Audio Precision introduced the APx555 audio test instrument at the 137th AES Convention

October 20 2014, 09:00
Audio Precision has released its finest audio analyzer to date, the APx555. A culmination of 30 years of experience, the APx555 is Audio Precision’s most powerful and capable audio test instrument. The APx555 outperforms the legendary Audio Precision SYS-2700 series, the previous leader in analog audio performance. Leveraging the modular architecture and powerful software of the APx family, the APx555 delivers improved measurement accuracy, speed, flexibility, automation and ease-of-use for developers of audio components, equipment and systems.

With a typical residual total harmonic distortion + noise (THD+N) of –120 dB (conservatively specified at –117 dB), the two analog channels of the APx555 boast the lowest noise and distortion of any audio analyzer ever made, allowing the most sensitive measurements to be made with assurance. This extraordinary performance is coupled with 1-MHz bandwidth (mono) and an industry-leading fast Fourier transform (FFT) resolution of 1.2 million points.

The generator is capable of producing low-distortion sine wave signals up to 204 kHz, at high-level amplitudes up to 26 VRMS. The APx555 offers audio developers previously unachievable insight into the behavior of their designs, unimpaired by noise or artifacts from the test system.

In conjunction with the APx555 introduction, Audio Precision is releasing the new APx500 V. 4.0 software, which provides a multi-mode user interface for the entire APx family of analyzers. Developed with system flexibility in mind, the software enables easy switching between Sequence Mode — the fast and efficient menu of measurements with which APx users worldwide are familiar — and Bench Mode, a SYS-2700 series-inspired approach that delivers real-time feedback of any selected parameters, including waveform scope, FFT spectrum, levels, frequency, THD+N, and more. Engineers may choose the mode that best suits their needs with a click of a mouse button.
 
Regarding digital I/O, AES3 and S/PDIF are standard to the APx555, with the instrument also supporting the entire range of APx options, enabling native connectivity and analysis of audio via Bluetooth, High- Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), Digital Serial (I2S, TDM) and PDM (1-bit oversampled) formats.

The APx555 provides a full range of AES3 and S/PDIF digital output impairments, including jitter generation and analysis. A new Advanced Master Clock handles input and output clock signals to synchronize the APx555 with external equipment.

The APx series uses a modular architecture that supports a wide range of digital I/O, ensuring that as formats change APx options will be ready to support the audio industry. APx500 measurement software is under constant development, keeping pace with new standards and methods in audio test.

30 Years of Audio Test & Measurement
Audio Precision revolutionized the audio test world thirty years ago with the introduction of System One, the first audio analyzer to utilize the power of a PC as part of its design. AP continued to lead the industry as new audio technologies were developed: dual-domain audio analysis, 192K digital analysis, Dolby and DTS test solutions, and more recently with the next-generation APx platform, offering the first multichannel audio analyzer and the first HDMI audio analyzer.

The APx series also introduced a modular architecture to enable a wide range of digital I/O and the ability to evolve with the changing needs of audio professionals around the world. “As we enter our fourth decade, we are honored to be an integral part of the audio industry,” says AP co-founder and Chief Analog Designer, Bruce Hofer. “We look forward to continuing to push performance boundaries to help audio engineers and technicians deliver the best possible audio experience to listeners everywhere.”
www.ap.com
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About Vance Dickason
Vance Dickason has been working as a professional in the loudspeaker industry since 1974. A contributing editor to Speaker Builder magazine (now audioXpress) since 1986, in November 1987 he became editor of Voice Coil, the monthly Periodical for the Loudspeake... Read more

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