XTZ Room Analyzer

Ever since reading a blurb about the XTZ analyzer last year, I was wondering why I hadn't heard anything else. Leave it to Kal to finally mention it! It looks like a capable one-box solution for those of us not wanting to cobble together the necessary software and hardware. It's a bit $$$ right now, but I'm hoping a U.S. distributor will offer it at a better North American price point.

Kal, can you SAVE measurements for later comparison (i.e. before and after room treatments, other tweaks)? Also, do you know if they will offer free upgrades as the software matures?

October 24, 2008 - 11:10am

Kal Rubinson

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

Yes, you can save both the data and the displays for future use/comparison. Unfortunately, there is, at present, no way to output the data into a spreadsheet or document file; you can only review/compare it with the XTZ program.

As for updates, I did download one during the review process that lets the user move the cursor on the waterfall display and see the FR at any selected time. I hope there will be more.

Kal

November 2, 2008 - 7:53pm

nastir

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

Thanks Kal. Sounds like the product has potential, but I'm leery of their customer support from Sweden. I emailed them with some questions a couple weeks ago, and never got a response.

November 2, 2008 - 8:07pm

Kal Rubinson

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

Quote:
Thanks Kal. Sounds like the product has potential, but I'm leery of their customer support from Sweden. I emailed them with some questions a couple weeks ago, and never got a response.

I cannot help much with that. I have usually gotten quick responses but I acknowledge the difference in my situation. OTOH, they were sometimes tardy due to trips and vacations. So, who knows?

Frankly, it's a fairly simple user process and not a lot of hand-holding is needed. That's one reason I like it.

Kal

November 11, 2008 - 3:25am

XTZ

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

Quote:
Thanks Kal. Sounds like the product has potential, but I'm leery of their customer support from Sweden. I emailed them with some questions a couple weeks ago, and never got a response.

We are sorry if you don't have got any answers.
We normally answers mail within hours.

It could be that we just didn't recieve your mail.
Is there anything we can do to help you ?

November 11, 2008 - 7:40pm

nastir

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

Thanks, I re-sent my initial query about pricing and availability for the U.S.

November 17, 2008 - 10:53am

nastir

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

Thanks to the response above, I was able to get pricing for the U.S. I just placed my order.

Aside from it's current incompatiblilty with Vista, there's another important caveat... in it's Room Analysis mode, XTZ has an upper measurement limit of only 250Hz. However it displays the full frequency range in it's RTA mode (but no time/frequency calculations). I'm hoping that might be addressed in a later software upgrade, but it's possible the mic/hardware is the limiting factor.

I hope it's OK to post their response for those likewise interested in ordering.

Quote:
Subject: SV: XTZ available in North America?

Hi,
We are atill waiting for a complete Vista Version, and it will of course be free.

You pay USD $256 for Room Analyzer, No VAt from Sweden and including Shipping to you.

We need your e-mail for your Paypal account.
Namne, address, Phonenumber

We will do a money request.
When we can see the payment, we will send your order

Jens Wiklund

XTZ Sound Balance AB, Sweden

-----------------------------------
www.xtz.se info@xtz.se

November 17, 2008 - 12:43pm

Kal Rubinson

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

Frankly, I do not think it is much of a limitation. For the bass, one need critical filters to correct/compensate for discrete room modes. For the rest of the spectrum, above the Schroeder frequency, simple amplitude corrections will suffice.

Kal

November 17, 2008 - 1:20pm

Elk

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

Cool!

Let us know what you think after you have had a chance to try it.

November 27, 2008 - 1:55pm

#10

nastir

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

FYI... XTZ now has a website link for how to place U.S. orders, and links to recent reviews (including Kals comments in Nov S'phile)...
http://www.xtz.se/produkt.php?allmant=true&produkt=41&eng=true

Of note, I ordered the kit, but delivery is being held for ransom in N.Y. by a courier company trying to tack on an excessive custom/duty surcharge. Fortunately, XTZ has been great in trying to resolve this issue. Has anybody else has run into this problem?

December 21, 2008 - 4:03am

#11

nastir

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

FYI... XTZ helped me resolve the shipping snafu, and I've started playing around with measurements. At first blush, it's been VERY helpful, especially helping me dial in my ML Summit woofers (turns out I was way off when doing it by ear). Next step will be measuring the impact of speaker positioning tweaks. Thus far, I'm very impressed with the simplicity and performance of the Room Analyzer!

January 24, 2009 - 2:12pm

#12

nastir

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

FYI, an updated Vista-compatible version of the Room Analyzer software is now available on their website. Anybody else (besides Kal and me!) using this??

January 24, 2009 - 3:11pm

#13

Kal Rubinson

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

Not Vista.

Kal

January 28, 2009 - 5:03am

#14

nastir

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

I meant the XTZ Room Analyzer, not Vista!

Of note, I ran XTZ for a friend who is using the Velodyne SMS-1 for his Avantgarde Duo's. Interestingly, the room response curves (under 250 Hz), although "similar", showed a fair bit of variation in the peaks and nulls. We didn't have a way to test the accuracy of each mic, but given the build quality of the Velodyne vs. the XTZ, I'm wondering how accurate the XTZ device REALLY is? Guess I'll need to find some frequency-specific test tones to try.

January 28, 2009 - 6:40am

#15

Kal Rubinson

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Re: XTZ Room Analyzer

Quote:
We didn't have a way to test the accuracy of each mic, but given the build quality of the Velodyne vs. the XTZ, I'm wondering how accurate the XTZ device REALLY is? Guess I'll need to find some frequency-specific test tones to try.

It is hard to make such a valid comparison since all these products that match a mic and software incorporate corrections for mic's FR. IMHO, the only way to compare them is to compare the results from the entire package.

When I compared AudysseyPro with XTZ on my subwoofer channel, the results were very close, both before and after mode correction. I have not done so for the SMS-1.

Kal

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