[Anakin1976]

The stocks of Creative Technology jumped very much in price after the presentation of the Super X-Fi at CES 2018 (by > 500% !!)
https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/creative_technology-stock
You can count yourself (very!) lucky in case you bought shares before the presentation at CES in 2018!
For my part, I've no shares from Creative so far. Maybe it's still not too late to jump in.... (as a rather small tech company they at least theoretically have great potential with a killer mass market product). With the lunch of the Super X-Fi Amp in the USA in December 2018 and Europe in January 2019 it's just the start. We will see in the next years how the masses react to it.
I'm aware that the comments above are off topic of this thread, but it shows that the sound virtualisation / holographic sound has great potential! I think you all agree.

Although the A16 is clearly the much more sophisticated product, it's definitely not a mass market product (and will never be, the A16 is obviously too expensive for mass market).
As well as the Smyths with the A16 Creative will face a (very?!) negative perception by companies who produce speakers because this kind of technology is at least in my oppinion a big threat for them.....
In my opinion this could also be a cause a for a delay in the certification process by Dolby (hopefully not...). What do you think about this aspect ?
I really hope that we will get our A16 devices really soon!

 

[musicday]

I cannot forget when I last tried the A16. The sound was truly exceptional , better then the VUE cinemas around where I live. The sound was very realistic and was coming including from.the underneath and right above me. They had various movie trailers in Dolby Atmos 9.1.6.
Even when you realised that you are listening to headphones, is still hard to believe that and think the speakers play.
I am.hoping that the Empyrean is a very good headphone for it as I really like everything about it.
Shouldn't be too late now for January update, maybe will come with only good news

 

[Fox1977]

As well as the Smyths with the A16 Creative will face a (very?!) negative perception by companies who produce speakers because this kind of technology is at least in my oppinion a big threat for them.....
In my opinion this could also be a cause a for a delay in the certification process by Dolby (hopefully not...). What do you think about this aspect ?
I really hope that we will get our A16 devices really soon!

I don't think Dolby will delay the certification process because of a speakers-producers lobbying. SR made the certification tests in their offices, if they made them correctly (which i don't doubt) and they passed, i don't see why Dolby would block it. Besides, it's not a $4000 device that will pose a serious threat. The A16 will be useful either for pros, or for people who will either use it because they can't afford to have real speakers (living in an apartment with neighbours, or having children who'd get woken up by loud sounds, ...) or who will want to listen to their own theater on the go or at night, or in a different room.

As for January update, tomorrow, it will have been a month sharp since December update, so it can be expected this week i guess (could be again a very short one though)

 

[mrtim6]

The stocks of Creative Technology jumped very much in price after the presentation of the Super X-Fi at CES 2018 (by > 500% !!)
https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/creative_technology-stock
You can count yourself (very!) lucky in case you bought shares before the presentation at CES in 2018!
For my part, I've no shares from Creative so far. Maybe it's still not too late to jump in.... (as a rather small tech company they at least theoretically have great potential with a killer mass market product). With the lunch of the Super X-Fi Amp in the USA in December 2018 and Europe in January 2019 it's just the start. We will see in the next years how the masses react to it.
I'm aware that the comments above are off topic of this thread, but it shows that the sound virtualisation / holographic sound has great potential! I think you all agree.

Although the A16 is clearly the much more sophisticated product, it's definitely not a mass market product (and will never be, the A16 is obviously too expensive for mass market).
As well as the Smyths with the A16 Creative will face a (very?!) negative perception by companies who produce speakers because this kind of technology is at least in my oppinion a big threat for them.....
In my opinion this could also be a cause a for a delay in the certification process by Dolby (hopefully not...). What do you think about this aspect ?
I really hope that we will get our A16 devices really soon!

The only issue I previously had with creative was years ago I purchased one of their soundblaster audio cards and their complete lack of software updates, despite well known bugs with windows. I’ve never bought anything else from them since. As their lack of customer support was legendary.

 

[musicday]

If you read the latest comments on Kickstarter: i agree with the guys that the Smyth Realised A16 must be shipped before the Brexit that's starts in 60 so days. Otherwise it can get really complicate for both sides. It can be improved via the firmware updates afterwards.
Any thoughts?

 

[Sordel]

I doubt that Brexit will take place in sixty days but, in any case, we have no idea right now what shape it will take so I doubt that Smyth can gain anything from treating that as a deadline.

 

[Richter Di]

If you read the latest comments on Kickstarter: i agree with the guys that the Smyth Realised A16 must be shipped before the Brexit that's starts in 60 so days. Otherwise it can get really complicate for both sides. It can be improved via the firmware updates afterwards.
Any thoughts?

Fully agree.

 

[Anakin1976]

Why aren't the Smyths able to inform us on a regular base..... We all showed a lot of patience!
But their lack in communication becomes more and more annoying! As mentioned many times before: What is so difficult to write at least monthly a (short) status report?

 

[Fox1977]

Why aren't the Smyths able to inform us on a regular base..... We all showed a lot of patience!
But their lack in communication becomes more and more annoying! As mentioned many times before: What is so difficult to write at least monthly a (short) status report?

I agree that they had serious communication issues, but lately they seemed to go back to a monthly report. Last report was a month ago, including the Christmas and New Year period when things are generally going slow (i don't know if they did but it wouldn't be shocking for me if they took some days off to spend with their family). So i'd give still till the end of january before complaining...

 

[raband]

I agree, communication has greatly improved recently.

Hopefully this one has progress on the certification process - would be great if the units had passed the internal testing and have been sent to Dolby.

I'm not holding my breath on them using Brexit (or anything else) as a deadline though - we're so far passed anything other than the units being ready to ship when the units are ready to ship.

 

[musicday]

Why aren't the Smyths able to inform us on a regular base..... We all showed a lot of patience!
But their lack in communication becomes more and more annoying! As mentioned many times before: What is so difficult to write at least monthly a (short) status report?

I wish themselves will answer this question. Hopefully as there are few days left in January we can get an update that will confirm exactly when shipping starts.
The patience of many seem to run low and I understand them. After all Smyth Research needs to do more advertising to attract more investors, make the product better known globally and gain more clients.
What's business without selling?

 

[m8o]

I think the 'tone' of the last update implies an answer ... they're as frustrated and fed up as us.

At least that was the undertone I got from the short public notice. Which imo should have instead come with some excitement and fanfare as it seemed to me to be the first update that hinted at some light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Richter Di]

I think the 'tone' of the last update implies an answer ... they're as frustrated and fed up as us.

At least that was the undertone I got from the short public notice. Which imo should have instead come with some excitement and fanfare as it seemed to me to be the first update that hinted at some light at the end of the tunnel.

I think you are right - very unfortunate.

 

[Eich1eeF]

I doubt that Brexit will take place in sixty days but, in any case, we have no idea right now what shape it will take so I doubt that Smyth can gain anything from treating that as a deadline.

On top of that, only 17 backers on Kickstarter were from the EU. Subtract those from the UK, and you're left with so few, paying the Duties out of pocket sounds less stressful than rushing anything, much less a stripped down firmware with associated User Interface changes.

 

[raband]

less stressful than rushing anything

If there's anything about the Smyth's I can promise they are good at (other than SVS) ..........


it's not stressing over rushing things.