Reality Technologies - New surround technology

[Quadwreck]

I'm getting very interested in this.

 

[Bob Romano]

Got mine as well!! Thanks to all who created this wonderful piece. It is quite an amazing thing. The QS decoding is stunning and my first experiments using the 5.1 are excellent compared to the original prototype that I had. No pumping and really smooth sound. Also the addition of a single 9v power supply versus the dual 12v plugs is most welcome. In the box you get the surround master unit, 2 3-way connection cables, 1 2-way connection cable, instruction manual, and a power supply with 4 different tips for different countries. I can only imagine how many hours I am going to spend playing all my favorite cds and LP's through this thing. So far my Christmas has been most excellent!!!

Thanks again.

 

[bmoura]

Hi

Thanks oxforddickie!

The offer is for 3 months.

Please note the special QS/ SQ switch-able unit for QQ members will be priced at $495 (to help pay for R+D given low market volume). Simple maths tells me that there is no cost penalty for buying the standard unit at $395 and taking advantage of the free software modification offer!! Hint Hint.

Regards

charlie

True - although some may want to wait and see if the current unit is in fact able to pick up SQ decoding through a software upgrade vs. a more extensive revision.

I'm also wondering:
a) what mode you would use with the unit to play back the "Dolby Surround" encoded CDs from RCA/BMG. Would that be the standard QS mode? Or the future SQ mode?
b) when you say that the TSS 2-Channel enhancement mode is lost when SQ is added, is that permanently? Or only when SQ is present? (In other words, can you get it back later after trying the SQ mode?)

 

[inkubuzz]

I already ordered mine, has not arrived yet, but I still have minor questions.

I will use this unit mainly for CD Playback, maybe DVD with Music or the answers to my questiosn are answered, even flac files and blu ray:

1) Would the Surround Master benefit form a better player? For instance. Would it be the same If I play it through a Walkman connected to the unit or a Ultramegamaster perfect Rotel player?

2) Would the player benefit from playing lossless audio, rather than CDs, given lossless audio has "more info"?

 

[Q8]

As much as it pains me to see everyone playing with thier new holiday toy that probably has better QS than anything in history, I am going to wait for the SQ/QS option. I hope they implement this as soon as possible without rushing it out unfinished. I just want to have the whole package. SQ/QS. As far as TSS. I've played around with surround receivers that create phanto speakers. Yes it works. But your brain still knows something is wrong. Phantom speakers give me a headache. I doubt anyone here would really utilize that anyway. I think we all have 4+ speakers on our main setups anyway.

And bmoura, it seems that the original intent of the box was to use the QS decoding for everything. Mono, Stereo, QS, SQ, Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital, etc. Although Dolby Surround may or may not sound better in SQ than QS since it is based off SQ.

I will be using the box for decoding SQ and QS records. And for fake quad with stereo. I haven't warmed up to the idea of using it to play dolby surround and dolby digital discs through the unit. Call me a purist, but I don't know why someone would want to play those through fake quad when the surround info is already there and can be listened to the way the engineer intended. If you don't like the mix, why not just play the stereo CD through QS?

 

[Q8]

Also, while I plan to just buy a box already set up for SQ/QS. Will the update be a software update? If so is it possible that the update could be performed by the user?

 

[rustyandi]

I have played dolby surround CDs
with this unit and it gives a better surround than dolby
some of the James Last surround CDs are close to full logic
play any EV4 and DY LPs and let me know what you think

 

[Q8]

I think its starting to shape up that this is going to be an essential piece to own.

to Charlie and gang: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't let us down on the SQ release.

*grovels and whatnot*

 

[chucky3042]

Hi Bmoura

In answer to your questions

a This is a tough question, at present we find that we already do a much better job of decoding faithfully Dolby Surround (yes in spite of it being based on SQ). We have conducted linearity of position around the room tests (with the Dolby guys in our Lab!) and we were far better than their system. Having said that I am sure that when we use the base SQ matrix we will get the best result. The enhanced Dolby decode we get at present is due to the nature of our "decode logic".

b At present if we decide to retain the existing plastic enclosure (that cost us $50,000) the TSS option will be DELETED for the QS/SQ/ INVOLVE unit. Depending on the progress of our colleagues at Winovate p/l on the ME pre amplifier it could alternatively be incorporated into their new "super" pre amplifier with ALL features including TSS, Encoder, QS, SQ. Not totally sure yet but we guarantee to retail the software "upgrade to SQ " option on the existing box.

Hope that is clear???

Regards

Chucky

True - although some may want to wait and see if the current unit is in fact able to pick up SQ decoding through a software upgrade vs. a more extensive revision.

I'm also wondering:
a) what mode you would use with the unit to play back the "Dolby Surround" encoded CDs from RCA/BMG. Would that be the standard QS mode? Or the future SQ mode?
b) when you say that the TSS 2-Channel enhancement mode is lost when SQ is added, is that permanently? Or only when SQ is present? (In other words, can you get it back later after trying the SQ mode?)

 

[chucky3042]

Hi Inkubuzz

the answer to both your questions is that the quality of the source material really is not an issue as the INVOLVE decoder does not rely on such low level audiophile clues!

No difference on MP3, FLAC, CD, BLURAY but the original recording quality is unchanged - garbage in garbage out

Regards

Chucky

I already ordered mine, has not arrived yet, but I still have minor questions.

I will use this unit mainly for CD Playback, maybe DVD with Music or the answers to my questiosn are answered, even flac files and blu ray:

1) Would the Surround Master benefit form a better player? For instance. Would it be the same If I play it through a Walkman connected to the unit or a Ultramegamaster perfect Rotel player?

2) Would the player benefit from playing lossless audio, rather than CDs, given lossless audio has "more info"?

 

[chucky3042]

Hi Q8

The update is purely a software update (with the removal of the TSS 2CH label off the front panel). Unfortunately the update must be done in our factory.

Regards

Chucky

Also, while I plan to just buy a box already set up for SQ/QS. Will the update be a software update? If so is it possible that the update could be performed by the user?

 

[bmoura]

Hi Q8

The update is purely a software update (with the removal of the TSS 2CH label off the front panel). Unfortunately the update must be done in our factory.

OK, that clarifies it. A bit more than a software upgrade over the Internet for the current unit.

 

[bmoura]

Got mine as well!! Thanks to all who created this wonderful piece. It is quite an amazing thing. The QS decoding is stunning and my first experiments using the 5.1 are excellent compared to the original prototype that I had. No pumping and really smooth sound. Also the addition of a single 9v power supply versus the dual 12v plugs is most welcome. In the box you get the surround master unit, 2 3-way connection cables, 1 2-way connection cable, instruction manual, and a power supply with 4 different tips for different countries. I can only imagine how many hours I am going to spend playing all my favorite cds and LP's through this thing. So far my Christmas has been most excellent!!!

Thanks again.

Bob, you'll have to let us know if there are particular CDs and encoded discs that perform better than others. Looking forward to hearing more of your impressions as the evaluation continues !

 

[oxforddickie]

Would the player benefit from playing lossless audio, rather than CDs, given lossless audio has "more info"?

CD's are lossless!!!!!

 

[quadsearcher]

Is anything lossless? I think the term is used loosely sometimes. There is no perfect microphone, for example. In my experience "lossless" in popular usage means high sample rates, higher than CD.

In a more perfect usage I suppose the only lossy format is one that has less information than the original capture, so if a recording was done digital at 16/44.1, playback at 16/44.1 would be the same. (lossless).

Thing is, most CD's do come from a higher resolution source, so only some CDs are lossless under these terms.

-The preceding is my own opinion and does not reflect any dictionary definition. :chill Thread hijack unintended!

I am looking forward to more reviews about the new encode/decode system! I mix some music once in a while and it sure would be nice to only have to do it once. In surround. Then if the new system replaced Dolby's domination....well I know that would take years, but hey, it doesn't hurt to try!

Kudos to Chucky and all involved!

 

[bangsezmax]

"Lossy" audio technically refers to audio information being removed due to compression. MP3s are lossy. Redbook CD's are not lossy. Let's not confuse it with different bitrates, which is not the same thing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lossy_compression

OD was correct, and was correct to point out that the question didn't really make sense.

 

[Q8]

It's all lossy compared to those nice full waveforms on a vinyl record

(before anyone has a heart attack, I know that some people would argue that a lot of recordings are compressed for vinyl, groove wear, dirt changing the groove walls, warn stampers, etc. I get it. It's still a full waveform though.)

And yes, lets not try to change what lossless means or confuse it with bitrates.

OD is technically correct. As always

 

[quadsearcher]

"Lossy" audio technically refers to audio information being removed due to compression. MP3s are lossy. Redbook CD's are not lossy. Let's not confuse it with different bitrates, which is not the same thing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lossy_compression

OD was correct, and was correct to point out that the question didn't really make sense.

I agree with OD. So loss is a comparison between two examples of a digital recording, one at the original resolution vs. another downsampled to a reduced sample rate, right? Isn't data compression a reduced sample rate, or do I not understand this? I thought MP3s simply resampled at a lower rate/word length to make them smaller.

Again, apologies for thread hijack. I do believe downsizing an audio file by compression requires a lower bitrate and I'd like to understand why I am mistaken. There's a lot to know here and I would like to learn anything I can. Thanks.

 

[Dixie4]

Bob, you'll have to let us know if there are particular CDs and encoded discs that perform better than others. Looking forward to hearing more of your impressions as the evaluation continues !

I'd love to hear anymore feedback too.....would love to know what some of my favourite artists ( Michael Jackson, Toto, Billy Joel.....) sound like through the surround master ?

 

[inkubuzz]

I thought the same, less bitrate, should have less information and therefor a smaller file size.

What I intended to say is that a 16 bit file should have less info than a 24 bit file, and so the Decoder should have more info on the latter one to process and do its magic.