I don’t expect he will. I suspect he’s like a double PhD in human acoustic perception and totally immersed in the software and analytics of it all, and those who’ve tasted the results know we’re better for it.
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I’m not sure I understand the reason behind personal head shape mesurement in the Beta filters. It seems like a very small factor. Is it mainly for precision when listening at the precise sweet spot or is more to account for the distortion your head makes to the sound waves in any position. If it is the latter it does seem like a very small adjustment compared to other things that might change in the room eg is the coffee pot on the table in front of the speakers or not when listening. But maybe small changes are more important closer to the ears?
I hope I make sense here and I’m not trying to be skeptical. I’m a happy costumer of Thierry myself but I would like to understand the principles behind.
Hi Martin, I tried to shed some light in this post Roon & Home Audio Fidelity (Room Correction / convolution filter creation)
In a nutshell, head shape measurement is only useful for XTALK cancellation, and provide a better model of the transfer function of your head for waves coming from the speaker opposite of a given ear.
Thank you Alec. I have followed this thread since it’s beginning but must have missed that post. I think I understand the concept better now.
As much as I am enjoying listening to my system through Theirry’s filters…I have a hard time believing that the dimensions of your particular (system’s owner) head can cause much of a difference…I mean we are talking fractions of an inch…
.
Thierry sent me a single test track, that I provided, and encoded it with my head specific xtalk. Comparing the regular xtalk and beta head xtalk, the latter sounds wider, broader in stage width, but there is something else going on that as so many things we hear is difficult to express in words.
The sweet spot is most definitely more liberal. I’m not one to sit in a head vice position so I do enjoy the broader spot. I’m not sure it will work well with all music though, perhaps more time with it will change my mind. Alas, I only have the single track for now.
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FWIW I have the beta filters and initially had the same thoughts as you. However knowing they are “beta” I figured ‘why not’ give them a try. In my opinion for Xtalk cancellation the beta version just sounds better. My feedback to Thierry was they are even better than the “excellence” package on certain recording and no worse at all on less than optimal recordings.
As Alec has pointing out, the “excellence” package uses a generic measurement for xtalk cancellation where the “beta” version uses custom measurements. Regardless I trust Thierry’s magic.
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Mark,
I guess I will have to measure my Gourd and send Theirry my measurements…
…Still seems odd to me that it works…
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Just a little random info on HAF/Room Correction. For giggles last night, I decided to disable HAF/Room correction convulsion filters. They were disabled for not even 1 full song and I had to re-enable them again. I can’t believe how accustomed I’ve become to the filters.
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Mark,
Which do you prefer…X-over or Non X-over?? I guess that’s if you bought both…
Cheers!
I’m listening using the Beta head xtalk
Dang…I still have not sent Theirry my measurements yet…Thanks for the reply!
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I’ve now had a few weeks listening to the non-beta xtalk filter. Last night I switched to the non-xtalk filter. Similar but different in ways I don’t have words to describe.
I’m glad I have both filters to use on different types of music, though I seem to like both on the same tracks equally…like two good bottles of wine, one isn’t better than the other, just a little different.
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Larry,
What I have noticed with the X-talk filters is that what ever is being featured like an Instrument…Sax, Trumpet, Guitar…or a Male or Female vocal…seems to float centered in a nice soundstage that makes the speakers disappear…and it easier to hear the individual instruments because they are not fighting the room’s acoustics… I have not tried the Non-X Talk ones yet…trying to focus on what I like about Thierry’s work on the X-Talk ones!
What I find nice about Roon is being able to switch the filters on or off on the fly!!!
Cheers!
Larry, great description. I concur.
Regarding convolution in Roon; I wish I could upload 2+ filters and simply select them…thus enabling switching between them via iDevice.
With a iPad you can switch them, no problem. Unfortunately not on iPhones.
Not on my iPad Air 2 with current iOS. Clicking browser says go to Windows or Mac OS to add filters.
I was told it’s not doable on an iPad…(Adding different convolutions) all you can do from there is Enable or Disable it…I have to go to my iMAC in my office to add the filters because I cannot do it on my RoonServer MAC mini…and of couse my iPad Air…Looking forward to getting a “Face ID” iPad 
Sorry, maybe my fault. I thought you wanted to switch between two filters. I have set two convolution filters, and can turn them on and off on a Ipad mini in the DSP settings. Like this I can switch between Thierry‘s normal and x-talk filters without need to go to my Mac Mini where the Roon Core is running.
