distortion analyzer recomendations?

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@Richard, how did it work out with your 334a? Did it prove good like low hanging fruit?
Or is it like planting an orchard and will take a while to grow fruit?

@ Demian, Davada or Anyman: ARTA question. Does ARTA care what or how it grabs its input data? Can it be configured for use without a sound card and take the data from
a DSP as a digital source? From USB, RS232, RS432, or from an Ethernet connection?

I've got an outboard hardware and software solution, it's just not an in-computer
soundcard...it's an out of computer digital or analog possible solution.

@ Richard, what did you do with your speakers? Did you have a sub or were you
not going to use it any longer? Did you replace it/them or were you looking for
something different?

Cheers,

Sync
 
"Replace the lamps circuit with a resistor to check for loading effects."
Sorry, I don't understand this, could you explain?
I assume the lamps are never competently off (cold state) there would be to much resistance change when they would lit (I could be wrong on this). To find out the real bridge distortion ,I would have to replace the LDR's with the equivalent resistors.
Two of them is in parallel with the frequency range resistors, one is parallel with the balance pot. To measure them will not be easy. That must be even a quiescence state ,when they are not competently cold, in Manual mode. I have to check it.
 
What can be done to make it lower?? "
You probably know that better than I.
Maybe replace it with a voltage follower op amp?
"That part alone has good use with reducing fundemental for FFT processing."
Can that be useful even if the bridge distorting because of the LDR's?
Is there anything else could be used instead of the LDR's?
Naturally it is possible to remove the LDR's/Lamps and only use unit in Manual mode.
 
Hi Miklos,
100 KHz is barely enough. Normally you want at least 10X the highest frequency you are going to measure. With the extra bandwidth, this THD meter will let you know if something is oscillating ultrasonically.

So, if you must, 100 KHz is enough. Many products on the market for audio have ceilings of 100 KHz. If by chance you can extend that, do so.

-Chris
This is good to know Chris. It also explains why I was able see/measure the
distortion products on my Shibasoku 725D that were floating around 900kHz to about 1+MHz. (maybe just a tad higher than that @ 1.3MHz to 1.5MHz).
The 5th harmonic of a coil that had a reactance in the 330Khz neighborhood.

Cheers,

Sync
 
@Richard, how did it work out with your 334a? Did it prove good like low hanging fruit?
Or is it like planting an orchard and will take a while to grow fruit?

@ Demian, Davada or Anyman: ARTA question. Does ARTA care what or how it grabs its input data? Can it be configured for use without a sound card and take the data from
a DSP as a digital source? From USB, RS232, RS432, or from an Ethernet connection?

I've got an outboard hardware and software solution, it's just not an in-computer
soundcard...it's an out of computer digital or analog possible solution.

@ Richard, what did you do with your speakers? Did you have a sub or were you
not going to use it any longer? Did you replace it/them or were you looking for
something different?

Cheers,

Sync

You only need to place data on win audio stream. The actual call is wavin and wavout.
Win doesn't give a **** where the data is coming from.
 
Okay got it, thanks Davada. Does it need to be digital and not an analog
stream? I guess I'd also need to know where the pick off point is on the digital
stream, etc.

Cheers,

Sync

How are your programming skills?
Yes it has to be digital. After all...

There are free win audio and linux audio engines available.
Mostly in C. There is also stuff available for C#. Maybe visual Basic as well
 
How are your programming skills?
Yes it has to be digital. After all...

There are free win audio and linux audio engines available.
Mostly in C. There is also stuff available for C#. Maybe visual Basic as well

Programming skills aren't very good, I wouldn't say non existent.
The last thing I programmed was in Fortran 4+ (I think).
I did fool around with some data base thing about 25 years
ago.

There has to be some interface that I won't have to program,
that for find a student who's hot at coding.

Cheers,

Sync
 
What is the model of the Breeze DAC? That you like and measured well?

What mods did you do to it?

Thanks,

Sync

Late to the party, I hope you don't mind.

This one:

XMOS U8 AK4490 Audio HIFI asynchronous USB decoder DAC with Headphone out +PSU

You can read more about here: #510 and here #512

1Audio recommended a 12V supply with it.
I bent the first 5V reg. close to the power connector ,towards the side wall.
Dremelled out a ridge in the top cover, and used heat compound on it.
Changed the 5532 to an LM4562 (not necessary).
That's it. :)
 

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@Richard, how did it work out with your 334a? Did it prove good like low hanging fruit?
Or is it like planting an orchard and will take a while to grow fruit?

@ Richard, what did you do with your speakers? Did you have a sub or were you
not going to use it any longer? Did you replace it/them or were you looking for
something different?

Cheers,

Sync



I didnt pursue it much further. Moved to the 339A and others, afterwards.... a better place to begin, I thought. However, the variable notch feature still has potientail app but needs to be further investigated.... I found a passive notch filter to which I added an opamp to sharpen the notch. So, the 334A wasnt low hanging fruit enough for me. It still has potential to be looked into further.... just was not getting me what I wanted fast or easy enough. Your measurment with modification shows the potential is very good though. Just needs a meter buffer or ?? That is worth doing IMO.

The speakers went to Thailand a month ago. Replaced with a JBL M2 Master Reference system. Best upgrade I have made in many years. Still dialing it in.


THx-Richard
 
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what mods did you do for this level of performance??

It is low enough as the QA400 is good to not more than -100-110dB accurately.


THx-RNMarsh

BTW -- the diode half bridge circuit for the meter added 10X distortion compared to removing them. [as measured at the monitor output]

The residual of the amps in the 334A is about .0025 % THD. Mostly third. Not quit good enough in stock form for QA400 front end. But could be useful for some and they are dirt cheap and built like a tank. Just need to buffer that meter circuit.






-RNM
.
 
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Hi Richard,
Thanks for the update. If I had the money, I'd be all over one of them. Converted to Canadian funds, they are even further out of reach for most of us.

Once you're up to that amount of money, you naturally start thinking about Audio Precision equipment.

-Chris
 
There are 3 Panasonic VP7722A distortion analyzers for sale on eBay.... each at a little under $2000 USD.

These are great machines and worth every penny. I have two of them myself.


THx-RNMarsh

But then if I spend all my money on test gear then I have nothing to buy parts with to build circuits. I think our governments should give us some play money if they spend what they did on cyclotrons in the 70s.
 
Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations for distortion analyzing equipment.
I have an O-scope, signal generator, variac, bench power supplies, and voltmeters.
I have and use spice. I am a total novice, but I have built an amp or two. I would like
to test the amps I have built and see if they perform anywhere near what spice reports.

As an Audio Precision instrument (like what Nelson uses) is beyond my budget
(I think they start around $10,000 US), one of the solutions I was considering is
YMEC's DSSF3 software with (hopefully) a 192KHz/24 bit sound card. I'm thinking
this will cost around $500 US, or so. Has anyone used this software and have an
opinion?

I think I am mainly trying to measure THD and bandwidth. I'm open to suggestions
if anyone would care make recommendations.

thanks,
Robert
Free to a good home....

c488b79e9b0d64d96c5859bf78cb4227.jpg
 
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