All items in category Magazine Articles
R&D Stories: Engineering Voice-Enabled Smart Gadgets
by Ofer Elyakim

R&D Stories: Engineering Voice-Enabled Smart Gadgets

The first step companies face in enabling a voice user interface (VUI) experience is to decide whether to partner with a current market offering or to build a proprietary voice solution, which requires a significant amount of resources. In this article, Ofer Elyakim (Chief Executive Officer, DSP Group) offers an overview of DSP Group’s experience in enabling voice in a variety of new consumer electronics devices, using its open audio/voice DSP platform. This article was originally published in audioxpress, June 2018.
Read more...
Fresh From the Bench: Naim Audio Mu-so Qb Wireless Music System
by Oliver A.Masciarotte

Fresh From the Bench: Naim Audio Mu-so Qb Wireless Music System

In this article, published by audioXpress in December 2017, Oliver Masciarotte explores the Naim Mu-so Qb Wireless Music System, with its stunning design, glass-filled polymer casing, and the same clever digital brain as the original Mu-so. Is this indeed a model for what complete wireless integrated audio systems can do? Kent Peterson (Warkwyn) puts the Mu-so Qb to the test confirming that the device sounds as good as it looks. This article was originally published in audioXpress, December 2017.
Read more...
 FREE DOWNLOAD
Fresh From the Bench: Audio Precision AECM206 Headphone Test Fixture
by Stuart Yaniger

Fresh From the Bench: Audio Precision AECM206 Headphone Test Fixture

For engineers developing and evaluating headphones, Audio Precision (AP) released this new headphone test solution, a competitively priced IEC 60318-4-compliant accessory that simplifies earbud and headphone measurements in both lab and production environments. Stuart Yaniger puts the AECM206 unit to the test. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2018.
Read more...
Practical Test & Measurement: The Virtins Multi-Instrument Software
by Stuart Yaniger

Practical Test & Measurement: The Virtins Multi-Instrument Software

Stuart Yaniger provides an in-depth look at the Virtins Multi-Instrument Software, for data acquisition and measurements. The Multi-Instrument package from Virtins Technology — a Singapore-based company — is one of the most powerful and versatile. This article is a very complete review of what Multi-Instrument entails and what distinguishes it from other software packages and dedicated solutions. This article was published in audioXpress, March 2016.
Read more...
Fresh From the Bench: IK Multimedia ARC 2.5 MEMS Test Microphone
by Stuart Yaniger

Fresh From the Bench: IK Multimedia ARC 2.5 MEMS Test Microphone

For the Test & Measurement Focus published in audioXpress March 2018, two of our authors tackled IK Multimedia’s ARC 2.5 room correction system. In this article Stuart Yaniger tested the new MEMS measurement microphone available with IK Multimedia’s ARC 2.5 System. The microphone is built around an omni-directional, high precision MEMS capsule to ensure maximum response accuracy and stability over time. This article was originally published in audioXpress, March 2018
Read more...
Fresh From the Bench: IK Multimedia ARC 2.5 Advanced Room Correction System
by Ron Tipton

Fresh From the Bench: IK Multimedia ARC 2.5 Advanced Room Correction System

For the Test & Measurement Focus published in audioXpress March 2018, two of our authors tackled IK Multimedia’s ARC 2.5 room correction system. Ron Tipton investigated IK Multimedia’s claims that the new ARC 2.5 improves the audio monitoring accuracy of speakers in any studio or listening room, while Stuart Yaniger tested the new MEMS measurement microphone available with IK Multimedia’s ARC 2.5 System. In this section of the review, Ron Tipton looks in-depth at how to make the best use of the acoustic room correction possibilities of the ARC System.
Read more...
Fresh From the Bench: G.R.A.S. Sound & Vibration RA040X Ear Simulator
by Brent Butterworth

Fresh From the Bench: G.R.A.S. Sound & Vibration RA040X Ear Simulator

Brent Butterworth reviews the new RA040X Ear Simulators from G.R.A.S. Sound & Vibration. Measuring headphone response at frequencies above-10 kHz has been an imprecise, non-standardized process. The new RA040X ear simulator represents part of an effort by G.R.A.S. Sound & Vibration to update headphone measurement equipment to suit the needs of today’s headphone industry, and make the measurements more meaningful. This article was originally published in audioXpress, March 2018.
Read more...
Recap of the Loudspeaker Sourcing Show 2017
by Rob Baum

Recap of the Loudspeaker Sourcing Show 2017

The third annual Loudspeaker Sourcing Show was again held in Guangzhou, China, which is about an hour by ferry from Hong Kong. The show was hosted by Philip Richardson, owner of Trueanalog Strictly OEM, and his wife Mandy Tseng of ZengBen. The couple created the Loudspeaker Sourcing Show to connect qualified and vetted loudspeaker component, driver, and system manufacturers directly with loudspeaker engineers, purchasing heads, and brands. This is a focused engineering/purchasing event where the attendees meet directly with manufacturers for details and costing at the show.
Read more...
User Report: Loudsoft FINE R+D Analyzer
by Vance Dickason

User Report: Loudsoft FINE R+D Analyzer

Beginning with the January 2018 issue of Voice Coil magazine, Vance DIckason implemented the Loudsoft FINE R+D analyzer into the Test Bench measurement protocol. This article provides details about the features in FINE R+D FINE R+D, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analyzer packaged in a 1u rack, which is used with the recommended G.R.A.S. 0.25” Type 46BE microphone capsule and preamplifier body. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, December 2017.
Read more...
Loudspeaker Measurement Tools from Physical Lab
by Vance Dickason

Loudspeaker Measurement Tools from Physical Lab

Physical Lab, based in Senden, Germany, is a fascinating company in that it not only manufactures loudspeaker test solutions directly aimed at speaker development and research, but also provides several engineering services for the loudspeaker industry. This article highlights the three loudspeaker measurement accessories that Physical Lab manufactures — the Physical Lab Mini Reference Amplifier, the Physical Lab Imp Box, and the Physical Lab ISO Box. The article was originally published in Voice Coil, December 2017.
Read more...