Test and Measurement News

Sound's dScope III Impresses R&D and Test Staff At Saitek

Cambridge, UK - April 2006: The decision to invest in a particular product isn't always based solely on competitive performance and pricing. Sometimes the service offered by the supplier is equally important - as it was for PC peripherals developer Saitek when it chose to invest in a dScope III audio analyzer from Cambridge-based Prism Sound.

Saitek A250 Wireless 2.1 Speaker System

"Our decision was heavily influenced by the outstanding level of technical support offered by Prism Sound staff," says Saitek's senior acoustic engineer Simon Woollard. "We were given two personal training sessions before agreeing to buy the system, in addition to a product demo loan. We've also been very pleased with the level of support extended to us since purchasing the equipment."

Established in the mid-1970s, Saitek is a privately owned company with its UK head office and R&D department in Bristol. Manufacturing is based in China and the company has a worldwide network of distributors.

Saitek's early products included Chess and Bridge and other intelligent games, but over the years its range has evolved to also include a wide range of high-end gaming controllers and PC peripherals. In the last 18 months the company has moved into consumer audio products and systems, the first of which were launched in 2005 and included wireless headphones and loudspeaker systems.

Woollard, who is responsible for the design and development of these systems, says: "This expansion has been fuelled by developments in digital convergence that provided Saitek with an obvious opportunity to adapt some of its existing technologies and move into the consumer audio market. Our emphasis is on wireless functionality and innovative design and we have firm plans to launch more new products during 2006 and beyond."

Saitek's acquisition of a Prism Sound dScope links in with this expansion. It is used for new product research and development such as:

• optimizing audio components and systems
• measuring frequency responses
• configuring CODEC settings
• measuring power amplifier and loudspeaker drive unit distortion, in addition to testing finished products.

"We acquired our dScope in March and although it's too early to say which features we find the most useful, its ability to make multiple simultaneous measurements and to set up multiple pages with customizable displays is certainly very useful." Woollard adds. "We also find the system very intuitive and user-friendly considering its huge flexibility."