Help GoldenSound / GoldenOne Get An Audio Precision Analyzer

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Guys, I can't say I've ever done this in the past, but I'm so impressed with the work of @GoldenOne and just learned that he is saving for an APx555 from Audio Precision, through his Patreon page. I highly recommend that people subscribe to his Patreon and help him in this effort. His analysis is truly objective and his approach is a breath of fresh air. 

 

I would love to be a sponsor or sign up to his Patreon for the AS community, but I really don't want people to think I had anything to do with his mQa videos and opinions, because I really had nothing to do with any of it. 

 

Here's a link to his Patreon page, please sign up if you can - https://www.patreon.com/goldensound

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

P.S. I just reached out to my contact at Audio Precision. Not sure he can help, but it's worth a shot. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Let’s not turn this thread into a referendum on AP worthiness. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi @GoldenOne Here's something I've been thinking about because the only way I know how to test it is kind of crazy. If there was a test to discover an issue like this, it would be really neat. Otherwise, only reviewers using equipment for periods of time like normal users, will discover this type of stuff. 

 

Issue: I had a component here that would stop playback and require a reboot when I flipped the switch for my bathroom fan. It turns out this only happened in the winter when the humidity in my house is really low. The component, I believe, built up static in a chip, that eventually caused the issue. I also believe there was an issue with pops and ticks at strange intervals when the air was extremely dry in my house. Like the static was being discharged only partially, rather than "fully" by the fan switch. 

 

Question: Can you think of a way to test for this?

[The Computer Audiophile]

2 minutes ago, GoldenOne said:

That's an interesting one, and would definitely be a design fault.
I'd imagine it'd probably need some probing on the board itself rather than something that could be properly tested at the output, but the fact that it was so responsive to humidity is definitely odd.
Was this device grounded or floating?

To be honest I imagine there are some situations where buildup of charge or other similar things may impact a device. One that I've been curious about for a while is the schiit yggdrasil. That is notorious for having a DAYS Long "warmup" time. But It wouldn't really make sense for it to be a thermal issue. As that would sort itself out within a couple hours at most. It'd make more sense if it was some sort of buildup or stabilization of some other electrical property.

It'd certainly be interesting to look at. To create a proper test would probably need to know more about the specific component though.
The fact that it stopped playback when you turned on a mechanical component suggests that it could also be that it was extremely sensitive to DC on the mains. Fans, compressors, fridges etc are usually the main culprit for that. Any kind of reactive load.

 

It took a little while to figure this one out, but I think the larger items of importance would be some way to test for things like this, even if not humidity related, there are likely many other ways products can exhibit strange behavior. 

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, GoldenOne said:

 

I love it!!!

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 hour ago, GoldenOne said:

 

Love it @GoldenOne!

 

Your approach is fantastic.