It's been announced quite some time ago but it seems it's finally out.
Even available in 2-4 weeks here in Europe I saw in some webstore.
Smyth Research Realiser A16
It's been announced quite some time ago but it seems it's finally out.
Even available in 2-4 weeks here in Europe I saw in some webstore.
sahmen
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2014
- Posts
- 2,970
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- 2,586
The funny thing is I seem to have read about the JVC sometime ago, but I remember dismissing the idea on the grounds that it wasn't comparable to the A-16... But now it has got me thinking...
To which a rather precocious girl who was passing by responded:
'A JVC XP-EXT1 in hand, whatever its flaws are, is worth a lot more than a chronically MIA and incomplete A-16, which appears to be stranded eternally in some desert purgatory"
What do I say to Miss Precocious? I am at a loss for words
To which a rather precocious girl who was passing by responded:
'A JVC XP-EXT1 in hand, whatever its flaws are, is worth a lot more than a chronically MIA and incomplete A-16, which appears to be stranded eternally in some desert purgatory"
What do I say to Miss Precocious? I am at a loss for words
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If you guys keeping talking about the JVC... you are going to be sent to your room without dinner
I love my A16!
I love my A16!
Dixter
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2011
- Posts
- 1,984
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If you guys keeping talking about the JVC... maybe Smyth gives up on the quest.... then you will have the JVC as the only choice.... some that are still waiting for the A16 will be the loss...
still hoping for the best and everyone gets their A16...
still hoping for the best and everyone gets their A16...
Thomasphoenix98
100+ Head-Fier
Smyth Realiser A16 has 24ch now and may go up to 32. I just watched LOTR Two Towers in 24ch. It’s a really high bar.
The JVC is 7.1.4 , doesn’t have head-tracking. I’m not sure it’s worth 1k without it. I use my Mobius with most 5.1 & 7.1 listening. The head tracking does make a difference .
The JVC is 7.1.4 , doesn’t have head-tracking. I’m not sure it’s worth 1k without it. I use my Mobius with most 5.1 & 7.1 listening. The head tracking does make a difference .
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There are a lucky few that have received their A16's but most of us are still waiting..and more waiting.., without a word from Smyth Research on the progression/delivery of the A16. What do you expect, but people to start searching for alternatives.
This is like chasing after a girl who constantly ignores you. Do you finally give up and move on, or say to yourself I'll wait a little longer?, hoping everything will all turn out alright.
This is like chasing after a girl who constantly ignores you. Do you finally give up and move on, or say to yourself I'll wait a little longer?, hoping everything will all turn out alright.
A generic HRTF is nowhere close to replicating what the Realiser A16 does.
The combination of a custom PRIR and HPEQ, which is a pain to set up if you don’t already have a fully-equipped Atmos setup installed, sounds completely unlike any virtual surround tech I’ve heard before - and I’ve used most of them.
Even the included demo rooms, and trying other people’s PRIRs, is nowhere near as convincing.
It sucks that it’s taken so long for the Realiser to be available, that it’s incomplete, and that people are still waiting on pre-orders to ship.
But there’s nothing else like it, and Smyth Research seem committed to deliver.
This doomposting is tiresome, and discussion of other devices belongs in another thread.
If you are a Kickstarter backer that is still waiting on their order of a 2U device, and want out, I’ll happily buy it from you at cost if there’s some way to do that.
The combination of a custom PRIR and HPEQ, which is a pain to set up if you don’t already have a fully-equipped Atmos setup installed, sounds completely unlike any virtual surround tech I’ve heard before - and I’ve used most of them.
Even the included demo rooms, and trying other people’s PRIRs, is nowhere near as convincing.
It sucks that it’s taken so long for the Realiser to be available, that it’s incomplete, and that people are still waiting on pre-orders to ship.
But there’s nothing else like it, and Smyth Research seem committed to deliver.
This doomposting is tiresome, and discussion of other devices belongs in another thread.
If you are a Kickstarter backer that is still waiting on their order of a 2U device, and want out, I’ll happily buy it from you at cost if there’s some way to do that.
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Andrew Seeley
100+ Head-Fier
Entirely agree with broke, word for word. I am still capturing the theatre with at least 3 different head in 24 channel. It'll happen one of these days soon.
Fox1977
500+ Head-Fier
One big issue that hasn’t been changing much for years with Smyth Research is their lack of communication.
If they were keeping people informed on what’s going on, there would be not much room for speculation on this thread. The AKM factory burnt down and it brings issues to assemble new units ? If so, just say it !! It’s not even their fault so it shouldn’t be complicated to tell about it...
They are going through financial issues for various reasons... crap happens and that’s not pleasant to admit but at least that’s honest and people can hear and understand it.
Last update from James was 4 months ago and the last KS backer who mentioned receiving their unit was over two months ago...
If they were keeping people informed on what’s going on, there would be not much room for speculation on this thread. The AKM factory burnt down and it brings issues to assemble new units ? If so, just say it !! It’s not even their fault so it shouldn’t be complicated to tell about it...
They are going through financial issues for various reasons... crap happens and that’s not pleasant to admit but at least that’s honest and people can hear and understand it.
Last update from James was 4 months ago and the last KS backer who mentioned receiving their unit was over two months ago...
arturo71
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2010
- Posts
- 57
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- 33
Hello. I received my A16 unit in September (I am a KS backer) but only in Xmas I had time to play with it. I managed to set up one PRIR with the async method and the files in this thread. Thanks a lot for that! I also created several HPEQ files for some headphones. The loudmanEQ is a must. At the beginning I was not convinced about the A16 but now I am quite sold.
I am having some problems with my inputs, I wonder if it is only me or you guys are also having the same.
- first, the HDMI input only works if there is also a device connected to the HDMI output and that device is on. Otherwise the A16 plays no sound. I wonder if it is some HDMI handshake issue.
- SPDIF optical works fine but only with 44.1Hz or 44, anyhing above it will not play. Idem for coaxial. Sometimes the coaxial is not recognised but it might be a problem of my CD player.
-I did not manage to get the USB input to work. I only have macs. I installed the mac driver from the Smyth website but to no avail. It may be that the driver is not for my MasOS version?
All in all it is a mixed bag. When it works and all fits in place, the A16 is a blessing. But more frequently than not something does not work as expected and it can be quite frustrating.
thanks for your help
I am having some problems with my inputs, I wonder if it is only me or you guys are also having the same.
- first, the HDMI input only works if there is also a device connected to the HDMI output and that device is on. Otherwise the A16 plays no sound. I wonder if it is some HDMI handshake issue.
- SPDIF optical works fine but only with 44.1Hz or 44, anyhing above it will not play. Idem for coaxial. Sometimes the coaxial is not recognised but it might be a problem of my CD player.
-I did not manage to get the USB input to work. I only have macs. I installed the mac driver from the Smyth website but to no avail. It may be that the driver is not for my MasOS version?
All in all it is a mixed bag. When it works and all fits in place, the A16 is a blessing. But more frequently than not something does not work as expected and it can be quite frustrating.
thanks for your help
sander99
Headphoneus Supremus
The JVC XP-EXT1 is not a generic HRTF based system.
Originally it also worked with what basicily is a PRIR measurement. But now they do it differently. From a video somewhere I understood it as follows: Now the headphones have 4 microphones built in each cup. In the calibration process they measure how the test signals from the drivers end up at the different microphones. Now from this result they don't calculate the HRTF or room impulse responses - maybe that isn't even possible - but they compare the result with results from a lot of different people in a database, and next they choose the HRTF or room impulse responses from the person in the database that comes closest. (Reminds me of the approach to compare photographs of the ears with photographs in a large database and pick the HRTF of the best matching person.) I don't know how well it works, but I would not be surprised if it does a lot better than generic HRTF based systems.
sander99
Headphoneus Supremus
I had a borrowed A16 (16 channel version) in my home that definitely played sound with a laptop as a source via HDMI, and the tv connected to the output switched off or even disconnected.
Maybe it also depends on the HDMI source device, have you tried different HDMI source devices?
(Also I am wondering if maybe the 24 channel version A16 with different HDMI board behaves differently?)
(In any case, there is a workaround: use a HDMI Virtual Display Adapter:
[Edit2: I removed the link because something strange was happening when I tried it again.]
)
[Edit: actually I meant a slightly different type of adapter, one that also has an HDMI output so it can pass on the signal to the output device when you do use it. I have to look it up.]
I assume you mean 44.1 and 48?
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Fox1977
500+ Head-Fier
Smyth Research promised that we could inject our HTRF in BRIR files to increase dramatically the result. This feature should be implemented in the Realiser Exchanged that was supposed to be launched before the end of 2020. Those who made a room measurement during CanJam or other A/V exhibitions should also get their PRIR on the Realiser Exchange. I don't know why they don't just send us the files.
sander99
Headphoneus Supremus
@arturo71: This is what I meant:
Maybe something like this could help:
SON X-AVT105 HDMI EDID Emulator, 4K
4K HDMI EDID Emulator - Simulates a display
https://www.reichelt.nl/hdmi-edid-e...mOxfW2hd9ZfQpMBU_lyAlMj3N2RoCPsYQAvD_BwE&&r=1
It drives me nuts that I could be having a much better A-16 experience, but Smyth refuses to give me the PRIR file that they promised would ship with my unit. I've now had my A-16 for over a year and still no custom PRIR. Don't they realize we can't easily (or inexpensively) get new ones made, especially in the pandemic? And why should we have too, when our perfectly good custom ones are sitting on a hard drive at Smyth HQ? I don't get it at all.
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