[audiohobbit]

Yes, but just playing the disc via their player and no connnection at all to their trillion dollar system is even better. More better. The best... (no, I'm no Trump-Fan... )

 

[Fox1977]

The asynchronous files do exist though... Gilles Gérin provided them to his clients but unfortunately for the moment he doesn't allow them to share.
But it Gilles has files and proposes them to his clients, i don't know why Smyth Research don't also propose them.

 

[sander99]

The asynchronous files do exist though... Gilles Gérin provided them to his clients but unfortunately for the moment he doesn't allow them to share.
But it Gilles has files and proposes them to his clients, i don't know why Smyth Research don't also propose them.

I also don't know why Smyth doesn't give us the files that already exist.
But, Gilles Gérin may have some of those files, it is not certain he has all of them (or rather: I am quite certain he doesn't)! As @audiohobbit said, you need different files for each combination of speaker layout and set of used lookangles. (And the number of speaker layouts has drastically increased with all added variations for up to 24 channels).
Instead of delivering all possible files, it is smarter to just create a function that generates the files for any given speaker layout and lookangle set. And that is what they plan to do on the exchange website. (Reminds me of my first few posts on head-fi, regarding personalising a BRIR with a PRIR: "for a fee?". Well, in this case I hope and expect no fee.)

 

[Juy777]

I really like my A8, it always served me well, but i am starting to feel uncomfortable with the A16. Why does it all have to be so complicated, it kills the fun for me tbh. I will just keep it packed up in the box and check back in 1 year if things have improved.

 

[audiohobbit]

Ah come on! The A8 is way more complicated than the A16. The latter does have a lot more options, but the UI is MUCH better than that of the A8.
With the A16 I don't need a manual most of the time.
The A8 on the other hand I can turn on and off, switch presets and change the volume. Everything else is a nightmare and you need the manual, and even then it's difficult.

Compare the A16 to any modern AV Receiver and I would say a mid or high priced AV Receiver is much more complicated.

 

[CaptainFunk]

I would agree that the A16 is a definitive upgrade in terms of usability. One thing that the A8 still excels at is speed. Turning on the device for instance takes just a few seconds, the A16 takes forever in comparison. Also things like switching presets or changing the volume is super quick. Anyway, I am happy that I still have a working A8 while my A16 is away for the upgrade.

 

[Eich1eeF]

The answer is in the post#8.804: Sending of the measuring sweeps via HDMI will still not be possible, even with the new boards, this is a limitation of the MDS chip set.

I'm not entirely convinced that it is impossible - the 2 channel I2S link that is merged into the HDMI output should have enough bandwidth for an Atmos sine sweep with AAC base channels and a single audio object for the sweep, although it's likely that the MDS board doesn't support this since it's a rather niche use. I do agree with the others who would prefer the asynchronous sweeps to become available.

The asynchronous files do exist though... Gilles Gérin provided them to his clients but unfortunately for the moment he doesn't allow them to share.
But it Gilles has files and proposes them to his clients, i don't know why Smyth Research don't also propose them.

It should be possible to reverse engineer them. There's a video on HCFR demonstrating the use of one of those test signals. They use standard DTMF tones to signal the channels. It starts with 11116 01 02 03 ... 34 35 36 00 92 * ... * ... #. The biggest problem obviously is to encode that in a way that properly plays back through the height channels, since no free Atmos encoder is available.

you need different files for each combination of speaker layout and set of used lookangles.

I'm not sure if that's the case. A single signal containing sweeps for all possible speakers might be enough, with the possible complication to ensure that the sweeps are actually played back by the specific speaker that they are intended for. For configurations that have fewer real speakers, just let the A16 ignore the sweeps that were downmixed to different speakers since the "real" ones don't exist. Lookangles can be handled by playing the sweeps for all speakers for the first look angle and after that, prompt the user to look towards the second direction and re-start the sweeps. I have no idea how this is implemented for the A16.

 

[Eich1eeF]

Compare the A16 to any modern AV Receiver and I would say a mid or high priced AV Receiver is much more complicated.

The analog bits may be more complicated in a modern AV Receiver, but the A16 is almost identical in complexity to current high end A/V processors, such as the Storm Audio, Monoprice HTP-1, Anthem AVM60 etc. You can't compare the devices from Denon, Marantz, Yamaha etc. who sell millions of devices each year with the "boutique" devices that sell a few hundred per year if they are lucky.

 

[sander99]

I'm not sure if that's the case. A single signal containing sweeps for all possible speakers might be enough, with the possible complication to ensure that the sweeps are actually played back by the specific speaker that they are intended for. For configurations that have fewer real speakers, just let the A16 ignore the sweeps that were downmixed to different speakers since the "real" ones don't exist. Lookangles can be handled by playing the sweeps for all speakers for the first look angle and after that, prompt the user to look towards the second direction and re-start the sweeps. I have no idea how this is implemented for the A16.

What you are proposing is possible, but it is not what they chose. And it would have disadvantages. Suppose someone wants to create a 2 channel PRIR with 24 lookangles (24 is the maximum possible, for example only horizontal every 15 degrees all around). He/she would have to go through 24 x 16 (or 24 x 24 if we include the 24 channels) sweeps of which only 24 x 2 are relevant. If it are 12 second non-overlapping sweeps it will cost a lot of extra time for nothing.
And the Smyth solution in itself is not a bad or difficult idea at all. Creating the function to generate the right file based on a number of parameters isn't so difficult, and they probably already have that in some form or another. The only real problem is that Smyth just didn't hand us that function or the files yet!

Smyth described their plans here:
https://smyth-research.com/wp-conte...-rev-1.80-Dec-12-2019-update-instructions.pdf

 

[audiohobbit]

They have a program to generate the sweeps plus preambles (DTMF tones) plus announcements ("Look left 30 degrees" and so on).
I know that they have already I think more than 200 combinations for different setups of speakers and look angles created BUT as unencoded PCM files that can be used in the studio with a DAW (audio workstation).
In a few weeks maybe I can tell you more how that works, when I'v seen (and heard) it myself...

Anyway, I am happy that I still have a working A8 while my A16 is away for the upgrade.

Yes, I also have an A8 as fallback solution. I asked Stephen about downgrading an A16 PRIR (well the 5.1 or 7.1 part of it) to the A8 and he says it's possible, he would need to write a program, and I suggested to offer such a service on the Exchange website and as far as I'm concerned they can offer this for a fee.

My other idea oof downgrading a PRIR from A16 to A8 via recording an A8 PRIR through the A16 would be possible if you have an electric adapter to adapt the A16 outputs to the A8 mic in.
Without this you would need to play the sweeps via headphones and record it with the in ear mics, but Stephen says this would degrade the quality so much that it will be unusable.
Software solution would be the best.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

I also don't know why Smyth doesn't give us the files that already exist.
But, Gilles Gérin may have some of those files, it is not certain he has all of them (or rather: I am quite certain he doesn't)! As @audiohobbit said, you need different files for each combination of speaker layout and set of used lookangles. (And the number of speaker layouts has drastically increased with all added variations for up to 24 channels).
Instead of delivering all possible files, it is smarter to just create a function that generates the files for any given speaker layout and lookangle set. And that is what they plan to do on the exchange website. (Reminds me of my first few posts on head-fi, regarding personalising a BRIR with a PRIR: "for a fee?". Well, in this case I hope and expect no fee.)

If you make a 16 channel PRIR using common nomenclature for ATMOS, DTS-X, and Legacy surround, it seems possible to make a preset which will encompass 9.1.6 Atmos, 7.1.4 DTS-X. , 7.1 or 5.1 legacy surround, and 2 channel stereo. Just give me that recording with 15 degree look angles on a Blu-Ray, and I'll be happy forever.

 

[You Gene]

I just noticed in passing that Andy, software engineer (picture on Smyth Research website), left the company a couple of months ago. The information is freely available on the web. He was responsible for the development and ongoing improvement of the Realiser Exchange website.

You can check the info :
https://rocketreach.co/smyth-research-limited-profile_b47e46fdfc50718b
https://rocketreach.co/andrew-nesbitt-email_170514284
https://www.flexigrant.com/who-we-are/ (click on his picture - bottom left - and you will notice that he is the newbe)

Let us hope that someone else took his place...or reducing costs is now an absolute necessity ?

And a nugget of information from 2016 : https://www.soundstagexperience.com...se-menu/732-the-future-of-headphone-listening
…there’s a chance that the Realiser A8’s technology might someday trickle down to more affordable products. “We would like to be able to bring this technology to a broader audience,” Kramer said. “We’d probably do it through licensing rather than becoming a mass-market manufacturer”…

Freely given tidbits waiting for further news from you know...

PS : I changed my mind about keeping the info unavailable (his real name) because sources have to be quoted at all times and in this case the information is freely available on site.

 

[sahmen]

^^^It is really not clear what his departure might signal in relation to the development of the Realizer Exchange site, especially if it happened only two months ago. The RE site has been in a dormant, stagnant. stillborn, dead, or undead state (take your pick) for more than two years now, or at least since I personally became aware of its totally sorry, vegetative, and miserable existence.

It would be different if Andy had toiled to develop the RE site into some vibrant hub of vigorous exchanges and entertaining activities among enthusiasts. What we have instead is a totally desolate and gloomy site, which offers nothing that even most junkyards or graveyards might envy, talk less of audiophiles and a/v enthusiasts. Most cemeteries and junkyards get to see, at least, some action through more or less frequent visits by human patrons, and, hence "signs of life" of which our much hallowed and ballyhooed Realizer Exchange site is totally deprived.

If that site was indeed among what Andy was supposed to have been preoccupied with for the past two years, then either Andy should be congratulated for abandoning ship, or any well-wishers of the RE site should heave a big sigh of relief for his departure, because either way, Andy and the site were not the greatest match under the sun, and that, of course is an understatement.

 

[Fox1977]

Could be possible also that Andy is working for both companies. Since not much is going on for the moment on the RE site, maybe he's working only partially for Smyth-Research and got a complementary job, or maybe even working freelance for various companies.

 

[You Gene]

According to our friend Guittet from HCFR : (original source : Gilles) https://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum...view-hcfr-liens-en-post-1-t30075654-1545.html
- a digital version of the Realiser A16 PRO-A with IN/OUT AES will be also available
- the A16 Pro-A is already in use with studios in the USA

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