SoundCheck

The system is centred around the SoundCheck software. This powerful package controls and communicates with the measurement hardware, and includes all the stimuli, algorithms and analysis functionality needed to develop and run virtually any electroacoustic or audio electronic test. It is paired with hardware ranging from a simple, all-in-one audio test box to sophisticated discrete components for a complete test system. In addition to Listen hardware, a range of 3rd party products and test accessories are fully supported within SoundCheck.

The modular software and many hardware options enable a customized solution to be configured for your specific test requirements and budget. Annual software updates ensure that the system evolves to keep pace with evolving test methods and requirements, and both software and hardware can be expanded at any time to meet future testing needs.

SoundCheck Software is the heart of a SoundCheck test system. It generates all the test signals, performs analysis and displays results according to the user’s configuration.

While it is an extremely powerful and flexible product, its capabilities can be described in 3 parts:

• Test Sequences – how tests are configured by the operator
• Virtual Instruments – software implementation of standard audio test equipment
• Data Analysis – the various analyses that SoundCheck can perform on your data

SoundCheck truly is the most flexible audio and audio electronic test system available. Its measurement capabilities include:

Frequency Response
SoundCheck offers many options for measuring frequency response across various applications. Simple sine sweeps are used to test basic transducers, providing an optimal signal to noise ratio by analyzing the signal with high precision filters. For more complex scenarios SoundCheck’s Real-Time Analyzer can be used to measure frequency response with broadband stimulus signals such as speech. Transfer function analysis allows for direct input versus output comparison and is very useful in electronics testing. Customers who need to test open air rather than in an anechoic chamber can take advantage of SoundCheck’s sophisticated Time Selective Response module for performing simulated free field measurements.

Distortion
No single distortion measurement can characterize a device or detect all possible manufacturing defects, so SoundCheck includes a complete set of distortion algorithms to suit every requirement. These range from traditional measurements like THD, Rub & Buzz and Intermodulation to cutting edge perceptual distortion metrics. Many of these measurements can be calculated from a single sine sweep, providing superior accuracy alongside minimal test times. Distortion measurements include Harmonic Distortion (THD, THD+N), Rub & Buzz, Loose Particle Detection, Intermodulation Distortion, Non-coherent Distortion and Perceptual Distortion Measurement

Phase (polarity)
Phase is an important audio test component. SoundCheck allows accurate measurements of the DUT’s phase response when measuring with sine waves, or relative phase using transfer function analysis. It can also calculate phase-derived measurements such as polarity and group delay.

Polar Plot
SoundCheck measures a device’s directional characteristics by acquiring data at different angles either manually or via an automated turntable. Directional data can then be displayed on a polar plot and used to calculate the directivity index.

Thiele-Small Parameters
SoundCheck features pre-programmed Thiele-Small equations and test sequences for the three commonly-used methods: added mass, known volume and known driver mass. A simple curve fit algorithm automatically extracts the F0, Q and Z-max values, and the standard Thiele-Small equation can be adapted using the post-processing equation editor for analysis using different models

Time-Frequency Analysis
Detailed signal analysis is carried out simultaneously in both the time and frequency domain, which is ideal for impulse response analysis and detection of loose particles and Rub & Buzz in loudspeakers. Time-frequency analyses are also valuable for identification of transient effects such as drop out in digital devices including VoIP and Bluetooth headsets. SoundCheck’s Time-Frequency analysis options include Waterfall plots /Cumulative spectral decay (CSD), Wigner-Ville, Short term fourier transform (STFT) and Wavelet analyses.

Impedance
SoundCheck can measure the electrical impedance of loudspeakers and headphones using a simple reference resistor (included in Listen hardware such as AmpConnect and SC Amp) or using an even higher-accuracy two-channel measurement. Resonance characteristics such as Q, Zmax and F0 can also be derived from the impedance curve.

Measure to International Standards
SoundCheck tests devices to many international standards. Pre-written test sequences are available for TIA 810A, TIA 920B, ANSI/IEC Hearing Aid standards, Lync/Skype testing, Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) and EN-50332 (Max SPL of portable devices), and more.

The SoundCheck Brochure

The SoundCheck automotive datasheet

The SoundCheck headphone datasheet

The SoundCheck loudspeaker datasheet

The SoundCheck voice controlled audio device datasheet

The new features in SoundCheck 21