Syng Cell Alpha - 7.1 sound with three speakers ?

[dduck]

Did you already return it? If not, I could test it and then send it along to them. Will not be an easy device to measure but we could try.

Sorry, I already returned them. I hope you will get a good opportunity soon.

 

[Mr_Jinx]

@dduck, I’m curious if you used Apple Music when playing via AirPlay? According to Linus the EQ settings on iPhone should work that way.

Your requirements for speakers is spot on what I am looking for. I ordered two of the Alphas but as I live in Copenhagen I am still waiting for the US to open up so I can fly over and pick up my speakers. I really hope they are worth it as returning them from Denmark doesn’t seem feasible.

 

[dduck]

@dduck, I’m curious if you used Apple Music when playing via AirPlay? According to Linus the EQ settings on iPhone should work that way.

Your requirements for speakers is spot on what I am looking for. I ordered two of the Alphas but as I live in Copenhagen I am still waiting for the US to open up so I can fly over and pick up my speakers. I really hope they are worth it as returning them from Denmark doesn’t seem feasible.

My source was always Apple Music, mostly from Apple TV, in a few cases from my iPhone to eliminate the ATV as a source of the issue, and two times using USB from my Mac (again for debugging purposes).

I don't think it was an EQ problem that affected me. I think it was a bug in the room correction or spatial positioning software, and that the reason it sounded fine over USB was that one or both of these were bypassed in that situation. This based on the fact that the positioning function was disabled in the app in that configuration. But it's a guess.

I'll be talking to one of the techs from Syng tomorrow, and hope to be able to elaborate after that.

As for shipping: Be advised that these things are HEAVY. Seriously, like 42lb/19kg per unit. It's because the base of the stand is MASSIVE, probably to avoid them tipping over in a minor earthquake (designed in California, gotta love it).

EDIT: To be clear, according to their tech support they are aware of some issues with the room correction software, and an update that also includes EQ is in the works, to be released shortly.

 

[Mr_Jinx]

My source was always Apple Music, mostly from Apple TV, in a few cases from my iPhone to eliminate the ATV as a source of the issue, and two times using USB from my Mac (again for debugging purposes).

I don't think it was an EQ problem that affected me. I think it was a bug in the room correction or spatial positioning software, and that the reason it sounded fine over USB was that one or both of these were bypassed in that situation. This based on the fact that the positioning function was disabled in the app in that configuration. But it's a guess.

I'll be talking to one of the techs from Syng tomorrow, and hope to be able to elaborate after that.

As for shipping: Be advised that these things are HEAVY. Seriously, like 42lb/19kg per unit. It's because the base of the stand is MASSIVE, probably to avoid them tipping over in a minor earthquake (designed in California, gotta love it).

EDIT: To be clear, according to their tech support they are aware of some issues with the room correction software, and an update that also includes EQ is in the works, to be released shortly.

Thank you for all the great input, it has been almost impossible to find reliable information on these speakers so your input is much appreciated. I guess I‘ll be paying for some extra weight when I bring them back, I just hope they are worth it.

If you find an alternative to these that deliver on your requirements, then I’d be curious to hear about it. I live in an apartment in Copenhagen and need something that sounds great, looks good, is wireless and can play both great music and movie audio without having to plaster my living room with speakers.

 

[Colonel7]

Thank you for all the great input, it has been almost impossible to find reliable information on these speakers so your input is much appreciated. I guess I‘ll be paying for some extra weight when I bring them back, I just hope they are worth it.

If you find an alternative to these that deliver on your requirements, then I’d be curious to hear about it. I live in an apartment in Copenhagen and need something that sounds great, looks good, is wireless and can play both great music and movie audio without having to plaster my living room with speakers.

Dutch & Dutch 8c is a pricey alternative. I do not have them but a number of members do. See

 

[dduck]

If you find an alternative to these that deliver on your requirements, then I’d be curious to hear about it. I live in an apartment in Copenhagen and need something that sounds great, looks good, is wireless and can play both great music and movie audio without having to plaster my living room with speakers.

These new ones from Sony look interesting as well:
https://electronics.sony.com/tv-video/tv-video-home-theater-sound-bars/soundbars/p/hta9

This is less in the design/audiophile category and more in the spatial/unobtusive category

 

[dduck]

Hmm, wow, so THAT came and went. There's absolutely NOTHING happening regarding Syng Alpha online. Not here, not Facebook, nowhere that can be googled.

I wonder what's up with that?

 

[mSpot]

There's absolutely NOTHING happening regarding Syng Alpha online.

They closed $48.75M Series A round of funding a few weeks ago.

Ex-Apple designer's ultra-premium audio hardware startup Syng raises $48.75 million | TechCrunch

Audio startup Syng has been building on quite a bit more hype than the average fresh hardware startup, largely because of the team behind it. Founder and

techcrunch.com

 

[updown]

Hmm, wow, so THAT came and went. There's absolutely NOTHING happening regarding Syng Alpha online. Not here, not Facebook, nowhere that can be googled.

I wonder what's up with that?

Yeah, that is weird. But I am also used to there being very little press/social media, on the things I’m into.

Makes me a little worried that they’ll go under, after I get a pair. But I think you did post something about them closing a raise, recently.

 

[dduck]

Yeah, they did get a funding round, but that's basically it for news items except a few listening parties in LA...

Considering how high profile pre-reviews they DID get - Newsweek and Wallpaper is pretty big - it's kinda odd they dropped off the radar once the product was actually out.

 

[updown]

And it all comes full-circle lol - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...epod-software-head-as-it-takes-on-amazon-echo

 

[dduck]

And it all comes full-circle lol - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...epod-software-head-as-it-takes-on-amazon-echo

Wow, well...

I decided to sit this out until spatial audio standards settle down, and got a somewhat conventional Bluesound PowerNode and KEF LS50 Meta setup. Would have loved something more futuristic, but at least it's pretty minimalist and just works.

Will keep an eye on the contenders but just for sport.

 

[parnold]

Youtube review:

The dude is sitting in a massive space that looks very echo-y. Curious how it compensates for that.

 

[thewas]

Erins review/opinion on it:

 

[Steve Dallas]

That in-room FR is very disappointing. Hard pass from me, no matter how cool the tech is.

 

[jhaider]

For some reason I thought this was a 2-way speaker. I didn't realize the three waveguides were basically Unity/MEH devices. Very cool!

 

[ElNino]

That in-room FR is very disappointing. Hard pass from me, no matter how cool the tech is.

The in-room FR is not too bad below the Schroeder frequency, but beyond that it doesn't seem that the in-room correction is effective. Which makes sense, since it's sensing from the speaker positions.

It also has the same bizarre enhanced bass behavior as the HomePods by default. Apple finally fixed that with a software update to add the "reduced bass" feature after the product itself was discontinued, but that was kind of late. It makes you wonder why Afrooz Family and co feel that such hyped bass should be the default, and actually be the default correction target to aim for.

 

[Usernome]

I wonder if Syng would be able to provide an anechoic or spinorama data from these with the auto eq disabled. Paging @hardisj

 

[hardisj]

Couple things: SYNG told me that these speakers use a built-in loudness contour. So, at higher volumes the bass and treble both taper off. I don't know how much. Should have tested that but I was so focused on trying to get anechoic data - and ultimately failing at being able to - that I let it cloud my brain and I didn't think about anything else after that.

As for being able to get anechoic data from SYNG, I don't think that will happen. But you can try reaching out to them to see if they would. I can tell you - for sure - they aren't just some company making sh*t up in their backyard. They've got real acousticians on staff who know their stuff. This is the engineer I spoke with. Check out her resume. I'm sure some of you will recognize some of those brands.

 

[Usernome]

Couple things: SYNG told me that these speakers use a built-in loudness contour. So, at higher volumes the bass and treble both taper off. I don't know how much. Should have tested that but I was so focused on trying to get anechoic data - and ultimately failing at being able to - that I let it cloud my brain and I didn't think about anything else after that.

As for being able to get anechoic data from SYNG, I don't think that will happen. But you can try reaching out to them to see if they would. I can tell you - for sure - they aren't just some company making sh*t up in their backyard. They've got real acousticians on staff who know their stuff. This is the engineer I spoke with. Check out her resume. I'm sure some of you will recognize some of those brands.

Too bad they can't give us more data. The holy grail for me is a single self-contained full-range wireless system, ideally that can incorporate surround sound (upmixed). I liked the HomePods but they just weren't big enough to play loudly enough with full range. These seem to fix that problem plus add some flexibility and the possibility to add in more than 2 for surround sound is nice. I guess I'll just have to figure out of way to try them out. I definitely trust that a lot of legit work went into these. Thanks for the response!