Distortion Meter and Audio Interconnect Tester

In this article for audioxpress, Ed Simon writes: "There seems to be controversy over what testing means in audio. Measuring a difference does not mean you can hear it. On the other hand, if my ears tell me there is a difference between two audio chains and I cannot measure it, that does not mean it is not there. Probably, I'm just using the wrong method to determine audio differences." And after trying to measure all sorts of things to compare which ones sounded fine - or not - he decided the next step would be to build a dedicated more sensitive measurement. This article was originally published in audioXpress, November 2009.

The March 2020 edition of Voice Coil is now available online and in print. In this edition, Vance Dickason gets hands-on with the Audio Precision APx500 Flex Audio Analyzer, Mike Klasco writes about Loudspeaker Enclosure Materials, and James Croft explores a new patent of a novel orientation of a cardioid speaker design. And in Test Bench, Dickason characterizes a home audio transducer from Eastech's Punktkilde line, the cosmetically pleasing AUGWL0016-JN02 6.5” midbass driver.

Denmark-Based GRAS Sound & Vibration (“GRAS”), the prestigious manufacturer of acoustic-measurement microphones, has reached an agreement with Battery Ventures, a global, technology-focused investment firm, to join its group of companies in the acoustic test and measurement market. GRAS will operate alongside U.S.-based Audio Precision, acquired by Battery Ventures in 2018. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

audioXpress March 2020 focuses on Audio Test & Measurement. In this edition, learn how to find the right Test & Measurement solution, learn more about how to optimize audio production tests, and read the review of the new Dayton Audio DATS V3 Test System. Luke McCready also reviews the fantastic Audeze Mobius planar magnetic, wireless headphones. There's plenty more to read and learn about in our regular columns Sound Control and Audio Scope, plus a new article from Ed Simon on Powering Audio Circuits.

Stuart Yaniger offers his review of the latest Audio Precision APx555 B Series audio analyzer, and the corresponding new updated V5 software for the APx series. The APx B series now features a new High Performance Sine Generator and a High Performance Sine Analyzer, which Audio Precision claims reduces THD+N to better than -120 dB, with a 1 MHz bandwidth and Fast Fourier Transforms (FFTs) of up to 1.2 million points. This article was published in audioXpress, December 2019.

audioXpress December 2019 dives into the latest wireless audio and DSP platforms and solutions in a dedicated Market Update, followed by a review of the latest Audio Precision APx555 B Series audio analyzer. David Logvin shares his experience with the xCORE VocalFusion development platform by XMOS, while Michael Steffes re-confirms a theory that cascaded amplifier + ADC harmonic distortion combine as voltage swings. Christopher Paul explores alternative approaches to the design of a linear current regulator for audio tube amplifiers, Menno van der Veen details an 18 W single-ended valve amplifier using Trans technology, and Richard Honeycutt investigates whether or not swapping out comparable tubes makes any audible difference in a guitar amplifier’s sound. Download your own copy now!

Audio Precision introduced the PDM 16 module for its APx500 Series audio analyzers. The new module offers simultaneous acquisition and measurement of up to 16 channels of PDM signals, making it the highest channel-count solution available for MEMS microphone and MEMS mic array testing. The new option supports anechoic tests with the acoustically silent remote pod that can be positioned at up to 10 meters, feeding 16 phase-aligned channels on 8 data lines with accurate measurements via a delay-calibrated module.

Audio Precision unveiled its new APx500 Flex audio analyzer, a completely new class of test and measurement solutions designed to support the use of APx audio measurement software with ASIO-capable third-party audio interfaces or sound cards. With the introduction of APx500 Flex, manufacturers can cost-effectively deploy the measurement capabilities, flexibility and quality of APx software to their production lines at a much lower price.

Smart speakers are a relatively new class of consumer audio device with unique characteristics that make testing their audio performance difficult. In this new application note, Audio Precision provides an overview of smart speaker acoustic measurements with a focus on frequency response – the most important objective measurement of a device’s audio quality.

Taking place September 11 – 13 at the Audi Driving Experience Center in Neuburg an der Donau (Bavaria), Germany, this year’s AES Automotive Audio Conference builds on the overwhelming success of its predecessors by gathering the leading global authorities in Automotive Audio for three days of in-depth examination of the latest trends, challenges and solutions in the field, plus exhibitions and demos showcasing the latest automotive audio technologies.