Manufacturer & Model
Spatial Group's Spatial Audio Calibration Toolkit (SACT)
MSRP
$99-$150
Link
https://spatialcd.com
Highlights
Thirteen sections of test files devoted to the calibration of home theater systems, helpful graphics that add visuals to sounds during tests, accessible to novice and experienced enthusiasts, well written plain-speak user guide.
Summary
Billed as the first immersive sound calibration disc, the Spatial Group's freshman effort is excellent. All thirteen sections on the disc are useful, giving enthusiasts access to valuable tools for both system calibration and confirmation. Priced at $99, the SACT is expensive... but it's worth it.
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Earlier this year, home theater YouTubers Joe Mariano (Joe-N-Tell) and Channa De Silva (Techno Dad) brought their collaborative audio project, the Spatial Audio Calibration Toolkit (SACT), to market. Sold under the banner of the Spatial Group, the disc is billed as the “first calibration disc for Dolby Atmos.” By my count, it is, indeed, the first disc dedicated to calibrating Atmos systems, but is it the only option? The answer to that is a bit more muddy. The new Spears & Munsil Benchmark UHD calibration disc carries high-level Atmos files, and useful audio tests can be found on DTS:X, Atmos, and Auro-3D demo discs. So, there are other sources of immersive test files out there, but nothing comes close to being as complete and comprehensive as the SACT.

Priced at $99 for a physical Blu-ray disc or access to a digital file for download (bundled for $150), both versions have the same 160 tracks encoded in lossless Dolby TrueHD. All purchases include access to a dedicated Discord group that’s currently 360-ish members strong and a 24-page PDF instruction guide.

This review is based on the disc version of the release, which is multi-region for compatibility with players worldwide. The digital version is friendly with MKV-compatible devices such as Zappiti, Plex, and Zidoo, along with a range of M2TS-compatible players. That said, be sure to read the Spatial Group’s FAQ before purchasing a digital copy; some devices, such as Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and popular Panasonic disc player models, have varied levels of compatibility with the two file types.

Several reviews of the disc exist on YouTube, so if you want to watch reviewers click through menus and test screens, that’s where you should go. For this review, I decided to take a slightly different approach by spending quality time with the disc using a Panasonic DP-UB9000 player feeding a 7.1.6 array, assessing who, what, and why factors as they relate to the product. The result is a breakdown of who should buy the disc and which of its features stand out. In addition, I’ll tell you if it’s worth buying both the SACT and the new Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark disc – a question that quite a few members of the community have asked.


Overview and General Impressions
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The SACT is a collection of unique audio tests and visual cues explicitly developed to calibrate and confirm proper speaker and layout functionality. While it’s marketed for immersive home theater rooms, it can be used with basic 2-channel systems up to 3D audio arrangements consisting of a sub or subs, nine bed layer channels, and six height speakers (9.1.6). So, from that perspective, it has tremendous value as a set-up aide.

Most buyers looking at this type of product will likely have equipment with advanced automated calibration software, shifting SACT’s utility toward confirmation tool territory. But it certainly can be used by the DIYer that prefers a more homegrown calibration approach or the 2-channel enthusiast running a system devoid of correction processing. Adding to that versatility is a layer of usability that makes it suitable for casuals who’d prefer to use the disc and their ears to run through tests, in addition to advanced users that plan on using a hand-held SPL meter, calibrated microphone, and measurement software like Room EQ Wizard.

The disc has a professional look and feel, despite a few rough edges that popped up during use. The menu system is intuitive and easy to navigate, tho I did find myself wishing my remote’s track skip buttons (or arrow keys) were active and able to move test tones to a new speaker or set of speakers during use. Some of the tracks play for 30 seconds before sending you back to the menu system to select another speaker or audio pattern, and the only available remote functions are fast-forwarding or returning to the menu. Hopefully, future versions will offer more sophisticated in-test navigation features.

One feature that deserves a thumbs-up is a six-second pause that plays after a test track has been selected. These pauses are filled with a film leader and beeps (just like those familiar grainy numerical countdowns at the beginning of old reel movies) and give your system a chance properly work through any delays that might cut off a test tone. It works and eliminates the frustration of interruptions, tho there are a few places where the pause period lacks a film leader graphic, jumping directly to a test track’s graphic interface while countdown tones play. No biggie because the spacer is still technically present, but it’s another area that could use a bit of polish on future versions of the disc.


What’s on the Disc
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The disc’s test files are spread over 13 sections. Here’s a quick rundown of each section as detailed by the SACT’s Quick Start Guide:

1. Intro Welcome: Start here. This will instruct you to set up a comfortable listening volume.
2. Call Outs: This helps to ensure that your speakers are working and connected properly.
3. Level Matching: Set the proper levels for each individual speaker.
4. Polarity Test: Check to see if your speakers are working together or against each other.
5. Timing Test: Check to see if your speakers are acoustically time-aligned.
6. Crossover Point: Find out the lower limits of each speaker's frequency response.
7. Speaker Pairs: Listen to how speakers work together to ensure balance and coherence.
8. Tonal Balance: Voicing your system is one of the most important things you can do.
9. Object Panning: Dial in your imaging using precise object movements in a 3D space.
10. Torture Test: Find out if your audio system can accurately reproduce the movements shown on-screen. Very few can.
11. Professional Calibration Tool, Impulse Response: A chirp is played from the reference left speaker, followed by a full-range sweep. You can record phase, magnitude response, and timing with this.
12. Professional Calibration Tool, Sweep Test: Find the frequency response of your speaker. Sweeps are played three times consecutively.
13. Professional Calibration Tool, Periodic Pink Noise: 16K Periodic PN for use with a Real Time Analyzer (RTA).

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The included user guide, which isn’t available for public consumption, does an excellent job of explaining set-up requirements and test objectives for each section. Its plain-speak style keeps things less technical, making it great for users learning the ropes. And that welcoming nature compliments the disc’s visuals that show speaker and sound positionings during the various tests, along with a multi-channel digital VU meter and other pertinent information. So, from a “who” perspective, the disc can be used by just about anyone, being both novice and expert-friendly.

From a “what” perspective, the SACT offers an impressive amount of tools to fine-tune or verify various factors that autocalibration attempts to handle independently. Hardcore and technically savvy users likely have go-to methods that can achieve similar results, and several test sections can be recreated using pink noise generated by an AVR. But there’s something to be said for having an organized workflow and pre-packaged audio files.

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The first four sections of the disc quickly establish if your speakers are hooked up and positioned correctly. I found the “Call Outs” and “Polarity” sections particularly helpful. The pacing of voiceovers calling out speaker positions in the “Call Out” section is perfect – succinct and quick. And the mere fact that specific speaker positions are identified throughout the test period improves upon the typical pink noise generated by an AVR. As for "Polarity," the entire test procedure uses your front left channel as a baseline comparison, allowing you to best judge the loudness (indicating in-phase or out-of-phase) of other channels in your system.

Nifty.

Other sections that are executed exceptionally well, not to mention useful, include the “Crossover Point” and “Torture Tests.” For the former, rolling low-frequency tones help identify the natural crossover point of each speaker in your system as it interacts with your room. Of course, this test is less useful if your AVR only allows for a single, global crossover point. But, even in that scenario, it might convince you to pick a frequency other than the standard 80Hz.

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The “Torture Test” files might be my favorite test tracks on the disc. Much like Spears & Munsil Benchmark UHD disc, pink noise is floated around the room as an object is visually represented on the screen. But SACT ups the ante by allowing users to replace the pink noise with voice callouts. It’s quite the trick, making the process sound more natural and real-world. You can set the pink noise (or voice) to follow a variety of patterns, including an X pattern that cycles through three different horizontal planes.


What’s Missing?
As it stands, the SACT is practically the complete package. Aside from a few tiny operational wrinkles that could use some ironing, my only wish would be the inclusion of reference movie clips. Yes, I’m talking about actual Hollywood-grade movie clips. It’s a dream scenario, I know. The cost would likely be too high, and most of us have reference tracks earmarked in our collections. But, in the name of convenience, having them packaged with the rest of the disc would be icing on the cake.


Conclusion
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The only downside to the SACT is its price. Landing at $99, it’s roughly $50 more than the new three-disc Spears & Munsil set, which is widely regarded as the gold standard of video calibration. And let’s not forget that Spears & Munsil also contains immersive audio files created in conjunction with Dolby. So, from those perspectives, the SACT is a tad on the expensive side. That said, the disc will stand as a go-to tool in my disc collection and definitely one that I'll revisit as review equipment cycles through.

If budget allows, the SACT is a no-brainer buy, particularly for enthusiasts who like to tinker and better understand their equipment. It’s unique enough that I’d recommend buying it in addition to Spears & Munsil, giving it priority status if you’re purely looking for audio calibration capabilities. Excellent.


AV NIRVANA is member and reader support. Some links to products may pay a small referral commission.
 
Last edited:

tripplej

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Thanks for a great review. Maybe black friday sales will help bring down the price. :)
 

Lesmor

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the postage costs and custom charges make buying the disc prohibitive so for me the download made sense
 

Todd Anderson

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the postage costs and custom charges make buying the disc prohibitive so for me the download made sense

I think digital download is my preference – if anything, you're doing the Earth a favor. How long have you had it?
 

Lesmor

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I think digital download is my preference – if anything, you're doing the Earth a favor. How long have you had it?
I only downloaded it on Monday and gave it a quick try out on my 9.1.6 layout
 

Todd Anderson

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Thanks for a great review. Maybe black friday sales will help bring down the price. :)

I think it's worth the price of entry as it stands, but a price break might get potential buyers that are on the fence a little nudge to take the leap.
 

Lesmor

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I think it's worth the price of entry as it stands, but a price break might get potential buyers that are on the fence a little nudge to take the leap.
you could try a SAVE15 code :)
 

baron-bob

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Hello and thanks for the review. I would add that a support for Auro 3D setups is missing. That is the reason I did not already buy it myself.
 

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The Spatial Group has extended our members an additional 10% off, use NIRVANA10 at checkout
 

Todd Anderson

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Hello and thanks for the review. I would add that a support for Auro 3D setups is missing. That is the reason I did not already buy it myself.
Most of the tools should work for calibrating an Auro speaker arrangement. The only features you can’t use are the Atmos encoded objects in the last two sections. I would recommend using an Auro demo disc for system performance checks
 

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Thanks Todd for the review. I wish I had known about that 10% discount. Mine disc arrived today. I'm going home to check it out. I bought the Spears & Munsil disc also. I have to revisit that one also. Keep up the great work.:T
 

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Thanks Todd for the review. I wish I had known about that 10% discount. Mine disc arrived today. I'm going home to check it out. I bought the Spears & Munsil disc also. I have to revisit that one also. Keep up the great work.:T

Hey Skippy, thanks bother. Appreciate it. Sorry you missed on the 10% :-/. I guess we'll look at it as a donation to the greater good of the community. :-). I look forward to reading your impressions of the disc (both discs, actually). They are fantastic in their own right, and a must own for any enthusiast IMO. Have a fantastic Friday!
 

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Um... maybe. I guess, if anything, you'd get a good sense of how well the soundbar is projecting and moving sound around in space. But, the calibration features wouldn't come in handy with access to sophisticated audio controls. I think you're probably better off buying the Spears and Munsil disc (https://bit.ly/42ZvJVP) and taking advantage of its Atmos demo track on top of using its extensive video features for tweaking your TV.

That's what I would go with in your case.
 

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View attachment 62777

Earlier this year, home theater YouTubers Joe Mariano (Joe-N-Tell) and Channa De Silva (Techno Dad) brought their collaborative audio project, the Spatial Audio Calibration Toolkit (SACT), to market. Sold under the banner of the Spatial Group, the disc is billed as the “first calibration disc for Dolby Atmos.” By my count, it is, indeed, the first disc dedicated to calibrating Atmos systems, but is it the only option? The answer to that is a bit more muddy. The new Spears & Munsil Benchmark UHD calibration disc carries high-level Atmos files, and useful audio tests can be found on DTS:X, Atmos, and Auro-3D demo discs. So, there are other sources of immersive test files out there, but nothing comes close to being as complete and comprehensive as the SACT.

Priced at $99 for a physical Blu-ray disc or access to a digital file for download (bundled for $150), both versions have the same 160 tracks encoded in lossless Dolby TrueHD. All purchases include access to a dedicated Discord group that’s currently 360-ish members strong and a 24-page PDF instruction guide.

This review is based on the disc version of the release, which is multi-region for compatibility with players worldwide. The digital version is friendly with MKV-compatible devices such as Zappiti, Plex, and Zidoo, along with a range of M2TS-compatible players. That said, be sure to read the Spatial Group’s FAQ before purchasing a digital copy; some devices, such as Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and popular Panasonic disc player models, have varied levels of compatibility with the two file types.

Several reviews of the disc exist on YouTube, so if you want to watch reviewers click through menus and test screens, that’s where you should go. For this review, I decided to take a slightly different approach by spending quality time with the disc using a Panasonic DP-UB9000 player feeding a 7.1.6 array, assessing who, what, and why factors as they relate to the product. The result is a breakdown of who should buy the disc and which of its features stand out. In addition, I’ll tell you if it’s worth buying both the SACT and the new Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark disc – a question that quite a few members of the community have asked.


Overview and General Impressions
View attachment 62778

The SACT is a collection of unique audio tests and visual cues explicitly developed to calibrate and confirm proper speaker and layout functionality. While it’s marketed for immersive home theater rooms, it can be used with basic 2-channel systems up to 3D audio arrangements consisting of a sub or subs, nine bed layer channels, and six height speakers (9.1.6). So, from that perspective, it has tremendous value as a set-up aide.

Most buyers looking at this type of product will likely have equipment with advanced automated calibration software, shifting SACT’s utility toward confirmation tool territory. But it certainly can be used by the DIYer that prefers a more homegrown calibration approach or the 2-channel enthusiast running a system devoid of correction processing. Adding to that versatility is a layer of usability that makes it suitable for casuals who’d prefer to use the disc and their ears to run through tests, in addition to advanced users that plan on using a hand-held SPL meter, calibrated microphone, and measurement software like Room EQ Wizard.

The disc has a professional look and feel, despite a few rough edges that popped up during use. The menu system is intuitive and easy to navigate, tho I did find myself wishing my remote’s track skip buttons (or arrow keys) were active and able to move test tones to a new speaker or set of speakers during use. Some of the tracks play for 30 seconds before sending you back to the menu system to select another speaker or audio pattern, and the only available remote functions are fast-forwarding or returning to the menu. Hopefully, future versions will offer more sophisticated in-test navigation features.

One feature that deserves a thumbs-up is a six-second pause that plays after a test track has been selected. These pauses are filled with a film leader and beeps (just like those familiar grainy numerical countdowns at the beginning of old reel movies) and give your system a chance properly work through any delays that might cut off a test tone. It works and eliminates the frustration of interruptions, tho there are a few places where the pause period lacks a film leader graphic, jumping directly to a test track’s graphic interface while countdown tones play. No biggie because the spacer is still technically present, but it’s another area that could use a bit of polish on future versions of the disc.


What’s on the Disc
View attachment 62779

The disc’s test files are spread over 13 sections. Here’s a quick rundown of each section as detailed by the SACT’s Quick Start Guide:

1. Intro Welcome: Start here. This will instruct you to set up a comfortable listening volume.
2. Call Outs: This helps to ensure that your speakers are working and connected properly.
3. Level Matching: Set the proper levels for each individual speaker.
4. Polarity Test: Check to see if your speakers are working together or against each other.
5. Timing Test: Check to see if your speakers are acoustically time-aligned.
6. Crossover Point: Find out the lower limits of each speaker's frequency response.
7. Speaker Pairs: Listen to how speakers work together to ensure balance and coherence.
8. Tonal Balance: Voicing your system is one of the most important things you can do.
9. Object Panning: Dial in your imaging using precise object movements in a 3D space.
10. Torture Test: Find out if your audio system can accurately reproduce the movements shown on-screen. Very few can.
11. Professional Calibration Tool, Impulse Response: A chirp is played from the reference left speaker, followed by a full-range sweep. You can record phase, magnitude response, and timing with this.
12. Professional Calibration Tool, Sweep Test: Find the frequency response of your speaker. Sweeps are played three times consecutively.
13. Professional Calibration Tool, Periodic Pink Noise: 16K Periodic PN for use with a Real Time Analyzer (RTA).

View attachment 62780

The included user guide, which isn’t available for public consumption, does an excellent job of explaining set-up requirements and test objectives for each section. Its plain-speak style keeps things less technical, making it great for users learning the ropes. And that welcoming nature compliments the disc’s visuals that show speaker and sound positionings during the various tests, along with a multi-channel digital VU meter and other pertinent information. So, from a “who” perspective, the disc can be used by just about anyone, being both novice and expert-friendly.

From a “what” perspective, the SACT offers an impressive amount of tools to fine-tune or verify various factors that autocalibration attempts to handle independently. Hardcore and technically savvy users likely have go-to methods that can achieve similar results, and several test sections can be recreated using pink noise generated by an AVR. But there’s something to be said for having an organized workflow and pre-packaged audio files.

View attachment 62781

The first four sections of the disc quickly establish if your speakers are hooked up and positioned correctly. I found the “Call Outs” and “Polarity” sections particularly helpful. The pacing of voiceovers calling out speaker positions in the “Call Out” section is perfect – succinct and quick. And the mere fact that specific speaker positions are identified throughout the test period improves upon the typical pink noise generated by an AVR. As for "Polarity," the entire test procedure uses your front left channel as a baseline comparison, allowing you to best judge the loudness (indicating in-phase or out-of-phase) of other channels in your system.

Nifty.

Other sections that are executed exceptionally well, not to mention useful, include the “Crossover Point” and “Torture Tests.” For the former, rolling low-frequency tones help identify the natural crossover point of each speaker in your system as it interacts with your room. Of course, this test is less useful if your AVR only allows for a single, global crossover point. But, even in that scenario, it might convince you to pick a frequency other than the standard 80Hz.

View attachment 62782

View attachment 62783

The “Torture Test” files might be my favorite test tracks on the disc. Much like Spears & Munsil Benchmark UHD disc, pink noise is floated around the room as an object is visually represented on the screen. But SACT ups the ante by allowing users to replace the pink noise with voice callouts. It’s quite the trick, making the process sound more natural and real-world. You can set the pink noise (or voice) to follow a variety of patterns, including an X pattern that cycles through three different horizontal planes.


What’s Missing?
As it stands, the SACT is practically the complete package. Aside from a few tiny operational wrinkles that could use some ironing, my only wish would be the inclusion of reference movie clips. Yes, I’m talking about actual Hollywood-grade movie clips. It’s a dream scenario, I know. The cost would likely be too high, and most of us have reference tracks earmarked in our collections. But, in the name of convenience, having them packaged with the rest of the disc would be icing on the cake.


Conclusion
View attachment 62784

The only downside to the SACT is its price. Landing at $99, it’s roughly $50 more than the new three-disc Spears & Munsil set, which is widely regarded as the gold standard of video calibration. And let’s not forget that Spears & Munsil also contains immersive audio files created in conjunction with Dolby. So, from those perspectives, the SACT is a tad on the expensive side. That said, the disc will stand as a go-to tool in my disc collection and definitely one that I'll revisit as review equipment cycles through.

If budget allows, the SACT is a no-brainer buy, particularly for enthusiasts who like to tinker and better understand their equipment. It’s unique enough that I’d recommend buying it in addition to Spears & Munsil, giving it priority status if you’re purely looking for audio calibration capabilities. Excellent.


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Thanks for pointing out to check compatibility. My Panasonic 820 wont play this disc, and I only have a Mac so this will be a pass on purchasing. I do have a shield but not the latest that can do Atmos. Kinda surprising as the 820 is in a lot of home systems.
 

Todd Anderson

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The disc will play in your UB820… but the downloadable M2TS files will not. But, in terms of disc, you’ll be fine. I played the disc on a UB9000
 

Marc Lombardi

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I have been using this for a couple months and it's a great tool! But I have noticed something and maybe someone can confirm if this is working as it should. When doing REW measurements using the Impulse Response sweeps #11, the second timing chirp is coming from the speaker under test and not the same reference speaker as the first chirp. So this is not how REW works ... it plays the timing chirp from the reference speaker both times. And, for the LFE measurement the second chirp is not heard because it comes from the LFE.
 

Todd Anderson

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Denon X8500H
DAC
THX ONYX
Computer Audio
AudioEngine A2+
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Kaleidescape TERRA, OPPO UDP-203, Panasonic UB9000
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iFi Audio Zen Blue
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Front Speakers
GoldenEar Technology Triton One.R
Center Channel Speaker
GoldenEar Technology SuperCenter Reference
Surround Speakers
GoldenEar Invisa MPX
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GoldenEar Invisa MPX
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SVS Prime Elevation x4 (Top Front, Top Mid-Front)
Rear Height Speakers
SVS Prime Elevation x4 (Top Middle, Top Rear)
Subwoofers
Quad Array SVS SB16s
Other Speakers
Behringer 1124p; Aura Bass Shaker Pros; SuperSub X
Screen
Seymour Screen Excellence, Enlightor NEO AT Screen
Video Display Device
JVC NZ8
Other Equipment
Sony 65-inch A95L OLED, Sony 65-inch X900F, ZeroSurge 8R15W x 2, ZeroSurge 2R15W x 2
Hi Marc, let's see if we can't get Channa or Joe to pop in here and discuss. Hang tight
 

Joentell

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I have been using this for a couple months and it's a great tool! But I have noticed something and maybe someone can confirm if this is working as it should. When doing REW measurements using the Impulse Response sweeps #11, the second timing chirp is coming from the speaker under test and not the same reference speaker as the first chirp. So this is not how REW works ... it plays the timing chirp from the reference speaker both times. And, for the LFE measurement the second chirp is not heard because it comes from the LFE.
Thank you Marc for the feedback. Are you the same person who asked in our SACT owners Discord group?

In REW, try disabling the option in the settings for the second chirp. It's in the "Analysis" tab. Uncheck the option for "Adjust clock for acoustic ref".

Let us know if that helps.

We are aware about the chirp on the LFE test. I will check the other track.
 

Marc Lombardi

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OPPO-205
Front Speakers
Magneplanar 3.7
Center Channel Speaker
Magneplanar CC5
Surround Speakers
Magneplanar MC1
Surround Back Speakers
Polk Dipole
Subwoofers
Outlaw Ultra X-12 and LFM1-C; Magneplanar DWM
Other Speakers
MiniDSP 2x4
Thank you Marc for the feedback. Are you the same person who asked in our SACT owners Discord group?

In REW, try disabling the option in the settings for the second chirp. It's in the "Analysis" tab. Uncheck the option for "Adjust clock for acoustic ref".

Let us know if that helps.

We are aware about the chirp on the LFE test. I will check the other track.

Hi Joe ... no I don't think that was me on the Discord.

When I just use REW and measure my left and right with the timing reference from the left channel, the delays are -2.0196 for the left channel and -2.1785 for the right (leaving that checkbox checked). REW sends both chirps to the left channel for both measurements. When I use SACT (leaving the checkbox checked) I get -2.0676 and -0.8753, and SACT sends the first chirp to the left channel, but the second chirp for the right channel goes to the right channel. Then using SACT I uncheck the "Adjust clock" in Analysis, and the delays are -2.0998 for the left channel and -2.4319 for the right, and as with the previous measurement the second chirp for the right channel comes from the right channel.

Finally, with the box unchecked, I went back and measured with REW. It does not play the second chirp. And the two channel delays match those of SACT. So this confirms that REW ignores the second SACT chirp if the checkbox is unchecked.

So neither of the SACT measurements matches the original REW delays exactly, but the second ones with the "Adjust clock" unchecked is much closer. Looking at the impulse responses, the second set of measurements with the box unchecked are nearly identical to the REW measurement, while the right channel of the measurement with the box checked is off by a little more than 1ms.

So looking at the impulse responses of all of these measurements, leaving the checkbox unchecked makes the SACT measurements match the REW measurements. The question is, does this give the correct result in terms of aligning impulse responses ... ignoring the second chirp?

Thanks again for responding Joe! You guys made a great product and it's been very useful!
 

Joentell

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Hi Joe ... no I don't think that was me on the Discord.

When I just use REW and measure my left and right with the timing reference from the left channel, the delays are -2.0196 for the left channel and -2.1785 for the right (leaving that checkbox checked). REW sends both chirps to the left channel for both measurements. When I use SACT (leaving the checkbox checked) I get -2.0676 and -0.8753, and SACT sends the first chirp to the left channel, but the second chirp for the right channel goes to the right channel. Then using SACT I uncheck the "Adjust clock" in Analysis, and the delays are -2.0998 for the left channel and -2.4319 for the right, and as with the previous measurement the second chirp for the right channel comes from the right channel.

Finally, with the box unchecked, I went back and measured with REW. It does not play the second chirp. And the two channel delays match those of SACT. So this confirms that REW ignores the second SACT chirp if the checkbox is unchecked.

So neither of the SACT measurements matches the original REW delays exactly, but the second ones with the "Adjust clock" unchecked is much closer. Looking at the impulse responses, the second set of measurements with the box unchecked are nearly identical to the REW measurement, while the right channel of the measurement with the box checked is off by a little more than 1ms.

So looking at the impulse responses of all of these measurements, leaving the checkbox unchecked makes the SACT measurements match the REW measurements. The question is, does this give the correct result in terms of aligning impulse responses ... ignoring the second chirp?

Thanks again for responding Joe! You guys made a great product and it's been very useful!
I would recommend joining the Discord group because there's a number of us crazy calibration folks in there who can help out as well when it comes to questions specific to the toolkit.

Thank you for taking the time to do these tests.

I've found from my own personal testing that you can keep the mic in the exact same position, run an impulse response sweep multiple times and get slightly different measurements. What I've found works for me is to get it close using REW, then I use some tests from the Timing Section and Speaker Pairs section to make adjustments by ear. We have to remember that we have binaural hearing, so the spacing between each ear plays a role in where we perceive and sound "object." When we do a single mic measurement at the MLP, we just split the difference and place the mic where the middle of our head would be. The closer your speakers are to your MLP, the bigger the difference that distance difference makes. Just as an extreme example, consider the difference when you have headphones, and you move one ear cup 1/4" of an inch away. Compare that to a theater where moving one seat over makes a minimal difference because the speakers are so far away.

In the Discord group, I talked about some crazy experiments I was doing with binaural measurements and how it related to level-matching and delays.
 

Marc Lombardi

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Emotiva XMC-1
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Nord One 2x700w
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Outlaw 7500 5x300w
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Emotiva PA-1 300w
Universal / Blu-ray / CD Player
OPPO-205
Front Speakers
Magneplanar 3.7
Center Channel Speaker
Magneplanar CC5
Surround Speakers
Magneplanar MC1
Surround Back Speakers
Polk Dipole
Subwoofers
Outlaw Ultra X-12 and LFM1-C; Magneplanar DWM
Other Speakers
MiniDSP 2x4
I would recommend joining the Discord group because there's a number of us crazy calibration folks in there who can help out as well when it comes to questions specific to the toolkit.

Thank you for taking the time to do these tests.

I've found from my own personal testing that you can keep the mic in the exact same position, run an impulse response sweep multiple times and get slightly different measurements. What I've found works for me is to get it close using REW, then I use some tests from the Timing Section and Speaker Pairs section to make adjustments by ear. We have to remember that we have binaural hearing, so the spacing between each ear plays a role in where we perceive and sound "object." When we do a single mic measurement at the MLP, we just split the difference and place the mic where the middle of our head would be. The closer your speakers are to your MLP, the bigger the difference that distance difference makes. Just as an extreme example, consider the difference when you have headphones, and you move one ear cup 1/4" of an inch away. Compare that to a theater where moving one seat over makes a minimal difference because the speakers are so far away.

In the Discord group, I talked about some crazy experiments I was doing with binaural measurements and how it related to level-matching and delays.
Thanks Joe, I'll check out the Discord.

BTW I forgot to mention I did all the measurements from the MLP equidistant from L and R. And the speakers had already been aligned with Dirac Live, so the impulses should be on each other within much less than 1ms.
 

Joentell

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Thanks Joe, I'll check out the Discord.

BTW I forgot to mention I did all the measurements from the MLP equidistant from L and R. And the speakers had already been aligned with Dirac Live, so the impulses should be on each other within much less than 1ms.
We would love to hear about your calibration experiences in our group. It just makes it easier to respond in real-time on that platform.
Of course, AV NIRVANA is an awesome resource for others who may not have purchased the Toolkit yet, so if there's something you think they can benefit from, definitely post it here on this public forum. It's just a bit tough to keep track of where people are asking questions about SACT, and trying to respond to all of them. We're a small team.
 

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The disc will play in your UB820… but the downloadable M2TS files will not. But, in terms of disc, you’ll be fine. I played the disc on a UB9000
Thanks
 

Joentell

New Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2018
Posts
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Hi Joe ... no I don't think that was me on the Discord.

When I just use REW and measure my left and right with the timing reference from the left channel, the delays are -2.0196 for the left channel and -2.1785 for the right (leaving that checkbox checked). REW sends both chirps to the left channel for both measurements. When I use SACT (leaving the checkbox checked) I get -2.0676 and -0.8753, and SACT sends the first chirp to the left channel, but the second chirp for the right channel goes to the right channel. Then using SACT I uncheck the "Adjust clock" in Analysis, and the delays are -2.0998 for the left channel and -2.4319 for the right, and as with the previous measurement the second chirp for the right channel comes from the right channel.

Finally, with the box unchecked, I went back and measured with REW. It does not play the second chirp. And the two channel delays match those of SACT. So this confirms that REW ignores the second SACT chirp if the checkbox is unchecked.

So neither of the SACT measurements matches the original REW delays exactly, but the second ones with the "Adjust clock" unchecked is much closer. Looking at the impulse responses, the second set of measurements with the box unchecked are nearly identical to the REW measurement, while the right channel of the measurement with the box checked is off by a little more than 1ms.

So looking at the impulse responses of all of these measurements, leaving the checkbox unchecked makes the SACT measurements match the REW measurements. The question is, does this give the correct result in terms of aligning impulse responses ... ignoring the second chirp?

Thanks again for responding Joe! You guys made a great product and it's been very useful!
I just wanted to give an update. Thanks to your post, I've updated the Full Guide for SACT with an added section on how to import WAV files. It's pretty detailed, and I've included screenshots and the proper log to linear conversion for recordings that are not impulse responses. So even if you record pink noise and import that recording into REW, that will look correct in REW after using the conversion method specified in the Full Guide. It's the same link as the one provided in the Blu-ray insert or in the email if you purchased the digital version.
 
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