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Dave compares the new Siglent SSA3021A 2.1GHz spectrum analyser with similar priced Rigol DSA815.
Noise floor, clock and PLL phase noise and other performance aspects are measured and compared between the two models.
Bugs?, yup, got those too!
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[@Captain__Obvious]

Manufacturers standardising their menus is surely a good thing.

[@Nikkuuu69]

What a video timing! I just got my DSA815-TG in the mail a few days ago. Really happy with it!

[@tohopes]

I was gonna go for the Rigol, but then I thought "YOLO!" and went with the Siglent!

[@Vikramslm]

Same Story here..

[@wd8dsb]

@@Vikramslm Same here.

[@plebstick]

"Can't get any detail on the balls" brilliant.

[@AdityaMehendale]

Is "Dick and balls" the official jargon? - Agreed "grass" is pretty loosey-goosey too but d&b ???

[@JerryWalker001]

Great comparison, Amazed by the similarity. I purchased a Rigol following your original video on it. It does not compare to our top end analysers (not surprisingly) but is great for lower frequency work. The pre-amp makes it especially useful. For price it makes a great general purpose analyser.Screen reflections on the Siglent probably due to screen protector.

[@ElProfeGarcia]

good explanation, thank you, Saludos amigo.

[@PowderMill]

Excellent comparison. Thanks to you... 👍🏻

[@jeffm2787]

The Rigol has 10hz, 30hz and 100hz RBW steps. Just checked mine. Clearly they updated it.

[@cameron.turner]

Thank you for the review. I just bought one today. Looking forward to testing it out. Would be awesome to see a video on home made antennas and probes. I am yet to find a reasonably priced wideband antenna or probes!

[@davideisenberger6197]

Excellent video! Thank you

[@robdf9024]

Very well explained and satisfactory. Thanks. Subscribed and liked. Keep it up.

[@alexandernikolov7977]

very useful movie man, thank you...

[@Pieh0]

Just got the plus version, it's a great bit of kit. Even more so when you can upgrade the base model it being fully kitted out :P

[@gudenau]

That is a nice radio!

[@NetlistPCB]

Compare performance specs. Where it matters! Glad I bought the Siglent.

[@gonzo_the_great1675]

Many thanks for the review Dave. But it's ended up costing a few of us a lot of money! Though the forum postings, lead us to the licence hacks. Which makes the Siglent astounding value. I'm sure the Siglent people are aware of the ease of the hack. But turn a blind eye, as private individuals hacking their units, is not a lost sale, but a cheap way of buying a fan of the unit. I've already recomended two companies to buy the fully licenced versions of this specan.

[@tonihakala7947]

Thanks Dave. I think a video on pre-compliance EMI testing would be extremely interesting!

[@EEVblog]

I have done one on conducted emissions

[@tonihakala7947]

+EEVblog I got interested in what sort of testing would be possible with the EMI option of this Siglent unit. What would be needed and how to conduct a reasonable test set for wireless and wired pre-compliance for EMI (also: what does FCC, EC etc. compliance actually comprise of?)

[@gnagyusa]

8:16 "screen reflection issue". You had the screen protector film on. Just sayin' :)

[@ronhammersmith2324]

@Pistanbroke He doesn't seem to notice, the protector is on.

[@tauttechminusmanagedmusic3778]

@@ronhammersmith2324 He doesn't notice a lot of things. For example, when he makes racist comments about Japan. (yeah, really makes me cringe sometimes) He is a Rigol fanboi, though.

[@paulround8501]

The screen on the Siglent is actually matt without the protection film. All this talk of the plastic used and the look of the buttons is just nonsense really. Much better reviews of things like this on Signal Path channel.

[@solidamber]

I'm not sure what this is, but the video was more intresting than what was on TV at the time

[@andyhowlett2231]

The bad phase noise was the reason I got rid of the Rigol DSA1030. It made a mockery of the 10Hz RBW. I now use a Signal Hound 44b which has -122 dBc, MUCH better!

[@harry4516]

I owned both, theRigol and the Siglent. The Rigol was the much better instrument. Example: look at the level of the tracking generator. The Rigol has an acceptable flat level over frequency, while the Siglent has huge peaks and ripple of up to +- 3dB depending on the BW and Start/Stop frequency settings, it is almost unusable since these peaks cannot be cancelled out by calibration.

[@kathyquinlan5922]

Roflmao This is the FIRST tech review I have ever heard with "Dick and Balls" used as a tech term :) love your style Dave keep up the great work :)

[@simonbourguigne9988]

Priceless

[@Luappy13]

I dribbled...

[@Anonymouspock]

They really need some IPS display love.

[@M6MDR]

I would love a Spectrum Analyzer to add to my home lab but they are well out of my price range. Cheapest I've found is the GW Instek GSP-730 but at almost £900, it may as well be £9,000,000 lol. I've got quite big into RF and tinkering around with RC, LC filters and a spec analyzer would prove to be most useful. I've even looked at older analogue analyzers on eBay but many of them are just as, if not more expensive than something modern. :(

[@DantalionNl]

the noise floor on the siglent scope was incredible, but then again it does cost close to 2 grand.

[@TheRedmainecoon]

Hi Dave, regarding your problem on 29:53 (tone spike in the middle) and 33:41 (sweep time out of range) , please try to disable FFT, I mean set the sweep mode to "Sweep". I presume, that you were facing the limitation of FFT sweep mode.

[@rrangana11]

Nice review Dave .......But On the LCD glare issue ... it is not fair ... you have to remove that protective plastic film from the screen.

[@sunnohh]

Those are some dank ass scopes.

[@JerryWalker001]

Hi DaveYou compared the frequency but how long have you had the Rigol? No doubt the Siglent seems to have a better clock but the Rigol may need calibrating.

[@joshaas]

To expensieve for me, how about the Rigol DSA-700 serie Spectrum Analyzers, they start to get in my price range, and the RBW start from 1 hz, or are there other good cheap options

[@wendymott7740]

Just come across this video....One or two points to make... Yes Dave the Siglen layout is very similar to the Rogol.. but surely that is not a bad thing.. it gives the user confidence, especially if upgrading from the Rogol.......2... Surely the improvements to the Siglen is natural evolve.... the Rigol would have been designed say 5 years ago, when components may have not been available or too expensive... move on a couple of years... prices may have come down..components improved... so yes the Siglen will be better in a lot of ways..... Thanks to this video I have bought a Siglen SSA3021... and have put my Rogol DSA815 on the market. Plus the Siglen now has a DBW of 1 hz and the TG is already on..Just need the VSWR feature turning on..

[@amorim317]

david you gotta review signalhound SA, cheers from Brazil!!

[@ftonello1]

What about a RTL- SDR dongle comparisson x RIGOL? Do you thing it can be used as a basic spectrum analyser?

[@educatedmanholecoverbyrich8890]

My new Rigol 815tg (2020) is on par with the Siglent. This is a very old video, so goes to show what happens in 5 years.

[@John_Ridley]

Siglent....yolo

[@Bradman175]

I like the look of siglent designs. But my oscilloscope seems to not have enough detail.

[@DaruoshAghajaney]

the RBW of Rigol DSA815 is 10Hz on the official Rigol website. is it a new firmware or Dave's mistake? i guess the 10Hz options was not available at the time of making the video Am I correct?

[@blenderbuch]

Protective foil still on? :-)

[@Sunnyskyguy]

I think that is the FFT residual at 1.5GHz... I'd do the Reflection measurement on the glass. (lol)

[@butch3715]

The text and background color looks easier to read on the Siglent.

[@marklowe7431]

The YOLO is strong in this one.

[@WizardVespian]

Dave, Have you taken a look at the signalhound stuff? They offer a more capable specan ( 4 GHz ) and separate tracking gen for the same price.The difference is that one is an SDR and all the processing is done on the computer, but it has many many more options and is very capable. It will even do real time demodulation/show you constellations etc. They also offer real time specans (R/T BW of 27 mHz) for under 3k USD.

[@TKomoski]

I have the SA44B, great spec an would recommend it.

[@justrandom7214]

I have a SA44B and the TG44, great stuff!

[@MatthewSuffidy]

Could Siglent just have actually paid Rigol for some sort of interface or raw code transfer/product design?

[@kludgeaudio]

You missed the holes! The Rigol has a number of spurs which are suppressed in the display software, so there are a couple of frequencies where narrowband signals disappear too. No doubt the Siglent has similar issues...

[@leonkernan]

First one in country, on loan. No Excuses, just do the teardown :-)

[@GMDII]

Looks like Tequipment no longer carries Siglent. can we get an update to the leading Spectrum analyzer on the market in 2019. Thanks,

[@allancopland1768]

Based on your review, I went for the Siglent to replace my old HP analyser. What a cracking piece of kit. Some advice to anyone planning on buying an SA...... get one with a Tracking Generator. You'll kick yourself if you don't! Fortunately Siglent threw in the TG license for the standard price and the TG makes setting up filters and tuned circuits an absolute doddle. Thanks Dave for your sound advice.

[@ki4dbk]

Trying to find a new lightweight lab scope with FFT, or a separate SpecAn to go with my older Tek scope. Too many choices.

[@Gege-md9kg]

hello I would like to buy a used Rohdes and Swartz model FSEA 20 can you tell me if it is a good machine compared for example to the Siglent SSA3021 Thank you

[@7head7metal7]

The single peak you could see might be the PLL feeding through.

[@7head7metal7]

okay, now you wrote and said it in the video :D

[@dongchen7940]

Is it a fair comparing an anolog spectrum analyzer to a real time spectrum analyzer? I think the ssa3000 should compare to the rigol rsa3000.

[@Razor2048]

Why are they still using TN panels instead of IPS? IPS is only slightly more expensive, but will offer far better visuals. We even have $80 android tablets with 10 inch IPS panel. Overall, they need to start including better hardware considering the ridiculous pricing, (astronomical price markups).

[@microreniassance2929]

I have the SSA3021X+ and it does this strange thing where, for example I can put in an accurate 50.75KHz 1V PP signal into the SA and at 20KHz Span I get a peak at 50.75KHz on the SA. If I move the Freq span slightly, the frequency peak moves off the actual (still 50.75KHz out of the Sig Gen) frequency it's receiving and gives me a 55Hz higher frequency on the read out and display. I can move the span up and down and seemingly randomly the frequency appears correct or 55Hz off--though it is tied to the freq span. So, at a span of 18.79KHz there is no shift in the frequency readout on the SA. If I go to a span of 19KHz then the frequency shift mysteriously appears. ONly moves in the upward direction. Seems random when the shift occurs. 20KHz--shift is present. 21KHz span, shift is present. Am I working outside the specs of the instrument? So, the accuracy of the instrument is certainly in question within these parameters. Am I doing something wrong?

[@Soupie62]

If you had a you-beauty 10MHz reference, and fed it to these, would the phase noise improve? (especially the Rigol at 25:10)

[@andyhowlett2231]

No. I tried various low-noise clock inputs and there was hardly any change on my Rigol.

[@TheJttv]

"don't turn it on take it apart"

[@SteveAcomb]

“1,600.00 is cheap for a spectrum analyzer” You answered my question in the first 30 seconds of the video. Well done lmao

[@JGnLAU8OAWF6]

Dont you think about EMI pre-compliance testing video? Probably fundamentals friday.

[@EEVblog]

I've done one on conducted emissions.

[@kevincozens6837]

One other minor difference between the Rigol and the Siglent that wasn't mentioned is the colour of the traces. The third and fourth traces on the Rigol are a light blue and dark blue which is the same as is used on their scopes. Those two colours aren't that different from each other. On the Siglent the third and fourth traces are dark blue and green. There is little chance of confusing those two traces. I always thought the Rigol should have used dark blue and green for its third and fourth on scopes such as the 1054Z.

[@SimoWill75]

Isn't the DSA815 showing the same 1GHz spike anomaly at 31:11?

[@philtaylor257]

I'll second that. So where were those spurious coming from?

[@IvoTrausch]

But actually Rigol could refresh their Design a little bit.

[@wb5mgr]

2.1ghz is a significant cutoff because they are forcing you to the more expensive model to do any work on 2.4 ISM band or C-Band equipment.

[@NetlistPCB]

Dave, you gave a very good explanation why I just couldn't bring myself to buy Rigol. Glad I waited for professional quality.

[@gamerpaddy]

teardown / mailbag this week?

[@nutlock2857]

how much are you selling them for Dave?

[@th1alb]

so the siglent shows you spikes that aren't actually there? how is that going to help you when you are measuring other stuff?

[@andyhowlett2231]

All SA's have the odd spurious. Even my old HP8568 (a large and highly respected instrument) had a few small ones.

[@stefanoconca2403]

I have to choose between those two SA. Siglent is more expensive... Does anyone know if latest rigol firmware update filled the gap.? Eg about noiose floor...

[@fohdeesha]

Stefano Conca nope, still the same. there's no way a firmware update is going to add 20db+ of dynamic range to the analog front end

[@Wamfox]

I always have trouble getting details on the balls!!!

[@flubba86]

The on-screen user interface on those are a little too similar, Im guessing they are actually running individually customized versions of the same base application software.

[@EEVblog]

Nope, just a complete ripoff.

[@jojoposter]

+EEVblog couldn't they have designed it after the rigol since they figured "hey, maybe our userbase upgrades from their old rigol, lets make the change simple"?

[@bluephreakr]

Maybe they're designed by the same person? *Insert dramatic hamster here*

[@260830107]

software upgradeable to 3GHz eh? are you thinking what I am thinking? ;)

[@OlympusHeavyCavalry]

LMFAO Have you done this yet?

[@rocketman221projects]

I hope someone will figure out how to make a keygen for this. It's such a rip off when they charge you hundreds of dollars for software upgrades.

[@D800Lover]

Looks pretty close to state-of-the-art (SOTA)?

[@Disturbingdarkmind]

But will it run Arma?

[@marklowe7431]

In honor of the CEO Siglent should make a handheld meter called a Yolo DMM.

[@BMRStudio]

2.1 GHz Yolo:)

[@jmcorp8021]

yeah it looks to me like Siglent just had Rigol build their scope.

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

if the Siglent SSA3021X can handle 2^32bins in FFT mode then the Siglent is better than the Rigol DSA815. I think if we stick to 2^12bins to get a faster display FFT.

[@niceguy60]

2.1GHZ !! Hell man you need 2.5GHZ minimum for it to be useful, in this day and age you need 6GHZ to cover your bases

[@ernieschatz3783]

YOLO, they are out of stock seemingly never to return. The 'TG' model at least. Chinese supply chain last slightly longer than fireworks display. Rigol being the obvious exception.

[@Razor2048]

Why can't these spectrum analyzers go down to 1Hz resolution?

[@PeregrineBF]

Because they're RF spectrum analyzers, so they're not designed to measure such low frequencies. Dynamic Signal Analyzers are for the low frequency stuff. You could make one instrument to do both, but it would be larger and have a more complicated UI. Since RF engineers rarely have to deal with such low frequencies it makes sense to streamline the RF instruments for RF measurements.

[@yaghiyahbrenner8902]

2.1GHz Why didn't they make it run at 2.5 what about 2.4 GHz band would have been so much better.

[@Nikkuuu69]

They do that so you upgrade to the 3GHz model ;)

[@EEVblog]

No incentive to upgrade!

[@yaghiyahbrenner8902]

any idea whats up with the odd RF frequency at 2.1 GHz ?

[@Nikkuuu69]

***** could have to do something with the maximum LO frequency they can generate. All dependent on the chips inside the unit... I hope Dave can pull apart one soon!

[@audiocrush]

Most people would like to go for an analyzer that can deal with 2.4 GHz band so they do a slightly more expensive model... Simple marketing technique

[@PissONgman]

buggers, balls ass great review!

[@sorinhornet208]

Are you sure that you didn't use for test the same Rig(l)ol you tear down earlier? That could actually explain the degraded performance... The Siglent we know was not tampered with... Furthermore, the Riglol was a production line item, while the Siglent was a demo unit, brought by the Siglent CEO... Not a fair comparison.

[@janpiet9716]

A Chinese company (Siglent) ripping off another Chinese company (Rigol). Love it!

[@funtrollersmitty9672]

nice, im not fan those glossy displays on siglent vs matte rigol. glossy screens supposedly have crisper image.

[@SiglentVideo]

Dave has left the screen protector on. It comes from the factory that way but just peels off.

[@hamradio7389]

DSA-815-TG is 10Hz now so this is a little out of date.

[@pcfxr4u]

Is that your cell phone?

[@maultrommel]

the options are all free , just saying (cybernet ;-)

[@phillefever1934]

This guy really should consider decaf....

[@MrScram-ih5eg]

He doesn't drink coffee, or tea.

[@educatedmanholecoverbyrich8890]

What do you mean, only $xxxx?

[@seanet1310]

What a cute little hobby SA. Love the reflection option as lets be honest a network anaylser is out of the league of many. FFA is a cool feature and great to see it making the rounds on the lower cost SA but not sure many in the hobby/pre-compliance sectors will get a great deal of use out of it. Impressive noise floor for the price range. Given the EMC Compliance package is so expensive relative to SA cost I wonder if a simple program using the SCPI interface could be almost as good for people doing basic pre compliance. Massive price difference between the two frequency range considering it is a software upgrade (Euro price doubles)

[@mosipd]

They're not *THAT* similar, I mean the name is different right?

[@TignMeg]

Take the plastic cover film off the screen Dave :)

[@jackwhite3820]

The unit has to go back.

[@ltx4096]

Nasty, a comparison with a Agilent or R&S would be nice, these things are toys.

[@TheHuesSciTech]

Yeah, let's compare $1.5k apples with $15k oranges. That'd be useful!

[@asj3419]

i have no idea in what way a spectrum analyser is different to a oschilloscope

[@GiGaSzS]

I am also wondering the same. Quick Googling luckily brings answer: ************************************************************************************** The difference between an oscilloscope and a spectrum analyzer is that an oscilloscope allows you to view the signal in the time domain, meaning how the signal changes in response to time, while a (FFT) Spectrum Analyzer allows you to view the signal in the frequency domain, meaning how the signal changes in response to different frequencies. So the oscilloscope plots the Amplitude vs. Time of the signal, while the Spectrum Analyzer plots the Amplitude vs. Frequency of the signal. ************************************************************************************** Source: www.learningaboutelectronics.com/Articles/Difference-between-oscilloscope-and-spectrum-analyzer But still, is it so hard to make a device, that could do both things? The voltage measuring is probably the same on both devices, only software is different?

[@EEVblog]

Oscilloscopes can be used as spectrum analysers too, using the FFT function. But not nearly as good as a true spectrum analyser.

[@asj3419]

So i guess that a spectrum analyser is the equvalent of a frequency counter (analog out) hooked up to a oscilloscope, just slightly refined. (or FFT) sounds realy like its for niche applications like radio or analyzing light and sound.

[@flubba86]

Then this video is not for you.

[@SITIMPE]

Can I hook an antenna to a spectrum analyzer and observe fm stations or other radio frequencies?

[@dickhorner]

Boot time? Really!

[@OneBiOzZ]

Anyone who complains about too dim of soft power indicators has never had to sleep with a bright one in the room :P

[@doctordeutz3601]

Siglent😙

[@Xstractor]

11:03 The clock on the Siglent, what the heck is going on.

[@ElmerFuddGun]

Is there some kind of screen hold button that freezes everything on the screen? So then you know when the data is from. It looks like nothing on the Siglent is changing but the Rigol is. IDK... I don't like on screen clocks on scopes... it's just more crap on the screen that I don't need. Most of us have clocks...

[@mondeo984]

YOLO

[@metallchips8569]

The glossy screen of the Siglent is horrible, especially because it's so big!

[@user-iq5tl2qs9r]

It's because he didn't remove the screen protection.

[@Luappy13]

What a great review. The dick and balls comment made me spit my beer.