dayton DATS info

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jump to Latest
S

sine143

Member
Joined 2010
#1
im considering picking this up in the near future. i was wondering if any members here had experience with the unit?

Im mostly interested in using it for speakers with dodgy claims (like mcm). the ne dayton pro drivers also merit some further testing.

I understand i wont be able to measure xmax etc, but for those of you who have DATS (or WT3), was it worth the buy?
 
#6
WT3/DATS

I am very happy with mine 😀

Pros:
It is small and the weight is only a few hundred grams
It is very fast to use and to hook-up
Reliable measurements
Curves/graphs can be saved on your PC directly
Passive cross-over parts can be measured (for matching / exact value)
It is very fast and easy to see if your zobel and notch filters are made correctly
You can use it anywhere together with your laptop running on batteries
Rub and buzz test*

Cons:
You have to install the program exactly as written in the guide otherwise you will get a lot of noisy, wrong measurements. Pay close attention to which edition of Windows you are using (I can´t tell about Mac). Most of the settings used on XP was completely different when changing to Windows 7.

*: This is not important to most users. I have been very happy with this function since I mod and change spiders + surrounds on some of my drivers from time to time. When doing this on 8 pcs. of Scan-Speak bass drivers this test discovered two units which were not perfectly in center. I was happy to know this since I couldn´t hear it during the test which is carried-out with a very small signal/tone-sweep.

Regards

Karsten

PS! Sometimes Parts-Express has a special offer where you will get a precision scale together with the DATS at the same price. My precision scale was tested and it is very precise. Very useful when playing with VAS - added mass method.
 
Last edited:
#8
Karsten Sømand said:
I am very happy with mine 😀

Pros:
It is small and the weight is only a few hundred grams
It is very fast to use and to hook-up
Reliable measurements
Curves/graphs can be saved on your PC directly
Passive cross-over parts can be measured (for matching / exact value)
It is very fast and easy to see if your zobel and notch filters are made correctly
You can use it anywhere together with your laptop running on batteries
Rub and buzz test*
Click to expand...

Good list. I should be trying it out with one of those 8" Windows 8 tablets soon - hopefully it works. For me, the best use of DATS is to measure the impedance curve of a built system, which can then be compared against the theoretical impedance curve predicted by computer software. The closer the curves match, the closer the as-built system is a match for the sim. In fact, I view with a healthy deal of skepticism any DIY design where the maker hasn't provided an impedance measurement of the built system to confirm that they actually built the alignment they designed on computer.
 
#10
I use it (sort of; the hardware is WT3 but the designer offers a software upgrade to the DATS package for WT3 owners) and it works just fine for measuring T/S parameters and taking impedance plots. I've also used it to measure some crossover parts. The Overall, IMO worth $100 or whatever it currently costs.

It works just fine in windows xp over Parallels on a proper Mac.
 
#12
The Parts Express forum is full of complaints about the WT3. A lot of those are from people that can't operate their computers properly and can't follow directions but there are a few very experienced computer power users that can't get consistent (or sometimes any) results from their WT3. There's a recent thread here in this forum that actually claims the WT3 results aren't particularly accurate, so that's something to think about too.

I've heard the Smith and Larson WT2 from woofertester.com is a much better unit but it does cost significantly more.

I don't own either but I am in the market for one and I'll probably get the WT2.
 
Last edited:
#13
The main issue is the USB ports. Even after configuring them individually and applying the settings, they sometimes revert back on their own especially after using the same ports for other things. You have to make it a habit of going into the control panel to triple check the settings each time, then doing the resistor/leads calibration. Even then if it is behaving wonky, you have to restart your PC. It's easy to use once you get used to the fact that PC operation leaves many things to be desired.

Of course, one could just do it the old school way with test tones/signal generator, a few resistors, multimeter, amp, added mass, delta-compliance, etc, etc. No PC to get wonky on you. It's how I started doing things in the early 90s--basic equipment and a 4-function scientific calculator.
 
Last edited:
#15
just a guy said:
The Parts Express forum is full of complaints about the WT3. A lot of those are from people that can't operate their computers properly and can't follow directions but there are a few very experienced computer power users that can't get consistent (or sometimes any) results from their WT3. There's a recent thread here in this forum that actually claims the WT3 results aren't particularly accurate, so that's something to think about too.

I've heard the Smith and Larson WT2 from woofertester.com is a much better unit but it does cost significantly more.

I don't own either but I am in the market for one and I'll probably get the WT2.
Click to expand...

WT3/DATS driving me nuts

Very recent thread, started a few hours ago. Lots of complaints about the WT3. Even the Dayton Audio Product Manager admits the WT3 is temperamental and has known issues.

Much of this difficulty is because Microsoft has changed the way recording levels are handled in the Windows audio subsystem in Windows Vista, 7, and 8, and none of them are the same. Our Quick Start Guide covers the different setup procedures needed for each operating system, and the procedure is different for each version of Windows after XP. At work, I leave the DATS plugged into my Windows 7 based desktop PC at all times (I just added a little stick-on hook to coil the cable onto). Occasionally I still have problems, but it's usually resolved by saving all my data, closing all my open programs, restarting the PC with the DATS connected, and completing the Quick Start procedure again, then launching the DATS software.

Also keep in mind that the DATS requires a warm-up time of 90 seconds (1.5 min.) before performing a full-power measurement. I have experienced some instability when performing multiple measurements right after one another, but letting the DATS rest for another 90 seconds usually restores normal operation. The cause of this instability is known and is being fixed in a future revision to the hardware. We are working to try to make measurements using DATS less temperamental, since we want the DATS product to be easy and a pleasure to use.
Click to expand...

I've never heard any complaints like this about the WT2. I don't think these issues have anything to do with the computer or the USB ports, most USB devices are very stable.
 
Last edited:
#16
I have 2 WT3 units and they give identical readings. For the heck of it I just installed it on my work laptop running Windows 8.1 I tested it working with the original WT3 software, DATS v1.0.1 and 1.0.2 software. When I went to calibrate the first time I did get a bad reading BUT it was because I forgot to change the advanced recording setting to "2 channel, 16 bit 44100 Hz (CD Quality)" it is very easy to overlook even if you remember to set recording input volume to "1"

I also have the Gen1 Woofer Tester around here somewhere (runs on 3.5" floppy disk and uses DB9 serial port) I think it was around $249 many many years ago
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom