Douk VU3 VU Meter Review (Updated Version)

[NoxMorbis]

A 5dB drop is better than a 15dB drop so it looks as if about 10dB drop is due to the added contact points and about 5dB may be caused by the circuit applying a non linear load.

How would they fix that?

 

[NoxMorbis]

Manual FAQ extract :
'Q2: When choose certain functions via remote cotrol, the backlight of VU meter will also flash?
A: This is original design and normal.'

That's pretty cool, really, so you know if the signal is getting to teh unit. However, if other IR devices do the same thing, that's kind of annoying. I swaer, Chinese people love bling like that. Just about everything peice of Chinese electronics has extra piled on top options that I would never use or need. For instance, I have a 20.00 dollar motion detector with remote alarm, and it has so many options, it's annoying. You can make it play music or ding dong. You can tell it to flash slowly or fast, intermitantly, red, blue, both, or not at all. You can tell it to beep 3 times, or 5 times , or . . .and so on.

 

[NoxMorbis]

It would not stand-out/matter if the amp used was not as good as the LA90 but rather your average speaker amp.

Fortunately the lowering of SINAD is not in an audible amount.

I'm trying to make sense of these two comments. Just to be clear, you are saying that as long as the amp is X SINAD, it won't matter. But if it is as good as the LA90, it would matter (be audible)? I think Amir put that SINAD at 92dB? I'm confused here. Doesn;t the lowering of SINAD affect any amp, regardless of it's SINAD (lowers it)? That's how I interpreted Amir's remarks about having at least a 92dB SINAD amp.

 

[Hipster Doofus]

For those who need meters…this one is about a square meter.

Found this free app Kauna. I hdmi my computer to the tv and usb the sound to the dac. No interference

 

[pseudoid]

Some (tube) amps don't like it if they have no load. That's what the thick resistors are for.

My McIntosh MC275 hated (destructive type) being unloaded. The MC275 (KT88 tubes) did not even like an A/B speaker selector box inline (Adcom GFS-3), because the GFS-3 was a 'break-before-make' switch. I ended up building a 8"x11" heat-sink plate, with those old Bournes 100W (8-ohm) dummy-loads, but I never looked to solve the intermittent no-load issue, due to complexity...

That's what the thick resistors are for.

Picture above shows (possibly) a wire-wound resistor that may have issues; if inductive [?].

 

[solderdude]

How would they fix that?

Do they need to fix that ?
I mean this device is a toy. It is not a serious piece of measuring equipment nor a serious AB box. It is just a box with some swinging needles and can switch 2 amps and 2 speakers by remote control.

I'm trying to make sense of these two comments. Just to be clear, you are saying that as long as the amp is X SINAD, it won't matter. But if it is as good as the LA90, it would matter (be audible)? I think Amir put that SINAD at 92dB? I'm confused here. Doesn;t the lowering of SINAD affect any amp, regardless of it's SINAD (lowers it)? That's how I interpreted Amir's remarks about having at least a 92dB SINAD amp.

When the amp is SINAD 120 and it becomes 105 then this is measurable, but not audible.
When the amp is SINAD 80 and it becomes 79 then this is hardly measurable and equally not audible.

In both cases it is not audible. That said... if you want the best possible signal fidelity you should not be using this device if you care about the sound quality only it won't make a difference.

 

[gaussianmist]

No VUs in vacuo. This is the gods' Grande Design,

 

[ocinn]

Prior to doing that, both channels had a SINAD of 120 dB.

Well if all you are looking for is an aesthetic bouncing meter box, this parallel wiring arrangement is far better than using the pass-thru.

 

[NoxMorbis]

Do they need to fix that ?
I mean this device is a toy. It is not a serious piece of measuring equipment nor a serious AB box. It is just a box with some swinging needles and can switch 2 amps and 2 speakers by remote control.


When the amp is SINAD 120 and it becomes 105 then this is measurable, but not audible.
When the amp is SINAD 80 and it becomes 79 then this is hardly measurable and equally not audible.

In both cases it is not audible. That said... if you want the best possible signal fidelity you should not be using this device if you care about the sound quality only it won't make a difference.

Oh I'm not understanding the way it decreases SINAD them, since it lowers SINAD 120 to 105 but SINAD 80 to 79?

 

[amirm]

FYI the meter has gone back to Amazon.....

 

[solderdude]

Oh I'm not understanding the way it decreases SINAD them, since it lowers SINAD 120 to 105 but SINAD 80 to 79?

SINAD is just 1kHz tone (at a certain specified level) in relation to all 'crap' levels that should not be there converted to dB and the dB naming and sign removed.
You cannot simply 'add' dBs in this case. They represent level differences.
You need to convert dB's to linear levels, add the levels and then convert back to dB.
110 is 3x higher in level than 120.
100 is 10x higher in level than 120
80 is 100x higher in level than 120
We have to add levels. The levels are very, very, very small and below any audible threshold levels.
Even SINAD 80 (depending on the harmonic spread) is probably only audible in lab conditions with extremely good speakers/headphones, trained listening to pure tones.
When you add very, very, small amounts of levels to 100x higher levels this is not going to be audible nor really visible in numbers and impossible to hear as the relatively massive amounts of 'unwanted crap) are 'masking (overwhelming)' the minute added crap.
With music, being dynamic in nature and signals masking other signals you really cannot detect crap that is even louder than the music unless it is constant in level (say noise, hum, or other constant noises). Distortion levels, however, go up and down determined by the actual levels and harmonics in the music will mask those tiny, tiny levels anyway.
For this reason it matters if we are looking at distortion while considering music. It is not the same as test tones as all kinds of perception aspects is going on.

 

[Rick Sykora]

So, while am disappointed Douk did not fix much here, really seems they are overshooting the target imo. I really just want a decent pair of VU meters and do not care about any switching capability. If they would reduce the added cost of relays and connectors and focus on making a solid meter, think this would be a big seller. Same for the VU2 that seems do try to do way more than needed.

For the price suppose could mod one to do, but still seems to need some work on the gain adjustment as @amirm indicated.

 

[fpitas]

Very interesting. The gas tight fit of bare copper is the better conductor.

I use bananas at work all the time, good ones made by Pomona. They still suck for consistency. You wiggle them and get different answers. Friends don't let friends use banana jacks for audio.

 

[dualazmak]

I am sorry getting a little bit out of the scope of this thread, but just for your possible reference,,,

After having some nice discussions on the preceding thread entitled " Douk VU3 Review (VU Meters)" as well as on the thread entitled "VU Meters: Let's See 'Em!!", I decided and accomplished my DIY of 12-VU-Meter Array in DSP-based multichannel multi-SP-driver multi-amplifier fully active stereo audio setup, using IEC 60268-17 fully compatible large glass-face Nishizawa R-65 (W111 mm x H77 mm: glass-face W100 mm x H40 mm).

As I repeatedly chimed, we should not mix-up quasi-VU meters/sham-VU meters with genuine true VU meters fully compatible with IEC 60268-17 VU meter specification/standard, especially transient ballistic behaviors of rise time, overshoot and fall time;
IEC 60268-17
The rise time, defined as the time it takes for the needle to reach 99% of the distance to 0 VU when the VU-meter is submitted to a signal that steps from 0 to a level that reads 0 VU, is 300 ms. The overshoot must be within 1 to 1.5%. The fall time is the same as the rise time, 300 ms.

Only if you would be interested, please visit here (post #535) on my project thread.

You would please find dancing videos of my IEC 60268-17 compatible large glass-face DIY 12-VU-Meter Array on my project thread;
_____Part-1: with "High Frequency Linearity Check Track" of Sony Super audio Check CD: #750
_____Part-2: with typical "Full Orchestra Music"-1: #751
_____Part-3: with typical "Full Orchestra Music"-2: #752
_____Part-4: with typical "Jazz Piano Trio Music": #753

 

[solderdude]

For the price suppose could mod one to do, but still seems to need some work on the gain adjustment as @amirm indicated.

Not only the gain adjustment but also the linearity and if they need to be useful the 0dB readings should be fixed or at least documented.

As is now this is just eyecandy and not a measurement device. Swinging needles for the sake of looking at 'swinging needles looking pretty''

 

[sarumbear]

If you want a 'VU' meter, it should be in line with the source components, but it should not place any load, let alone a non-linear load on the sources.

But it is a VU meter!

I let myself out before @AdamG247 throws me out for stirring the pot

 

[Rick Sykora]

I am sorry getting a little bit out of the scope of this thread, but just for your possible reference,,,

After having some nice discussions on the preceding thread entitled " Douk VU3 Review (VU Meters)" as well as on the thread entitled "VU Meters: Let's See 'Em!!", I decided and accomplished my DIY of 12-VU-Meter Array in DSP-based multichannel multi-SP-driver multi-amplifier fully active stereo audio setup, using IEC 60268-17 fully compatible large glass-face Nishizawa R-65 (W111 mm x H77 mm: glass-face W100 mm x H40 mm).

As I repeatedly chimed, we should not mix-up quasi-VU meters/sham-VU meters, with genuine true VU meters fully compatible with IEC 60268-17 VU meter specification/standard, especially transient ballistic behaviors of rise time, overshoot and fall time;
IEC 60268-17
The rise time, defined as the time it takes for the needle to reach 99% of the distance to 0 VU when the VU-meter is submitted to a signal that steps from 0 to a level that reads 0 VU, is 300 ms. The overshoot must be within 1 to 1.5%. The fall time is the same as the rise time, 300 ms.

Only if you would be interested, please visit here (post #535) on my project thread.
View attachment 284653

View attachment 284657

You would please find dancing videos of my IEC 60268-17 compatible large glass-face DIY 12-VU-Meter Array on my project thread;
_____Part-1: with "High Frequency Linearity Check Track" of Sony Super audio Check CD: #750
_____Part-2: with typical "Full Orchestra Music"-1: #751
_____Part-3: with typical "Full Orchestra Music"-2: #752
_____Part-4: with typical "Jazz Piano Trio Music": #753

Good for you. When you are ready to scale down and sell to others, let us know!

 

[solderdude]

But it is a VU meter!

You mean... it is a box with 2 meters in it that have 'VU' written on them and have a typical 'VU scale' which appears to not even indicate dB's correctly.

 

[fpitas]

OK, this may be ignorant, so feel free to mock me, but...what do you do with this thing? Watch the needles quiver?

 

[solderdude]

OK, this may be ignorant, so feel free to mock me, but...what do you do with this thing? Watch the needles quiver?

Yes,
and/or switch between amps and or speakers, possible even using a remote.