[elira]

I feel like it's a bit absurd that the HPEQs cannot be edited afterwards.

 

[zdjh22]

I feel like it's a bit absurd that the HPEQs cannot be edited afterwards.

Me too. I understand protecting PRIRs, since they can be understandably proprietary.

 

[pcfi]

Anyone aware of any progress in delivering of Kickstarter/pre-orders?

6 years and waiting...

 

[shmau]

Anyone aware of any progress in delivering of Kickstarter/pre-orders?

6 years and waiting...

No progress. There's always someone asking about it (well, once or twice a month) so scroll back if you need more details.

 

[pcfi]

No progress. There's always someone asking about it (well, once or twice a month) so scroll back if you need more details.

Yes, I check here occasionally. I understand that nobody wants to send the company broke, but it would be nice to know they were at least trickling out units over time to kickstarter/preorder customers. Haven't read every post here but it seems like it's been years since they've shipped any kickstarter/preorder units?

 

[GeorgeA]

I received my A16 unit în mid September 2020. After that, I think that Smyth Research shipped no more than 20 units as part of kickstarter campaign. No preorders have been shipped yet.

 

[weijiangnan]

I received my repaired A16 a few weeks ago and, with a fresh set of Dekoni earphone tips to hold the mics, yesterday started trying HPEQs again. I have the new APM and ARM processor boards so have to use 2.15.

I’m hearing the same issue as before the repair. The sound is shifted decidedly to the left using my measured HPEQs. Using “Test” and iterating with the new left-right pan function in 2.15, I can shift the apparent sound to the center of my head only by using a rather large offset (4.5 dB). Spatialization is still excellent with that shift, and otherwise the HPEQ is fine. The release notes warn that more than a few tenths of a dB will lead to degradation of spatialization, but honestly the shifted HPEQ works fine for me.

I tried to apply a reverse L/R microphone asymmetric gain of 3 dB to see if that makes a difference on the measured HPEQ, and weirdly it doesn’t have any apparent effect.

The problem doesn’t follow the microphones (i.e., swapping left and right).

I’ve tried reverse engineering the produced HPEQ files but so far no luck. I believe the TI DSP (“K2G”) on the APM board might be using 24-bit packed integers, but I haven’t found the pattern. I’m mostly just interested in comparing a good HPEQ from pre-2.15 (as shipped with the A16, and another from 3D Sound Shop) with my shifted HPEQs. I know the files are protected against corruption by some sort of checksum or hash, so I’m not holding out any hope of applying a correction successfully without significant effort figuring out the hash used.

I’ll probably try a 5.1 async PRIR next week, given that the French shop has indicated success with the async app on 2.15.

Looking forward to the conclusion of your attempt!
If asynchronous measurements do work, I'll try that too. I haven't purchased the asynchronous measurement file yet.

 

[zdjh22]

Looking forward to the conclusion of your attempt!
If asynchronous measurements do work, I'll try that too. I haven't purchased the asynchronous measurement file yet.

I will probably give it a try tomorrow.

Although I do have the .mp4 Atmos files from Club Realiser, I also have the bunch of async wav files from the Google drive folder mentioned upthread (and I can repost the link if you need). I can’t seem to reliably play MCH wav or FLAC files from my Oppo or Denon, but using my laptop and feeding the Denon via HDMI does work. I say that because there’s a handy set of FLAC files with different data rates, bit sizes, and channel numbers at Quadraphonicquad, where a voice identifies different speakers; these fail in weird ways on my setup, such as missing or incorrect speaker IDs (but not with VLC on my laptop - they all work from there). There is also a 7.1 Atmos file (Mkv) that IDs speakers there from Dolby that works on all of my source electronics, so I definitely have more confidence in Atmos async files.

 

[Litlgi74]

Don't panic... just restart the machine.

 

[GeorgeA]

That might be called the infamous white screen of the Realiser A16.

 

[CaptainFunk]

Don't panic... just restart the machine.

I get this every once in a while, turning it off and on again fixes it.

 

[castleofargh]

Don't panic... just restart the machine.

 

[zdjh22]

I will probably give it a try tomorrow.

Although I do have the .mp4 Atmos files from Club Realiser, I also have the bunch of async wav files from the Google drive folder mentioned upthread (and I can repost the link if you need). I can’t seem to reliably play MCH wav or FLAC files from my Oppo or Denon, but using my laptop and feeding the Denon via HDMI does work. I say that because there’s a handy set of FLAC files with different data rates, bit sizes, and channel numbers at Quadraphonicquad, where a voice identifies different speakers; these fail in weird ways on my setup, such as missing or incorrect speaker IDs (but not with VLC on my laptop - they all work from there). There is also a 7.1 Atmos file (Mkv) that IDs speakers there from Dolby that works on all of my source electronics, so I definitely have more confidence in Atmos async files.

OK, I’ve measured my first async PRIR using the 7.1 file from Club Realiser, and all I can say is - wow! When I played my first track I was convinced I was listening to my room speakers. Uncanny. The sound from the center channel is way out in front of me.

Details: I have a new A16 with the new APM and processor boards which require 2.15. When I’ve previously used the stock PRIRs, or the excellent Omega PRIRs from 3D Sound Shop, and I used my measured (with 2.15, obviously) HPEQ for my HD-800s headphones, the resulting sounds are shifted way to the right. I need to apply a pan of 4.5 dB (!!!) to bring the sound center back to the center of my head. If I use the 3D Sound Shop HPEQ, or a factory HPEQ from Smyth, the sound is correctly centered.

However, measuring the 7.1 PRIR for my room, and immediately measuring the HPEQ (leaving the mics in place from the PRIR, simply putting the headphones on), the resulting sound is exactly centered (and sounds identical to my room). If I use a stock HPEQ, or the HPEQ from 3D S S the sound is not centered. So, with 2.15 it’s important, evidently, to use only a PRIR measured with 2.15 plus an HPEQ measured with 2.15. Or a PRIR measured with pre-2.15 only with an HPEQ measured with pre-2.15.

I first started with the WAV files from the Google drive for 5.1, but hadn’t learned exactly how to use the head tracker and the feedback to move my head to the correct angles. When I tried again with the Club Realiser 7.1, I had figured out how to pause the playback, get my head angle set (get the feedback sound to minimize), and then restart the playback. There are fewer angles in the Club Realiser 7.1 - only plus and minus 30º - so less opportunity for me to screw up. I’m pretty sure the Google drive files are fine, just a bit more complicated (e.g., you have to separately play back the level and pll calibrations, then the layout, then the various look angles; with the Club Realiser files the entire sequence is encoded into the one file, and there is video feedback of what’s going on).

 

[Litlgi74]

OK, I’ve measured my first async PRIR using the 7.1 file from Club Realiser, and all I can say is - wow! When I played my first track I was convinced I was listening to my room speakers. Uncanny. The sound from the center channel is way out in front of me.

Details: I have a new A16 with the new APM and processor boards which require 2.15. When I’ve previously used the stock PRIRs, or the excellent Omega PRIRs from 3D Sound Shop, and I used my measured (with 2.15, obviously) HPEQ for my HD-800s headphones, the resulting sounds are shifted way to the right. I need to apply a pan of 4.5 dB (!!!) to bring the sound center back to the center of my head. If I use the 3D Sound Shop HPEQ, or a factory HPEQ from Smyth, the sound is correctly centered.

However, measuring the 7.1 PRIR for my room, and immediately measuring the HPEQ (leaving the mics in place from the PRIR, simply putting the headphones on), the resulting sound is exactly centered (and sounds identical to my room). If I use a stock HPEQ, or the HPEQ from 3D S S the sound is not centered. So, with 2.15 it’s important, evidently, to use only a PRIR measured with 2.15 plus an HPEQ measured with 2.15. Or a PRIR measured with pre-2.15 only with an HPEQ measured with pre-2.15.

I first started with the WAV files from the Google drive for 5.1, but hadn’t learned exactly how to use the head tracker and the feedback to move my head to the correct angles. When I tried again with the Club Realiser 7.1, I had figured out how to pause the playback, get my head angle set (get the feedback sound to minimize), and then restart the playback. There are fewer angles in the Club Realiser 7.1 - only plus and minus 30º - so less opportunity for me to screw up. I’m pretty sure the Google drive files are fine, just a bit more complicated (e.g., you have to separately play back the level and pll calibrations, then the layout, then the various look angles; with the Club Realiser files the entire sequence is encoded into the one file, and there is video feedback of what’s going on).

Would you be so kind as to send me your HPEQ that has an imbalance with Omega as well as your imbalanced PRIRs made using the synchronous method... I am working with James to find a solution.

However, measuring the 7.1 PRIR for my room, and immediately measuring the HPEQ (leaving the mics in place from the PRIR, simply putting the headphones on), the resulting sound is exactly centered (and sounds identical to my room). If I use a stock HPEQ, or the HPEQ from 3D S S the sound is not centered. So, with 2.15 it’s important, evidently, to use only a PRIR measured with 2.15 plus an HPEQ measured with 2.15. Or a PRIR measured with pre-2.15 only with an HPEQ measured with pre-2.15.

This is strange... if the asynchronous method produces a balanced PRIR... wouldn't the HPEQ (not associated with asynchronous creation) created directly after be imbalanced?

 

[zdjh22]

Just to repeat: my measured 2.15 PRIR and HPEQ sounds perfect on my June 2023 hardware. Any non-2.15 HPEQ, such as the factory files or one I've gotten from @Litlgi74, results in the sound shifted to the right when played with this 2.15 PRIR. Non-2.15 PRIRs, such as the factory files or ones I've purchased, played with my 2.15 HPEQ, again sound shifted. Non-2.15 PRIRs played with non-2.15 HPEQs sound fine.

I've uploaded my PRIR and an HPEQ to the Google drive (section 4, folder zdjh22). It would be great if someone running 2.12 (or earlier) could try both together, as if I recall correctly 2.15 PRIRs with pre-2.15 HPEQs on pre-2.15 firmware have also sounded shifted to other users on hardware that can run pre-2.15. And, if someone could be so kind, please report back using my 2.15 PRIR with a non-2.15 HPEQ that you have measured.

If you can't access the Google drive, let me know and I can post a Dropbox link. I've shared that link already with @Litlgi74.

In the 2.15 release notes under "4. SVS BInaural Panning (balance)" there is this observation:

"In theory, gain differences between SVS microphones are cancelled out when the same microphones are used to measure both the PRIR and HPEQ."

I previously tried to make sure my two microphones were equivalent and not the cause of the sound shifts, e.g., by swapping ears. It's always possible I screwed up. As best I can tell from the mic sound level meters the two mics have the same gain.

I am quite happy with the my 2.15 PRIR/HPEQ combination. It's clearer and brighter than the Omega PRIRs I purchased - if only I could pair those Omega PRIRs with a 2.15 HPEQ from my A16 (though the Omega PRIRs still sound awesome).