[sander99]

I really have to bring my own A16 since they like to make sure it later works on my A16.

They will want to switch on the option "Lock PRIRs" to make sure it works only on your A16. At this moment they probably don't know how to achieve this using another A16 than yours.

By the way: For the price I would insist on a maximum possible set of lookangles in the PRIR!

 

[Mach10]

Got the "A16 ready to be shipped" email for #179 today!

Same here for #178! And first post here!

The question I signed up for has already been answered above though without me asking it - how do people experience their A8 PRIRs working on the A16, and it seems to work well if I read correctly. I'm asking because I had the lucky opportunity to get a 5.1 PRIR measurement in a pro studio in Munich a couple years ago where they use PMC MB2/XBD speakers with Bryston amplification. This is my favorite PRIR on my A8 obviously and I was hoping to use it with the A16 before I can get any other, possibly Atmos, measurements.

One thing I also wanted to add on the questions about Smyth Research's financial statements - the fact that their balance sheet shows a negative capital isn't in itself worrying from my view. As I see it, when they closed the KS campaign, they had quite a bit of money sitting on their accounts (Assets), but they also needed to show the liability that is delivering the A16s to backers. In the beginning those values would have been roughly equal, but as no A16 had been delivered until end of their last closing period (March '19), liabilities would have stayed roughly the same while assets obviously went down as they were spending cash on parts, hardware, services, maybe even their own salaries... The fact that they didn't record the KS money as sales makes absolute sense, as otherwise they would have had a huge profit in 2016/17 on which they obviously would have had to pay taxes. It's nothing shady by the way, airlines do it the same way all the time - they take your money for a flight going in six months' time right away, and they use it as they see fit, but only once your flight actually goes will they record the sale of the ticket as revenue. I guess Smyth's March 2020 financials will look somewhat different from the previous ones...

 

[m8o]

The fact that they could go belly up at any moment is why I'm putting off a purchase.

I thought anyone that makes a purchase now bypasses the wait and gets one shipped to them right away; as a special thanx for paying today's MSRP [much to our chagrin]. Seems the risk of them going belly up before you get it is rather minimal.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

I thought anyone that makes a purchase now bypasses the wait and gets one shipped to them right away; as a special thanx for paying today's MSRP [much to our chagrin]. Seems the risk of them going belly up before you get it is rather minimal.

He'll get it within a week if he pays full fare like me.

 

[Richter Di]

24 bit 96 kHz via SPDIF Coax still does not work.

 

[audiohobbit]

From the other thread:

I bought (and still have) one of the very first Realiser A8. Realiser A16 being release in late 2019 is in dire need of a UI overhaul, or at the very least a Computer/Phone App for more direct control.

I think it's an entirely relevant and important discussion to have about the UI of the Realiser to be easier to use, so that this amazing device can be accessible to more than just the extreme hardcore fan and engineers.

As I already said, they are working on a web based GUI with which you can operate the A16 with a web browser with any device that's in the same network, e.g. tablet computer, smartphone etc.

Aside from that, as a longtime A8 user I already find the existing GUI of the A16 lightyears ahead of the A8.
For almost any type of operation I don't need to look into the manual anymore. if you got used to their logic of operation then nearly everything is fine. For me at least.
I do occasionally write some pieces of software myself at work and I know that the UI is the hardest part plus testing this.

 

[Got the Shakes]

I never had an A8 to compare, but I find the A16 UI to be antiquated but usable. Honestly had most of the locations of functions down the first day I had the A16. In a somewhat related note, I wrote a review of the A16 on their Facebook and James contacted me about suggestions to refine the controls. Not sure if any of my ideas will be taken under advisement, but he did say that the UI and current control scheme was a legit criticism and that they are always searching for way to refine things.

 

[audiohobbit]

The only thing that really bothers me is the missing key repeat function of the remote control. Esp. when turning volume up or down. "Click-click-click-click-click..."

This is s.th. I don't understand. And it's definitely the remote, not the A16, since the A8 remote has the same code and works with the A16 and there you have the key repeat functionality, e.g. you press the down button und keep it pressed, and the cursor scrolls rapidly down through the menus etc.
It's on the other hand even too fast, as you have problems to move the cursor only one line down.
And the A8 remote has no dedicated volume rockers.

 

[VandyMan]

I never had an A8 to compare, but I find the A16 UI to be antiquated but usable. Honestly had most of the locations of functions down the first day I had the A16. In a somewhat related note, I wrote a review of the A16 on their Facebook and James contacted me about suggestions to refine the controls. Not sure if any of my ideas will be taken under advisement, but he did say that the UI and current control scheme was a legit criticism and that they are always searching for way to refine things.

That was my experience too, but I did end up reading large parts of the manual 3-4 times. I have a list of UI suggestions. Should I post them to Facebook or email to James?

 

[audiohobbit]

Post them on the other thread: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/smy...ions-feature-requests-tips-and-tricks.915293/
I'll forward them to Stephen.

 

[Janska]

The only thing that really bothers me is the missing key repeat function of the remote control. Esp. when turning volume up or down. "Click-click-click-click-click..."
.....

With the "tri-vol" feature, I think it's fine. Four steps would be much better, but I can live with 3.

 

[audiohobbit]

Not really. Every movie has a different loudness, and it depends on the source also (netflix, prime, Bluray, etc.) and with music it's even worse. For movies there is at least a theoretical loudness standard, for music it's not.

With movies I turn the volume up until the dialogues are reasonably loud (as they are in a good cinema), sometimes I end up with 70, sometimes with over 80. Sometimes I reduce the volume again a few clicks because effects are too loud etc.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Same here for #178! And first post here!

The question I signed up for has already been answered above though without me asking it - how do people experience their A8 PRIRs working on the A16, and it seems to work well if I read correctly. I'm asking because I had the lucky opportunity to get a 5.1 PRIR measurement in a pro studio in Munich a couple years ago where they use PMC MB2/XBD speakers with Bryston amplification. This is my favorite PRIR on my A8 obviously and I was hoping to use it with the A16 before I can get any other, possibly Atmos, measurements.
tprevious ones...

It's really a question of Smyth Ltds cash position. Companies go bankrupt for being unable to meet currently maturing liabilites. That could take the form of being unable to deliver Realisers b/c they can't obtain trade credit to buy parts, pay employees, pay off interest payments and/or loan principal, or pay rent and utilities. Doing all that stuff takes cash, and as long as the Smyth's have the ability to obtain it--either from owner funding or from creditors, lenders or customers (like me, paying $4k for a new Realiser), they will remain a going concern. In short, absent a comprehensive review of those other factors, it's impossible to infer a company's future from a balance sheet alone.

 

[Edwood]

I agree, but that's not their goal, because they are working on a web interface so that the user can operate everything from a web browser on a tablet computer or smartphone etc. Don't know how long this will take to complete though. They are a very small company and don't have much money as you know.

Web browser interface would be the most ideal. Being able to control A16 from Smartphone would be much better than using the remote.

 

[Edwood]

It's really a question of Smyth Ltds cash position. Companies go bankrupt for being unable to meet currently maturing liabilites. That could take the form of being unable to deliver Realisers b/c they can't obtain trade credit to buy parts, pay employees, pay off interest payments and/or loan principal, or pay rent and utilities. Doing all that stuff takes cash, and as long as the Smyth's have the ability to obtain it--either from owner funding or from creditors, lenders or customers (like me, paying $4k for a new Realiser), they will remain a going concern. In short, absent a comprehensive review of those other factors, it's impossible to infer a company's future from a balance sheet alone.

Seeing as how they survived as a company with the Realiser A8, I'm not worried about Smyth Research disappearing as a company. They never had any real competition for the A8, let alone the A16. Granted it's a very niche market, but Smyth Research completely owns it now. It's unfortunate that they weren't able to get any other hardware manufacturer to license their codec and system, because that is really their longer term goal. I think the sheer complexity of the PRIR and HPEQ measurements is what keeps it out of the realm of the masses. I think they should offer a more generic set up that is more or less a Dolby Headphone competitor, as pretty much every company has abandoned Dolby Headphone for far inferior codecs.