CTXMatrix ranting.

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I’ve made many versions of CTXMatrix. Strangely, the measurements never match what I actually hear when listening. I’ve read plenty of papers claiming that crosstalk creates resonances at certain frequencies. I tried my very best to fix those issues, but real-world listening feels completely different.

Getting reliable feedback is hard, and I admit I’m part of the problem too. CTXMatrix creates such an overwhelming 3D soundstage that most users simply don’t notice the remaining flaws. After playing with Ambiophonics for 15 years, I hear things that a first-time listener will completely miss.

Looking back, the very first CTXMatrixBeta was already good enough for most people. I should have left it alone instead of chasing perfection. Now, when I listen to Beta19, I seriously wonder if the classic theories of crosstalk cancellation are even correct. The new “Mode” function slaps me in the face: it works great yet completely contradicts the theory — and what Ralph GlasGal himself told me. Maybe I’m just too old to hear the difference anymore… I don’t know. But when people take a Dolby Atmos mix, downmix it to stereo, and tell me CTXMatrix sounds far better, that means something. Sadly, most of this will probably go unnoticed. This little corner of the internet might be the only place anyone ever hears about it.

There is no marketing budget and almost no credible reviews — except the one from the revered Archimago. (By the way, I’m still surprised he bothered to listen to what I have to say about XTC, because the usual “experts” like JJ and BWood just told me to go back and learn math.)

Anyway, my little rant is this: the audio world is full of BS. Why? Because there are endless theories and almost no real-world listening data. Blauert’s Spatial Hearing book is based entirely on lab experiments… wait, actually it’s probably Floyd Toole who is the last truly honest guy in audio.

Okay, moving on. I was hoping for lots of feedback so I could finally finish DCH — the one-box hardware solution Ralph always dreamed someone would build for Ambiophonics. That project is now stalled for two reasons: it needs huge CPU power and I don’t think a VST plugin is the right way. I’m sure I could perfect it, but by the time I do I’ll be over 70. So sorry guys — no DCH. The dream probably died with the closure of the Ambiophonics Institute and with my own system. The same basic idea lives on in products like the Meyer Sound Constellation System — except that one is for concert halls and costs hundreds of thousands. Audiophiles will happily pay $22k or more when someone finally sells it to them. Ah yes, the old saying: when something is free, nobody appreciates it.

The final version will be called Beta19 and will be ready soon. Keep checking my website and Facebook — I won’t be posting about it anywhere else. I promised a few people I would make Mac and Raspberry Pi versions, but that depends on feedback. I don’t even own a Mac (just iPhone and iPad), so I’m not sure when I’ll buy one to build it.

Lastly, thank you all for the encouragement. I would appreciate it even more if you wrote your positive comments in public — that’s the only way more people will discover and embrace CTXMatrix.