What has to happen before a HiFi device can be sold?
LowBeats author Andrew Weber took a closer look at this question and spoke, among others, with Bastian Neu, Managing Partner/Developer at SPL, as well as with experts from the VDE Testing Institute. His article, “CE, CB Report & Co.: When Can a HiFi Device Go on Sale?”, illustrates just how extensive the requirements for modern audio equipment are – from CE marking to international certifications.
CE Is More Than Just a Mark on the Back
For the European market, CE marking is an important part of a product’s conformity. However, it is neither a quality seal nor a conventional testing mark. Rather, by affixing the CE mark, the manufacturer declares that the product complies with the applicable European requirements.
For mains-powered HiFi equipment, the safety standard IEC/DIN EN IEC 62368-1 plays a particularly important role. Among other things, testing covers dielectric strength, clearance and creepage distances, temperature rise, protective earthing, fire protection and the device’s behavior under fault conditions.
Just how demanding these requirements can be is illustrated by a statement from VDE expert Heiko May in the LowBeats article:“Many developers who have turned their passion into a profession understandably do not know the details of DIN EN IEC 62368-1 in their entirety.”
For SPL, this is why thorough documentation from an early stage is an important part of the development process. Bastian Neu talks about the first devices that were tested in cooperation with VDE:
“We documented everything for our devices – schematics, BOMs, test protocols.”
This saves time later on and makes the testing process considerably easier. At the same time, SPL values the independent perspective provided by an external testing institute. Neu describes working with VDE as an opportunity to have someone “take another completely objective look at my circuits” – and to receive valuable feedback that can ultimately even help reduce costs.
From Europe to the World:
CE conformity clears the way for the European market. For internationally active manufacturers such as SPL, however, additional requirements come into play.
This is where the CB Report and CB Certificate play an important role. Based on international safety standards, they can serve as a basis for further national certifications. This can help reduce duplicate testing when entering markets such as the United States, Japan or South Korea. VDE expert Heiko May therefore describes the CB Certificate as a “door opener.”
SPL has gained corresponding experience as well. The SPL Phonitor 3 DAC, for example, is also sold in the United States and therefore had to be specified and certified accordingly for that market. In addition to the European requirements, manufacturers must take FCC and UL/NRTL requirements into account, among others.
For a company like SPL, such certifications represent a significant investment. Bastian Neu told LowBeats: “But the investment is almost unavoidable, because otherwise you simply have no chance in the United States.”
Safety Starts in the Development Process:
Perhaps the most important point of the LowBeats article is that certification should not only begin at the end of a development project. If requirements are taken into account during the design phase and schematics, layouts and technical documentation are reviewed at an early stage, subsequent modifications – and therefore additional time and costs – can often be avoided.
This is exactly the approach SPL follows:“Safety, reliability and international compliance are not hurdles we have to overcome after the fact; they are integral parts of professional product development.”
Because before an SPL device finds its place in a rack, studio or HiFi system, it is not enough for the sound to be right. The product must also meet the highest technical and legal requirements.
You can find Andrew Weber’s full and highly informative article at LowBeats.
