NEOHIPO ET30 VU Meter Speaker Switcher Review

[Pillars]

You know, for me that's the more nostalgic "vintage" visualizer, although IIRC my dad's system has both

Looks like you can get a fully functional one with (IMO) the right look for $50. https://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-AK2515-Analyzer-Display-Analyzers/dp/B0BMFY5M18?th=1

Pretty tempting to get one and put it into my desk setup right under the DAC...

Thanks for sharing this. My DAC has an unused RCA output I can connect to this.

 

[amirm]

Thanks for sharing this. My DAC has an unused RCA output I can connect to this.

Careful. So far, I have not found a VU meter that doesn't load down the source. It is trivial to make one but for whatever reason, all the ones I have tested have screwed up the response of the source. If the thing has microphone and that is how it picks up the sound, then it is OK.

 

[amirm]

Why is that?

If it were to be used as a/b device you would like to know if it's transparent in series.

"I" have no application or use for switching between two sets of speakers. My application is to have a pretty VU meter and that is how I tested it.

Switching between live amps when both are playing is non-trivial. You can easily damage an amp by suddenly taking away its load. So even if this one performed that way, I would be hesitant to recommend it.

 

[new2hifi]

The stationary lights indicate the power rating of the amp that is connected.
As I had multiple amps I wanted to set the power level of the peak meter to the connected amp.
Originally I did not have this 'max power' light and from a distance I could not possibly tell if I were hitting the clipping level.
So I added the max level so I could see from a great distance how far I was removed from the clipping point of the amp.
It is not a reset-able peak hold.

I was not interested in average powers etc. I only wanted to see the peak level that was reached even if it was just as short as a Dirac pulse.
So the dancing LEDs are the peak powers that were reached and built in a slow decay so even the shortest peak would be visible.

Thanks for the video and the explanation of how you meter works. Bob Cordell's meter were different. You can see the meters on the top of subwoofer in the following photo.
https://www.cordellaudio.com/he2007/HE2007-1.jpg
The contrast of Average and Peek Watt power at the same time but on separate three digit LED displays was very interesting and thus I still remember that.

Here is the link to "A Peak/Average Power Level Meter"; if you want to built it.
https://www.cordellaudio.com/instrumentation/power_level_meter.shtml

The purpose of his workshop was to just educate the attendees; he also did a Amplifier Measurement Clinic with measurement equipment and few other workshops.
https://www.cordellaudio.com/he2007/HE2007-6.jpg

 

[Deleted member 48726]

"I" have no application or use for switching between two sets of speakers. My application is to have a pretty VU meter and that is how I tested it.

Switching between live amps when both are playing is non-trivial. You can easily damage an amp by suddenly taking away its load. So even if this one performed that way, I would be hesitant to recommend it.

One would surely use it with more care than just switching while listening to 80 dB music. Like turning down the volume, switch, turning up again. I think that's also what the VU meters are for, to use for a quick (non-perfect) volume calibration.

It's a large part of what this does. It would then have been useful to know what it does to the signal passing through. Also what it acts like as a "load".

 

[kelesh]

Careful. So far, I have not found a VU meter that doesn't load down the source. It is trivial to make one but for whatever reason, all the ones I have tested have screwed up the response of the source. If the thing has microphone and that is how it picks up the sound, then it is OK.

Is the microphone stereo, though? If not, then the two channels would/should behave identically, defeating the beauty of a left/right dance following the source.

 

[amirm]

Is the microphone stereo, though? If not, then the two channels would/should behave identically, defeating the beauty of a left/right dance following the source.

It is mono and that would be true. Good point.

 

[Deleted member 27254]

It's a shame the switching part wasn't tested.

It's INSANE that the switching part wasn't tested.

 

[Canuck57]

It's INSANE that the switching part wasn't tested.

Such a harsh statement is totally unnecessary!

 

[restorer-john]

It's INSANE that the switching part wasn't tested.

Just buy one, test it yourself, present your results, and we'll harshly critique your review.

Oh, and Merry Christmas to you.

 

[laetoli37]

Frivolous, and happy
Thanks Amir for the nice review.

 

[iLoveCats]

Yeah this is great.

 

[Multicore]

Eyeball.

Then perhaps a preferable design would be to use microphones instead of inserting the device in the loudspeaker signal path.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Then perhaps a preferable design would be to use microphones instead of inserting the device in the loudspeaker signal path.

Also you are not wiring it in series but rather in parallel. That's how it was tested. Parallel loading would not change anything as the measurements show.
Using the microphone as source would just be result in the device measuring the bass at the position of the gear at the front wall. Making it a pretty lightshow only.

The device is also an A/B switcher but because of it not being tested this half of the capabilities' is of unknown quality.

Seems the market was big enough for a retro lightshow in a small form factor as it has sold out due the review..

 

[iLoveCats]

Using it with the mic instead of the speaker inputs just doesn't feel authentic. I had to buy $100 worth of bluejeans speaker cables to match what I already had, so I could splice this lightshow in for authenticity. This hobby is so frivolous.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Using it with the mic instead of the speaker inputs just doesn't feel authentic. I had to buy $100 worth of bluejeans speaker cables to match what I already had, so I could splice this lightshow in for authenticity. This hobby is so frivolous.

It sure isn't authentic. If it was unprecise before it is useless with the mic.

 

[Todd k]

It sure would be nice if a member who has the know how and equipment to test this as an amp switcher. I would love to be able to switch between my older monster boat anchor amps (Bryston, adcom, pass lab) and some of my newer class d amps to see how much difference if any I could detect. Also test this for switching between speakers. I have some nice ones and would not want to take a chance on damaging anything, speakers or amps. Still my old nostalgic hippie in me loves dancing needles.

 

[Cecosan]

The interest here is purely for fun. Something to look at while listening to music. Some if us grew up with audio gear that had these. Then we needed them to be accurate as we set record level on tape machines. That need is far gone so lack of accuracy is not at all a wory.

As a Young man I was dreaming of McIntosh VU meters. Dreams come true. It is fun, also indicator of hearing loss. It comes with ages.

 

[mad_matt]

I received my ET30 this evening.

 

[aagstn]

Still waiting on my frivolous purchase to show up but the pics here look great.