Help me with the AfterMaster Pro review (suggestions)
S
o, I’m in several days of reviewing a product called the AfterMaster Pro. I’m trying to come up with good tests to throw at it that aren’t completely subjective.
I first saw their product at Showstoppers at CES in 2016, and once again this year when I went.
For a brief description I yanked the text from their webpage:
The Aftermaster Pro was developed to allow consumers to have convenient access to Aftermaster’s award winning and unparalleled sound from virtually all audio/video sources. The Aftermaster Pro transforms television audio by raising and clarifying dialogue levels, while making all surrounding audio sound substantially better. It connects easily via HDMI to virtually any audio/video source (cable box, satellite box, video game station, etc.). It’s also equipped with an internal rechargeable battery and 3.5mm audio ports so it can be used on-the-go with a smart phone, tablet, computer, headphone or any other audio enabled device.
The best shortened version I can think of is it allows you to watch that war movie, hear what they’re saying, and not wake the kids when there’s a massive explosion. I may be tripping but it also seems to make background noise more distinguishable, but more testing is required for me to determine if it is, or if I’m just paying attention to it.
What I have thus far done with my setup is use a Chromecast v2 plugged into the Aftermaster to stream various shows through into the HDMI input of my TCL55up120, and then out to my ancient 2003ish JVC TH-C6 over a TOSLINK optical cable. I’ve got a Lenovo Yoga, an HTC 10, and a computer with an AC97 sound card integrated for audio re-recording or playing.
So far I have used it to clarify a show I call Mumbling House, played a few movies after the kids were asleep that would generally require me to change the volume any number of times to keep from blowing them out of their beds, and I have played some music through it. This gives me some subjective data, but not a particularly great set for a review unless you 100% trust my judgement which you really shouldn’t especially considering the quote from a couple paragraphs below.
With the help of the users of a thread entitled something along the lines that the Aftermaster is BS, there have been a few suggestions for tests that I could present and let the hearer be the judge, but I’m wondering if any of my audiophiles out there would have any more.
Tests I am currently planning on doing
- Find some public domain music/concerts, re-record it through AfterMaster Pro, give links to original, remastered, and a one-piece switching audio track.
- Find some public domain TV program, or re-read on fair use, and record audio turning AM on and off.
The first test will probably render reasonably good results for music, however the second test is probably not going to be able to sufficiently show what five channel audio processing is actually doing.
Should you think of any tests you want thrown at it that I can do with my setup, please comment below.
Also, I am now aware a comment I made about Aftermaster at CES 2017 is on their site. While that is my belief from what I had heard in demos (and for the most part the past few days on my TV,) I have not metric’d it out nor done a review/breakdown/teardown.
It sort of makes it look like my next review will have a pre-determined conclusion… it won’t, but sure makes it look that way doesn’t it? So yeah, that’s what I said from the demos at CES, that is not what my review will say, unless it does.
Man…
Anyway, help me get some objective tests, you can be the judge then.
