Wondering if anyone is using their Revelation Audio Labs hdmi cable in their home theater system?
In the two threads on RAL hdmi cable the vast majority is in relation to audio use.
I’m looking at trying one in my home theatre system.
I have a 7.2.4 Atmos system and if the cable improves the audio sound in a stereo system then I see no reason why it can’t improve the sound of a full home theatre system.
Should be good value for money in improving the sound of 13 speakers rather than just 2.
My original plan was to use it just in an audio capacity only as my 4K player has 2 hdmi outputs, primary one for video and audio and secondary for audio only.
I currently run a fibre optic cable directly from the blu ray player to my projector.
Wondering if I could get a video upgrade as well by running the RAL hdmi cable from the primary hdmi output to my Arcam AV40 processor and moving the fibre optic cable from the blu ray player to the AV40 video output to the projector.
Any experiences from RAL owners in this area would be welcomed.
I am so sorry, I won’t try them on my setup. I don’t want to know. I assume if I test them it would mean I will end up buying four more. I am going to stick with my Wireworld Platinum and Silver Starlight HDMI cables for my theater setup. Also, when you move a RAL HDMI cable it has to have break in time again. That seems otherworldly but that’s what RAL states.
I hooked my RAL up from BluRay to my HT Processor. It is better for sound. I like the colors better with The WWHDMI. Quite frankly the silver plate coper WW HDMI choices for me is adequate on a Picture. The PS7 or SS7 are way ahead of sound compared to WW ultra. I am completely happy with either the DNA helix silver or platinum on sound. The highs are better with platinum
Like Al the RAL retentions on connector and its stiffness would make it near impossible hook up at the monitor. It is much easier to optimize bends and stiffnes just using the RAL between Matrix and DSD sr. My HT processor Has so many other cables i could not imagine having to reconnect RAL continuously with the mass of wires near it. Hooking it up to TV wall mount is a total no going lto make the bend.
Thanks for the update.
Are you planning to keep the RAL hdmi for sound?
When you say it’s better for sound, could you give more details please, e.g. more holgraphic, better treble / bass etc, anything else that can be more descriptive?
Totally all that you mention. Plus the instruments and voice are more live in the room. A bit less electronic edge with RAL. I have two apple TV 4s. I set up two source HDMI inputs to the processor. stream Apple TV both cables. Then switched sources both playing same movies.
Best sound RAL. Best picture WWPS7. WWSS7 and ral close in picture.
For only HT use WWPS7 Unless you can strip out audio. The closer the WWPS7 is to source the better the picture. I will probably pick up another PS7 for the link straight into TV from DSD.
I found HDMI splitters add noise. When I get more LPS and my HD plex arrives i may see if that can beat 2 channel audio on you tube streams dumping just PCM to the PSA sr DSD And get picture benefits from the PS 7.
My MX150 is not latest DAC but sounds very very very good with PS7 and RAL good
Thanks for the update.
I’ve a 15 metre 18 gbyte fibre optic hdmi cable currently for video duties as I use a projector so I’ll be sticking with that for picture duties but will try the RAL cable for doing both picture and sound.
Fibre optic hdmi would be moved to AV processor and picture quality compared between both ‘routes’.
A lot of movies use songs in their soundtracks, did you get the chance to listen to some of these through the RAL providing audio?
A good example is Baby Driver, uses a lot of songs during the movie.
I did not listen to baby driver. I streamed some sopranos that HBO does good job with song endings. I also listened to some star is born clips with Gaga and Cooper. If your processor upscales, mine does it did best wit picture wise with WWPS7. I guess garbage in a garbage out relating to video and PS7 is great getting those to the processor. What really amazes is old movies shot on film they were great with PS7
Baby Driver was just a suggestion.
Were a Star is Born clips on blu-ray or 4K?
Disc is the way to get the best possible sound as streaming usually tends to be compressed in some way.
Thanks for coming back to me with your experience.
Hoping to get a RAL hdmi cable in the near future.
I have watched Baby Driver in past The clips could when a loudness war competition. I just listed to star is born streaming from HBO. The Apple TV4 was what I was evaluating being easier access an less bending of my RALHDMI cord. It sounds way better than the Amazon fire TV. Yes Blu Ray is best format I have available. My Streaming got better after putting my modem router on a LPS.
My RAL will remain matrix to DSD Duty. It is hands down in audio winner using sr. DSD.
Brad sent out 100 off offers to PayPal former customers to buy more cables I got one one in email yesterday the crappy connectors for retention sure means finding a secondary means or way to isolate all movements. I have to tear my whole system down shortly redoing floors and paint and adding four dedicated 20 Amp lines Within two weeks. I will look into better mounting possibilities but currently have Medusa’s lair behind my rack.
Given moving the RAL cable takes two weeks of burn in maybe video performance is lying in wait. And quick swaps are meaningless. The audio is quickly head and shoulders better and improves. First break in there were very rough grating patches with audio for me on the RAL. Almost as bad as the Sr. DSD.
Thanks for the further info.
Looks like the connectors on the RAL hdmi cables are not a tight fit and can come lose?
How heavy is the cable, as this also would be a significant factor in making the cable a good fit, as excess weight would tend to drag the cable out of it’s socket?
Obviously with them being slightly stiff, from what I understand, would make them harder to work with also.
I did see the letter than comes with them explaining the properties and how to handle them.
Cables are light. They are bendable feeling like a pipe cleaner or Gumby Doll. Movements very slight aft will unseat cable a slight preload up or down tend to keep them inna connection bind and lees likely to slip out
I received my RAL hdmi cable about a week ago and have approximately 20 hours on it so early days yet.
My Panasonic UB9000 is dual hdmi outputs, one for video + audio and 2nd one audio only.
Initial thought was for audio only and that’s what I’m currently testing.
Cable is flexible enough but instructions tell you to treat it with care as it seems very delicate.
For video signal I’m using a Fiber fibre optical hdmi cable direct from the 9000 to my projector.
I have tried using the RAL cable in the video and audio 9000 output and the Fiber cable as output from my Arcam AV40 processor to the projector but I get no display on my screen. I tried this twice over successive nights with the same result. I went through all the processor options but could see nothing causing no display issue. I’ve currently left this for the time being and using the RAL in the audio only 9000 output.
I’d be interested in any advice to resolve?
Been running the RAL cable via Netflix and now have approx 40 - 50 hours on it.
I had a friend over last night and we watched IP Man 4 on blu-ray, which has a standard DTS Master 5.1 soundtrack. My 4K system has DTS Neural X so all speakers were active.
This is the first I’ve listened to the cable after about 30 hours of burn in on Netflix.
(Running just the blu-ray player and AV processor on Netflix series).
Wow, sound was phenomenal, really natural, orchestration in the soundtrack was smooth but natural, dynamics were amazing, drums and stuff came crashing through from silence, detail was enhanced and this lead to better surround sound. Treble sparkled and the bass was great.
Now I believe the cable requires around 100 hours break in so hopefully more to come.
But very happy with the cable so far.
One caveat, which has been mentioned before, the connectors could be a tighter fit? The cable is staying in place ok but insertion of the connectors is too easy and doesn’t inspire confidence.
The cable is doing what I hoped for, bringing an improvement to my home theatre sound and thus more enjoyment to my movie watching.
Watched the Invisible Man, UHD, last night.
There was one scene were it was raining heavily outside and water was running down a wall, I thought it was in my room when I first heard it, very lifelike. Didn’t really enjoy the film but like most horror movies it had a great soundtrack. In some parts great steering effects.
Cable now has about 60 hours on it.
Watched Grease in 4K last night, not the best soundtrack as it’s pretty old and only Dolby TrueHD.
But the RAL cable made a great job of the soundtrack with really clear dialogue, extended treble and overall the sound was very enjoyable.
My system has been down for about 3 weeks due to room renovation.
Got the HT system back last night and watched Top Gun, 4K, with Atmos soundtrack.
Checked with Brad previously about effect of removing the RAL hdmi cable for a while and he said it’ll take a couple of days for it to come back on song.
I was running the cable with Netflix and processor for around the 100 hours before room renovation.
Top Gun sounded great, straight away, no hardness or harshness to the sound, dialogue very smooth, dialogue and effects sounded very natural. Treble was lovely and ‘feather-ery’
So looking forward to see what the next couple of days brings as the cable settles into use again.
Watched Bloodshot last night in 4K, film was pretty derivative but the sound was amazing, some of the best Atmos I’ve heard. The room was totally filled with sound, bass was firm, dialogue great although about two thirds of the way through it went off slightly but then returned fine.
Sound mix was first rate with all speakers being used and a real sense of presence of things in the sound stage.
Watched Erin Brockovich last night which has a simple 5.1 Dolby Truehd soundtrack.
The thing that struck me, what the RAL hdmi cable brought, was a sense of acoustics, (realism), to the movie.
You could hear the 3d dimensions to rooms, like a door closing at the far end of an room, sounded far away and as it should sound. This sense of being there added greatly to the enjoyment of the movie.
Little note for any users of the RAL hdmi cable.
It can benefit from support, especially at the ‘top’ end of the cable.
I’ve found after supporting the top end of the cable, the end that plugs into my processor, the treble has improved significantly.
As the cable has some physical weight the top end it wants to pull itself out of it’s socket, the hdmi connector is not a really tight fit so the connection can be a bit looser than it should be.