At Long last, an affordable Audio Analyzer from QuantAsylum! Uncork the casks and let the feast begin!

An audio analyzer is a high precision tool used to measure the performance of a variety of components involved in sound recording and reproduction. Pretty much everything except for speakers.   Think of it as a combination precision signal generator and spectrum analyzer that let's you at the very least do noise and distortion tests to a high degree of certainty. 

Despite the proliferation of cheap components which could be used to build audio analyzers in recent years an "affordable" unit was still in the neighbourhood of $5,000 or more.  Easily more.  Keep in mind that the audio analyzer market is not the same as the audiophile gear market.   Audio analyzers are not meant to appeal to those with more money than sense audiophiles or use diamond transistors and tubes recently "appropriated" from the radar of a Mig-23.  I'm comparing prices and performance from real gear from Audio Precision or Hewlett Packard here.  Even the cheap imports were still far too expensive for the 21st century small manufacturer or repair shop, not to mention a hobbyist. 

Some alternatives that have come close have appeared from the PC oscilloscope vendors.  Companies who leverage a PC to use as a test bed, but from my point of view, they were not yet a serious challenge.   While they may have offered wider frequency ranges in the Gigahertz ranges, and a great combination of digital and analog measurements and signal generation their use of bit limited analog to digital converters made them of little use or interest to the likes of me or any audio repair shop either.  I've yet to see one in the range for instance provide distortion measurements directly. 

Within the last week however I became aware of the QuantAsylum QA400 Audio Analyzer.  Finally, a piece of kit in line if not less expensive than a PC oscilloscope with the technical chops to rival the serious offerings from Audio Precision and others.  It's exactly what it should be.  An external 24 bit/192Ksps DAC and ADC with software to use it.   At $199, most audio designers without deep pockets would be ecstatic.   Given that it also throws in serious automation capabilities this device is a steal.  This company from a city in Washington state with an unpronounceable and indecipherable name ( Snoqualmie ) has broken the barriers!

I hope to see them featured in places like PartsExpress and PartsConnexion soon, not to mention a Linux port as well.