New Schiit SYN - Analog Surround Sound Processor

[mhardy6647]

Is there a 'law' about some people liking different things?

some of the chatter on the "vinyl renaissance" thread here suggests that there may be...

 

[NTK]

Is there a 'law' about some people liking different things?

Anyone is free to like what he/she/it/they want. Just don't give some bull schiit reason why it is superior. Nothing Schiit is doing is anywhere approaching new. Those ideas have been around for 30-40 years, and their limitations are well understood (and therefore why other companies have moved on).

 

[mhardy6647]

Nothing Schiit is doing is anywhere approaching new. Those ideas have been around for 30-40 years, and their limitations are well understood (and therefore why other companies have moved on).

As I've muttered -- repeatedly -- throughout this thread, that's what bugs me about this product. And it wouldn't bug me so much if they (Schitt) didn't act like it was whiz-bang novel. And charge... what? 350 bucks for it.

"Obsolescence proof" -- because there's nothing there to become obsolete. Passive crystal detector radios are obsolescence proof, too -- at least they are until analog broadcast radio goes away (and, yes, it is possible to use a crystal detector for FM, too).

 

[ta240]

I think one of the reasons I like Schitt so much is they bug so many people on a level that makes very little sense to me.
So what if they aren't doing something 'new'. So what if it costs $350. How many people here have spent that much on a new component with inaudible improvements in SNR over what they already have? Some people regularly spend more than that on meals.
I can completely understand frustration at companies that make untrue claims, but as far as I can see they make no untrue claims about this; even mhardy agrees that their claim is 100% factual.
Products like this are the poster child for the "I don't like it, so WHY DOES IT EXISTS???" attitude.
So I say long live the turntable, tube amp, passive speaker, analog surround sound interface and more. And to those that enjoy them keep smiling.

 

[Cawafuoshi]

Nothing wrong with the Syn being all analogue, and on the functionality level nothing wrong with their marketing since it does what they say it would do. It’s a neat little box that def, enhances the audio be it music or movie. I’ll keep it around for the music but look elsewhere for the home theater experience.

In fact, I originally bought it just for my music but could not resist to also use it for home theater duties when the Syn’s shortcomings became difficult to ignore for me. But who knows, maybe Dolby Atmos will bug me even more. I’ll give it a try.

 

[Cawafuoshi]

Today my Onkyo whatever AVR arrived. I decided on a modest Atmos 5.1.2 setup since the HT room is fair and square and small. Setup was straight forward. Did the whole stretch and picked up a new TV at BB as well. I AM IN HEAVEN. The sound is directional, finally. Even Atmos music sounds awesome. Not a Dolby fanboy, but it is what it is.

 

[Cawafuoshi]

What actually surprises me is that no calibration was done. Yet the results are excellent. I am new to the AVR scene, and I did not know that calibration requires a mic, so I skipped it. Nevertheless, I am getting a great immersive audio. Probably it helps that my room is square and I am seated in the middle of that triangle. My gist is, whatever I tried to simplify my audio experience by forgoing “standards”, in the end it’s those standards that add to my viewing pleasure. Now I need new speakers for a dedicated Syn music setup.

 

[DSS]

Today my Onkyo whatever AVR arrived. I decided on a modest Atmos 5.1.2 setup since the HT room is fair and square and small. Setup was straight forward. Did the whole stretch and picked up a new TV at BB as well. I AM IN HEAVEN. The sound is directional, finally. Even Atmos music sounds awesome. Not a Dolby fanboy, but it is what it is.

Original dolby atmos music? Meaning it was produced from scratch with dolby atmos?

 

[DSS]

What actually surprises me is that no calibration was done. Yet the results are excellent. I am new to the AVR scene, and I did not know that calibration requires a mic, so I skipped it. Nevertheless, I am getting a great immersive audio. Probably it helps that my room is square and I am seated in the middle of that triangle. My gist is, whatever I tried to simplify my audio experience by forgoing “standards”, in the end it’s those standards that add to my viewing pleasure. Now I need new speakers for a dedicated Syn music setup.

Try the calibration, I think you might find it worth it.

 

[Cawafuoshi]

Try the calibration, I think you might find it worth it.

Yeah, now that I found the mic is included I can try it.

 

[Cawafuoshi]

Original dolby atmos music? Meaning it was produced from scratch with dolby atmos?

Not sure, but it seemed like. It’s nice to have but won’t replace my music collection. Actually, now that the home theater is resolved, I am planning to setup a separate stereo just for vinyl. I have two Technics speakers from the 80s mothballed. Worth a try.

 

[Cawafuoshi]

Try the calibration, I think you might find it worth it.

You were right. It made for an audible difference. Sound is more nuanced. What baffles me, how easy this whole setup process was. I did not bother to read the manual. Same for the TV. I was reluctant to buy something that incorporated the Fire TV OS. Now I am hooked.

 

[srrxr71]

I guess Schiit had to respond to the current surround sound craze, but I can’t figure out the target audience for this product. It seems anachronistic to the extreme.

Which really sells these days.

 

[srrxr71]

Anyone is free to like what he/she/it/they want. Just don't give some bull schiit reason why it is superior. Nothing Schiit is doing is anywhere approaching new. Those ideas have been around for 30-40 years, and their limitations are well understood (and therefore why other companies have moved on).

Same thing you can say about vinyl oh wait…

 

[Gaden Phoenix]

This would be perfect if they had high and lower pass filters. Anyone know a pre-amp like this that has high and low pass filters?

 

[Porter]

^^ That site is infected with malware. Do not follow link!

 

[EJ3]

I acknowledge that, but I'd also argue that a mid-side processor implemented without involving the artist or mixing engineer is more of a novelty than a step toward realistic live sound. It relies on the assumption that "rear" information will be more different across channels and "front" information will have more in common, but depending on how the recording is made, this assumption might be very wrong, and therefore sound very wrong.

I did fail to mention that (other than for just experimenting), most (if not all) that I would play as quad was mixed to be quad, so presumably the singer, musicians, etc. were aware that quad was the intent. So I go away from what they intended when I add my .2 of BASS.

 

[EJ3]

^^ That site is infected with malware. Do not follow link!

What site is that?

 

[Davide]

To me this product is nothing short of bizarre nowadays.

A bit like their 2 or 3 Watt amps.

At least, the brand name is spot on...

 

[Porter]

What site is that?

A moderator removed the link in the post above mine. It was to an audio site (legit, relevant) that had been hacked.