Involve SM Evaluation Board

[Sonik Wiz]

The DIY bug has bitten me again. I thought the perfect project would be to pick up an eval board of the SM from Involve. Looking everywhere around the site but I do not see it. Perhaps sold out but if someone else finds it please let me know.

At any rate I would be very interested to hear how someone else's project turns out with this board. I think Ken has purchased one. I'd be fascinated to hear about build quality & adaptability into home built enclosures, any circuit mods, etc.

 

[chucky3042]

Hi

Yep we still have the, PM me

Regards

Chucky

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Hi Chucky!
I have PM'ed you a few days ago. Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Alas, I have not received a reply from Dave as promised from Chucky in a PM. Perhaps I will have to live vicariously through Ken Parsons. Ken, how is your project going with the SM eval board?

 

[chucky3042]

Hi Sonik Wiz

Oops, somehow I misses your messages. Contact "Overture" on this forum or email him direct on [email protected]

Regards

Chucky

 

[Overture]

Hey there all,

So the quad release of Suzanne Ciani - Live came with a custom decoder, which itself was an iteration of this evaluation board.

I'm posting this review of that hardware because I'm super proud and also because it makes us look good.

*****************************************************************************************************
I received the replacement circuit board/decoder today. actually in an anti-static bag, and in one piece.
If this bit of tech was around in 1974, not only would quad have been saved, but QS would have left SQ in the dust.
No - it's still not discrete, it can't be, but in bench testing with qs recordings I made - there is clean >20db of front to
rear separation at the 10 frequencies I used. and this remained constant with pink noise as well. (left to right was
even better).
I've already offered my opinion of the record (which can be seen on the Amazon.com review section) - This little board is
as good from a technology standpoint as that album is from a musical standpoint.
so - IMOHO
1. tech = A
2. recording/performance = A+
3. packaging/marketing = F good job
****************************************************************************************************

 

[Bill Brent]

Hey there all,

So the quad release of Suzanne Ciani - Live came with a custom decoder, which itself was an iteration of this evaluation board.

I'm posting this review of that hardware because I'm super proud and also because it makes us look good.

*****************************************************************************************************
I received the replacement circuit board/decoder today. actually in an anti-static bag, and in one piece.
If this bit of tech was around in 1974, not only would quad have been saved, but QS would have left SQ in the dust.
No - it's still not discrete, it can't be, but in bench testing with qs recordings I made - there is clean >20db of front to
rear separation at the 10 frequencies I used. and this remained constant with pink noise as well. (left to right was
even better).
I've already offered my opinion of the record (which can be seen on the Amazon.com review section) - This little board is
as good from a technology standpoint as that album is from a musical standpoint.
so - IMOHO
1. tech = A
2. recording/performance = A+
3. packaging/marketing = F good job
****************************************************************************************************

Hi - I'm the one who did the testing. (BTW - the "good Job" referred to the board not the F grade on item #3).
For those interested I used 10 fixed frequencies (60hz, 220, 432, 880, 1000, 1500, 4,000, 8,000, 10,000, 15,000)
then pink noise. - I placed signals LF, F, RF, Right, RR, R, LR, then left. - seperation was best when signals were in the corners LR, LF, RR, RF) - front center to rear center separation was marginally poorer). I then compared an Enoch Light (In The Mood) QS decode - to the QR (reel) - I was stunned (I'm a discrete kinda guy, but this is starting to make a believer of me). - I then encoded (from muilti-tracks) a song, and compared the decode to the discrete - again - wow! -
I've had the fosgate/tate II for years, and the SQ decode produced similar results on the test tones - BUT - listening only to the rear channels on a decode was not as impressive (noticeable pumping) but with all 4 speakers on - not much of a difference.

 

[chucky3042]

Finally we have received today the latest improved batch of Involve decode evaluation boards, we still have good stock of the Involve evaluation encoder boards. Its tested up fine.