| Summary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parameter | My Opinion |
Mode of Operation | ||
| Full Duplex
Loop Back |
Analog > Digital | Digital > Analog | ||
| Frequency Response | Excellent | 20-20kHz +0.0, -0.55 dB | 20-20kHz +0.1/-0.25 dB* | 20-20kHz +0.0/- 0.5 dB* |
| 1 kHz Total Harmonic Distortion | Excellent | 0.0019% @ -.72 dB | 0.001% @ -0.6 dB | 0.0017% @ -0.36 dB |
| 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion | Excellent | 0.0022% @ -1.1 dB | 0.0013% @ -0.8 dB | 0.0014% @ -0.8 dB |
| Signal to Noise Ratio | Excellent | 92 dB | 94 dB* | 91 dB* |
| 19 & 20 kHz Intermodulation Distortion | Excellent | 0.0018% @ -1 dB | 0.0009% @ -1 dB* | 0.0009% @-1 dB* |
| Dynamic Range | Excellent | 96 dB | 97 dB* | 93 dB* |
| Jitter Distortion | Excellent | -117 dB | -120 dB | -122 dB |
| Software & Hardwre used in test: | Windows98 build 1998, LynxONE Driver Release: 1.00a Build 015, Spectra Lab data analysis software release 4.32.14, Asus TX97E motherboard with P5-233 & 64 MB of RAM. | |||
* limited by equipment used for testing
Discussion Of Results
This ADC/DAC performs close or beyond the performance limits of the LynxONE card used to test it. Therefore, the results shown, particularly those for noise and distortion, are probably limited by the test setup.
The Flying Cow has gone through a number of revisions, clearly indicated by text on the circuit board. This unit was a "Revison E". An earlier "Revision B" model tested earlier this year did not perform as nearly as well as this one. The most obvious of the changes between the two versions that PC AV Tech examined were in the layout of the circuit card. The power supply wiring on the common circuit card is far better isolated from the analog signal wiring. There are other significant circuit analog and digital circuit enhancements as well, even though the primary pieces, ADC, DAC, and digital transmitter and receiver; remain the same.
Flying Cow Revision "E" provides dramatically upgraded performance comparable to units costing far more. However, it still lacks external clock connections for the ADC and the XLR connectors for the analog inputs are what some might think to be the "wrong" sex. The latter can be corrected with inexpensive adaptors, which may be prefereable to using the TRS jacks,which performed inconsistently with some seemingly standard looking plugs on hand.
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Frequency response (Full Duplex - Loop Back) 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Frequency response (Full Duplex - Loop Back) MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC 1 kHz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise (Full Duplex -Loop Back) 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC 1 kHz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise (Full Duplex -Loop Back) MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise (Full Duplex -Loop Back) 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise (Full Duplex -Loop Back) MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Residual Noise - (Dynamic Range) (Full Duplex - Loop Back) 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Residual Noise - (Dynamic Range) (Full Duplex - Loop Back) MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC IM Distortion (Full Duplex - Loop Back) 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC IM Distortion; (Full Duplex - Loop Back) MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC FM Distortion - "Jitter" (Full Duplex - Loop Back) 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC FM Distortion - "Jitter" (Full Duplex - Loop Back) MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Frequency Response, Analog to Digital 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Frequency Response, Analog to Digital MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise Analog Input to Digital 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise Analog Input to Digital MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC 1 KHz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Analog to Digital 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Analog to Digital MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Intermodulation, Analog to Digital 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Intermodulation, Analog to Digital MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Residual Noise - (Dynamic Range), Analog to Digital 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Residual Noise - (Dynamic Range), Analog to Digital MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Jitter, Analog to Digital 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Jitter, Analog to Digital MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Frequency Response, Digital to Analog 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Frequency Response, Digital to Analog MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC 1 KHz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Digital to Analog 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC 1 K HzTotal Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Digital to Analog MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Digital to Analog 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Digital to Analog MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Intermodulation, Digital to Analog 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Intermodulation, Digital to Analog MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Residual Noise - (Dynamic Range), Digital to Analog 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Residual Noise - (Dynamic Range), Digital to Analog MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Jitter, Digital to Analog 
MIDIMan Flying Cow ADC-DAC Jitter, Digital to Analog
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This Page Last Revised 12/21/98 (abk)