[Richter Di]

There also was another very similar product awhile ago called the "Power Acoustics HP-1 Headphone Processor". It was designed for Stax headphones & they were planning to release one for general headphones, but they have released no info since, as far as I'm aware.

If you go to the http://www.pawel-acoustics.ch/products.html website, you can find this review in a German Hifi magazine: http://www.pawel-acoustics.ch/pdf/image_hifi_0202.pdf
They tested it with a Stax SRS 007 but the review wasn‘t typical positive. Yes the sound sources separated with the „Binaural“ but in the head. So the singer was in the front of the head while other instruments in the back. There also is no headtracking involved.

 

[musicday]

Everything that I see out there is not so advanced as the A16. I am personally happy with my purchase and i stopped dreaming about similar product from other companies.
Now, if they will deliver when they said they will, then happy days

 

[ronkupper]

Can the A16 be used effectively for folks without access to a quality 16 channel room to do the calibration in?
Can it perform a measurement of one's ears through one's headphones and apply it to a pre-measured room (without measuring one's ears in that room)?

UPDATE -
Found my answer at their FAQ:
Q7: Where do I get a 7.1.4ch loudspeaker measurement for listening to Dolby Atmos?

A7: There are a number of routes. 1) Use a factory default shipped with the A16. 2) Download one from the free library in Realiser Exchange. 3) Personalise one in Realiser Exchange and download to your Realiser. 4) Undertake a single (or stereo) speaker measurement in your own home. 5) Undertake a multi-speaker measurement in your own home. 6) Find a local studio in the Realiser Exchange Directory to undertake the measurement. For more details see our “Realiser Exchange - a new Virtual Audio Exchange website” document.

 

[462429]

To those of us who prepare themselves for the A16 immersive formats experience I recommend blu-ray disk Parallax Eden by David Miles Huber. This is a 9.1 Auro 3D recording ('the original mixes'). I think 9.1 here means 5.1.4. It is interesting that the blu-ray players don't refuse to play it. In some magical way they take and play it as 5.1. Is it a downmix from 5.1.4 to 5.1, contained in the same container, or are the 4 remaining channels completely omitted, I don't know. We will see soon, when the A16 reads and presents it as it is.
This disk contains 3 more versions/formats - 1) 5.1 dts HD Master Audio version - 'the berlin remixes', 2) stereo version - 'the chill mixes' and 3) stereo version - 'the berlin remixes') and they are all different, not merely downmixed.
Yesterday I enjoyed very much the 5.1 embodiment of the 9.1 Auro 3D version. Today I will listen to the 5.1 dts HD Master Audio version.

 

[ronkupper]

Any information regarding the A16's DAC and analog stages for use as a USB multi-channel DAC (connected directly to a power amp or an integrated/preamp/processor)?

 

[sander99]

Any information regarding the A16's DAC and analog stages for use as a USB multi-channel DAC (connected directly to a power amp or an integrated/preamp/processor)?

A part of the following FAQ answer is not applicable anymore, regarding PCM out over HDMI: only 2 channels can be output over HDMI as a result of changing to a newer HDMI board (that supports HDR). In passthrough mode however everything that comes in via HDMI can be passed through unchanged.
The answer to your question is underlined.
Note: We only know about the HDMI limitation by coincidence so I won't bet my life on the rest being correct, but I do expect it to be correct.

Q21: Can I bypass the virtualisation and output Dolby Atmos to the analog outputs?

A21: Yes and any other decoded bit stream.And you can send up to eight channels of decoded PCM back out the HDMI. So you could decode Dolby Atmos to 5.1.2ch and output that to a legacy AV receiver over 8 channels of HDMI PCM. You can also pass the 16-ch USB inputs straight to the analog outputs or send eight of them over HDMI. Also the HDMI PCM inputs can be sent to the analog outputs. The Illusonic up-mixer output can go to the analog or HDMI outputs. So you could input stereo over HDMI, up-mix to 5.1ch, for example, and output that back out HDMI as 6 channels of PCM. DSD over HDMI can also be passed straight to headphone DAC(s) without conversion to PCM.

 

[ronkupper]

A part of the following FAQ answer is not applicable anymore, regarding PCM out over HDMI: only 2 channels can be output over HDMI as a result of changing to a newer HDMI board (that supports HDR). In passthrough mode however everything that comes in via HDMI can be passed through unchanged.
The answer to your question is underlined.
Note: We only know about the HDMI limitation by coincidence so I won't bet my life on the rest being correct, but I do expect it to be correct.

And what about USB?

 

[sander99]

And what about USB?

I don't understand your question.

You can also pass the 16-ch USB inputs straight to the analog outputs

USB audio output from the Realiser back to the pc is 2 channel.

 

[ronkupper]

I don't understand your question.

Using the A16 as a multi-channel USB DAC.
USB --> A16 --> 16 Analog Out

 

[sander99]

Using the A16 as a multi-channel USB DAC.
USB --> A16 --> 16 Analog Out

That is exactly what the underlined part says. (Of course it is converted from digital to analog, how could you possibly interpret it any different?)

 

[ronkupper]

That is exactly what the underlined part says. (Of course it is converted from digital to analog, how could you possibly interpret it any different?)

Look at my original question, to which you replied with HDMI data and after which I added the "what about USB" -

Any information regarding the A16's DAC and analog stages for use as a USB multi-channel DAC (connected directly to a power amp or an integrated/preamp/processor)?

So... Any data as to how the A16 perform as Multichannel USB DAC?
DAC Chip?
Analog stages quality?
etc...

 

[sander99]

Sorry, I thought you just asked if it is possible to use it as a 16 channel USB dac. On the Smith kickstarter project description page there is a block diagram somewhere, with specific chip type numbers. (By the way: for the headphone amps it is outdated, because they decided to put in 2 identical instead of 2 different amps for user A and B, and the 25 watt amp for tactile/speakers and the guitar input have been skipped.)

Edit:

Look at my original question, to which you replied with HDMI data

I referred to the FAQ concerning USB, and then I thought it was better to add the remark about HDMI to warn you that not everything in the FAQ is correct/up-to-date. Similar for the extra info about the amps etc. in this post.

 

[OdysseusG]

The change to 2 identical amps must have happened with their decision to offer balanced amplification. I feel like I planted that idea in their minds at last year's Axpona. I asked about whether the digital outputs put out the processed signal, as I would want to use my Ayre Codex which I had with me (I brought it to demo assorted headphone gear at the show's marketplace). The Smyth brother I was talking to seemed really interested in the device, especially how they'd implemented the balanced drive with two regular headphone jacks. Low and behold a couple of months later...

 

[J.Villain]

Find a local studio in the Realiser Exchange Directory to undertake the measurement.

I wonder what if any effort they have put into finding locations and what if any luck they have had in getting any studios/stores/venues to bite.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

I wonder what if any effort they have put into finding locations and what if any luck they have had in getting any studios/stores/venues to bite.