Live, and Game modes.

Further, they should really push to get these five items done by year's end, or at the very latest, by the end of 1st quarter of 2021. I can see item 4 as an ongoing project, but the rest of the items should be brought to complete closure, by the end of the year.

Hard to disagree with any of this. To me the most important features would be the web interface, async capture, and the Realiser Exchange.

Yes, I'm glad that I will be getting an upgraded A16 (although after almost 4 years of waiting I'll believe it when it arrives on my doorstep), however unless they really need the money I would hope that they would prioritize getting the units to those of us that have been waiting so long. For users #204 and earlier to get their original shipment AND an upgrade shipment before the rest of us even get our first one would be one more disappointment in quite a long string of disappointing developments in the Kickstarter timeline. All we can do is patiently wait and hope for more frequent drips of information from James, et al. A little more info would make this easier to bear.

I don’t see how it isn’t about money at this point, which is totally understandable. They should be doing anything they can to bring money in, including getting the Realiser Exchange up so they can make money on PRIR sales and the sort of thing. I think with the hardware upgrade it was a combination of money and trying to get it out of the way to allow focus on shipping units and firmware development. I can’t really see any other reason for doing it now, because the timing is pretty abysmal considering what’s going on around the world right now. Don’t get me wrong, the inclusion of eARC alone is going to make my life so much easier, but I would have been perfectly fine waiting until the summer or fall to send my A16 back.

 

[GeorgeA]

The recent painful experience of sending Realiser A16 units back to Smyth Research for upgrading or repair purposes is a lesson to be learnt by EU owners of what might happen in the years to come as long UK will not be part of the EU Customs Union anymore.

 

[Dixter]

I just got this in the mail this morning... seems we are getting closer... sorry.. its a google translate...

Your email 9th to understand everything Realize the A16. Today, the Exchange Realize. Info point: if Realize is primarily designed to operate from personal catches rooms and auditoriums (all equipment needed for this capture is provided), it is also open to third catch to download to an exchange club online: Realize the Exchange. Realize this Exchange, the beta is online ( https://www.realiserexchange.com/ ) has 5 functions. Each user of the A16 there creates his personal account, with the serial number of the machine in which it will: store in the cloud personal rooms catches; download other catches, free or paid; pre-hearing, the headset (connected to computer) render different speakers in a room file (mono music loop) to get an idea; sell (or offer) on its own catch platform (credit card payment); improve a non-personal capture, with the function merge / fusion. Realize The Exchange also includes a space for discussion (in English) public and private. We can summarize its main function in a market place in which to store and share screenshots rooms between users of the A16. On this point, the Realize A16 is directly inspired Club Realize that I created for French users Realize A8 predecessor. I place as also exclusive to catch the A16, reserved for my clients. But interesting point A8 of the catches are all usable with the A16. And even if they are "only" 7.1, each can also be enriched with Atmos pregnant another catch. And all can provide an excellent basis for the merger function. For that is the true innovation or revolution Realize this Exchange. In the world of binaural, it is indeed accepted that the custom capture is the Grail; this is what gives a copy to the helmet of a listening device on speakers. Realize The Exchange aims to break this rule by allowing the use of catches made by ears (and therefore people) third and get a report approaching personal capture. How? 'Or' What ? By combining data from two catches: personal non (the target), and other personal. The only requirement is that the speaker position in the space is identical for the 2 catches. This merging function is performed in the cloud. With possibility to listen to before / after the result (see point 3). This service will be free (at least initially). File transfer between the Exchange and Realize the A16 through a micro SD card supplied.

Your questions: "What price for a room file?" The Exchange Realize include free and paid files. The choice of the price of these is totally at the discretion of the sellers (you, for example), a token amount to several hundred euros. Realize The Exchange charges a commission for paid files, on behalf of the seller, necessary for its operation. Attention justification of the detention of his rights (such as image rights) may be required, especially if accurate information (photos, studio name, equipment) are used in the description. Did you know ? All files that are outside the Exchange Realize are encrypted and can only be used on the A16 Realize the account of the subscriber. Next week: the future functions.

Gilles Gerin AV-in

 

[Sonic Defender]

This sounds like an incredible complicated, time-consuming and expensive piece of technology to integrate into a system. Are the benefits of this really worth all of this? Just curious. What massive problem does it solve again to make all of this worth it? Those are genuine questions as I don't understand this device well.

Edit: Just refreshed my very basic knowledge by reading a little again so if I understand correctly, in theory you can use custom listening space environments maps how they should interact with a speaker profile and have that emulated in a headphone environment? Is that correct or is there more?

 

[Dixter]

This sounds like an incredible complicated, time-consuming and expensive piece of technology to integrate into a system. Are the benefits of this really worth all of this? Just curious. What massive problem does it solve again to make all of this worth it? Those are genuine questions as I don't understand this device well.

It's only as complicated as you feel you want to dive into, what it can do.. and it does a whole lot.... one use for me is that I can plug in a DAP (fiio M11pro) into the A16 and then choose any room that I have available... there are now several dozen available for free and you can build from those rooms... so what you get in this use case is like having 20 different sound signatures that you could say would take you having 20 different sounding DAPs... and those DAPs all being very very good.... and thats not even counting the HDMI inputs and what the A16 does for it... one problem for me is once I turn it on I can't seem to just turn it off and walk away.. its like a mad scientist discovering new things over and over again... I have wondered though how one of the youtube guys could do a review on the A16... it would be very hard to document everything it does.... and the most important is how it sounds... I don't think you can put any other instrument next to the A16 and figure out if its even close to the A16... its very very unique and every single one is going to sound different due to its personalization...

 

[Dixter]

I guess I should have also mentioned that if you don't want to dive in and complicate the use... then its easy to just unbox, hook it up and play material thru it... and do nothing more than enjoy it... it works quite well that way... but if you want it to really sing... you do have to make adjustments... its a learning experience or a plug and play device

 

[Sonic Defender]

It's only as complicated as you feel you want to dive into, what it can do.. and it does a whole lot.... one use for me is that I can plug in a DAP (fiio M11pro) into the A16 and then choose any room that I have available... there are now several dozen available for free and you can build from those rooms... so what you get in this use case is like having 20 different sound signatures that you could say would take you having 20 different sounding DAPs... and those DAPs all being very very good.... and thats not even counting the HDMI inputs and what the A16 does for it... one problem for me is once I turn it on I can't seem to just turn it off and walk away.. its like a mad scientist discovering new things over and over again... I have wondered though how one of the youtube guys could do a review on the A16... it would be very hard to document everything it does.... and the most important is how it sounds... I don't think you can put any other instrument next to the A16 and figure out if its even close to the A16... its very very unique and every single one is going to sound different due to its personalization...

Sounds like the digital equivalent of a tube rolling addiction! That can be a very expensive and all-consuming undertaking where you are never happy and always questing for that one missing thing …. Still, that I suspect is the real reason, the joy of exploration.

 

[You Gene]

The emails from Gilles are part of a series of 13 emails. The 9th we are talking about is from November 11th 2018 !
1st mail: The 2 formats of the Smyth Realiser A16 box
2nd mail: Room capture mode with binaural microphones
3rd mail: Audio decoding capabilities
4th mail: The head follower
5th mail: Connectivity
6th mail: Virtual rooms
7th mail: Steering and control
8th mail: The helmet
9th mail: The Realiser exchange
10th mail: Future functions
11th mail: Latency (speed)
12th mail: The gamers
13th mail: Elevation mode of the follower

 

[GeorgeA]

.....
8th mail: The helmet
....

I think that for the 8th mail: The headphones
is a bit better

 

[GeorgeA]

Would it be possible that those email messages be posted in original as an archive unless some copyright is involved?

 

[You Gene]

Would it be possible that those email messages be posted in original as an archive unless some copyright is involved?

I do not think there is a (c) involved since they are available online on HCFR forum.

A quick link to most of them : https://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum...gilles gerin mail&t=30075654&sf=msgonly&ch=-1

 

[esimms86]

My A16 has successfully been delivered to Smyth Research in Bangor. One A16 delivered for upgrade down, X more to go before they can proceed to the process of upgrading.

 

[sander99]

This sounds like an incredible complicated, time-consuming and expensive piece of technology to integrate into a system. Are the benefits of this really worth all of this? Just curious. What massive problem does it solve again to make all of this worth it? Those are genuine questions as I don't understand this device well.

Edit: Just refreshed my very basic knowledge by reading a little again so if I understand correctly, in theory you can use custom listening space environments maps how they should interact with a speaker profile and have that emulated in a headphone environment? Is that correct or is there more?

I think Dixter's answer is not really explaining the core purpose of the A16 very clearly to "the outsider" (sorry @Dixter).
What the A16 can do is give you a speaker listening illusion over headphones. Incredibly realistic, including and in particular the feeling that the sound is coming from (far) outside your head. Creating a real soundstage just like real speakers.
However the only way to get a practically guarenteed good result for a randomly choosen individual is for this individual to do a personal HPEQ and PRIR measurement. For a personal PRIR measurement you yourself have to be in the real room with the real speakers. If you don't do that you may never really know what the A16 is capable of.
Some people can get good results with other people's or dummy head PRIRs. But that is a matter of chance (coincidental matching HRTFs).

Now you could ask: why would you want that? Why not listen to real speakers? Could be many reasons:
-you don't want to disturb the neighbours
-you don't have a suitable room/acoustics
-you can simulate speakers that you can not afford to buy yourself

 

[Dixter]

The emails from Gilles are part of a series of 13 emails. The 9th we are talking about is from November 11th 2018 !
1st mail: The 2 formats of the Smyth Realiser A16 box
2nd mail: Room capture mode with binaural microphones
3rd mail: Audio decoding capabilities
4th mail: The head follower
5th mail: Connectivity
6th mail: Virtual rooms
7th mail: Steering and control
8th mail: The helmet
9th mail: The Realiser exchange
10th mail: Future functions
11th mail: Latency (speed)
12th mail: The gamers
13th mail: Elevation mode of the follower

Interesting... wonder why he sent the email to me this morning... I would hope we are still closer than not...

 

[Sonic Defender]

So, I do have questions. So, even if we assume that software can recreate a 100% accurate reinterpretation of a speaker system, that itself is a massive undertaking with many possible confounds, but I accept that it likely can be done to a very acceptable level of accuracy. Saying that, you still need to account for the fact that every headphone still has mechanical properties that will change how things sound. So I am trying to get my head around (pun intended) how something as complex as software trying to collapse complex physics into a created interpretation can then interact with a very different and new physical environment (the headphone) and craft something that is true to the source (the room and speaker system it is emulating). It seems to me that the software would also have to analyze everything about the headphone, interpret the many possible interaction effects, make adjustments and then output a signal. I am not questioning the possible value, or even the clearly positive affects people are experiencing, I guess I am only unclear how accurate people think the final product is? If you have never actually heard the emulated speakers in the environment being emulated, how does one gauge the accuracy of the emulation? That would be quite separate from the enjoyment one experiences with the results. That doesn't have to matter, just questions that I have.