Audio Precision debuts APx555 with -120-dB THD+N typical
September 9, 2014. Audio Precision today introduced the APx555 audio analyzer, which Tom Kite, vice president of engineering at the company, described as offering unmatched analog performance with a THD+N specified at -117 dB, with -120 dB being typical. That's in contrast to the company's venerable 2700 Series analyzers, which heretofore offered an industry-leading THD+N of 115 dB.
Targeting chip makers, pro-audio equipment manufacturers, and existing 2700 users, the APx555 includes a sequence mode (suitable for QA, certification, and production test) as well as a bench-mode user interface that targets audio experts and power users of audio analyzers. In bench mode, the APx555 enables such users to set up complex test configurations and visualize the interaction between stimulus and response.
In addition, the instrument includes advanced clocking capabilities to support advanced digital interface testing and external synchronization and timing for pro-audio applications.
The instrument also offers a measurement bandwidth up to 1 MHz. “With class D amplifiers,” Kite said, “there is a lot of action above the audio band.”
Other features include an advanced master clock that provides sync/reference outputs for synchronizing external equipment to the instrument and sync/reference inputs for synchronizing the instrument to external equipment. The instrument also supports jitter generation and analysis. Digital I/O support is provided for balanced AES/EBU, unbalanced S/PDIF, and TOSLINK as well as Bluetooth, HDMI, and PDM. Interface impairments also are supported.
List price for the APx555 is $28,300, vs. $27,000 for a similar 2700 analyzer. Spyros Lazaris, vice president of sales and marketing, said the 2700 will remain a part of Audio Precision’s portfolio, offering a lower price point and preserving existing 2700 customers’ software investment. There would be no easy, automated way, Kite added, to port 2700 code to the APx555.
Some standard features of the APx555 will become options available on other APx platforms. The advanced master clock and advanced digital I/O capabilities will be $1,750 and $3,000 options, respectively, for the APx58x and APx52x. Bench mode will come standard on most APx models but will be a $2,000 option on the APx515.
Our October print issue will have more on the APx555.