SurroundBAR 6000 IHT. Big PS and an invitation to open testing and a press conference for bloggers

The first article told about the experience of using a freshly purchased soundbar from Polk Audio.

During the discussion, questions arose that questioned the very concept of the work of such a taratyka.
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It's been over a month. I became actively interested in the topic and found out something new. I managed to find the answer to the main question of the last discussion (the problem of connecting and transmitting multichannel audio through a mini-jack), I obeyed - it appeared at all due to my mistake and oversight - I wanted to praise, but in fact slandered = ((

In the process of finding out details about the system, I had the opportunity to talk with both the employees of the Russian distributor and the engineers of the American company, having received very interesting answers to my questions.

Answers to the main question of habra discussion, curious remarks about the development prospects of the soundbars of SurroundBAR project manager Al Baron, impressions after the past time working with the audio system - under the cut.

BTW, my activity in clarifying all this led to the fact that I was offered to officially represent the project in runet. Well ... Successful purchase, also broke, comes out. Nevertheless, I undertake not to engage in vulgar stuffing and public relations, but to write only the truth.

About delegation

Actually the main thing for which this article was created. I hasten to inform you that the scheduled open test for the delegation of Habrovchan is scheduled for February 5, from 12.00 to 15.00, in the city of Moscow, on Ryabinovaya. The program "press conferences for bloggers," as it is magnificently called out, consists of:

1) a short and much more professional, than mine, story about the systems, principles of their work, presentation of new systems performed by the employees of the distributing company

2) the actual test 6000x

3) answers to questions from members of the delegation, free communication with employees of the company

Please leave a request. More information about the place-time of the meeting will inform in PM.

The main question of the last discussion or minijack

So. This question was generated by my mistake in combination with enthusiasm. I apologize to everyone.

Idiotic words and thoughts about what to connect can and should be “pure stereo”, leaked from the description of the earlier, designed for use with HRTF calculation on the computer side, the model is 3000. Which I thought at one time to take. He took a new model - but he deceived himself.

The SurroundBAR 6000 IHT is designed for use with an optical digital port. The maximum and true effect is achieved with Dolby Digital sound - which I was convinced of by buying a decent sound card.

Nevertheless, I understand the reasons why I was deceived when using a stereo connection. The system practically negates the internal auditory cross-distortion, “thanks to” which we always understand when the sound comes from ordinary stereo speakers. Working in this plan, you can say, as a headphone emulator. Dear emulator =))) Considering that the majority of modern media materials - movies and games - somehow contain HRTF-processed sound - the overall quality of the system and the absence of these very distortions allows HRTF to unfold to the fullest, creating the illusion of sound from behind . If the processing was successful, then the sound will be realistic. However, it does not reach Dolby Digital, as shown by tests.

By the way, regardless of the system itself, to the topic of disputes in the comments of the previous topic about the principal possibility of decoding a stereo signal into a multichannel one, I’m referring everyone interested to the Dolby Surround Pro Logic II descriptions. It turns out that this problem has been solved.

From a conversation with Al Baron

Polk Audio's SurroundBAR project manager agreed to say a few words about soundbars. In principle, he said two really interesting things - I will retell them here.

The mechanism of the system’s normal operation, according to Al Baron, is:

The system receives a 5.1 Dolby Digital sound, and then down-mixes this sound to two channels, adding HRTF effects on the fly in such a way as to create the illusion of five speakers.

Curiously, however, the behavior of the system when working with an initially two-channel source, for example, music from a CD. By the presence of differences between the channels, the system will try to build the highest possible surround image by adding HRTF effects.

As a result, we get some surround effects - although they will be worse than listening to the same material recorded in 5.1 format.

A similar task, the so-called. In principle, artificial spatialisation has long been known and its various solutions have been proposed for more than 30 years in scientific papers and hardware. However, the whole technology of soundbars is, in fact, a new approach to a well-forgotten old projectile — much more successful than attempts from past decades.

The second interesting point is the opinion of the company Polk Audio about the possible competition between multi-column systems and sound bars.

I expected to receive, in response to a question about the development prospects, the words that traditional systems would be supplanted by soundbars - and I was pretty surprised by the answer.

According to Al Baron, such systems will never be able to catch up with good multi-column systems, but for many customers (mostly unable to clutter the room with speakers or intending to use the system behind a computer) will be a reasonable solution, allowing you to get as close as possible to the multi-column home theater.

Impressions

I will say a little about my impressions now, when the delight is a little bit. The system really provides three-dimensional sound. Nevertheless, the sound, though three-dimensional, does not create the full illusion of sound from behind — the matter is in the nature of the sound — it comes from behind, yes, that is, the subconscious is deceived. Nevertheless, they are completely deceived when the ear is already accustomed to the sound, probably not - it is somehow different from the real sound, and it is felt. Although this is a taste, but judging by what they write in Western forums, it was not only me who had the impression.

Anyway, this solution suits me more than a multi-column system (due to the small amount of space in the room) and more than systems based on sound reflection, since the system does not impose requirements on the landing site and the acoustic properties of the room.

Curious were the tests on friends. As it turned out, the system "does not like" two types of people - lop-eared and with a distorted shape of the ear canal. Familiar with serious problems with the shape of the channel itself (such that it cannot even wear earplugs) could not hear anything at all except the stereo - the spatial distortions that are familiar to him are completely different than those introduced by the system.

Nevertheless, comrades who have no problems with their ears, I mean, 8 out of 10, have heard everything “in the best possible way”, I apologize for the pun.

Summarizing

Once again I apologize for the inaccuracy made in the last review.

The theme of soundbars is quite big and interesting. In the future, I plan to write about the technologies of HRTF algorithms that allow you to create such sound illusions used in systems of various kinds.

I ask to leave questions - since now I have a direct access to Polk employees, and since this has become such a hack for me, I will try to extract and publish the answers - in the next article, if not in the comments. One request - if we are talking about very technical terms, if not difficult, ask questions immediately in English - it will be more convenient so as not to sweat with the translation of the question.