DIY Audio Analyzer with AK5397/AK5394A and AK4490

Member
Joined 2009
Paid Member
Looking very good! Could you also post the result of using unbalanced output? Most consumer audio gear is unbalanced, so that is a mode that is going to be used quite often. It would be reassuring to see that the unbalanced performance is not much worse than the balanced performance.

Also, from the first post: "16. Expansion connector for future digital I/O" is that still true? Do you have any plans here? Is there room on the front or back panel for SPDIF i/o for example?

- OJG

I have attached a measurement of the distortion using balanced and unbalanced connections.
The performance is different, but not by a huge margin. It is probably caused by the input amplifier. The two phases of the balanced outputs are exactly the same, except that the signals are inverted versions of each other.

The expansion connector is still there. It might be used for added functionality in the future, but I cannot promise that.
 

Attachments

  • Distortion_bal_unbal_170114.pdf
    52 KB · Views: 242
Member
Joined 2004
Paid Member
Both look really good to me, and the noise floor is about 10 - 20dB better than I am able to get with my current set up.

Hello,

1audio is correct,

For many noise floor is confusing, averaging, sample size, sample rate and FFT window type all contribute.
Look at THD + Noise without the test generator and the software will total the noise power across the BW. This is the residue noise.

DT
 
I have an L22 as well. I'll try the same tests. I need to build some cables for it anyway.
Maybe the outcome with your L22 is more favorable, as Bob Bauman, the principal H/W engineer at Lynx, told me that in later renditions of the line driver, a 100nF cap was replaced with a zero ohm resistor. Which one exactly, he was reluctant to reveal. So I'm not sure whether the excessive SE distortion which I observed, has really been reduced in later versions of the L22.

Cheers, E.
 
Single ended issues

You would have thought that they would thank you profusely and send you a free card. Very poor response (the company, not the card).
Jan
Hi Jan,

Indeed, very poor, not to say blunt. On the other hand, Bob Bauman, was way more responsive and admitted, that is, to a certain degree, that in later versions of the L22 sound card "something" has been corrected.

Cheers, E.
 
My experiences with Lynx Studio Technologies span at least 20 years, and they have always been exemplar. You seem to have the exception to the rule.

They have been extremely timely with their communications and solutions for me in a professional setting. (I have used equipment from them since the late 90s) Turn around for problems often in a matter of hours with custom drivers to address odd motherboard/card combination realities.

Cheers
Alan
 
I have attached a measurement of the distortion using balanced and unbalanced connections.
The performance is different, but not by a huge margin. It is probably caused by the input amplifier. The two phases of the balanced outputs are exactly the same, except that the signals are inverted versions of each other.

Still looking good, that's a relief :) I assume this was with the cold input connected to ground?

- OJG
 
Member
Joined 2004
Paid Member
I have an instrument here that uses it. it works great actually but its not practical for a 50 Ohm source. The power requirements are too high.

An alternative is to make the source completely floating and then it doesn't matter whether one side (or the other) is grounded or not. I have another instrument like this. With a 50 Ohm output it enables very low impedance attenuators which are useful for testing high gain circuits.