New Transient Distortion Measurement Algorithm

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At Listen, we’re at the forefront of audio measurement research, and we’re always looking to improve on existing audio measurement techniques, even our own! Loose Particle detection has been a valuable production metric for analyzing transient distortion since we launched it in 2004. This new iteration uses our own original research to improve accuracy and reliability, show a clear correlation to audibility, and simplify limit setting. In addition to production line testing of speakers, headphones, drivers and other devices, it is also valuable for automotive Buzz, Squeak and rattle (BSR) measurements and measuring rattling components such as keys and buttons on a variety of devices. All is explained in the short video below.

Transient Distortion Detection Launch Video

Watch our launch video (broadcast date 05/25/2023) for the full details.

 

Ready to Measure your Transient Distortion?

If you have SoundCheck 21, you already have this new algorithm! Download our free complete end of line test sequence with enhanced Loose Particles to start using it right away.

If you don’t have SoundCheck 21, but have an older version, you can send us your recorded waveforms and we’ll analyze them for you and send you the results. Please contact sales@listeninc.com for a test sequence to record the waveforms.

No SoundCheck system at all? No problem! You can send us your speakers and we’ll test them for you. Or we may be able to arrange a system loan. Contact your sales engineer at sales@listeninc.com for more information.

Prefer to Read About It?

We know not everyone has 15 mins free to watch a video, although its hard to beat the benefits of a proper demonstration. So here’s a brief summary of the information about this new algorithm that is presented in the video:

What it does

The new algorithm measures transient distortion caused by loose particles that may become trapped in a device during manufacture and create an unpleasant sound when they vibrate in the finished product. This is measured in the time domain rather than the frequency domain as these artifacts appear randomly over time, and not periodically in the same way that harmonic distortion artifacts are presented. This algorithm has a couple of unique features:

1) It measures transient distortion separately from harmonic distortion which gives deeper insight into the failure mode and accelerates troubleshooting, particularly on the production line.

2) It’s easy to correlate with audibility as the algorithm removes the stimulus waveform to allow the user to listen to just the distortion artifacts. As well as enabling the user to truly understand how measured results correlate to listening, this also facilitates limit setting.

3) It’s reliable even in the presence of transient background noise since it relies on a cumulative event count rather than a single event triggering a fail. Limit setting is simple as it is not frequency dependent

 

Applications

  • Production line driver test
  • Production line finished product test (rattling buttons, keys, grills, and other components)
  • Buzz, Squeak and Rattle (BSR) / Impulsive distortion measurements in cars

 

How it works

Like Listen’s original 2004 transient distortion detection algorithm, enhanced Loose Particles relies on a time domain analysis of the waveform. However, rather than simply filtering and counting transients, it removed the stimulus, performs a time domain analysis of the remaining transients, then applies a unique Prominence calculation to evaluate each transient in the context of the surrounding waveform. A threshold is applied, and the number of transient events above that threshold are counted. The event count indicates whether a device has a transient distortion problem. Transient events caused by speaker manufacturing issues tend to repeat many times as particles bounce around in side the speaker, or components vibrate. In contrast, background noise events occur infrequently during the duration of the measurement. The threshold is set based on audibility, and the Loose Particle count limit can be set according to the environment to fine-tune the algorithm for the specific operating conditions.

 

Graphic demonstrating how the Transient Distortion algorithm (Loose Particles) works

4 Stages of the enhanced Loose Particles algorithm for transient distortion measurement: Response waveform, Loose Particle waveform, Prominence and enhanced Loose Particles.

 

 

For additional background, comparison to other methods, such as Crest Factor Analysis, and live demonstrations, please check out the video above.

 

Learn More

Huge Discounts on SoundCheck 21 Upgrades!

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For a limited time we are offering deep discounts on a system upgrade to enable you to get up to date with the latest version of SoundCheck. The upgrade offer is a simple flat rate: $4,175 for owners of SoundCheck 15 or 16, $3,402 for owners of version 17, $2,646 for owners of versions 18 and 19, and $1,465 for owners of version 20. All the modules on your present system will be included. Promotional pricing is valid till June 30th, 2023.

When you upgrade to the latest version of SoundCheck, the license is perpetual – in other words, you keep all the new features you have acquired for ever (or until you decide to upgrade to an even newer version).  Please ask us if you have any questions about upgrade licensing!

SoundCheck® 21 offers new features for both R&D and Production, as well as many usability upgrades including:

  • Enhanced Loose Particle Detection: A new enhanced Loose Particle detection algorithm for measurement of transient distortion is more accurate and offers improved correlation to subjective listening. In addition to identifying distortion caused by foreign material in the voice coil gap of a speaker, it is also valuable for detecting rattling buttons on smart devices and Bluetooth speakers, and identifying buzz, squeak and rattle in automotive audio applications.
  • Multichannel Spectrum Analyzer: A new multi-channel FFT analyzer replaces SoundCheck’s original single channel spectrum analyzer. This high resolution constant bandwidth linear filter analyzer enables any number of live FFT spectra to be simultaneously viewed in real time on the same graph.
  • Metadata for Simplified Data Collection and Recall: SoundCheck’s new Metadata feature simplifies data collection and documentation. Curves, values, results and waveforms can now be saved to a single TDMS file, along with all test parameters acquired during the sequence run such as test conditions, test sequence used, operator, serial number, microphone position, data entered via a message step and more.
  • Sequence Protection: Sequence protection guards your intellectual property and adds an additional level of assurance that your tests are run as-intended by your production facility or contract manufacturer. Any test sequence can now be locked and password protected before distribution. This prevents sequence steps and limits from editing and sequence steps cannot even be viewed, protecting the intellectual property in your sequences.
  • AudioConnect 2 Support: SoundCheck 21 supports AudioConnect 2TM, Listen’s new portable, compact and high resolution (up to 192 kHz) dual-channel audio interface. AudioConnect 2 is designed for measurements anywhere from the production line to out in the field.

Upgrade from Version

Upgrade List Price

Promotional Upgrade Price

Discount

15

$9,450

$4,175

56%

16

$7,875

$4,175

47%

17

$6,300

$3,402

46%

18

$4,725

$2,646

44%

19

$3,150

$2,646

16%

20

$1,575

$1,465

7%

If you are using a version prior to version 15, please contact your sales engineer for discounted price information.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Versions of SoundCheck prior to 16 are no longer supported. We highly recommend that you take advantage of this limited time offer to upgrade your systems to the latest version. Please contact your sales engineer to discuss additional multi-system upgrade discounts.
  • If you have multiple systems with different purchase dates, we are happy to work with you to get them all upgraded to the latest version and onto the same annual support contract cycle.
  • You can also reduce your future upgrade costs by purchasing an annual support contract for an additional $998. With this, you will receive SoundCheck 22 when it is released at no extra charge, as well as priority support service.
  • Discounted upgrade prices are only available to registered owner of software, for their exclusive use.

Please note that these prices are applicable to the US only. Users outside the US should contact Listen or their local representative for pricing information.

Please email your purchase order to sales@listeninc.com. You can also contact us on this email address if you would like to pay by credit card, have any questions, or need additional paperwork to support your order.

Please also see the detailed information on new features.

request_quote

SoundCheck Online Basic Training, May 2023

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Registration is now open for our Online SoundCheck Basic Training class from May 9th-18th.

The course will again consist of 6 x 2-hour sessions over a 2 week time period, and will cover all the same content as our standard in-person basic training course. Each session is led by a live trainer and will include instruction, demos, quizzes, breakout sessions and discussion. Hands-on exercises will be provided to be completed between sessions and reviewed in subsequent classes.

We are restricting attendance to 30 attendees to better facilitate breakout sessions, so sign up early to secure your spot. Registration closes on May 1st, and a 10% early booking discount will apply to all registrations received by April 17th.

Dates: May 9th, 10th, 11th, 16th, 17th, 18th

Time: 6 x 2hr sessions from 11.00am-1.00pm Eastern US Time (8.00am-10.00am Western US Time)

Attendees must attend all 6 sessions to complete the course.

Cost: $295 ($195 for support contract holders). Additional discounts for multiple people from the same company signing up together (2-3 people: 10%; 4 people: 15%; 5+ people: 25%). Additional 5% early bird discount when signing up prior to April 17th.

Instructors: Mark Latshaw and Pranav Swaroop

Course Outline

Session 1: Hardware & Calibration – Configuring audio interfaces and external equipment; certified audio interfaces; Calibration of different DUT types (telephones, speakers, etc.)

Session 2: Memory list, Data management, Virtual Instruments (Spectrum Analyzer, RTA, Multi-meter, Signal Generator, Oscilloscope), Sequence Editor Basics

Session 3: Sequence Writing Part 1 – Introduction to the sequence editor; stimulus; acquisition; basic analysis

Session 4: Sequence Writing Part 2 – Limits; Displays; Autosave; Recall; Printing

Session 5: Sequence Writing Part 3 – Messages & sequence logic; Post Processing; Statistics

Session 6: Sequence Writing Part 4 – Sequence Writing Examples

 

Group discounts are available for multiple attendees from the same company:

2-3 attendees: 10% discount

4 attendees: 15% discount

5+ attendees: 25% discount

 

Early bird discount: 10% until April 17th.

Register Now

 

Note about late signups: As training starts imminently, we do not have time to ship demo keys. This means that in order to participate fully, you must have a relatively up-to-date (version 20 or 21) hardware key available to use. If you do not, you can still follow along with the training in demo mode, but you will be unable to complete some of the hands-on exercises.

New Automotive Test Sequence

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We have a new automotive test sequence to measure Transient Distortion (also known as buzz, squeak, and rattle, Rub & Buzz, or impulsive distortion), Frequency Response, and Max SPL to the suggested measurement methods set out in the AES Technical Committee on Automotive Audio’s recently published white paper on in-car acoustic measurements. The three measurements are incorporated into one overall test sequence, making it fast and simple to run the entire suite of tests. This sequence facilitates evaluation of the committee’s proposals, and also serves as a basis for any similar in-house measurements. The white paper, which may be obtained from the TC-AA, outlines both measurement methods and physical configuration such as microphone and seat positioning in an effort to simplify comparison between vehicles.

More

Listen Introduces AudioConnect 2, a New Portable Dual-Channel Audio Interface

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AudioConnect 2, Listen’s new compact and high resolution two-channel audio interface is designed for measurements anywhere from the production line to out in the field, and is particularly suitable for headphone testing. It features 2 input channels with a sampling rate up to 192 kHz, microphone power, TEDS support, a low-noise headphone amplifier, and two line outputs. It can be powered via a laptop’s USB-C for portability and for field measurements.

With up to 90kHz frequency range, its two input channels can be independently configured as TEDS-compatible microphone and accelerometer inputs with constant current bias, microphone inputs with constant voltage bias, or regular line-in. This makes it compatible with a wide range of transducers including both SCM and IEPE microphones, couplers, accelerometers and most modern head and torso simulators, including the high resolution Brüel and Kjær 5128. The inputs feature selectable 0/20dB input gain with level and overload indicators.

Two line outputs drive microspeakers and powered loudspeakers or mouth simulators, or control SC Amp (Listen’s audio amplifier) or other similar devices. A separate low noise, low distortion, headphone amplifier powers headphones or allows monitoring of the audio signal via wired headphones.

Designed for portability, AudioConnect 2 is just 4.375” wide x 1.8” high x 8.625” deep, and is powered from a laptop via USB-C, eliminating the need for a dedicated power supply. This makes it ideal for measurements outside the lab such as testing headphones and hearing aids in real-world environments and making in-car audio measurements. For additional functionality, the line powered BQC Bluetooth interface can be added to configure a fully portable Bluetooth headphone test system with both hardware devices running from your laptop’s USB power! A power supply is also included, making it equally suited to production environments where its rack-mount compatibility, ruggedness and competitive price point also ensure that it offers excellent value.

Like Listen’s other new interfaces, AudioConnect 2 is designed for seamless use with SoundCheck. Setup time is minimal as SoundCheck automatically configures the device, loads the factory-saved calibration values and automatically populates the input channels with sampling rate. Self-test requires no additional cabling as all switching is internal. There are no front panel controls; control is exclusively via the software – either through a sequence or a dedicated control panel. This eliminates any possibility of accidental change to the settings. Level and overload indicators ensure reliable results with a clear warning if the signal is near or actually clipping, and BNC connectors minimize the possibility of  a cable becoming disconnected.

More information

SoundCheck 21 Brings Enhanced Loose Particle Detection, Multichannel FFT, Metadata, Sequence Protection and more

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Listen is excited to release SoundCheck 21, the latest version of its flagship audio test software. This version includes a new enhanced Loose Particles algorithm for transient distortion measurements in a wide range of devices. It also offers increased measurement capability with the new multichannel FFT analyzer. Other enhancements such as the ability to save metadata, sequence protection and AudioConnect 2 control round out the increased functionality of this year’s update.

The new enhanced Loose Particle detection algorithm offers more accurate measurements of transient distortion and improved correlation to subjective listening. It also makes it easier to  distinguish defects from background noise. The new algorithm uses the same time-envelope analysis technique as in Listen’s original 2005 Loose Particle algorithm, the first method developed for detecting random transient production line defects. However, this new version adds a prominence metric to better distinguish  the loose particle defects from other artifacts, and removes the stimulus from the response so only the defects are heard.  This makes it easy to set limits in line with subjective tests. In addition to identifying distortion caused by foreign material in the voice coil gap of a speaker, it is also valuable for detecting rattling components such as buttons on smart devices and bluetooth speakers, and identifying buzz, squeak and rattle such as loose wires or fasteners in automotive audio applications.

SoundCheck’s focus on multichannel analysis continues with a new multi-channel high resolution FFT analyzer to replace the original single channel spectrum analyzer. This enables any number of live FFT spectra to be simultaneously viewed in real time on the same graph, allowing direct comparisons and saving screen real estate over the previous methods of using a separate analyzer for each channel. Channel subtraction, maximum, minimum and power average can be calculated and displayed in real time, and the analyzer offers many options including standard and custom windows and various weighting options. Live FFT curves can easily be dragged and dropped into any graph for easy comparison to limits and reference curves. FFT analyses can be viewed simultaneously with RTA analyses, either side by side or superimposed on one another. This enables both high resolution spectra and constant percentage bandwidth resolution (eg. 1/12th Octave) measurements to be viewed at the same time.

The new Metadata feature simplifies data collection and documentation. Curves, values, results and waveforms can now be saved to a single TDMS file, along with all test parameters acquired during the sequence run such as test conditions, test sequence used, operator, serial number, microphone position, data entered via a message step and more. Both system fields (e.g. sequence name, operator, SoundCheck serial number) and user-defined fields can be stored.  This data can be viewed or recalled in SoundCheck, as well as by applications such as Microsoft Excel and Matlab. The TDMS format used for Metadata saves it in a binary format, minimizing read and write times when a sequence is running. This feature has many uses in both R&D and production applications.

SoundCheck 21 also includes new features designed to ensure test integrity and protect intellectual property when sharing test sequences with 3rd party manufacturers. Any test sequence can be locked and password-protected. Once locked, it can be run but sequence steps and limits cannot be edited without the password. Furthermore, the sequence steps cannot even be viewed, guarding the intellectual property in your sequences. Sequences can also be configured to only run on a particular SoundCheck system, or block of systems. This further protects against unauthorized use and helps ensure the end-to-end integrity of your tests, guaranteeing that your products are tested exactly as intended.

Finally, SoundCheck 21 supports AudioConnect 2TM, Listen’s new compact and high resolution (up to 192 kHz sampling rate) two-channel audio interface. With the option to power it via a laptop USB-C port, this compact, portable, and easy to use audio interface is designed for measurements anywhere from the production line to out in the field, and is particularly suitable for headphone testing. Set-up and configuration is extremely simple and fast with full plug-and-play functionality and TEDS support for automatic identification, configuration and calibration of microphones and accelerometers. AudioConnect 2 is exclusively configured via the SoundCheck software – there are no front panel controls. This provides an added level of test integrity by ensuring that settings cannot be inadvertently adjusted outside of your test configuration.

More information

 

Up to 50% off

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Level up to the latest version of SoundCheck with up to 50% off list price. Until the end of 2022, we’re discounting upgrades to the latest SoundCheck version by up to 50%  when you also purchase a support contract. We’re recently introduced many new features including enhanced perceptual distortion, a fully-featured multichannel RTA, upgraded signal generator and new stimulus and post-processing capabilities to support communications testing. Check out our summary of new features and imagine adding those to your test toolbox! 

Naturally we’re also working on some exciting new developments for the next release, and the support contract secures your copy of  version 21 at no additional cost when it is released next Spring, keeping you on the latest version at least through the end of 2023. And of course you’ll also get priority support from our knowledgeable team!

Note: Remember, our upgrades are perpetual – once you upgrade, you’ll have all the new features you’ve purchased for the life of your SoundCheck system, not just for a limited time or until our next update.

Upgrade from VersionUpgrade List PricePromotional Upgrade PriceDiscount+ Support ContractTotal Cost
14.0$9,000$4,50050%$950$5,450
15.0$7,500$3,75050%$950$4,700
16.0$6,000$3,00050%$950$3,950
17.0$4,500$2,70040%$950$3,650
18.0$3,000$2,25025%$950$3,200
19.0$1,500$1,12525%$950$2,075

* Note:

  1. Limit 5 keys per customer. Contact your sales engineer for 6+ system pricing.
  2. A 12 month support contract ($950) must also be purchased at the time of upgrade. This includes the version 21 release (with additional new features) when it is available early next year, as well as priority support.
  3. For systems prior to version 14, please contact your sales engineer for pricing.
  4. Not valid for lost/replacement keys or demo keys

Free Polar Plot Module and Sequence with Turntable Purchase

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We’re excited to launch the new MDT-4000 turntable from Portland Tool and Die. This new turntable, specifically designed for the needs of the audio test industry, delivers accuracy, flexibility, portability and more at a very competitive price.
To celebrate this product launch, we’re giving away our Polar Plot module ( $500 value) for free with the purchase of this turntable. We’ll even throw in our free loudspeaker polar plot sequence so you can be making measurements within minutes!

More about turntables

Polar Plot Sequence

Free Upgrade to 8 Channel System With AmpConnect 621 Purchase

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When you purchase our AmpConnect 621 multichannel audio interface, we’ll upgrade your SoundCheck system to 8 channels at no additional cost – that’s a saving of up to $1,500. This up-levels your system to a 6-in, 2-out multichannel system ideal for measuring mic arrays, automotive audio, noise canceling headphones and more. Used with the multichannel RTA in SoundCheck 20, you can view multiple signal paths simultaneously as well as calculate differences, averages and more in real time.

And if you don’t have a SoundCheck system yet, we’ve also got you covered ! We’ll discount any 8-channel software package by 25% when you purchase SoundCheck and AmpConnect 621 together.

Note: offers cannot be combined. Discounted pricing applies to a maximum of 5 systems. SoundCheck 20 is recommended for AmpConnect 621 control and full Multi-RTA functionality.

AmpConnect621

Multichannel RTA

Communications Testing Seminar

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Dec 14th, 9am & 2pm Eastern time; Dec 15th, 10am China time

Communications tests are not just for telephones! Join us for a demo-packed seminar with communications industry expert, John Bareham as we show how to evaluate devices such as smart speakers, headphones and wearables as well as all types of phones using industry standard procedures. We’ll talk about equipment, standards, and demonstrate sections of the TIA920B and TIA5050 standards, as well as Doubletalk measurements and POLQA analysis, all within SoundCheck.

Presenters: Steve Temme, John Bareham, Les Quindipan
Duration: 1 Hour

 

Register for 9am Event Register for 2pm Event Register for China Event