Smyth Research Realiser A16

[audiohobbit]

Ah ok, so it's a restriction of DTS X at the moment. So 7.1.4t DTS X will be compatible to 7.1.4 Atmos up to 9.1.6 Atmos.

 

[jgazal]

Are you absolutely sure, did you use the correct spdif output (SPDIF OUT- A)?

Which makes me think:
@jgazal: you do get sound from the spdif out-A (and/or B) for normal use, not doing a HPEQ measurement?

Dac was connected to the spdif out-A.
I pressed test and heard the internal audio test loop (a saxophone) on my headphones.
When I pressed HP (run) nothing happened.

 

[jazzfan]

Have any other Dropbox users received a notification that the Realiser PRIR folder has been removed? I logged on to Dropbox, and the folder does appear to be gone.

It would be most unfortunate if this shared resource is no longer available.

 

[sander99]

I'm pretty sure I made an HPEQ measurement using SPDIF out to my dac -> headphone amp before, so it works.

Pretty sure or really sure?

Dac was connected to the spdif out-A.
I pressed test and heard the internal audio test loop (a saxophone) on my headphones.
When I pressed HP (run) nothing happened.

Anyone else tried?
Anyone knows if there is something jgazal could have done wrong?

@jgazal: you did "Set the Subject name and Headphone name" (page 74 of the manual)
and "Set to Measure EQ response (autoEQ)" HP (run) setting?

 

[hadron70]

Seems you can only have one poll per thread and "only" 10 answers per poll. Not very useful for this purpose.

The two features I am missing the most are not even in the poll:
1. Hybrid mode (SVS + AV simultaneously), with AV output at least over analog and ideally over HDMI
2. 3ms latency mode: not only useful for playing musical instruments and gaming, but also for using the A16 with wireless headphones (aptX LL introduces ~30ms latency on its own)

 

[sander99]

Have any other Dropbox users received a notification that the Realiser PRIR folder has been removed? I logged on to Dropbox, and the folder does appear to be gone.

It would be most unfortunate if this shared resource is no longer available.

Well, it seems we are saved by Rene Lou, click on the google link he mentioned:

Dropbox had it's limitations and everyone with permission to upload files could delete all the files by accident (eg: make a replica of the dropbox folder on your PC to work with and just delete "your" replica on the PC - since it was a replica, dropbox then deleted all the source files on dropbox as well). This was the reason that there was a folder called "__Reminder…Copy not Move" on dropbox.

Since the Smyth Realiser Exchange website is not usable at the moment, I made a copy of the dropbox folder for all of us on Google Drive as follows:

Main folder "PRIR files": https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MWWb8KELPBbAC5WSHf82UXeV73v1O84W?usp=sharing

The main "PRIR files" folder contains:
1) a read-only folder of the A8 files (copy of dropbox as of Sept 2019)
2) a read-only folder of the A8 files similar to 1), but with converted PRIR0xxx files as PRIR2xxx files (ready for the A16)
3) a read-only A16 folder for new A16 PRIR files
4) a folder called "upload new PRIR files here" where everyone can upload files by using this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1O9vvj7fa-CiXVVoR0LCyRB9EFtsZMBo2?usp=sharing

@Dixter: since you converted the PRIR0xxx files to PRIR2xxx files with your A8 already, can you upload them to the upload folder 4) ? I will then move those files to the folder 2). In folder 2) I added a list of the PRIR0xxx files currently missing.

@Everyone: if you want to share your A16 PRIR files with other users, just copy it to the upload folder 4) inside a directory with your name and I will move this directory with your files to the folder 3). To be able to upload, you will need to log-in to your Google account - if you don't have one, just request one (it's free).

 

[sander99]

The two features I am missing the most are not even in the poll:
1. Hybrid mode (SVS + AV simultaneously), with AV output at least over analog and ideally over HDMI
2. 3ms latency mode: not only useful for playing musical instruments and gaming, but also for using the A16 with wireless headphones (aptX LL introduces ~30ms latency on its own)

Ah yes, Hybrid mode is what I would have liked as well. (But unfortunately you can forget about the 'over HDMI' part: won't be possible with the used HDMI board.)
(Hard to prioritize, but I stick with my current choices: more and easier PRIR measurement methods seem most important to me because what we all want to do a.s.a.p. is get good measurements without too much hassle. Most of the other things are important as well, but less urgently needed to get started.)

 

[bcwang]

Pretty sure or really sure?

Haha, only pretty sure. The first day I got it I wanted to try using an outboard dac for ultimate quality. I know at the end I was trying to listen to music through the outboard DAC with the realiser, trying to max out the digital volume to listen to it, but it introduced distortion and clipping. Then every room and profile has it's own volume that changes set volumes, so it became too cumbersome to deal with. Because of that, I kind of just stopped using that mode and decided it's easier to use the analog outputs. Before listening to that mode I was pretty sure I did an HPEQ measurement otherwise I wouldn't really be trusting the results to compare. But because it was the first day getting it where I got pretty much no sleep, I am not 100% sure now.

It's easy to test, I can do it tonight if no one else can confirm it does or does not work. Maybe I'll give the outboard DAC another try now that I know now that I am more familiar with the A16. I always have a thought in the back of my mind that a high end headphone amp and DAC should be able to achieve better results than the built-in dac/amp. It will also allow a better volume control than the finger muscle workout with the remote I always have to deal with.

 

[jgazal]

@jgazal: you did "Set the Subject name and Headphone name" (page 74 of the manual)
and "Set to Measure EQ response (autoEQ)" HP (run) setting?

Yes to both questions, I was reading the manual with my iPad during the procedure.

 

[Erik Garci]

Erik, there are two limitations now.
There is no more a y-junction unfortunately.
And there is no post silence setting currently implemented.

That's unfortunate, but if you add an A/B switch, those limitations won't matter. Another option is to muffle one ear or stand a mattress between the speakers.

There is no “crosstalk cancellation” playback function currently implemented via software.

I wonder if the A16 supports the dual-user method like the A8 does.

Load the same PRIR for both user A and B.
Use the left channel of user A headphone output for the left channel of your headphone.
Use the right channel of user B headphone output for the right channel of your headphone.

 

[sander99]

I wonder if the A16 supports the dual-user method like the A8 does.

And I was already wondering whether @jgazal has 2 headtrackers...
I am not sure now if you can change the level of individual speakers with the A16.
But instead maybe you can make 2 different stereo (for starters) presets for user A and B, one with only the left speaker and one with only the right speaker (in the PCM room, or in all 3 rooms of those 2 presets). [Edit: on second thought that probably isn't going to work: the user A preset determines the listening mode, if it is stereo it will demand to have a left and a right speaker in it's rooms I think.]
Unfortunately I don't have my A16 yet so I can not do any experimenting myself.

I hope by the way jgazal, that you don't skip first trying to use the A16 as intended: to do a great binaural simulation of real speakers. Did you already do that? Did you already experience that great feeling of hearing sound that seems to be totally unrelated to the headphones on your head?

 

[jgazal]

And I was already wondering whether @jgazal has 2 headtrackers...
(...)
I hope by the way jgazal, that you don't skip first trying to use the A16 as intended: to do a great binaural simulation of real speakers. Did you already do that? Did you already experience that great feeling of hearing sound that seems to be totally unrelated to the headphones on your head?

I haven’t received the second headtracker yet. They did send without tracking so it is probably stuck at customs, since it usually takes months to clear here with public standard shipping.
I was trying to keep it simple, but now to run the HPEQ I need a RCA to XLR cable or a firmware update with sweeps over the spdif out implemented.
I will try to go further this weekend.

 

[jazzfan]

Well, it seems we are saved by Rene Lou, click on the google link he mentioned:

Good to know. Thank you!

 

[audiohobbit]

Just sent out the first mail with the big list to James. Hope he doesn't throw it away immediately...

 

[Sordel]

Just sent out the first mail with the big list to James. Hope he doesn't throw it away immediately...

Thanks for doing that. Those of us whose gratification is probably deferred until next year are grateful to those doing the beta testing!