Smyth Research Realiser A16

[3D Ears]

Do you have any experience with it with the A16. I've heard some mixed reviews.

Sorry, no I don't have any experience with the A16. FWIW, nVidia added AURO3D support to The Shield TV Pro 2019 in their latest software update.

 

[audiohobbit]

but is there a mode to use the head tracker without putting up the led thing on top of the screen? (how do people do that for a project screen anyway?)

I use a projection screen and the set-top is just mounted above it inside the top black masking (it's a fixed screen). You know that you can switch off the green LEDs completely? Then you only see a faint red glow of the IR-LED in the middle, whicht doesn't distract me.
Using the set-top is named optical stabilisation and that's the most precise way of stabilising the middle of the gyros in the head-top (w.o. stabilising they would drift over time, so the audio image shifts to one side). There is also magnetic stabilisation, using earths magnetic field (head-top needs to be calibrated to the specific seating position) but this never worked for me.
There is yet another trick, if you want to ban the head-top from your view completely: You can mount it exactly to your back and turn the head-top in its mount on the HP by 180°. This should also work. At least it did with my older Realiser A8, where you can not switch off those LEDs completely.

 

[audiohobbit]

And now that I wrote this, seems that my set-top is damaged. I hope it's only the set-top, not the A16 itself.
I had from time to time trouble with the headtracking/set-top in the past already.
When starting up the A16, initially all the green LEDs light up shortly, then while loading the preset, headtracking already worked and the green LEDs showed the angle (even if they are switched off in the menu) until the preset is fully loaded, then the green LEDs switch off, when set to Off in the HT menu.
Several times in the past, during this start-up process, the green LEDs showed the angle (and you can even move the head-top and the LEDs changed the angle accordingly), but then the display gets stuck, so some green LEDs light all the time, and no movement of the head-top does change this anymore.
This is now always the case, or the green LEDs don't light up at all and don't react to settings in the HT menu. Can't see the red glow of the IR LED anymore, so I suppose this is finally dead.
I could probably borrow a set-top from a friend who also has an A16 (if he still has it). Before that I should upgrade Firmware to the latest version because I still run a very old version.
The thing is that I have some trouble on the job (may probably loose it) and also in private life for some time now. Therefore I don't want to spend much time on fiddling with the gear, as long as it works I just sit down and enjoy it. But all my gear is getting older and older now.

 

[B Manoj Kumar]

Good People.
My advance apologies if this is not appropriate comment for this thread. I will delete it, if so.
I am looking to buy a Smyth Realiser A16, preferably from EU region (unit accepting 220/230V AC).
If anyone is planning to let go, kindly DM me.
Thanks.

 

[GeorgeA]

........... But all my gear is getting older and older now.

I think that sooner or later, all of us who own Realiser A16 units will face difficulties generated by the aging of the components that make up the various modules of the device. The lifespan of any device is limited. It is worrying that on the horizon there’s no other iteration of Realiser. Even more disappointing is the situation that there are still people who either took part in the Smyth Research campaign at kickstarter.com or who, despite up-front payments as part of preorder campaigns, have not received yet their Realiser A16 units.

 

[N11ville]

Haven’t heard it at the Munich show myself, but definitely curious to see if anyone got a demo

 

[GeorgeA]

@N11ville I attended a demo/measurement session at High End Munich in May 2017. For me it was a special experience. If I hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have believed that there was practically no difference between the sounds heard with and without headphones. There have been many other demos at various headphone-related events.

You still might have the opportunity to attend a demo session with the Realiser A16 at av-in.com in Paris.

 

[esimms86]

@N11ville I attended a demo/measurement session at High End Munich in May 2017. For me it was a special experience. If I hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have believed that there was practically no difference between the sounds heard with and without headphones. There have been many other demos at various headphone-related events.

You still might have the opportunity to attend a demo session with the Realiser A16 at av-in.com in Paris.

I was fortunate enough to have had the same experience at CanJam NYC in 2017.

 

[audiohobbit]

I think that sooner or later, all of us who own Realiser A16 units will face difficulties generated by the aging of the components that make up the various modules of the device.

Yes, that is my greatest fear...
I would probably have 2 backups though: 1. I took over a pre-order from someone else a few years ago (to have a backup to my kickstarter unit), but as all others waiting, seems that I only will get this when I pay the difference to the full price. I could but am very hesitant still because of aforementioned private problems (also probably will need to support my mother financially in the near future...)
2. I still got the old Realiser A8, as maybe a fallback solution (then only 7.1 but I will be also ok with this). However I didn't switch it on for years, which may be a mistake.

 

[castleofargh]

And now that I wrote this, seems that my set-top is damaged. I hope it's only the set-top, not the A16 itself.
I had from time to time trouble with the headtracking/set-top in the past already.
When starting up the A16, initially all the green LEDs light up shortly, then while loading the preset, headtracking already worked and the green LEDs showed the angle (even if they are switched off in the menu) until the preset is fully loaded, then the green LEDs switch off, when set to Off in the HT menu.
Several times in the past, during this start-up process, the green LEDs showed the angle (and you can even move the head-top and the LEDs changed the angle accordingly), but then the display gets stuck, so some green LEDs light all the time, and no movement of the head-top does change this anymore.
This is now always the case, or the green LEDs don't light up at all and don't react to settings in the HT menu. Can't see the red glow of the IR LED anymore, so I suppose this is finally dead.
I could probably borrow a set-top from a friend who also has an A16 (if he still has it). Before that I should upgrade Firmware to the latest version because I still run a very old version.
The thing is that I have some trouble on the job (may probably loose it) and also in private life for some time now. Therefore I don't want to spend much time on fiddling with the gear, as long as it works I just sit down and enjoy it. But all my gear is getting older and older now.

In your shoes, I guess I would indeed try to reinstall/update some firmwares(tracker and A16). If that didn't help, my next bet would be the cable, as it's many wires inside the thinnest cables I've ever seen on the outside of any device.

 

[audiohobbit]

I partially tested the cable: I need to use the "normal" cable and the extension cable provided in the package. I removed the extension cable and plugged the head top directly into the "normal" cable, but that made no difference. Could be that this cable is damaged. So I would need to try another one of the same type (or use that of my friend's A16 if he wants to lend it to me). Or get another one, IIRC (can not check right now) it is a 3,5 mm TRRS cable, like this one: https://www.amazon.de/CableCreation...lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A2TM1FGGT3O1H3&th=1
(whereas the head top uses a 2,5 mm cable, also TRRS I think).
But I could just check the 4 poles with my multimeter first.

 

[harryb]

I think that sooner or later, all of us who own Realiser A16 units will face difficulties generated by the aging of the components that make up the various modules of the device. The lifespan of any device is limited. It is worrying that on the horizon there’s no other iteration of Realiser. Even more disappointing is the situation that there are still people who either took part in the Smyth Research campaign at kickstarter.com or who, despite up-front payments as part of preorder campaigns, have not received yet their Realiser A16 units.

I think that's true of early units that may have had some faulty chips that will need or have needed replacement. My understanding is that a number of units have had 002 errors that ultimately need to return to Ireland for chip replacement. In terms of the lifespan of electronics being "limited", I will say that many high quality products will work for many decades. I used the same Placette dual mono active preamp and dCS Purcell upsamples and dCS Delius dac from 2001 to 2024 without a single repair.

Clearly, the immersive sound industry and products are evolving very rapidly, so this product may be more complicated in terms of lifespan than a simple dac or preamp or amp. Personally, I'm hoping that Smyth Research is nimble in updating the product frequently in order to compete with what will likely be a number of new alternatives. While not "audiophile grade", spatial audio through AirPod pros sounds pretty good on the fly.