INVOLVE - COMING NEW TECHNOLOGY

[bmoura]

Hmm, I’ve a strange feeling how that might go if I tried that:

If you are a customer, some Hi End Audio Stores have done the Smyth measurements at no charge.
If you are not, there is usually a charge.

I've done 3 measurements and they have been a treat to use with the Smyth.

 

[Soundfield]

Or a surround booth? Like, the size of those single-person saunas at some gyms.

Your reply reminded me of this wonderful piece of audio technology-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWtPPWi6OMQ

I think most headphone processors to date have been similarly effective!

 

[Yucca]

Hello,
There's no more life here...

Just wanted to ask again about the Surround Master with a new Metal case ? Can we still hope for this one ?

 

[chucky3042]

Hi Yucca

Sorry I have not been keeping you guys up to date but I assure everyone we are working on heaps of stuff. In regards to the metal case, yes we have it designed but we were waiting to run out of stock of the plastic cases.

We need to get the die made and if we had enough interested starters we would be happy to retrofit existing plastic cased units (I really never liked them! I hate democracy).

We are completing:
1 a costed down and easier to make studio encoder
2 Trying to get into a production run of our Y2 system
3 We are about to do the production design of a Involve sound bar (hate them to)
4 We are adapting our Y2 stereo system into a full surround 2 speaker system
5 We are working on Involve surround headphones.
6 Completed design of our 8 inch dual subwoofer for the Y systems
7 About to start manufacture of our studio monitor "Dragon" electrostatic speaker (sorta studio successor to the Nakamichi Dragon electrostatic we designed back in 2007)

I hope to announce big developments on the marketing front soon.

Sorry that I have been hiding under my rock recently as you guys have also been a bit quiet!

Any comments on the Ally cased extrusion for the SM?

Regards

Chucky

 

[Yucca]

It seems to be much better than the plastic case !!
Will we have choice about color ? (only blue ?)

I'm also interested about your 1st and 5th point (encoder + headphone)...and would immediately buy the "new" Surround Master when/if will be available (I need a 2nd one for a second system anyway).

About the plastic case, you're right...I feel Audiophiles pay big attention to the device's appearance they own (and me also). It's quite difficult to make buying someone if they feel it's crap because a small plastic case can't make a great sound (I talked about the SM on french forums, but when you have guys who own $10000 processors, build with massive aluminium and blue lights everywhere, and you say the small plastic stuff is better, you can't win)

 

[Soundfield]

Hi Chucky - I'd be up for

- the metal cased SM2 (is the blue extrusion below the final version? - thought you might take the opportunity (a) to increase its size and therefore its perceived value in the market place - I'd have put it in a standard 1U rack mounting chassis and saved any tooling costs (b) add some ventilation holes - I'm always slightly worried about longevity of the SM1 given how hot it runs.

- the headphone processor(if you can really crack the 'out of the head' imaging problem).

Good luck with all your projects.
Cheers.

 

[chucky3042]

Hi Soundfield

The color if the metal case version is up for discussion, the size is not as we have even more cardboard packaging (actually quite expensive!). Not the new studio encode also has a decoder and is in a 1U rack mount metal case.

Regards


Chucky

Hi Chucky - I'd be up for

- the metal cased SM2 (is the blue extrusion below the final version? - thought you might take the opportunity (a) to increase its size and therefore its perceived value in the market place - I'd have put it in a standard 1U rack mounting chassis and saved any tooling costs (b) add some ventilation holes - I'm always slightly worried about longevity of the SM1 given how hot it runs.

- the headphone processor(if you can really crack the 'out of the head' imaging problem).

Good luck with all your projects.
Cheers.

 

[Yucca]

Hello Chucky,
I suggest you keep "usual" colors first (silver, black and maybe white), then other colors if needed (red, blue...).
Do you have an idea when it will be available ?

About the encoder/decoder : the "costed down" is a nice info also. Depends of the final price, but I can be interested (like I was for a SM with preamp section)...

 

[Soundfield]

Hi Chucky - understood, thanks. Personally, I'd be happy with a black or silver SM2. Like Yucca I'd also like to know if there Is there a projected price for the new studio encoder and would it be available with SQ decode?
Cheers,
Soundfield.

 

[inkubuzz]

HI chucky, any news about the Y4?

 

[chucky3042]

Dear All

Thanks for the feedback. We agree the new metal cased SM will be in silver/ black, I have just asked for a final review of the front and back as its not right yet.

Due to the growth of home recording studios and their typically lower budgets we have updated the internal design of the unit with a tighter budget in mind (sorta all on 3 boards approach and got rid of the pre amp). It is in no ways inferior and actually has 997 electronic components. It is capable of both encode and decode in 5.1 or my personal favourite 4 channel. No it does not have SQ as we are not interested in promoting this format and its circuitry requirements are way different.

It is fully 19 inch rack mount 1U AND A METAL CASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it is a real bargain at USD$1500 this come complete with a lifetime licence to record movies and music in Involve surround format (just include our logo). More information to follow shortly.

Yes we are still working on the high end surround preamp with Involve decode (and SQ) with MM and MC inputs but the studio encoder took priority for commercial reasons. I hope you guys like it, incidentally you are first to know as its not even up on our website yet.

Regards

Chucky

 

[chucky3042]

Hi Inkubuzz

We have fully updated the Y4 design and made it easier to build. We are currently waiting on a few components to make the next batch (including 6 klm of flat 6 way high voltage flexible wire- specially molded). Also we need to lash out around $22k on the HDMI licence (hate the bloody thing but every sheep wants it).

Will happen soon and it is worth the wait I hope.

Regards

Chucky

HI chucky, any news about the Y4?

 

[inkubuzz]

Awesome, Im thrilled about this, hope my wife is thrilled too, to have those bad ass looking speakers in our living room

 

[Soundfield]

Hi Chucky - thanks for the update. I'm going to have to start saving as I'm certainly interested in the SM2 and the Pre-Amp (and the Headphone Processor if it happens). Can I justify the Encoder as well? - maybe!
Cheers.

 

[chucky3042]

Here are two better shots of the new studio encoder/ decoder:

Regards

Chucky

 

[surroundophile]

"Yes we are still working on the high end surround preamp with Involve decode (and SQ) with MM and MC inputs but the studio encoder took priority for commercial reasons. I hope you guys like it, incidentally you are first to know as its not even up on our website yet."

If SQ is also included, please include CD-4 also, assuming the CD-4 demodulator comes to frutation.

 

[surroundophile]

"Yes we are still working on the high end surround preamp with Involve decode (and SQ) with MM and MC inputs but the studio encoder took priority for commercial reasons. I hope you guys like it, incidentally you are first to know as its not even up on our website yet."

If SQ is also included, please include CD-4 also, assuming the CD-4 demodulator comes to frutation.

 

[Soundfield]

Chucky – On the subject of the Pre-Amp, following on from what Surroundophile said, I’m not sure if you had even considered the inclusion of CD4 but quite frankly I’d vote against it. It seems to me that the CD4 demod function is just far too niche and would add hugely to the cost and greatly limit the general appeal of the Pre-Amp (unless it were available as some sort of optional plug-in module, but even that would be additional complexity we’d all have to pay for). I’m not against the CD4 demod as a standalone unit (if it doesn’t distract you from more profitable pursuits or projects I’m more selfishly interested in!) – although as someone who has never even seen such a disc it’s not something I’ll be investing in. I’d be perfectly happy if the Pre-Amp had, in addition to MM/MC phono inputs, a number of line level analogue inputs (say three), a Tape Monitor loop and a Toslink SPDIF optical input. An HDMI input might be useful (but not a deal breaker for me). It should have Involve and SQ decode functions and allow for 4 ch and 5.1 ch outputs. There should be master volume and individual channel balance controls (or at least a Front / Back balance control). Remote control of master volume (and mute) would be very useful. It would be nice if the Pre-Amp were to include the Surround Headphone facility but I’m not sure what the relative timings of these ‘background’ projects are for you so I appreciate that might not be realistic. Level meters would be cool (I’m old school so I’m thinking along the lines of the four meters on my Sony SQD2020 decoder in my avatar on the left) – or how about some form of simple vectorscope executed in an array of LEDS? - that would be brilliant! Finally of course it must have a metal case. Thanks.

 

[chucky3042]

Thanks for all the good suggestions!

At this point (at the top of my head) the pre amp will have:
MM
MC
HDMI
Toslink SPDIF optical
5.1 inputs (for a/b comparison)
Involve/ QS decode
Tape I/O
Metal rackmount case
full rca I/O

I would love meters but dunno if we can fit it.......will check....what do you guys say?
I also love vector scopes but gets hard....will think about it ....might look interesting with a OLED display???
We are not interested in promoting SQ but SQ nuts can tie their QQ special SQ surround master to the I/O of the preamp
Same goes with CD4 as it really is a super niece market thing.

I know I have forgot heaps of stuff but its late at night down under.....any thing else chaps??

Salutations

Chucky

 

[chucky3042]

Ooops repeat post!