Aquarian Audio Products

H2a-XLR Hydrophone Users Guide

Thank you for purchasing your Aquarian Audio Products H2a-XLR hydrophone. This
hydrophone is designed to provide high-quality audio performance in a low-cost device. t is very
dura!le and will interface directly with professional audio microphone preamps. t offers very good
sensitivity and low noise in the human auditory range. The H2a-XLR"s streamlined shape and
high specific gravity will help to maintain a low working depth in a moving water column. ts
compact si#e and the easy hand of its ca!le make it very porta!le and simple to use.
Using the H2a-XLR
The H2a-XLR is terminated with a $-pin male XLR plug. %iring is standard& pin ' is
ground( pin 2 is hot and pin $ unused
'
. This configuration should !e compati!le with any standard
female XLR microphone )ack. Phantom power is required. *ny standard phantom power supply
voltage will work. +o not e,ceed -./0 when powering the H2a-XLR. %ith the connection firmly
made and phantom power switched on( there"s nothing more to do !ut ad)ust levels and take in
the sounds of the deep.
Hydrophone care
1o special care is required for the H2a-XLR. t is designed to withstand corrosion and the
impact of accidental drops( !ut making an attempt to keep the output plug clean and dry and
avoiding unnecessarily rough handling will help to ensure the long-term sta!ility of the product. t
is !est not to store the hydrophone in a waterproof enclosure. +oing so will trap moisture( salts
and minerals that are left on the hydrophone and ca!le after deployment and increase corrosion
pro!lems with the output plug. 2aking an e,tra effort to coil the ca!le nicely when retrieving the
hydrophone will help avoid pro!lems with tangles as the ca!le ages. 2ost importantly( protect the
ca!le from cuts and a!rasions3 The H2a-XLR uses a custom-made ca!le with a very dura!le
urethane )acket. However( it is also designed to !e compact and fle,i!le. 4inking the ca!le(
walking on it( or dragging it over a sharp or a!rasive surface may damage the ca!le sheath and
eventually cause the hydrophone to fail. 5oth aquatic and terrestrial animals may attack the ca!le
in an unattended application. 6sing some kind of ca!le shroud( such as plastic tu!ing( can help
protect the hydrophone in long-term installations.
' 2ost XLR-terminated microphones are !alanced and use 7in $ for a cold 8or low9 side of the signal(
which has the same output impedance and is typically complimentary to the signal on 7in 2. This
confirguration can !e !eneficial for common-mode noise reduction when used with a !alanced input
device. The H2a-XLR runs single-ended. t is a simple output plug variation of our standard H2a.
:ingle-ended operation is prefera!le in most hydrophone applications !ecause common-mode noise is
seldom a pro!lem and the hydrophone consumes less power and has a quieter output with the single-
ended drive. The H2a-XLR is very well shielded. The single-ended drive should not !e an issue even in
very noisy environments and should work well with all phantom powered !alanced mic inputs.
Speciications
The H2a-XLR is intended to !e a lower-cost and easy-to-use alternative to military and la!-grade
hydrophones. +eriving high sensitivity and low noise were made a priority over maintaining strict
tolerances. The following specifications are typical of a limited sample group and are not
guaranteed. They are for !asic comparison information only.
:pecifications are dependent upon the audio device to which the H2a-XLR is connected. The
hydrophone sensor is capa!le of picking up sounds from !elow 2;H# to a!ove ';;4H#. The
output impedance of the H2a-XLR is set in part !y the phantom power supply from the audio
device with which the hydrohone is used. Hi-frequency performance is also limited !y the output
impedance of the hydrophone and the ca!le impedance<which is a function of length. 7lease
also note that further limitations in your overall system may result from the sampling rate of digital
recorders and !y the input stage of your audio device"s microphone preamp. +espite the
uncertainties of a!ove( you should e,pect to easily capture the entire human auditory range of
2;H# to 2;4H#.
The following specifications are !ased upon using the H2a-XLR with a classic ./0 phantom
power supply 8./0 with =./4 pull-up resistors9&
:ensitivity& -'/;d5 re& '0>7a 8->- .d5 2;H#-..?4H#9
6seful range& @'; H# to A';;4H# 8not measured a!ove ';;4H#( appro,imate sensitivity
B';;4H# C -22;d5 re& '0>7a9
7olar Response& Dmnidirectional 8hori#ontal9
Dperating depth& @/; meters
Dutput impedance& ' 4 8typical9
7ower& ;.= m* 8typical9
7hysical& 8ca!le and output plug e,cluded9
+imensions& 2?mm , .=mm
2ass& ';? grams
:pecific Eravity& ?.$
!arranty Statement
Aquarian Audio Products warrantees the H2a-XLR Hydrophone from electrical failure or defects in
workmanship for a period of one year following the date of purchase. %arranty claims or repairs
can !e made directly through Aquarian Audio Products. Forroded output plugs are not covered
under warranty. :hipping costs to Aquarian Audio Products for warranty repair are the
responsi!ility of the user. Aquarian Audio Products assumes a ma,imum return shipping cost
lia!ility of G2?.;; 6: funds during any warranty claim.
"quarian "udio Products
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