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Secrets Benchmark Product Review
 

AudioControl Maestro M2 7.1 A/V Surround Sound Processor

Part III

March, 2006

John E. Johnson, Jr.

 

On the Bench

All test signals were input using either a Toslink optical digital input, or an RCA unbalanced coaxial input. Output was taken at an RCA jack.

With a 1 kHz analog input, set to deliver 1 volt RMS output, THD+N was less than 0.04%.

Using a DD generated 1 kHz input, and 1 volt RMS output, THD+N was a bit less than with the analog input, at 0.028%. You can see that in general, noise was less as well.

At 1 kHz and 1.5 kHz, 1 volt RMS output, the A+B peak at 2.5 kHz was - 97 dB compared to the fundamental. The B-A peak at 500 Hz was - 82 dB. The lower, the better obviously, but these numbers represent good performance (good performance would be considered anything lower than - 80 dB, and if all nine peaks for a standard IMD calculation were at - 80 dB, the total IMD would be 0.02%).

With the 1 kHz and 1.5 kHz signals being generated by Dolby Digital, the A+B peak at 2.5 kHz was at - 91 dB, while the B-A peak at 500 Hz was at - 88 dB.

At 5 kHz and 6 kHz, the A+B peak at 11 kHz was at - 96 dB and the B-A peak at 1 kHz was also at - 96 dB.

For the DD signals at 5 kHz and 6 kHz, A+B was at - 104 dB. The B-A peak at 1 kHz was at - 92 dB.

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