Crane Song Solaris Technical Measurements

Discussion in 'Source Measurements' started by atomicbob, May 1, 2019.

  1. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    Crane Song Solaris technical measurements

    Standard Prologue
    If you are unfamiliar with audio measurements please use a search engine with the query:
    "audio measurements" or "audio measurement handbook"
    Look for publications by Richard C. Cabot and also by Bob Metzler, both from Audio Precision. There are other useful publications as well. These will provide basic knowledge.
    Interpretation of the following measurements is beyond the scope of technical measurements posts.


    The data presented were collected as follows:

    1. PrismSound dScope III, picoscope 5243B
    2. DAC balanced (Bal) output XLR
    3. Balanced cables Canare L-4E6S starquad (analog) and Belden 1800F with Neutrik XLR connectors (digital)
    4. Single Ended cables Audioblast HQ-1 1.5 ft with Rean RCA connectors or RG6 with BNC connectors
    5. 100 Kohm load used for measurements
    6. dScope analyzer sample rate 48 KHz unless otherwise noted
    7. DAC 44.1 KHz sample rate, 24 bit depth unless otherwise noted
    9. Audioquest Forest and Schiit Pyst USB cables used for measurement equipment
    9. Vaunix Lab Brick USB hub
    10. Shielded 14AWG and 16AWG power cables


    Measurements performed with following Solaris parameters (unless otherwise noted):
    1. Gain output set to +18 dBu


    Measurements were acquired over several days.
    Each day measurements commenced after 2 hours of warmup.
    Each day measurements were performed over a period of 8 hours.

    Index
    Post 1 - measurement setup description, highlights
    Post 2 - AES input - Balanced outputs part A
    Post 3 - AES input - Balanced outputs part B
    Post 4 - USB input - Balanced outputs part A
    Post 5 - USB input - Balanced outputs part B
    Post 6 - Filter Response vs Sample Rate
    Post 7 - Headphone output


    Notable highlights:
    Solaris has hot outputs, +18dBu (6.16 Vrms)
    Distortion and residual noise exceptionally low
    Excellent out-of-band noise rejection (see imaging measurements)
    Very low jitter
    Headphone output is also very low distortion (2nd harmonic dominant) and very low residual noise


    Setup picture:
    DSC_0125_small.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2019
  2. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    AES input balanced output measurements part A

    THD and THD+N spectrum at 1 KHz
    20190323-01 solaris Bal THD THD+N spectrum - AES.PNG

    THD and THD+N vs frequency
    20190323-02 solaris Bal THD THD+N vs frequency - AES.PNG

    THD and THD+N vs amplitude at 1 KHz
    20190323-03 solaris Bal THD THD+N vs amplitude - AES.PNG

    IMD spectrum
    20190323-04 solaris Bal IMD spectrum - AES.PNG

    IMD vs amplitude
    20190323-05 solaris Bal IMD vs amplitude - AES.PNG

    Frequency Response
    20190323-06 solaris Bal FR - AES.PNG

    Frequency Response (y-axis zoom)
    20190323-07 solaris Bal FR Y axis highly zoomed - AES.PNG

    Inferred Jitter
    20190323-09 solaris Bal inferred jitter - 7 KHz BW - AES.PNG

    1 KHz gain linearity
    20190323-11 solaris Bal 1 KHz gain linearity - AES.PNG

    Imaging
    20190323-13 solaris Bal imaging - AES 44K.PNG
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2019
  3. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    AES input balanced output measurements part B

    Dynamic Range
    20190323-14 solaris Bal dynamic range - AES.PNG

    Crosstalk
    20190323-15 solaris Bal crosstalk - AES.PNG

    50 Hz + 7000 Hz dual tone
    20190323-16 solaris Bal 50+7000Hz dual tone - AES.png

    600 Hz + 1700 Hz dual tone
    20190323-17 solaris Bal 600+1700Hz dual tone - AES.png

    1kHz @ -90dBFS
    20190323-18 solaris Bal 1 KHz -90 dBFS - AES.PNG

    1kHz @ -70dBFS
    20190323-19 solaris Bal 1 KHz -70 dBFS - AES.PNG

    20 Hz square wave -3dBFS 16Vpp 10mS/div
    20190323-21 solaris Bal 20 Hz sqr -3 dBFS 16 Vpp 10mS div - AES 44K.PNG

    20 Hz square wave -3dBFS 16Vpp 100uS/div
    20190323-23 solaris Bal 20 Hz sqr -3 dBFS 16 Vpp 100uS div - AES 44K.PNG

    Residual noise and interference
    20190323-40 solaris Bal noise and interference - AES.PNG
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2019
  4. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    USB input balanced output measurements part A

    THD and THD+N spectrum at 1 KHz
    20190327-01 solaris Bal THD THD+N spectrum - USB.PNG

    THD and THD+N vs frequency
    20190327-02 solaris Bal THD THD+N vs frequency - USB.PNG

    THD and THD+N vs amplitude at 1 KHz
    20190327-03 solaris Bal THD THD+N vs amplitude - USB.PNG

    IMD spectrum
    20190327-04 solaris Bal IMD spectrum - USB.PNG

    IMD vs amplitude
    20190327-05 solaris Bal IMD vs amplitude - USB.PNG

    Frequency Response
    20190327-06 solaris Bal FR - USB.PNG

    Frequency Response (y-axis zoom)
    20190327-07 solaris Bal FR Y axis highly zoomed - USB.PNG

    Inferred Jitter
    20190327-09 solaris Bal inferred jitter - 7 KHz BW - USB.PNG

    1 KHz gain linearity
    20190327-11 solaris Bal 1 KHz gain linearity - USB.PNG

    Imaging
    20190327-13 solaris Bal imaging - USB.PNG
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2019
  5. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    USB input balanced output measurements part B

    Dynamic Range
    20190327-14 solaris Bal dynamic range - USB.PNG

    Crosstalk
    20190327-15 solaris Bal crosstalk - USB.PNG

    50 Hz + 7000 Hz dual tone
    20190327-16 solaris Bal 50+7000Hz dual tone - USB.png

    600 Hz + 1700 Hz dual tone
    20190327-17 solaris Bal 600+1700Hz dual tone - USB.png

    1kHz @ -90dBFS
    20190327-18 solaris Bal 1 KHz -90 dBFS - USB.PNG

    1kHz @ -70dBFS
    20190327-19 solaris Bal 1 KHz -70 dBFS - USB.PNG

    20 Hz square wave -3dBFS 16Vpp 10mS/div
    20190327-20 solaris Bal 20 Hz sqr -3 dBFS 16 Vpp 10mS div - USB 44K.PNG

    20 Hz square wave -3dBFS 16Vpp 100uS/div
    20190327-22 solaris Bal 20 Hz sqr -3 dBFS 16 Vpp 100uS div - USB 44K.PNG

    Residual noise and interference
    20190327-40 solaris Bal noise and interference - USB.PNG
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2019
  6. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    Filter Response vs Sample Rate

    20 Hz square wave -3dBFS 16Vpp 100uS/div AES Sample Rate 44 KHz
    20190323-23 solaris Bal 20 Hz sqr -3 dBFS 16 Vpp 100uS div - AES 44K.PNG

    20 Hz square wave -3dBFS 16Vpp 100uS/div AES Sample Rate 88 KHz
    20190323-24 solaris Bal 20 Hz sqr -3 dBFS 16 Vpp 100uS div - AES 88K.PNG

    20 Hz square wave -3dBFS 16Vpp 100uS/div AES Sample Rate 176 KHz
    20190323-25 solaris Bal 20 Hz sqr -3 dBFS 16 Vpp 100uS div - AES 176K.PNG

    20 Hz square wave -3dBFS 16Vpp 100uS/div AES Sample Rate 44 88 176 KHz overlay
    20190323-26 solaris Bal 20 Hz sqr -3 dBFS 16 Vpp 100uS div - AES 44 88 176K overlay.PNG
    Higher sample rates result in less filter ringing and faster transition time
    88 KHz is a reasonable compromise
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2019
  7. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    Headphone Output

    Output Impedance: 0.6 ohms


    300R pdf report (zip compressed)

    30R pdf report (zip compressed)

    The files are attachments compressed with 7z using ultra and some special settings. Will likely require 7z to unzip.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: May 1, 2019
  8. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    reserved 8/8
     
  9. Baten

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    Awesome!! Sure is a wonderfully clean 4490 implementation. Superb jitter and rather intriguing digital filter result, too.

    I'm only taken aback by the headphone amp. Makes sense why people say it pairs well/warms up the DAC, measurements look almost tubey (to me)?
     
  10. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophileâ„¢

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    Let's not use bs term such as "tubey" -- pretty inaccurate expression imo.
    I'd rather take it as minimal uses of necessary evils such as nfb.

    Solaris hp out has good grips of grunt, surprisingly well for builtin hp amp. Heck, even dedicated head amps like 789 often fail to do it. I truly respect that solaris engieers tuned their product by ears not by numbers.
     
  11. Ash1412

    Ash1412 Friend

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    Interesting to see the USB measurements show more noise than AES, unlike with the Convert-2. Didn't people in the subjective impressions thread say the USB implementation on the Solaris sounded pretty bad? Good to have measurements verify this
     
  12. Baten

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    I definitely agree with that, and this very thing for sure increases my interest in auditioning one!
     
  13. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    Actually, Dave Hill is mindful of both, using measurements and listening to guide design, like any top engineer. Ignore either domain at one's peril.
     
  14. mokobigbro

    mokobigbro Acquaintance

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    Dave Hill is a legend!

    I've used his avocet and stc-8 in my previous years.
     
  15. avr90

    avr90 New

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    Hi! May I ask you please, what is the impedance of the Main and Secondary (fixed output)?
    I'm thinking about using a low capacitance cable like Belden 1800F and Goldpoint with the secondary Solaris output (before and after the Goldpoint). Is it a good idea in general?

    Did you also compare the main output and the secondary output of Solaris? What did you prefer?

    Thank you!
    Arsen.
     

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