yuriv
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2008
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I tried to use a Zoom UAC-2 to replace my aging E-mu 0404 USB, which doesn't have a lot of support anymore. What looked good on paper were the Burr-Brown converters and the claimed dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio. So I ordered one and tested it. It feels solid and the build quality is really nice. It's also good for playing software instruments because of the low-latency USB 3.0 interface. And sure enough, it beats the old E-mu for on noise and dynamic range.
Noise levels
RMAA results
But look at the distortion! The converter chips can't be this bad. Sure, you probably won't hear it when playing music, but I was hoping to have this unit do double duty in a measurement rig. It looks like the analog electronics surrounding the converters aren't up to the same quality as those Burr Brown converters themselves.
1kHz, THD+N
IMD
What's worse is the frequency response of the line out. I did not find a way to defeat this peak in their mixer app:
Frequency response
There's no reason to have this in a modern audio interface, especially one that costs $250 US. So, if you're thinking of picking up one of these to make audio measurements, keep looking.