March 23, 2012

Usher Audio Technology Factory Tour, Part II.

As we continue our second part of the Usher Audio Technology factory tour, let's visit some of their impresive in house R&D, plus QC laboratory facilities, which seems to take up a very big part of their premises. You know Usher Audio Technology is very serious about achieving quality thru R&D.
Assembled speakers are tested in Usher Audio Technology's own in house anachoic chamber. An anachoic chamber is like a room without sound reflections, i.e. an acoustically dead room. It's used to measure the real sound quality produced by a speaker, without room induced acoustic effects.

Very few speaker manufacturers have this facility in house. I think only SIRIM has such a facility in Malaysia, which cost thousands of Ringgit/hour rental rates!

A section of the raw materials and in coming parts warehouse.

Some finished products awaiting shipment to their target makets.

Now we enter Usher's  R&D and QC laboratory. Note the human acoustical dummy with ear sensors, for psycho acoustic analysis!

Speaker driver pressure tester.

Just place the speaker driver in to the egg shaped chamber and close the lid.

Passive x-over assembly and testing.

More test equipment, scopes and test tone generators.

Not many speaker manufacturers can boast in house driver R&D plus manufacturing, as seen earlier in part 1 of the factory visit.

Stacks and stacks of test equipment!

Looks like a jitter analyser unit to test digital outputs.

Stereo Power Analyzer!

More scopes!

Various Audio Presicion speaker analyzer units.

Speaker driver impedance analyzer.

Eagle CAD(Computer Aided Design) circuit board design software, popularly used for R&D and simulation testing of PCB boards. Only very commited audio equipment manufacturers have this facility.  

Next we take a look at Usher Audio Technology's electronics and digital R&D, plus assembly line areas. And last but not least, their two very impressive audition theaters with full acoustic treatments. Don't go away!
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13 comments:

  1. Puchong wongMarch 23, 2012 at 3:03 PM

    I believe to make good product must have good technology and good tools to succeed, I don't believe we can use only subjective hearing and tweaking kung fu !!

    ReplyDelete
  2. mikelau.2March 23, 2012 at 8:04 PM

    Master Wong,

    Right on, totally agree with you.

    Also applies to diy building of amps/preamps and upgrades too huh ?

    Please share with us what good technological tools you use ?

    cheers

    ReplyDelete
  3. Big EMarch 27, 2012 at 11:08 PM

    Puchong Wong,

    How very true!

    Usher Audio Technology looks really serious about in house R&D!

    Are you considering a pair of Usher Dancer Diamond DMD to replace your Wilson Sophia?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Capernaum Creative Solutions Inc.March 28, 2012 at 11:10 AM

    Big E,

    I think Puchong Wong may use the Dancer Diamond DMD as his surround speakers!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Puchong wongMarch 28, 2012 at 6:11 PM

    This doesnt mean I can sove all the problems, I only want to play hifi and not taik aboutsubjective feelings, taiking castle in the air, We should Learn hifi knowledge and train our ears.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Capernaum Creative Solutions Inc.March 29, 2012 at 10:40 AM

    Puchong Wong,

    We are all doing the same.

    Just sharing some notes once in a while.

    What is a certainty to you may be subjective to others. So, while we aren't learning knowledge or training our ears, everyone just talk castle in the air I suppose.

    ReplyDelete
  7. mikelau.2March 29, 2012 at 12:21 PM

    Puchong Wong,

    Since you talk 3 eminent monk talk 4 why can't we talk 5 ?

    Below are your very objective and learned comments as translated by OS (appreciated as I dunno Chinese)-
    "Some asked what puchong wong's earlier comment was about. I'll attempt to translate it here minus some bits that defy my attempt. Proceed with caution......:-)

    "TAD is a speaker that made me jump up to the roof after listening!
    Sound quality! accurate! accurate! And accurate!
    Tonal colour! transparent and flavour less!.
    Details! So much, like a sky full of stars!
    Dynamics! Wa wa wa wa!
    Bandwidth! Unequaled!
    Big E said "all these need you to tell?! The whole world's children also know lah... hurrumph!"
    Price! Wah.....
    Big E snickering, 'are you dumb or what?! You heard any loudspeaker cheap and so great sounding ah?!"

    Following are comments from a few hifi masters:
    1）Wah! A very capable speaker! Can play all types of music!
    2）this speaker is easy to drive! Wah! If you didn't tell me your power is 60w I'd have thought it is 200w!
    3）hmmm...the sound is very sober! A little more sensual will be better!
    4）can be the king of small speakers already!
    5）Puchong Wong, you can pack up your Wilson already!
    6）you know, sound from the TAD is like coming from the real instruments.
    7）this speaker sounds very energetic!
    8）Tan, i think so far you only get 40% out of this speaker only!
    9）if you like rock, you must buy this speaker!

    February 23, 2012 9:08 PM

    But I am not complaining.

    Others can also talk 3 talk 4
    At Sugumaran we always talk 5 hehe

    ReplyDelete
  8. Puchong wongMarch 29, 2012 at 5:17 PM

    Ha ha ha!play play only la !!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Puchong wongMarch 29, 2012 at 5:18 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. tanMarch 29, 2012 at 8:56 PM

    Every speakers and equipments are "very capable" before their pros & cons are being explored and known.
    Imho.

    ReplyDelete
  11. KenMarch 31, 2012 at 4:06 PM

    All,

    I hear David Wilson use science to engineer his speaker and then use his ears to fine-tune his product.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Puchong wongApril 1, 2012 at 10:10 AM

    Ken,

    I very agree u opinion !!

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownAugust 25, 2012 at 3:46 AM

    Great review as always!When designing a PCB it is important to consider every element of the board.pcb design

    ReplyDelete