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@donavabdear,

For both a speaker and microphone, there are some aspects that cannot be changed with equalization and signal processing. The most predominate is dispersion. This cannot be decoupled from the room though for reproduction, the goal of ATMOS and similar methods is to not only provide a more feature rich reproduction capability, but to dampen the effects of the room. I am a firm believer that even for 2 channel playback, we have not even scratched the surface of what could be done by using more speakers during playback and signal processing.

It is probably people our age dying off or retiring that will bring about some changes in recording. Microphones are picked for their recording pattern and frequency response (tone). There is no reason for the latter any more. It can all be done in post. I remember a presentation on using a microphone array consisting of many microphones with narrower patterns, that were then combined in software. The software could simulate a single microphone of a particular pattern, or provide any number of individual outputs. Is that the future?

In my world, my customers want low distortion, flat on-axis, and smooth predictable off axis, not unlike the Harman research. For recording, mixing, mastering, they can't be second guessing what is in the recording, and what is being enhanced or suppressed due to the playback hardware. For movie/theater sound, they need to know with high confidence how it is going to sound during playback.

For all the bluster in the audiophile community for playback, I do not think we have a good handle on what drives people to prefer X over Y. Hence, while it is useful to discuss sound alteration during playback to suit personal preference, I don't think anyone has a good handle on the controls that would even be offered to the general consumer to provide that tailorable experience. I think this is one place where artificial intelligence will enter our market.

I am sure you are aware there is software to allow studio monitors to simulate other monitors / home systems / cars / etc. We do get customer interest in that area as they assume we could do a better job at it than the present offerings.

I think this is one place where artificial intelligence will enter our market.

One of the reasons I like Sony is their DSEE upscaling. My Sony SACD player and my Sony TA-ZH1ES DAC offers it and you can turn it on or off. If you are playing a high rez file it won’t do anything. If you are playing CD quality or lower it upsamples it to highrez. Whether or not you like it is a matter of personal preference. I like it as it is better then the other upsamplers I have tried in my processor or in various DAC’s. Now they have an AI version just as @thespeakerdude mentioned. It is available in their new Signature Series Walkmans. See the link below:

https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/sony_ai/headphone.html

@thespeakerdude 

For all the bluster in the audiophile community for playback, I do not think we have a good handle on what drives people to prefer X over Y.

You will NEVER find what drives "people" by looking for signs in the audiophile community. "People" do not spend $2K+ on speakers like audiophiles. Steve Jobs said people don't know what they want. They would have said faster horses if you asked them before they saw a car. I do not envy your challenge but sincerely look forward to your next invention. The puck is moving toward bundled ACTIVE speakers as far as I can tell.

@donavabdear

This is a simple observation by Floyd but it has been a MASSIVE benefit in my room.

An in-ceiling loudspeaker is used as the Voice of God. Others could have replaced some or all of the elevation speakers. But, knowing that the direct sound has a dominant effect on timbre/sound quality I decided not to compromise, and used high quality bookshelf loudspeakers in custom mounts, aiming them at the prime listening location as shown in the following floor plan.

Placing the matching bookshelf speakers at front and rear heights directly above their bed channel counter parts matches timber as Floyd states, they also better time align with the bed channels and in my experience are incredible at pressurizing a room. A perfect way to demo this is get a copy of Kraftwerks The Catalogue concert bluray which has an Atmos mix and can be played in 3D or 2D (3D is AMAZING if you can wangle it but the main thing is the atmos mix). Talk about pressurizing a room at reference volume levels, it will blow your mind. The bookshelfs as height channels have no trouble keeping up, the smaller in ceiling speakers I just don’t see having enough muscle. My heights are active and so the muscle they add to a concert or action movie are OTT. You can achieve the same thing with passive bookshelfs like Floyd did too:

@kota1 thanks a lot, do you have any idea how much time and effort

you are about to put me through, ( I knew

that would be the answer) thank you. Merry Christmas