Audio Precision Adds POLQA Perceptual Audio Testing

BEAVERTON, Ore., May 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Audio Precision, the recognized standard in audio test, announced today the availability of Perceptual Objective Listening Quality Analysis (POLQA) for APx audio analyzers. POLQA is a next-generation voice quality testing technology from OPTICOM GmbH, as described in the ITU standard ITU-T P.863, providing high correlation to human test subjects with results expressed as Mean Opinion Score (MOS) values. 

POLQA advances speech quality analysis with support for wide-band and super wide-band voice signals and acoustic interfaces. POLQA is sold as a separate software option and is compatible with all APx models.

APx Perceptual Audio Test

AP offers the popular PESQ (Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality) and POLQA tests as options for APx500 measurement software. PESQ and POLQA both allow designers to test communications products and Bluetooth accessories for speech quality, providing a Mean Opinion Score (MOS) value that closely correlates with real human test subjects. APx Perceptual Audio tests can be completely automated, allowing for rapid iterations in development and efficient production line verification. Measurements obtained are unaffected by human temperament or test conditions, and the results are completely repeatable.

PESQ and POLQA

PESQ and POLQA are based upon ITU-T P.862 and P.863 respectively, and are licensed by OPTICOM GmbH. PESQ is a mature, widely used tool for evaluating speech quality on communications networks with restricted bandwidth, while POLQA is more recent and accommodates wide-band audio, acoustic transducers, DSP and level variations. Many products specify PESQ or POLQA as part of a testing and approval regimen. 

"When combined with the APx Bluetooth option and APx500's comprehensive suite of audio measurements, PESQ and POLQA make a powerful toolset for engineers working in mobile audio, tablets and Bluetooth accessories", says Tom Williams, VP of Sales and Marketing. "Perceptual audio test is key to ensuring that communications products deliver upon promises, and provides insight into issues that standard audio tests cannot detect."

Price and availability 
The APx POLQA software option is immediately available as SW-POLQA2-KIT, with a list price of USD 4900 in the U.S. for two channels. Please contact your AP sales partner for pricing in other regions.

About Audio Precision
Audio Precision is the recognized standard in audio test. Since 1984, AP has offered high performance audio analyzer instruments and applications to help engineers worldwide design and manufacture all types of consumer, professional and industrial audio products. For more information, visit http://www.ap.com/.

SOURCE Audio Precision