[Nicholas Seltzer]

Hmm. Considering various workarounds. I could use a video streaming device like an Apple TV/Roku, but I'm hoping to preserve Dolby Vision and HDR10. Does the HDMI passthrough on the 1901 models support that?

 

[Litlgi74]

Hmm. Considering various workarounds. I could use a video streaming device like an Apple TV/Roku, but I'm hoping to preserve Dolby Vision and HDR10. Does the HDMI passthrough on the 1901 models support that?

Another option many of us use is... Just sending the audio or audio/video to the Realiser.... In other words, not using the Realiser as an AV switch.

 

[esimms86]

Hmm. Well, it doesn't sound good. Looks like I got a very early model. Fortunately I don't think I need 24 channels and there are workarounds for eARC. Still trying to decide if I want to keep it. Any idea how reliable these things are? I'm not getting good feels from Smyth and would hate to have a problem with the machine and they're MIA.

Also, has anyone here experimented with upgraded PSUs? E.g. an iFi iPower Elite or SBooster, etc?

I used an Uptone Audio Ultracap LPS-1.2 for awhile until it stopped working. Turns out that there was a design flaw in the LPS-1.2. Luckily for me, it did do any damage to my A16.

 

[Nicholas Seltzer]

I used an Uptone Audio Ultracap LPS-1.2 for awhile until it stopped working. Turns out that there was a design flaw in the LPS-1.2. Luckily for me, it did do any damage to my A16.

Did it impact sound quality at all?

 

[esimms86]

Did it impact sound quality at all?

I found it to be marginally improved.

 

[sander99]

Well, it doesn't sound good.

Were you talking figuratively because you almost certain don't have eARC and 24 channels?
Or are you literally talking about the actual sound/audio?
In the latter case, just in case you are not aware: Using the standard factory PRIRs and HPEQs (non-personalised measurements done with dummy heads) or other people's PRIRs and HPEQs can sound very odd to many people, both sound localization wise as tonal wise. This says nothing about what can be achieved if you do your own measurements and possibly another manual correction (so called manloud HPEQ or manspeaker HPEQ) on top of that. Or if you are lucky and find someone else's PRIR and HPEQ that better match your personal HRTF, again with possibly a manual improvement (manloud HPEQ).

 

[esimms86]

Were you talking figuratively because you almost certain don't have eARC and 24 channels?
Or are you literally talking about the actual sound/audio?
In the latter case, just in case you are not aware: Using the standard factory PRIRs and HPEQs (non-personalised measurements done with dummy heads) or other people's PRIRs and HPEQs can sound very odd to many people, both sound localization wise as tonal wise. This says nothing about what can be achieved if you do your own measurements and possibly another manual correction (so called manloud HPEQ or manspeaker HPEQ) on top of that. Or if you are lucky and find someone else's PRIR and HPEQ that better match your personal HRTF, again with possibly a manual improvement (manloud HPEQ).

I agree with everything you said but I would also point out that there’s no reason not to do your own HPEQ.

 

[Nicholas Seltzer]

Another option many of us use is... Just sending the audio or audio/video to the Realiser.... In other words, not using the Realiser as an AV switch.

You mean with like an HDMI audio splitter of sorts?

Were you talking figuratively because you almost certain don't have eARC and 24 channels?
Or are you literally talking about the actual sound/audio?
In the latter case, just in case you are not aware: Using the standard factory PRIRs and HPEQs (non-personalised measurements done with dummy heads) or other people's PRIRs and HPEQs can sound very odd to many people, both sound localization wise as tonal wise. This says nothing about what can be achieved if you do your own measurements and possibly another manual correction (so called manloud HPEQ or manspeaker HPEQ) on top of that. Or if you are lucky and find someone else's PRIR and HPEQ that better match your personal HRTF, again with possibly a manual improvement (manloud HPEQ).

Oh, my bad. That was a poor choice of words given the context. I meant it figuratively in that I'm almost certain I don't have eARC and am limited to 16 channels. But while we're on the subject, I'm still dialing in the sound. I managed to take an HPEQ measurement, but I possibly did it incorrectly. I don't have access to a really good room to measure. I have a small home theater I can setup, but it's only 5.1. Do you know if it's possible to just take one speaker and move it around the room to 15 different locations, then somehow combine those measurements into a single PRIR?
Nick

 

[esimms86]

You mean with like an HDMI audio splitter of sorts?

Oh, my bad. That was a poor choice of words given the context. I meant it figuratively in that I'm almost certain I don't have eARC and am limited to 16 channels. But while we're on the subject, I'm still dialing in the sound. I managed to take an HPEQ measurement, but I possibly did it incorrectly. I don't have access to a really good room to measure. I have a small home theater I can setup, but it's only 5.1. Do you know if it's possible to just take one speaker and move it around the room to 15 different locations, then somehow combine those measurements into a single PRIR?
Nick

The short answer to your question is yes.

Edit:

Correction: you need two speakers

 

[Litlgi74]

You mean with like an HDMI audio splitter of sorts?

Yep... I use one... Works great! Dolby Vision and Atmos Passthrough.

HDMI Matrix Switch 4x2, 4K HDMI Matrix Switcher Splitter 4 in 2 Out Box with EDID Extractor and IR Remote Control Support 4K HDR, HDMI 2.0b, HDCP 2.2, 4K@60Hz, 3D, 1080P https://a.co/d/drx38lG

Or

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mM22UfT

 

[audiohobbit]

It's be

Do you know if it's possible to just take one speaker and move it around the room to 15 different locations, then somehow combine those measurements into a single PRIR?

With one speaker not, withthe A16 you have to measure at least two. And it's "easier" to rotate the listener and keep the speakers in place.
PRIRs with different speakers can easily be combined.
With your 5.1 set you could make a complete 5.1 PRIR, then make a 2 speaker PRIR for the back channels for example, move 2 speakers to the ceiling and create 2 front top channels, rotate the listener 180° and create 2 rear top channels, and so on. The challenge are the viewing angles (at least three, +30, 0, -30). It's best to use the headtracker and the pilot tones for this.
It is feasible but complicated and you better have help from a 2nd person.

 

[Litlgi74]

With one speaker not, with the A16 you have to measure at least two.

Not necessarily true... I've done it with one speaker... But like you said.. it's not fun, and with headtracking look angles... it takes forever! In my experience, there is a problem with measuring a single speaker PRIR... It results in a unusable file. But if you set up your measurement for more than one channel, say all the bed layer channels... (With the intent of moving the speaker or spinning in your chair) it works just fine. Though I don't recommend it.

 

[audiohobbit]

Hm, back then we tried it with one speaker but it didin't work.
Then we did the 2 speaker method. (I wait for sander to post the link to my diagrams... )
But this was also very complicated (and you easily get tangled in all the cables...)
So it's best to measure as many speakers as possible at once. It's good that the A16 allows for that. And since you can relabel the virtual speakers (which I haven't tested myself yet) in theory you don't have to set up a new PRIR sound room for every new pass, which we had to do back then. And you can only set up two PRIR sound rooms unfortunately..

It should be possible that you now always set a L and R PRIR sound room up and relabel the virtual speaker afterwards to the label that corresponds to the real location you measured the speaker.

 

[Nicholas Seltzer]

Hmm... Well no matter how I approach this I'm going to have to find a way to somehow suspend speakers from the ceiling. No idea how I'm going to do that. Problem for this weekend perhaps.

One question. How exactly do I combine files? The Smyth website has some tool for combining files. Do I use that? Can I do it on the machine?

Nick

 

[Litlgi74]

Hm, back then we tried it with one speaker but it didin't work.

Me too... But I was only capturing one channel per PRIR... Which was the problem I think.

I recently did a test using only one speaker at the center channel position for all channels of the bed layer. The PRIR process was complicated... especially with look angles. But creating a mutichannel PRIR with a single speaker is possible.

It should be possible that you now always set a L and R PRIR sound room up and relabel the virtual speaker afterwards to the label that corresponds to the real location you measured the speaker.

This works... And is a great feature should you forget to reverse your (rear channel) speaker labels But it's not necessarily a time saver. Should you go this route... I would urge you to document the timestamp of each PRIR... Since all channels will be labeled L and R... It can be somewhat difficult and nerve-wracking to figure out which speaker is which In the relabeling process.