StormAudio ISP 16 MK2 Review (AV Processor)

[chelgrian]

No price has yet been announced so you have no idea where they will pitch it.

 

[ethanchiu10]

No price has yet been announced so you have no idea where they will pitch it.

Not officially announced, but if you ask your local dealer for a quote, you will get one, and it is in the same price bracket. It shouldn't be a surprise anyway, its just like stand-alone processors costing more than receivers.

 

[Andysu]

there's storm , stormaudio mkIII 32 coming soon as it's built and shipped . reading though the pdf manual to familiarise and how to use the xlr channel outputs for full 32 channel plus with the existing modifications

------- use with behringer dcx2496 and lucasfilm ltd THX sound system - five screen wide will be used
1 L
2 Lc
3 C
4 Rc
5 R
-------
----- surround arrays left
6 Ls1
7 Ls2
8 Ls3
additional decoders added to expand with present below surround with possible 2 or 5 channels more

---- rear surround arrays
9 Lrbs
10 rear cbs
11 Rrbs
additional decoders added to expand with present below surround with possible 2 or 5 channels more

----- surround arrays right
12 Rs1
13 Rs2
14 Rs3

additional decoders added to expand with present below surround with possible 2 or 5 channels more
----- additional JBL 8330 mkII fitted on front side wall

15 front wide Left
16 front wide
additional decoders added to expand with present below surround with possible 2 or 5 channels more

---- used with Dolby SA10 to expand the basic overhead surround
17 Left height front
18 Right height front
19 Left height middle
20 Right height middle
21 Left height rear
22 Right height rear

total present 12 channels overhead and below surround
additional decoders added to expand with present below surround with possible 5 channels with 21 extra channels

23 LFE.1

24 reserved possible additional height 4 L
25 reserved possible additional height 4 R
26 reserved possible additional sub extension for overhead and surround arrays L
27 reserved possible additional sub extension for overhead and surround arrays R
28 reserved
29 reserved
30 reserved
31 reserved
32 reserved

 

[HighImpactAV]

there's storm , stormaudio mkIII 32 coming soon as it's built and shipped . reading though the pdf manual to familiarise and how to use the xlr channel outputs for full 32 channel plus with the existing modifications

Are decoding with the MKIII? If not, why are you getting it?

The StormAudio MKIII 32 will decode to a maximum of 13 base channels. If you want the Lc & Rc, then you have to choose between wides or an extra side surround. You cannot decode a rear center surround with any configuration. It will decode the height and top channels so one can do 13.1.4.6. Why do you want to use the DCX2496?

 

[Everett T]

Are decoding with the MKIII? If not, why are you getting it?

The StormAudio MKIII 32 will decode to a maximum of 13 base channels. If you want the Lc & Rc, then you have to choose between wides or an extra side surround. You cannot decode a rear center surround with any configuration. It will decode the height and top channels so one can do 13.1.4.6. Why do you want to use the DCX2496?
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The answer won't be what you're expecting and I'd look over his setup before starting down this road, lol. If you can convince Andy to move from his preferred setup for a modern one, good luck.

 

[Andysu]

The StormAudio MK2 reviewed is my own personal unit that I sent to Amir. I even paid for the shipping. I owned the unit long before sending it in for review. I also own the MK1 which has been converted to a Mk1.5 and has the latest HDMI board. I am a StormAudio dealer in Omaha, NE.

I own the AVB board and use digital output to an RME M-32 DA Pro. As soon as I get my MK2 back, I'll be transferring the AVB board from the MK1.5.

Fans - If you look at the screenshot Amir took, the unit was running at 39C. It runs very cool and the fans seldom come on. When they do, they run at 50%. I have had a unit next to me on my desk getting use 8+ hrs a day and it is almost inaudible from 1M away.

View attachment 122808

Decoding - All the MK2 ISP units have a 24 channel decoding board for Atmos, DTS:X Pro, and Auro-3D.

DSP - All the MK2 ISP units have 32 channels of DSP already on board. The difference in the units is that the outputs vary. There are 16, 24, and 32 analog outputs and 32 channel digital output capability.

Why 32 channels? - You can use the ISP for Active speakers, a second theater/media room, or whole house audio

Why 34 channels on the back? - Each ISP also has a two channel stereo downmix output. These outputs downmix the active zone and can be used for output to a headphone amp, D-Box, or even a bathroom zoon.

HDMI - All inputs and outputs on the HDMI board are 18 Gbps. From Sebastien at StormAudio:

Three years ago, considering the issues we had with the design we were using (7+2 board, same as Trinnov) and the impossibility to solve them all, we decided to move on our own and specify a new HDMI board for our ISP that would meet the need for a full 7+2 HDMI2.0 matrix with ARC/eARC feature. Our vendor research lead us to Cypress in Taiwan, being an expert in HDMI devices based on the Panasonic solution. We designed the board with them, under our specifications within 6 months (and a lot of effort in firmware development) and we introduced it as a premier on the Focal Astral 16. As we spent money and time in developing this new module with Cypress, we had an exclusivity agreement that would last one year, before they could make their own module to sell to the competition. Amongst them is of course Trinnov and what they have announced is actually that they will integrate the Cypress version of the module they made for us, in a slightly different form factor, but with all same features and of course same chips from Panasonic.​

​

We are already discussing the next steps (real HDMI2.1 development up to 48 Gbps) but without a roadmap to give, as this is “all new” and with a lot of complexity compare to the already troublesome HDMI2.0/HDCP2.2 case.​

did you compare , otherwise you would have mentioned it .
test with additional thermostat placed inside to a and b
did you rta the fan what is noise freq spl dB of the fan

 

[Andysu]

The answer won't be what you're expecting and I'd look over his setup before starting down this road, lol. If you can convince Andy to move from his preferred setup for a modern one, good luck.

why thank you . but its like my system trying shove as many , what is this lol

ice creams stuffed in her mouth ? lol my system would end up being like that . thou way my thinking is , xyz 3d ? z is full axis from ceiling to floor . not halfway up to the ceiling . ten years of this and it hasn't even progressed once yet with dolby labs . nature can not be fooled , thou i get it with ice - creams a desire hunger craving for ice - creams so she stuffs herself . just as we do , we stuff ourselves with electronically consumables . i think OCD has gotten to me has gotten to everyone , even counties bragging how many have this amount of number is OCD . how many times one can have sex then ends up with OCD Obsessive children disorder so many of them running around . even cats have OCD Obsessive cats disorder so many on cat island but keeps the rodents down ( poor creatures ) the girl , as you clearly point out , stuffed ice - creams in her mouth , Obsessive ice - cream disorder , lol

i appoint you as 3rd ASR counsellor
this site needs some serious counselling as clearly many here have OCD myself included

it matters not the amount of everyone on the planet with OCD wouldn't even fill 000000000000000000000000000000000000000.1% of the universe so nothing to worry about lets all just , " keep OCD "

 

[Andysu]

Are decoding with the MKIII? If not, why are you getting it?

The StormAudio MKIII 32 will decode to a maximum of 13 base channels. If you want the Lc & Rc, then you have to choose between wides or an extra side surround. You cannot decode a rear center surround with any configuration. It will decode the height and top channels so one can do 13.1.4.6. Why do you want to use the DCX2496?
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View attachment 269661

fancy squares in circle sort like cinerama 70mm only not that way as it was down town 1969 to 1998 x6 overhead surrounds zoom in on picture ceiling
1999 refit around sides JBL 8330m mkI x16 left/right surround configuration
yet nature cannot be fooled . if i was listening to all the crowd in there i would hear lots of individual sound

i see the surround gaps that is depressing well gonna have to fix now that

the dcx that's top secret for now

 

[Andysu]

out of most of videos where youtuber reviewers covering stormaudio , lars , petty he's not speaking , english , otherwise i think this will make my stormaudio initial install easier . the rest i figure out later

lars covers the most important part of stormaudio ( thou i find the words i just typed to be sinful , i miss my cat Sooty this is only immaterial electronics at the end of the day )

the rest i see where base layers are covered , i can easily expand over that
will channels 2 and 4 be real deal or matrix

i will do a thorough videos when my stormaudio arrives , may use my rigol 4ch score and of course REW testings of all the outputs , the 8ch inputs , video testings i may even see if my cats approve of the stormaudio as that be biggest pass to get my own THX approval of it , i may even use the kitchen sink for testing the stormaudio i will put it under such scrutiny
i'll take this stormaudio to cat 5 level

 

[Andysu]

well so far , i mostly would post this on the thread https://www.audiosciencereview.com/.../thx-cinema-with-pro-cinema-audio-gear.21127/
but the stormaudio has some serious sounding flaws , as retired professional projectionist i'm starting to count all the flaws up

front panel isn't professional like a Dolby CP200i mean really . i need to access sound formats today not tomorrow ( this flaw is typical of all home cinema avr avp today ) seriously

the front panel should have been designed with a touch screen to select video/mode and sound formats that have or can be easily selected , in same way like the Dolby Stereo CP200

home cinema avr avp market is a mess . far to many misleading marketing and forums brainwashed by Dolby labs that have made created this mess . dolby labs today only care about counting the money , not the professional quality of the cinema processor

i have to figure way around this mess and i really should be doing any of this . and no , no if i want to buy , but really

the stormaudio at video mode switching is few seconds faster than then Denon AVC-X8500H ,

video mode on processor has set my pc to higher res rate and i can't use the , ( crown architect ) i have to set windows to 1080p so i can use the amplifier to calibrate its channels and its very complex THX cinema i have ,

sound generator on the stormaudio , where is the button to select or have the same pink noise/sine wave tone , sent to all-channels at same time . i can't calibrate this if this processor is going to behave like this
Denon AVC-X8500H i can calibrate that far easier using ( multi ch stereo ) mode to duplicate using REW to send at any channel and with muting any of the many channels in mt THX cinema , at my discretion , period

so the stormaudio has few fancy this and that but its starting to boil my blood and i can see the same with trinnov which costs far more . oh , you think you have a home cinema that can do all the sound formats of present and past ? really , stormaudio and all these manufactures need get their act together

i have to get my Dolby Stereo CP200/CP750 dts cad5 and Sony SDDS D300 all wired back up and i'm debating if i should connect them to stromaudio RCA 8 channel input

people today have forgotten real cinema once sounded like , it take few more 20 no years and everyone will be brainwashed sheep

i have to figure out this processor
if anyone that uses it can figure this out i like to know


also when using Dolby 5.1 the surrounds or surround arrays are now reduced to two speakers on the sidewall , the rest do not or i have not , yet figured out how to get them active , i may do some diagrams later to explain , stormaudio needs to get this mess sorted out

also when using 5.1 and the upmixer ( i can't stress how the word , " upmixer " boils my blood ) upmixer lmao is new marketing term word to brainwash you sheep , its attached to the front L R , for crying out loud

the above is what i have formatted the channels at
the height layer i need get some more cheap JBL 8830A

i even calculated if i wanted max overhead i can easily install at least 40 JBL 8330A on the ceiling to do far , far more sounding or expanding surrounding than most other home cinemas around and even with floor below surround i have some new , newer ideas as well

 

[Andysu]

i have noticed stormaudio glitches
1 dtshdma audio dropouts - didn't happen with denon avc-x8500h ( nor with dts with dts cad 5 ) . the dtshdma dropouts happen when repeating a chapter or changing chapter the stormaudio struggles to keep stable dtshdma signal , takes 10seconds as dtshamd drops out several times and is annoying

audio issues as well i have detected . i'll report back on that later . sure these are fixable with firmware ?

 

[Andysu]

stormaudio chat with dirac live about PEq which is what it basically all is , just another Eq to sell to new market and uses impulse responses kinder like the enterprise impulse engines

the screen stage bass and sub bass extension on this scene in my THX JBL cinema is wow

Webinar - Dirac Active Room Treatment - StormAudio

This webinar, hosted by StormAudio and Dirac, and recorded on April 11th April 2023, is dedicated to Dirac Active Room Treatment (ART).

www.stormaudio.com

 

[Descartes]

stormaudio chat with dirac live about PEq which is what it basically all is , just another Eq to sell to new market and uses impulse responses kinder like the enterprise impulse engines
View attachment 279539
the screen stage bass and sub bass extension on this scene in my THX JBL cinema is wow

Webinar - Dirac Active Room Treatment - StormAudio

This webinar, hosted by StormAudio and Dirac, and recorded on April 11th April 2023, is dedicated to Dirac Active Room Treatment (ART).

www.stormaudio.com

I wonder when Denon will have it?

 

[Krobar]

stormaudio chat with dirac live about PEq which is what it basically all is , just another Eq to sell to new market and uses impulse responses kinder like the enterprise impulse engines
View attachment 279539
the screen stage bass and sub bass extension on this scene in my THX JBL cinema is wow

Webinar - Dirac Active Room Treatment - StormAudio

This webinar, hosted by StormAudio and Dirac, and recorded on April 11th April 2023, is dedicated to Dirac Active Room Treatment (ART).

www.stormaudio.com

Interesting to see the user interface. I'm still not clear if the ART response is per speaker or per speaker group; seems quite important when you have a front rear sub config like I do. I'm guessing for more average (Not Storm) setups being able to use the front 2/3 speakers for sub reinforcement should help.

 

[Krobar]

I wonder when Denon will have it?

My guess is Denon/Marantz will get it but not sure if it will appear with Dirac BC early next year. The hint from Dirac and Monoprice is that is a little more work on top of Dirac Bass Control, Monoprice are saying they hope to be ready October 1st; will be interesting to see if/when Arcam/JBL get it too (They have Bass Control already).

 

[Andysu]

dirac live eq is Crap ! waste of my time ! ! ! dirac is flawed ! 1 ) did basic 9 measurements saying my room is too noise , bullshit ! 2 ) its crap at Eq waste of time storm and even trinnov waste of time should use multi mics that are placed and one measurement frequency sweep ! ! dirac i never use it !

 

[Andysu]

trinnov altitude microphone cost £820
Omnitronic Mic mm 2USB Condenser £58.10

if using multi plex 2USB x17 microphones cost £987.70 sheer daylight robbey . i guess most can see where this is all going , this home Eq is a rip off ! seems no way of doing it cheap unless getting x17 2usb mics off the back end of lorry for £150 seems fair .

the way i would do manual pink noise Eq , stuff dirac live , genesis arc , audyssey isn't even popular anymore

Eq is a technical craft and i can see why some do hate Eq i really do but your speakers are still flawed , technically inferior which is why sandpaper was invented to smoother uneven wood or something else ? Eq is like sandpaper only not as cheap as common sandpaper , if that makes sense to anyone !
i'm seriously done with dirac live

 

[Andysu]

i think stormaudio and even trinnov headless panther and cat litter box they are flawed the distorted noise should have never happened ! dsp garbage trash is what home receivers processors are today



listen ! hear that high pitched distortion its only on L C channels , took me few minutes to suss it out and restart the stromaudio

i played scene again from , laserdisc to dvd-rw transfer Dolby Stereo from format 75 on CP750 , i never use the rubbish dolby labs dsu or dts neural x or even that dead auro .

 

[Dj7675]

i think stormaudio and even trinnov headless panther and cat litter box they are flawed the distorted noise should have never happened ! dsp garbage trash is what home receivers processors are today



listen ! hear that high pitched distortion its only on L C channels , took me few minutes to suss it out and restart the stromaudio

i played scene again from , laserdisc to dvd-rw transfer Dolby Stereo from format 75 on CP750 , i never use the rubbish dolby labs dsu or dts neural x or even that dead auro .

Your setup is incredibly complex integrating many older devices and media types. I have not experienced any audible noise noise/distortion with streaming, DVD, Bluray and 4K media (both disc and ripped). Have you taken out the CP750 to see if the noise/distortion is still there?
You could register and open a ticket with Stormaudio as they are very responsive and helpful solving problems. With THD+N around 100dB it isn’t the unit IMO. There is something else going on. I was surprised you went with a modern unit and when you did, I knew it was just a matter of time before the words trash, rubbish and litter box started flowing.

 

[Andysu]

Your setup is incredibly complex integrating many older devices and media types. I have not experienced any audible noise noise/distortion with streaming, DVD, Bluray and 4K media (both disc and ripped). Have you taken out the CP750 to see if the noise/distortion is still there?
You could register and open a ticket with Stormaudio as they are very responsive and helpful solving problems. With THD+N around 100dB it isn’t the unit IMO. There is something else going on. I was surprised you went with a modern unit and when you did, I knew it was just a matter of time before the words trash, rubbish and litter box started flowing.

the distorted buzzing like noise was the actual stormaudio . the denon 8500 has done before even the marantz sr6012 . they are all digital computer like today and flawed with little or to hardly any proper Dolby format codes . it isn't , is what it is .

often sony SDDS D3000 when switching on doesn't output sound yet the vu meters indicate and simply switch off switch back on resolves it .
Dolby CP500 even has same issue as Sony SDDS D3000 thou they don't happen all the time .
i not yet had noticed issue with CP750 and certainly not with Dolby Stereo CP200

also stormaudio is noisy on the analouge rca 8ch inputs not as noisier than other digital processing to analogue output . stormaudio rca are unbalanced inputs , they should have fitted DB25 8ch that can accept unbalanced/balanced inputs

the xlr outputs for hdmi are , quiet even when i turn the gain levels up on the DCX 2496 +15dB even with another +15dB that's 30dB i don't hear any hiss or hum or noise .

i know what i have do for rca 8ch inputs , is connect the Sony SDDS D3000 to maybe art clean box with balanced inputs + - gnd ( as its only + gnd to stormaudio ) then take the unbalanced rca outputs from the art clean box , connect to stormaudio see if the noise is present same as it was before ? the noise inducts on stormaudio vu meters . but its a soft like noise . also stormaudio has another type of noise that likely flew under Amirm , radar screen . its strange noise sort " humming pulse noise " this only happens of the processor has another device switched on , say bass management , which i never use as any bass management will be handled by the DCX 2496 and THX sound system .

stormaudio bass management . start using bass management it trades off the directional full-range output channels with less channels . 24 ch at present , not sure when stormaudio will release update so all 32 channels are used for directional decoding for atmos mixes ? still my CB radio superstar 360fm can offer 360 channels .

stormaudio hdmi input to xlr use with or without other features devices switched on , i not noticed any other noise .

i bet 100% of anyone that has new avr avp today doesn't even have some of the proper Dolby matrix or other PL PLIIx is okay for certain things being used for extending the stereo surrounds on 5.1 or as outboard PLIIx decoder being added onto existing atmos processor to make those sounding stereo surrounds move a bit elsewhere when the speakers have been positioned , stuff dolby labs speakers angle placement .

dubbing stages are still very much flawed with dolby labs atmos , it can only do so little . so what 128 objects , my CB can do 360 of object listening and modulation at speed of light when transmitting . atmos they only mix it for listening . i like listening . but atmos is still flawed and surprised they have not upgraded it in 10 years to mkII version with discrete actual below floor multi surround , must i do everything myself ! at least i have a matrix below surrounds .

other things i maybe looking into is what i would call . vertical surround bass or VSB . i wonder what your thinking ? hey dolby labs don't steal my idea , you already stolen my CBS centre back surround , EX yet didn't give me any credit for the discovery/idea 1989 that i shared idea in 1998 with new york offices for 30 mins on the phone !

also the other idea , front wide , that was easy discovery , year so later some of these sneaky buggers that hang around most popular sites looking for fresh ideas as they are themselves out of ideas . like hollywood that makes woke movies nothing . i have a few movie story-like ideas and no , i certainly will not discuss them .

so VSB what is that all about then ? well nothing really . idea came mind when playing laserdisc of " raiders of the lost " and PCM Dolby Stereo 4.2.4 is bass beast of JBL in my THX cinema , one would think it's atmos ? lol .

scene in the movie i felt bass and this is with just the matrix mono surround arrays with my own ( SAS ) " surround around seating " then i noticed , i think i need get something else fitted in here . i know i have not re-wired the " experimental overhead surround " back up since i installed the stormaudio over , no month ago now .

the JBL 8330 mkII put out some decent bass and are cheap yet i can't figure why people buy , m&k speakers just cos it has THX stamped on them yet those speakers have never been used in actual professional THX cinema which is different kettle of THX bass fish . even at 90dBC i can feel them pressing against my body or the irwin cinema rocker seats m or pressurising the bass in the room , and that's not with subs or screen channels yet switched on .

only few tiny atmos movies get rare THX approval in my THX cinema . gravity is one of them .

atmos has been taking back seat for week or two now . Dolby Stereo 4.2.4 is back on the THX map .

glory the battle at fort wanger feels like Dolby/JBL/THX bass quake !