Feature:
The latching test for intermittents alone would be killer. The pin 1 to chassis test would be incredible. Both in once, on top of an easy to read cable tester that's built to take real world abuse, and throw in a tone generator to boot? Now we're talking some seriously great gear here.
What's especially great is that it uses a special tone-based test signal, rather than just being a straight continuity test, so it maps out exactly what pin is connected to what for all three pins at the same time.
The only thing that would make it better would be if it also did NL-4 connectors, but then it'd be a huge monstrosity, LOL. Now if Ebtech came out with an NL-4/NL-8 tester...
Quality:
Built like a TANK, I have no fear that this won't hold up to the abuse it will surely see in my day-to-day work as the engineer on a touring arena show.
Value:
Between the unmatched* feature set and the fact that it is built so solidly, I'd easily pay the original list price of $180, let alone the current selling prices that are around half that!
*-I do not count the Behringer CT-100, the only other tester with this feature set, because it is a direct knockoff of the Ebtech. Support the people who create these great devices, not the cheap knockoff artists!
Manufacturer Support:
I called after hours and left a message with a question about the product, and somebody called me back the next day and was very, very helpful.
The Wow Factor:
Like I said, it's got a unique and useful feature set, it's built well, its layout is easy to read, I have it, and if I didn't have it, I'd want it.
Overall:
The only thing I don't like about this product is the installed cable test mode, but that's because I'm spoiled in that I already have one of Rat Sound's "Rat Sniffer" testers, which shows a detailed diagnostic of an installed cable in one quick glimpse, as opposed to needing two passes (one with the shorting cap, one without) with the Swizz.
For testing intermittents, and pin 1 to chassis shorts, it's a winner, and I can't see ever replacing it unless some evil bastard stole mine!
Only thing I don't care for is the tone gen, because I have two dedicated tone gen's already (Tone Plug, and Neutrik MR1), which have more options for tone/noise than this does. That's the only gripe I have about the price; as much as it is worth it for what you get, and then some, I wonder if it would have been cheaper if they hadn't added the tone gen features (it might not have been, since the cable test is an audio signal based test).
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