Is Surreal Sound Pro worth the cost?

[Magellanic]

Or better phrased 'perceived'

 

[abbas2099]

I think it sounds really good BUT I wouldnt pay extra for it. Most of the time that you are driving, you are paying attention to the road, not what sound is coming out of which speaker.

Now, if you were sitting in the middle of your living room, then ATMOS surround would make a lot more sense and be appreciated alot more.

 

[Bobby]

Not speakers, they just wouldnt run in Atmos.

This is incorrect.

 

[Amster]

I'm the person who started this thread, because I had to make that decision back in March. I went with the free trial version of SS Pro, because I didn't want to pay up front for a feature I wasn't sure I'd need. I like what Borski said in response. "trust your ears, as they're the only ones that matter." My trial ended last week and my ears hear the difference. Not when it's playing softly, but I turn up the music pretty loud if no one's in the car with me. And when it's loud, it doesn't sound the same without the extra speakers, even on Spotify.
I plan on driving this car for the better part of the next decade. And I don't want to get in it all those years and feel like something is missing. In retrospect, I should have just included it in the original purchase and saved myself $500, but it was a decision that made sense at the time. So at this point in time, is it expensive, yes. Do I wish it cost less, of course. But is it worth it to me, yes.

 

[abbas2099]

I'm the person who started this thread, because I had to make that decision back in March. I went with the free trial version of SS Pro, because I didn't want to pay up front for a feature I wasn't sure I'd need. I like what Borski said in response. "trust your ears, as they're the only ones that matter." My trial ended last week and my ears hear the difference. Not when it's playing softly, but I turn up the music pretty loud if no one's in the car with me. And when it's loud, it doesn't sound the same without the extra speakers, even on Spotify.
I plan on driving this car for the better part of the next decade. And I don't want to get in it all those years and feel like something is missing. In retrospect, I should have just included it in the original purchase and saved myself $500, but it was a decision that made sense at the time. So at this point in time, is it expensive, yes. Do I wish it cost less, of course. But is it worth it to me, yes.

I wish you could pay me that money and I could transfer my service to you . BTW - Borski is right 99.99% of the time.

 

[borski]

I wish you could pay me that money and I could transfer my service to you . BTW - Borski is right 99.99% of the time.

 

[Wait4Perfection]

I find that when I have passengers with me in the car I didn't take advantage of the audio system. I always turn down the music or turn it off to have a conversation. I never find myself turning up the sound to 80% to enjoy Atmos when with others.

 

[efesese]

Very personal choice, I do not want to pay for it and did not want the trial because I didn’t want to get used to the good stuff so for the past 3 months I kept the treble and bass 2-3 levels lower so when the trial is gone it will feel like an upgrade

 

[Amster]

Very personal choice, I do not want to pay for it and did not want the trial because I didn’t want to get used to the good stuff so for the past 3 months I kept the treble and bass 2-3 levels lower so when the trial is gone it will feel like an upgrade

Haha, that's what I should have done!

 

[LucidAirExperien]

not sure how true this is, but i was told that DDP and SSP prices will be going up, beyond the current 10k and 4k price. maybe ask about what the pricing will be after the 90 day trial.

I paid for both. I doubt DDP will ever materialize. The car cannot even detect vehicles in front of it sometimes when on Adaptive Cruise. SSP is nice, but they system lacks deep bass, has mid bass only. I need a sub, I am not sure I would replace everything else, sounds decent

 

[abbas2099]

If leasing, DDP might not make sense but buying long term probably does. For SSP, it is a personal choice. I have it but wish that it used Dolby ATMOS from other sources besides Tidal.

 

[BenTexas]

Listen to this playlist and tell me Atmos isn't worth it (note: you need a sound system that can play Atmos to fully appreciate this, obviously):

https://tidal.com/playlist/5a3290cf-c993-467b-af33-e7dd72da4a92

Adding playlist to collection. Will report back.

Personally I'm an audiophile and SSP was a no brainer at $2,900. $4g is steep but I would probably get it again if it came to it.

 

[Steveinarizona]

You had SSP in your now totaled car. Many if not all of the design studios now have Pures in stock as test vehicles. Hopefully at least one does not have SSP. My suggestion is take a longish test drive in such a vehicle and listen to Sirius XM and Spotify if you can and see how acceptable to you the car is without SSP after having used it for many months.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

Personally I'm an audiophile and SSP was a no brainer at $2,900. $4g is steep but I would probably get it again if it came to it.

You had SSP in your now totaled car. Many if not all of the design studios now have Pures in stock as test vehicles. Hopefully at least one does not have SSP. My suggestion is take a longish test drive in such a vehicle and listen to Sirius XM and Spotify if you can and see how acceptable to you the car is without SSP after having used it for many months.

First, I NOW LIKE SSP PRO, once I started using the see below.

Sorry @Steveinarizona, I am an audiophile and work in the high end HIFI industry, for 35 years. Both Sirius and Spotify are poor sources. I find both sound like shit, in the Lucid and in the real world. Many audiophiles do not like Tidal for several reasons, including their use a proprietary codec for their hi res masters. I use Qobuz, a huge French company that offers the same tens of millions of songs in standard CODECs, including their 24bit-192hz super hi res lossless recordings.

I have used my phone to play Qobuz through Bluetooth it the Lucid. Its fair, and better that Sirius. I do not have Tidal. BUT BLUETOOTH is not hi-res and never will be, even with each new version, which emphasizes low power and distance.

The Built In Lucid USB Player is AMAZING. NO ONE mentions the TRULEY AMAZING USB player built into our sound system. I put a few gigabits of quality FLAC audiophile recordings onto a 3.0 Type C USB and put it in the car (the USB port in the center console) yesterday for a two hour drive. We start on the hiway, I turn on the music and wife TURNS TO ME: NOW THAT IS AMAZING. And I have a state of the art beta system from my company and she never says much. The bass was amazing, the clarity was amazing. Nothing at all like the tinny crap from Sirius or Spotify or anything over Bluetooth.

And its a full featured player. Pulls up JPGS of the album covers.

I do not know if my use of the of the USB player, even with hi res FLAC recording is even using the SSP Pro features. I do not care, sounds amazing, for the first time I have been in the car (all of two weeks)

 

[borski]

First, I NOW LIKE SSP PRO, once I started using the see below.

Sorry @Steveinarizona, I am an audiophile and work in the high end HIFI industry, for 35 years. Both Sirius and Spotify are poor sources. I find both sound like shit, in the Lucid and in the real world. Many audiophiles do not like Tidal for several reasons, including their use a proprietary codec for their hi res masters. I use Qobuz, a huge French company that offers the same tens of millions of songs in standard CODECs, including their 24bit-192hz super hi res lossless recordings.

I have used my phone to play Qobuz through Bluetooth it the Lucid. Its fair, and better that Sirius. I do not have Tidal. BUT BLUETOOTH is not hi-res and never will be, even with each new version, which emphasizes low power and distance.

The Built In Lucid USB Player is AMAZING. NO ONE mentions the TRULEY AMAZING USB player built into our sound system. I put a few gigabits of quality FLAC audiophile recordings onto a 3.0 Type C USB and put it in the car (the USB port in the center console) yesterday for a two hour drive. We start on the hiway, I turn on the music and wife TURNS TO ME: NOW THAT IS AMAZING. And I have a state of the art beta system from my company and she never says much. The bass was amazing, the clarity was amazing. Nothing at all like the tinny crap from Sirius or Spotify or anything over Bluetooth.

And its a full featured player. Pulls up JPGS of the album covers.

I do not know if my use of the of the USB player, even with hi res FLAC recording is even using the SSP Pro features. I do not care, sounds amazing, for the first time I have been in the car (all of two weeks)

Try Tidal. I promise it’s worth it. USB is superior, but the Atmos-encoded music on Tidal is to die for in the Lucid.

USB doesn’t do Atmos.

Agreed 100% on everything else.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

Try Tidal. I promise it’s worth it. USB is superior, but the Atmos-encoded music on Tidal is to die for in the Lucid.

USB doesn’t do Atmos.

Agreed 100% on everything else.

Thanks @borski I appreciate your efforts and broadening my outlook!!! Sorry, I have a deep seated, unrealistic, negative reaction for Tidal that is similar to my uncontrollable dislike for THE DAMN PIRELLI POS TIRES (rant over). The MQA codec was invented back when people had slow internet connections and was a compression/file size compromise. MQA is now antiquated as gigabit fiber is commonplace.

When I mentioned to the engineers at PS Audio that my new Lucid did Atmos music on Tidal, there was a lot of head scratching. Why? As you know, Dolby Atmos was invented for home theater and films, and simply adds height channels.

I just played a few FLAC tracks recorded from vinyl, tube phono preamp, over the Lucid USB. I am even more elated. Before playing FLAC tracks over USB on the Lucid, I also thought the bass was weak. IT IS NOT. The other source material was crap.

IMHO, the Lucid sound system has the SAME problem as high resolution home and studio set ups. With true high resolution playback, crap sounds like crap. I have helped many friends and customers set up their first high resolution sound system, even ones costing modest amounts (under $5K) but choosing great revealing components. A very common complaint is that their former favorite music now sounds like shit on this new "high res" system. They are not thrilled that MP3s are now unlistenable. As luxury cars get better and better systems, source material is and will continue to be critical.

When I was young, the Beach Boys 8 track tape always sounded GREAT in the cheap player bolted to the transmission tunnel of my Firebird, with Layfette speakers bolted under the parcel shelf.

 

[Steveinarizona]

Sorry @Steveinarizona, I am an audiophile and work in the high end HIFI industry, for 35 years. Both Sirius and Spotify are poor sources. I find both sound like shit, in the Lucid and in the real world. Many audiophiles do not like Tidal for several reasons, including their use a proprietary codec for their hi res masters. I use Qobuz, a huge French company that offers the same tens of millions of songs in standard CODECs, including their 24bit-192hz super hi res lossless recordings.

I have used my phone to play Qobuz through Bluetooth it the Lucid. Its fair, and better that Sirius. I do not have Tidal. BUT BLUETOOTH is not hi-res and never will be, even with each new version, which emphasizes low power and distance.

Understood but I am in the Borski camp. The OP is not an audiophile so what is important is what the sound is like for the OP and how that fits in with the cost. The OP specifically said that SXM and Spotify are what he listens to so that is what I was responding to. What is the difference on the sources the OP uses and does it make a difference for the OP?

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

Understood but I am in the Borski camp. The OP is not an audiophile so what is important is what the sound is like for the OP and how that fits in with the cost. The OP specifically said that SXM and Spotify are what he listens to so that is what I was responding to. What is the difference on the sources the OP uses and does it make a difference for the OP?

Sorry about that Steve, my apology. I now see the OP mentioned Sirius and Spotify. And I do not disagree with Borski that Tidal with Atmos would/does sound great. Tidal is a very hi res source, even without Atmos coding. I hope Lucid adds more possible audio sources. Again, sorry.

 

[joec]

First, I NOW LIKE SSP PRO, once I started using the see below.

Sorry @Steveinarizona, I am an audiophile and work in the high end HIFI industry, for 35 years. Both Sirius and Spotify are poor sources. I find both sound like shit, in the Lucid and in the real world. Many audiophiles do not like Tidal for several reasons, including their use a proprietary codec for their hi res masters. I use Qobuz, a huge French company that offers the same tens of millions of songs in standard CODECs, including their 24bit-192hz super hi res lossless recordings.

I have used my phone to play Qobuz through Bluetooth it the Lucid. Its fair, and better that Sirius. I do not have Tidal. BUT BLUETOOTH is not hi-res and never will be, even with each new version, which emphasizes low power and distance.

The Built In Lucid USB Player is AMAZING. NO ONE mentions the TRULEY AMAZING USB player built into our sound system. I put a few gigabits of quality FLAC audiophile recordings onto a 3.0 Type C USB and put it in the car (the USB port in the center console) yesterday for a two hour drive. We start on the hiway, I turn on the music and wife TURNS TO ME: NOW THAT IS AMAZING. And I have a state of the art beta system from my company and she never says much. The bass was amazing, the clarity was amazing. Nothing at all like the tinny crap from Sirius or Spotify or anything over Bluetooth.

And its a full featured player. Pulls up JPGS of the album covers.

I do not know if my use of the of the USB player, even with hi res FLAC recording is even using the SSP Pro features. I do not care, sounds amazing, for the first time I have been in the car (all of two weeks)

When they added USB audio, a number of us sang its praises here for a while. I agree, it sounds amazing. The only thing lacking is the Atmos, which is not possible anywhere but streaming. But for clarity and overall fidelity, you can‘t beat Flac or uncompressed AIFF or WAV files in the Lucid. Remarkable sound.

 

[billvb]

I'm the person who started this thread, because I had to make that decision back in March. I went with the free trial version of SS Pro, because I didn't want to pay up front for a feature I wasn't sure I'd need. I like what Borski said in response. "trust your ears, as they're the only ones that matter." My trial ended last week and my ears hear the difference. Not when it's playing softly, but I turn up the music pretty loud if no one's in the car with me. And when it's loud, it doesn't sound the same without the extra speakers, even on Spotify.
I plan on driving this car for the better part of the next decade. And I don't want to get in it all those years and feel like something is missing. In retrospect, I should have just included it in the original purchase and saved myself $500, but it was a decision that made sense at the time. So at this point in time, is it expensive, yes. Do I wish it cost less, of course. But is it worth it to me, yes.

It seems like Dolby Atmos is really ascendant right now - with Apple and streaming music services getting onboard, and there will likely increasingly be more and more new and remastered content coming out for the platform, so I think you made a good decision @Amster. I’m really happy with SS Pro overall, but when I’m listening to the Atmos content it is really sublime.