A few thoughts on tools.
To this day, there is no absolute understanding of the correlation between the objective parameters of audio equipment and subjective perception. Nevertheless, I have always strived for a combination of high objective and subjective parameters.
One of the best representatives of audio analyzers is the Audio Precision APx555. Yes, it costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And—yes, it is the modern industry standard. The achievable dynamic range of this system is over 120 dB.
To my great pleasure, there is a whole range of more affordable devices capable of competing with the benchmark. The industry does not stand still, and the fantastic parameters of measuring equipment are becoming more than accessible.
Recently, such a device appeared in my lab — the QuantAsylum QA403. It is a compact analyzer with 32-bit DAC-ADC chip architecture. The parameters claimed by the manufacturer are 115 dB. A magnificent design!
In this screenshot, you can see the noise floor of the audio analyzer itself. I think no comments are needed here.
I will comment on the next screenshot. Here you see the practical application of the measurement system. These are the noise characteristics of the N95 mastering equalizer. In this case, the flawlessly clean noise spectrum is clearly visible, surpassing its predecessors by several decibels. Moreover, looking at the result, one can be confident in the absence of problems during low-frequency boost — this is precisely where the unfixable problems of the prototype and early versions were hidden.
