What are your thoughts on this 14-bit oscilloscope? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: ballsystemlord
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 02:05:55 pm
content: So recently there's been a lot of talk about Rigol's higher bit oscilloscopes, but no one has brought up other brands. Out of curiosity, I'm asking you about this scope called the MULTICOMP PRO MP720106 US. It's on sale for USD $410. The manual and datasheet are available for download.Newark's offering.They seem to be using oversampling to get higher resolution. It's unclear to me if Rigol's offerings are doing the same thing.Thanks!EDIT: To be clear, I wasn't actually planning to buy this. I was just curious.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 02:12:20 pm
content: Quote from: ballsystemlord on November 18, 2023, 02:05:55 pmNo, they aren't. Rigols have real 12 bits.(...and that's why there's multiple threads discussing them while nobody's heard of the Multicomp Pro)

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 02:19:40 pm
content: Quote from: ballsystemlord on November 18, 2023, 02:05:55 pmNo. These do have 14 bit ADCs from Analog Devices but likely this is a rebadge from a low-end brand like Owon or Hantek (one of both have 14 bit models). But these are not high-end devices with poor firmware. If you want 14 bit or better, look at the Analog discovery or devices from Picoscope.Besides that, avoid the Multicomp brand from Farnell / Newark. You are better off buying from Aliexpress where it comes to product quality.

author: UK
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 02:22:28 pm
content: MULTICOMP PRO MP720106 is just a rebranded old 14-bit OWON scope.

author: ballsystemlord
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 02:23:33 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on November 18, 2023, 02:19:40 pmUmm, is multicomp really that bad?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 02:30:47 pm
content: Multicomp is the cheapest crap they can source and sell for a premium. OK-ish when you need cheap plastic casings.

author: ballsystemlord
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 02:33:20 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on November 18, 2023, 02:30:47 pmAnd how did you find this out? I looked extensively for reviews of several of their products across the net without finding anything. This is in part due to the fact that unlike some of the other companies, they don't hand out review samples.

author: UK
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 02:33:45 pm
content: Quote from: ballsystemlord on November 18, 2023, 02:23:33 pmNo, it is just a guy who sent his logo to OWON for scopes and to Pro'skit for multimeters ... so check the reviews on YouTube for the 14-bit OWON scope lineup.Quote from: nctnico on November 18, 2023, 02:30:47 pmExactly!

author: Kosmic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 02:41:50 pm
content: Owon is not all that bad. I have been using one for some time and decided to keep it over a Rigol. Not sure why they have a bad rep like that.The problem with their 14bits scope though is that sampling rate is dropping fast as you increasing resolution. I think the new Rigol are doing a better job at maintaining a decent samplings rate at 12bits resolution.

author: Martin72
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 02:48:22 pm
content: 14bit is not everything, there is a bit more to it. the rest must also be right so that you have advantages.Very difficult to accept at this price and noname.In fact, I would rather go for the only slightly more expensive rigol DHO804, which should be much better.

author: KungFuJosh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 05:01:15 pm
content: Quote from: Kosmic on November 18, 2023, 02:41:50 pmThat's a really low bar. 😉😉

author: Kosmic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 05:24:45 pm
content: Quote from: KungFuJosh on November 18, 2023, 05:01:15 pmWell when you have to choose between a cheap scope vs another one. I'm not saying they compare to the big brands (Tektronix, Keysight, Lecroy, etc ....)

author: 2N3055
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 09:59:53 pm
content: Quote from: Kosmic on November 18, 2023, 02:41:50 pmWould you be so kind and clarify which Owon model do you use and over which Rigol did you make that decision?

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 18, 2023, 11:02:58 pm
content: Quote from: Kosmic on November 18, 2023, 02:41:50 pmOwon is a company like Uni-Trend. Its not good or bad. Its highly variable. One product seems pretty good. The next is quite iffy.

author: Kosmic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2023, 12:07:30 am
content: Quote from: 2N3055 on November 18, 2023, 09:59:53 pmThe Owon I kept is the XDS3202E with the optional battery. And the Rigol I sold was the DS1054Z.The screen on the XDS series is pretty good.

author: DaneLaw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2023, 02:36:13 am
content: At least they are down in the price ballpark that more or less fits the bill for these rebadge units for the US market.Around 400 US - as they seem to be selling for atm in the states (-75%).If I recall correctly, these 2ch Multicomp MP720106 can do an aspect of FRA (frequency response) on the fly..

author: modoran
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2023, 06:04:31 am
content: Stay away from Multicomp pro crap, it is an Owon in this case, but at much higher price, of course. If you really want this model, just buy directly from Owon, you get exactly the same thing, but cheaper.All multicomp pro scopes and multimeters are the same, just a personalized logo, the trick is to find the chinese brand who makes it and buy from them cheaper, thats all.

author: radiolistener
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2023, 10:20:18 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on November 18, 2023, 02:19:40 pmI'm agree, if you want 14 bit, it's better to look for something like Analog Discovery or Picoscope

author: DaneLaw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2023, 10:56:41 am
content: Quote from: modoran on November 19, 2023, 06:04:31 amJust to keep things level.. Maybe you could help the OP by actually linking to this cheaper "variant" than the 410USand what OP is posting as source with regional warranty..I reckon it went over your head.. the only reason why OP is likely looking at it, is because of the price reduction (-75%)Multicomp Pro usually fronts as a US rebadging brand with a hefty mockup, but it looks like they are clearing these at prices, that are difficult to get the native XDS-Owon at..Even Owon's discounted regional prices in China seems a tad higher.

author: J-R
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2023, 11:33:17 pm
content: I also have the XDS3202E, from the Arrow fire sale some time ago. $150 delivered, but it has ZERO options. The Multicomp being discussed appears to have all the options except the battery, which I admit raises the attractiveness a bit. Touch screen, Wi-Fi, ARB, DMM, LAN.My opinion on the Owon products is that they offer the stated basic functionality at a low price point, but otherwise you absolutely get what you pay for even on discount. The scope can be slow and and the menus are very shallow compared to what you'd see in a typical Keysight, for example. Don't plan for any support, firmware updates, etc. Although rarely some have reported differently.I became annoyed with my Owon pretty much immediately and eventually forked over about $750 for a liberated 4-channel Keysight DSOX-2004A. Life is better now.

author: ballsystemlord
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 04:37:02 am
content: Quote from: DaneLaw on November 19, 2023, 10:56:41 amThat is correct.As an additional example, the Multicomp Pro DMMs, which are actually UNI-T rebadges, are also cheaper than the official UNI-T brand and they have English pdf user manuals (I mean actual manuals, not just a collection of safety info). This is much more than I can say for most Chinese off brand electronics.

author: Kosmic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 04:50:08 am
content: Look like the Multicomp Pro MP720106 is actually a rebranded Owon XDS3202A Plus. And 410$ look like a good price, can't find a XDS3202A cheaper.Note that in 14bits mode, the bandwidth drop to 20MHz and sampling rate to 100MS/s.

author: J-R
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 06:40:38 am
content: XDS3202E:200MHz - 8-bit - 1GS/s - Single Channel200MHz - 8-bit - 500MS/s - Dual ChannelXDS3202A:200MHz - 8-bit - 1GS/s150MHz - 12-bit - 500MS/s20MHz- 14-bit -100MS/s(Same for both single and dual channel)

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 08:40:28 am
content: Pretty much all Multicomp or Tenma brand things are just Farnell store band rebadges of other cheep Chinese gear.So id suggest buying the cheep brands like Owon directly.As for how good they are. Well... the truth is somewhere in between. You will see people on the forums saying they are complete crap that is barely a toy, others will say they are perfectly fine. Yes if you compare it to a Keysight, R&S, Tek...etc they are certainly lacking in quality (especially in software quality), they clearly have the rushed chinese product vibe. However if you pick the better Chinese products they are good enough to be perfectly usable, while costing WAY less than the name brands. Sure they might not be as nice, but not everyone has 3 grand to spend on a piece of brand name test gear.You can get a lot of bang per buck out of chinese gear. Just make sure to always do some research on reviews before you buy. That way you can avoid buying the worse chinese products that have software so bad that it makes the product borderline unusable. But yes don't expect to get something as good as the name brand stuff.

author: J-R
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 11:42:19 am
content: After going down a few different paths, such as buying the cheap stuff or whatever someone else thinks is best, I've mostly settled on finding good deals on higher-end name-brand equipment. The best results for me have been used/broken/liberated/etc. For example, the $750 scope I previously mentioned is almost $7k new with all the options. Obviously my path wouldn't work for someone employed by a company or if you're not interested in tinkering.

author: maxwell3e10
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 05:25:30 pm
content: It is a reasonably good price for an Owon scope, but one can't use bandwidth and high-resolution at the same time. Regarding performance, Owon can hold it's own against new Rigol models with the exception of DHO4000.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/rigol-hdo1000-and-hdo4000-12bit-oscilloscopes-launched-in-china/msg4999327/#msg4999327

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 05:29:54 pm
content: Quote from: Kosmic on November 20, 2023, 04:50:08 amThat is not a bad thing perse. The high end oscilloscopes won't reach high resolution at high bandwidths. At some point the ENOB number is limited by the clock jitter.

author: Martin72
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 11:15:58 pm
content: I don't think you can equate that with a cheap scope.