Reality Technologies - New surround technology

[chucky3042]

Hello Again

Just by way of explanation, the previous review by Louis was due to our request. We sold Louis a set of "Nakamichi Dragon" electrostatic speakers that we designed for Nakamichi in 2007 (see Nakamichi Phoenix on google) and Louis asked about our INVOLVE surround master decoder and insisted on buying one dispite my recommendation that it would probably not suit his listening room and off center listening position.

As it turned out Louis is in the 20% of "gifted " people that get a good surround effect off center.

I have attached a picture of the Nakamichi electrostatic the model was actually never released due to a major financial loss in the Grande group (owner of Nakamichi), our then stupid management that refused to drop the price by $200 after setting up a major manufacturing facility and producing the first say 200 units. Only about 8 left - a real rarity I think! See attached photo.

I suppose I am a bit bitter and twisted about it all.

Regards

Charlie

 

[chucky3042]

Oh, the photo's were taken after the arrangement with nakamichi broke down, we (our idiot management) stupidly thought re branding them to our internal brand "Whise " would sell. Talk about amateurs.

Regards

the bitter Charlie

 

[phydo]

Charlie: Those are some beautiful speakers. Justin

 

[chucky3042]

Hi All

Thank you for your appreciation Justin we all put heart and soul into the project.

And now is a sneak preview of the new case for the INVOLVE Surround Master (3D render). The mold is currently being produced and we are on target for initial stock in the first week of September.

Regards

Charlie

 

[leevitalone1]

any word on cost? Really happy with the manner you tested and the choice of members to do so. rustyandi has an incredible collection of media. I like the fact you consider all formats including high resolution, 5.1. I see future models with hdmi also.
And will you direct market it? Looking forward to this unit!

 

[Bob Romano]

I thOught the one you sent was cool. But this looks awesome!!

 

[chucky3042]

Hi

The RRP will be US$395 and as yet there is no exclusive distribution deals and we intend certainly initially to offer direct sales.

We will also offer ONLY TO EXISTING Quadraphonicquad forum members an introductory price for 3 months after release of USD$349 in recognition of the excellent comments and suggestions we have received- BUT there is one catch WITH EACH SALE WE WILL REQUIRE A MINI REVIEW OF THE PERFORMANCE (WARTS AND ALL).

Regards

Charlie

any word on cost? Really happy with the manner you tested and the choice of members to do so. rustyandi has an incredible collection of media. I like the fact you consider all formats including high resolution, 5.1. I see future models with hdmi also.
And will you direct market it? Looking forward to this unit!

 

[chucky3042]

Hi

The RRP will be US$395 and as yet there is no exclusive distribution deals and we intend certainly initially to offer direct sales.

We will also offer ONLY TO EXISTING Quadraphonicquad forum members an introductory price for 3 months after release of USD$349 in recognition of the excellent comments and suggestions we have received- BUT there is one catch WITH EACH SALE WE WILL REQUIRE A MINI REVIEW OF THE PERFORMANCE (WARTS AND ALL).

Regards

Charlie

any word on cost? Really happy with the manner you tested and the choice of members to do so. rustyandi has an incredible collection of media. I like the fact you consider all formats including high resolution, 5.1. I see future models with hdmi also.
And will you direct market it? Looking forward to this unit!

 

[Bob Romano]

I finally had some time to sit with the decoder and play a bunch of stuff through the 2 channel surround decoder.

Using only my front 2 speakers I played all different types of music from various sources (CD, DVD, LP and Ipod-both lossless and lossy) and I was again amazed!! I know it seems like this is too good to be true but each track (didn't matter which one) made my stereo fronts wrap around me. I actually had to make sure I wasn't hearing my two rear speakers. I was not. It was the wrap effect of the box with no assistance from the rears. Best of all was no coloration in the sound.

I couldn't pick out specific instruments but there was a true sense of depth that disappeared when playing the same tracks without the decoder. I will say that I did sit on my sweet spot directly between the speakers mostly but even when I got up and moved a bit each track still had a sense of space about it.

I used mostly tracks that I was really familiar with. Some of the tracks I used were:
Love Alive - Heart (especially nice when the the second section kicks in)
Dig - Incubus
Kiss On My List - Hall & Oates (when the background "la la's" kick in I got goosebumps)
Lopsy Lu - Stanley Clarke (actually a room like feel)
Deadmau5 - Raise Your Weapon (Madeon remix - awesome!!! this one blew me away - and it's an mp3)
Crank It Up - Peter Brown
Haven't You Heard - Patrice Rushen
Something - Beatles
Tomorrow Never Knows - Beatles (VERY nice)
Inside Out - Phil Collins (those 80's drums - huge)
Shoot Out The Lights - Richard & Linda Thompson
Bodhisattva - Steely Dan (not as good as the QS decode I did using the box but really nice)

I can only imagine that the final tweaks on this thing will make it the "go to" box for those who want excellent QS decoding, and awesome enhanced stereo playback. I still have not done a full 5.1 "decoding" because of a breathing issue that I was getting. However I can tell you that the center and sub were very nice and there was a definite difference between using the 4 channel and 5.1 channel decoders in the front channels. Using the 5.1 channel setting, the center information was mostly absent from the front L/R.

In any case - I have heard enough to know I am sold. Sign me up.

 

[jsrstereo]

Bob: thanks for the comments - I'm ready to sign up too. Any thoughts yet on the unit's operation as a quad decoder in a 4-channel set-up?

John

 

[Bob Romano]

Bob: thanks for the comments - I'm ready to sign up too. Any thoughts yet on the unit's operation as a quad decoder in a 4-channel set-up?John

Well I have used it in my setup and it is excellent for QS but didn't really do anything for SQ other than what it would do for a regular stereo source. Much like Dolby PLII or Neo it's all source dependent though the split results of the rears was good and realistic sounding.

The way I have it set up is a tape output on my receiver to the inputs on my M-Audio 1010LT and then fed into the multi-channel ins. To audition a CD or DVD I went direct in to the inputs on the box from the stereo outs on my Oppo BDP-83 and again into the 1010LT.

 

[deepsky4565]

I'm interested in getting a unit. Keep giving us updates, thanks.

 

[jsrstereo]

Well I have used it in my setup and it is excellent for QS but didn't really do anything for SQ other than what it would do for a regular stereo source. Much like Dolby PLII or Neo it's all source dependent though the split results of the rears was good and realistic sounding.
/QUOTE]

Bob: Probably my main interest in this unit is to see if it can equal or surpass QRX VarioMatrix as a stereo-to-quad synthesizer. Any views/comments yet on that?

 

[rustyandi]

It is a 3 Band decoder
and is better than the QSD 2 as a QS decoder
But if you are using the Synthesizer button
then you will get more into the rear channels

 

[chucky3042]

Hello everyone

Thanks Bob and Ron for your comments, I will send you updated versions shortly.

As those who have read this thread closely will understand we have spent a great deal of time and resources developing our INVOLVE "Intelligent Encoder", I am happy to announce that we have just finished our major revision of the software. With a bit of luck we are close to the final version that we will release shortly after some independent trials feedback.

We claim that our "stereo" encode two channel is virtually indistinguishable from a conventional stereo record mix, unlike many other formats that either distort or compress the stereo image or create strange echo tunnel sound effects. In short, a person listening via just plain stereo equipment will not notice any loss or difference when the same material is recorded in INVOLVE format.

SNEAK PREVIEW

We have saved two 1 minute cuts of the Alan Parsons 4 channel version of Pink Floyd's "Dark side of the moon" track -


The first is a straight Lf +Lr//Rf +Rr stereo down mix as you would get from playing it out of the stereo outputs of your DVD player:

http://depositfiles.com/files/unxnv2qdp



The second is the same 4 channel track recorded in INVOLVE stereo encode

http://depositfiles.com/files/ugbge3i7j


If you guys have the time try downloading the files - you will need to wait a while between free downloads if you are not a member. Please have a listen and I would like to read your opinions of what you hear. Those of you that have an advance issue of the INVOLVE decode try decoding the two files into 4 channel.

We have had to unchain our dsp software design guru David from his cage for a few days to let his head cool down (he does get a bit strange) but I am assured that next week we will have some links for a tougher comparison of just straight stereo recorded into the INVOLVE encoder Lf and Rf for you to listen to the resultant encoded INVOLVE stereo against the raw straight stereo source.

Enjoy

Charlie

 

[Bob Romano]

so check this out...

her is a screen shot of the first 30 seconds of the track played through the decoder. It is the track "Money" from DSOTM. The separation on this between the 4 channels is really great. If you look closely, you will see the opening drop of the cash register and change drop followed by the circling sound effects. It sounds excellent as well! This was the second sound file played through the encoder in 4.0 mode and recorded into Sound Forge. This was not just separation like Dolby Pro Logic II putting certain sounds into the rear but actual separation that sounds very close to discrete tape or - at least the very best of SQ or QS encoding. I find this to be absolutely amazing.

 

[LizardKing]

Hey Bob

Just to be clear - what was the source? Stereo (I presume)?? SQ encoded (or not)?

 

[Bob Romano]

I assume, based on Charlie's post, that it is the 4 channel tape (discrete) played into the Involve Encoder to create a two channel "mixdown". That two channel wav was then played by me through the Involve decoder in 4.0 mode and recorded into my computer.

 

[chucky3042]

Hi Bob and All

Yes Bob is correct, we obtained a discrete source (a 4 channel DVD of Alan Parsons preferred mix of DSOTM ) and then produced two stereo mix downs of it. The first was just the normal stereo summed mix, the second was via our latest version of the INVOLVE Intelligent Encoder (will be released in early October).

Thanks to Bob for the graphs - but please listen to the stereo mixes and get back to me if there are any major/ minor detectable differences. We strongly believe that any future format must be 100% compatible with Stereo.

Regards

Charlie

 

[Bob Romano]

Ahhh... Sorry... I knew I forgot something...

When listening to the two samples back to back (using Foobar), to my ears, they are indistinguishable. There are no artifacts or even acoustic differences (phase variations etc.) that are audible in my opinion.

I know I am repeating myself here, and some will say this sounds too good to be true but, this box is amazing. I can't wait for the final.

Will the final be able to be updated like the firmware on my Blu-ray player or DVD player? I guess, regardless, as far as I am concerned, I think we have a real winner here folks.