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LynxONE

* limited by equipment used for testing

# test performed using a MIDIMan "Flying Cow" ADC-DAC. All other tests used Event's Layla.

Discussion Of Results

Based on the loop-back tests, this card generally equals or outperforms the equipment used to test it. It would be difficult or impossible to find commercial test equipment that would outperform it by a comfortable 10:1 margin, for good accuracy. Therefore, the Analog-Digital and Digital-Analog results shown, particularly those for noise and distortion, are probably limited by the equipment used to test it.

This card makes a fine "front end" for computer-based test equipment. While a FFT chart of this test is not shown, loop-back 1 KHz THD is about 0.00035% in the range from -3 to -6 dB FS.

There are slight variations between the PCAVTech measurement standards and those that the vendor uses for SNR and Dynamic Range (DR) testing. While FFT charts of these tests are not shown, PCAVTech duplicated the vendor's tests as he specifies them, and confirmed that the vendor's claims are slightly conservative. The vendor and PCAVTech agree on the importance of measurements and specifications, but there are some slight, inconsequential variations in how we measure and the nomenclature used.

PCAVTech uses unweighted, large signal noise measurements, within a band that is -3dB at 20 and 20 KHz. The vendor specifies A-weighting for his DR specifications. PCAVTech specifies SNR based on noise measurements made with a large signal present. The vendor specifies SNR based on noise measurements made in accordance with conventional industry practice, with no signal present. The vendor specification called "THD+N" corresponds to PCAVTech's "SNR". For further discussion of this topic see SNR & THD+N .

What the tests don't show, is how thoroughly professional this card is. All input-output connections are XLR for audio electronically trimmed for either -10 or +4 reference levels, and BNC for external clock. Even though the digital audio connections are XLR, the card accepts data formats and signals for both S/P-DIF and AES/EBU. I/O connectors are on generous wire bundles connected to the card via DB connectors. MIDI I/O is provided. Latency is low. On-card connections for the clock I/O allow easy slaving to other cards in the computer. NT (Intel and Intel-Multiprocessor), NT (Alpha), and Win95-98 drivers are provided, along with a custom level control and clock selection application. Normal Windows MCI interfaces are supported so the standard Windows level control application can be used to set levels.

The fine performance of this card is no doubt partially due to the chips used, which include CS 4390 - CS 5360 D/A and A/D, SSM 2142 balanced output amplifiers, CS 8414/8404 digital I/O interfaces, and PLX PCI9052 PCI interface chip.

The card has 24/96 digital I/O, but the analog sample rate is limited to 48 kHz.

Digital I/O performance is essentially bit-perfect. All LynxONE analog and digital I/O passes through digital level controls with an approximate range of 0 to -20 dB. Refer to the "baseline report" to see the exceptional kinds of performance levels that bit-perfect 24 bit digital cards provide.

LynxONE cannot do digital loop-back with itself. Nevertheless, LynxONE is truly full-duplex and will clock itself from any digital input. Therefore, external digital equipment can be looped through the LynxONE.

LynxONE Sound Card Frequency response (Full Duplex - Loop Back)

LynxONE Sound Card Frequency response (Full Duplex - Loop Back)

LynxONE Sound Card 1 kHz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise (Full Duplex -Loop Back)

LynxONE Sound Card 1 kHz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise (Full Duplex -Loop Back)

LynxONE Sound Card 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise (Full Duplex -Loop Back)

LynxONE Sound Card 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise (Full Duplex -Loop Back)

LynxONE Sound Card Residual Noise - (Dynamic Range) (Full Duplex - Loop Back)

LynxONE Sound Card Residual Noise - (Dynamic Range) (Full Duplex - Loop Back)

LynxONE Sound Card IM Distortion (Full Duplex - Loop Back)

LynxONE Sound Card IM Distortion; (Full Duplex - Loop Back)

LynxONE Sound Card FM Distortion - "Jitter" (Full Duplex - Loop Back)

LynxONE Sound Card FM Distortion - "Jitter" (Full Duplex - Loop Back)

LynxONE Sound Card Frequency Response, Analog to Digital

LynxONE Sound Card Frequency Response, Analog to Digital

LynxONE Sound Card 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise Analog Input to Digital

LynxONE Sound Card 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise Analog Input to Digital

LynxONE Sound Card 1 KHz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Analog to Digital

LynxONE Sound Card Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Analog to Digital

LynxONE Sound Card Intermodulation, Analog to Digital

LynxONE Sound Card Intermodulation, Analog to Digital

LynxONE Sound Card Residual Noise - (Dynamic Range), Analog to Digital

LynxONE Sound Card Residual Noise - (Dynamic Range), Analog to Digital

LynxONE Sound Card Jitter, Analog to Digital

LynxONE Sound Card Jitter, Analog to Digital

LynxONE Sound Card Frequency Response, Digital to Analog

LynxONE Sound Card Frequency Response, Digital to Analog

LynxONE Sound Card 1 KHz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Digital to Analog

LynxONE Sound Card 1 K HzTotal Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Digital to Analog

LynxONE Sound Card 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Digital to Analog

LynxONE Sound Card 20 Hz Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Digital to Analog

LynxONE Sound Card Intermodulation, Digital to Analog

LynxONE Sound Card Intermodulation, Digital to Analog

LynxONE Sound Card Residual Noise - (Dynamic Range), Digital to Analog

LynxONE Sound Card Residual Noise - (Dynamic Range), Digital to Analog

LynxONE Sound Card Jitter, Digital to Analog

LynxONE Sound Card Jitter, Digital to Analog