Smyth realiser question

[Shindoug]

Has anyone had any personal experience using the Smyth Realiser? Reading the reports (and there seem to be more and more of them) there is an awful lot of "jaw-dropping" going on. So I'm wondering if anyone here has personally experienced the "Wow!"

My reason for asking is that I find myself in a position where I'm going to be loosing my listening room (kids are moving down to the basement) so I'm going to be reduced to a headphone system for my serious listening. If the reports on the Smyth are accurate, I'd be able to record the parameters of my current lovely Shindo setup, and virtually reproduce it on a pair of (good) headphones. Sounds too good to be true - but there seem to be a number of reports from people just as skeptical as myself who claimed to be utterly amazed when they heard it for themselves.

Any first hand experiences?

here is the link to some of the reviews:

Smyth Research news

[Kal Rubinson]

Originally Posted by Shindoug

Has anyone had any personal experience using the Smyth Realiser? Reading the reports (and there seem to be more and more of them) there is an awful lot of "jaw-dropping" going on. So I'm wondering if anyone here has personally experienced the "Wow!"

My reason for asking is that I find myself in a position where I'm going to be loosing my listening room (kids are moving down to the basement) so I'm going to be reduced to a headphone system for my serious listening. If the reports on the Smyth are accurate, I'd be able to record the parameters of my current lovely Shindo setup, and virtually reproduce it on a pair of (good) headphones. Sounds too good to be true - but there seem to be a number of reports from people just as skeptical as myself who claimed to be utterly amazed when they heard it for themselves.

Any first hand experiences?

here is the link to some of the reviews:

Smyth Research news

Weren't those, including mine, first hand experiences?

[Shindoug]

Kal, yes, I guess that would qualify as a first hand experience - and I really appreciate you sharing your experiences. I was just a bit surprised not to see more discussion of the Smyth on this forum (or possibly I just missed it all) being that this appears to be the Holy grail of headphone listening - fantastic resolution AND phenomenal soundstaging. I was really fishing to see if anyone had a negative experience, that wasn't being reported. If this is indeed as good as the rumors I'm definitely going to get one.

[Kal Rubinson]

Originally Posted by Shindoug

Kal, yes, I guess that would qualify as a first hand experience - and I really appreciate you sharing your experiences. I was just a bit surprised not to see more discussion of the Smyth on this forum (or possibly I just missed it all) being that this appears to be the Holy grail of headphone listening - fantastic resolution AND phenomenal soundstaging. I was really fishing to see if anyone had a negative experience, that wasn't being reported. If this is indeed as good as the rumors I'm definitely going to get one.

It has two strikes against it. First, it is expensive and, second, a tedious, long calibration procedure.

In addition, I suspect that most dedicated headphone/earphone listeners have come to prefer the unique sonic perspective they provide and the Smyth Realizer, which allows the headphones to recreate a normal speaker-type perspective, may not appeal to them. I loved them but I hate headphones.

[doggiehowser]

I used them after I packed up my speakers and it was a pretty impressive result.

Only thing is it replicates your setup. Warts and all.

Had no idea how much reverb my room was causing.

[Shindoug]

Thanks Kal, DH

Kal, if you were reduced to only being able to listen to headphones, would you get a Smyth?

DH, do you still have and use yours?

Appreciate your, comments. I'm trying to read between the lines to differentiate short term "wow" from long term satisfaction.

Cheers

Doug

[doggiehowser]

I was planning to upgrade mine to the HDMI version but it was too much work cos mine was the original version

I haven't used it in a while because I have access to my 11.3 HT room again so it's not really needed. I imagine if I had to be outstation for work, this might be back in use.

Which brings me back to the HDMI version because it's not easy to find a 5.1 or 7.1 analog source when you are living out of a suitcase. You could use a notebook with HDMI output for HD audio if you had the HDMI version.

For 2 channel, it's a bit odd listening to Smyth as your brain sometimes needs visual cues to place the speakers. A few times I listened using the Smyth while in bed and staring at the ceiling it was a bit odd and I couldn't quite place the sound as coming in front of me.

With HT, your brain is preoccupied with the video so the audio cues just add to the immersion.

[Shindoug]

Thanks again DH. Very interesting insights - especially since I would predominantly be using it for 2 channel. I read on another site that someone had actually made dummy speakers to look at while listening in a 2 channel set up as a way of syncing visual cues with the auditory ones. Your findings seem to correlate with others: multi channel great, 2 channel - well it seems the jury is still out, wonderful at first but perhaps not quite as enjoyable in the long run. Maybe I am misinterpreting.

[doggiehowser]

The thing is I have been a headfi afficianado even before I got into hifi so perhaps my expectations are different.

I like both headfi and hifi but they appeal to me differently.

Hifi is about the soundstage in front of you.. being able to pick out the depth and imaging between and beyond the speakers which makes it incredibly satisfying.

Headfi appeals to me because the sound is for the lack of a better word, pure. There's no coloration due to room effects, no reverb and even a modest headfi setup will be far more revealing that uber expensive hifi systems. Even my (trans)portable setup which consists of an iPod Classic 160GB, ALO Cypher Solo, ALO RX MkII and LCD3 (formerly LCD2rev2) still surprises me with the amount of detail I am hearing.

So with the Smyth, it kinda turns that around. The sound I am hearing through my cans is now with room effects and reverb and that's the weird part that is perhaps harder to get used to because it's at the expense of the detail retrieval I am used to.

ps you should heard the Smyth play back movies when I used my Schiit Lyr and Hifiman HE6 combo. The amount of bass on that combo was pretty damn impressive.

[Shindoug]

And thanks once again Dh for sharing your unique perspective.
It's been a long time since I've had the chance to really spend some time with a headphone system (let a lone a good one) I should probably set up some time to listen to a modern S.O.T.A. system before just assuming I won't like it. My only reference was a system I had 25 years ago (entry Stax model fed by a really lousy Denon CD player - all cd players were lousy back then) it was harsh and uninvolving. Haven't listened to headphones since. It appears I should try a regular system first before just assuming I'd need the Smyth - I may really like what I hear.