List your favorite(cheap) test tools for audio systems

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The emphasis here is on tools that help to improve sound, safety, etc.

Here is one of mine (very basic & cheap):

AC Polarity Indicator

Cost: Around $5 at any hardware store.

Uses:
To check that your mains outlets are wired correctly with regards to Hot, Neutral, and Ground.

Benefits: Obviously for safety. Plus, I found that my audio gear sounds best when properly connected to AC Hot, Neutral and Ground(where needed).

Please list yours .

-Chas
 

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Your use of that amp reminded me of those AC "noise sniffers".

I had a chance to try the Audioprism Noise Sniffer(on loan from my local A/V installer). We used it to check the house wiring for noisy dimmers, appliances, etc. The most surprising find was that the popular new 'CF' compact fluorescent "bulbs" we retrofitted to save money are among the worst offenders, introducing a buzzing sound on the line that went away when we removed them. Turns out some brands of CF are worse than others.

While not cheap, if you can find such a unit on the used market it's worth trying. Once you've fixed your AC noise problems you can always sell it to recoup most of the cost.
 
re: Test Gear

Seriously, folks!

So far we have:
AC Polarity Indicators, and two kinds of "Noise Sniffer". :cool:

Also, we've established that, opposed to using test gear, some here prefer to rely on their senses for troubleshooting of hifi equipment. That's ok too, I guess.

I rely upon my ears for enjoyment of music on my system, but I'm afraid that such use is subjective (I find I can't reliably pass a blind A/B test- I've tried).:whazzat:

While my senses can tell me if or when something is wrong, they don't tell me specifically what or where (unless it's something as obvious as speaker position, loose or crossed wires, or an illuminated warning light) .

It's a great challenge, indeed, to try to use our senses objectively! If you can, perhaps you should apply at one of the audio magazines!

Seriously- other than the (obvious) use of our own senses, are there any other cheap diagnostic tools you've found that you could share that might be helpful to others here?
 
Good, but cheap ?

Behringer ECM8000 microphone.Hooked up to a cheap mic preamp with phantom power, a laptop computer...

Nice! How much did THAT set you back:)cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd::cd:... )? ;)

Personally, I evaluate the value(benefit) of each audio-related purchase in terms of "how many CD's would that cost", i.e. how many records could I buy with that money? It'd be nice to have deep pockets, though!
 
No's nose knows

Not to seem nosey, but if anyone else wants to put their nose in, please do it now! :clown:

I guess the original reason for this post was to find additional test gear, on a shoestring, that can help me to troubleshoot and/or tweak my system (in terms of finding/reducing/eliminating non-optimum setup factors) for best performance.

Anyone?
 
Nice! How much did THAT set you back(... )?

Well I already had the laptop as I use it for other things so all I had to buy was the Microphone and at the time a Behringer UB1002 mixer to plug it into, which I wanted anyway.

The ECM8000 is about AU$85 new and you can get a mixer with phantom power second hand of ebay for around AU$50, so all up around $135. OK, thats a bit of an investment but if you are considering doing some serious DIY audio it's probably the best one your going to make for objective measurements and diagnosis of the sound that your modifications are going to make.

Anyone who is serious about having decent sound and is willing to take the back off their speakers and make a difference that will pass blind testing start here.

col.
 
I find an old transistor radio handy (remember those?). You tune it between stations for noise, then wave the antenna over your amp circuit (don't touch anything). If you hear tones whines or signals of any type, go fix your unbypassed RF generating rectifier bridge, or look for oscillations in the circuitry. The only caveat- if you don't hear anything, it doesn't mean no problems exist.
 
Conrad Hoffman said:
I find an old transistor radio handy (remember those?). You tune it between stations for noise, then wave the antenna over your amp circuit (don't touch anything). If you hear tones whines or signals of any type, go fix your unbypassed RF generating rectifier bridge, or look for oscillations in the circuitry. The only caveat- if you don't hear anything, it doesn't mean no problems exist.
Digital and hybrid amplifiers will do that even when they're operating correctly.
 
Conrad Hoffman said:
I find an old transistor radio handy (remember those?). You tune it between stations for noise, then wave the antenna over your amp circuit (don't touch anything). If you hear tones whines or signals of any type, go fix your unbypassed RF generating rectifier bridge, or look for oscillations in the circuitry. The only caveat- if you don't hear anything, it doesn't mean no problems exist.
Ears for sure -- but get some training at the Musikverein, Concertgebouw, Festspiele, Carnegie Hall --

I was just discussing this with someone playing around with a DAC -- the power supply knocks the a.m. radio for a loop when the wall-wart is plugged in. I am using an Every Ready lantern battery -- now on sale at RS for $9.97.

A couple years back one of the fellas from ADI wrote of his experience at a customer location in Paris -- I think it related to unusual offset in some circuit -- they found the miscreant with a ham radio transceiver.

If I had to guess, I find my Fluke dmm, my Tek scope and a Tektronix TM5006 with assorted plug-ins to be indispensable...the number of auctions in t&M gear on EBay has doubled since September -- so there are going to be lots of bargains just as in 2001/2.
 
AC Line sniffers.
Many brands are available all over for around $15. on up.
Better ones have adjustable sensitivity, so it will pick up a hot line from farther away.
Aphiles use them to also detect noise being picked up in their signal and speaker wires, and move them away from the noise source.
Cheers.
 
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col said:
Behringer ECM8000 microphone.

Hooked up to a cheap mic preamp with phantom power, a laptop computer with a freeware realtime spectrum analyzer and bob is your uncle :D

col.

I'll second that one and TrueRTA has an oscilloscope mode too. Zelscope is $9.95 now.

Jaycar instrumentation interface for pc soundcard
$29.95

Ebay 10x scope probes just arrived in the mail this morning ... can't wait to start playing ... I mean testing
 
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