Rigol DHO914S vs Rigol DS1054Z
Head-to-head spec comparison to help you pick the right scope for your bench.
Rigol
$769
Rigol
$349
Spec-by-Spec Comparison
| Spec | Rigol DHO914S | Rigol DS1054Z |
|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | 125 MHz | 50 MHz |
| Sample Rate | 1.25 GSa/s | 1 GSa/s |
| Channels | 4 | 4 |
| Memory Depth | 50 Mpts | 12 Mpts |
| Display Size | 7" | 7" |
| Weight | 1.78 kg | 3.2 kg |
| Price | $769 | $349 |
| Rating | 8.0/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Protocol Decoder | Yes | Yes |
| Function Gen | Yes | No |
| WiFi | Yes | No |
| Battery | No | No |
| Buy on Amazon | Buy on Amazon |
Pros & Cons
Rigol DHO914S
Pros
- Built-in 25MHz arbitrary waveform generator — saves buying a separate signal source
- 16 digital channels available via optional logic probe — true mixed-signal capability
- 12-bit ADC with 125MHz bandwidth is a solid all-around combination
- 50Mpt memory depth matches the DHO924S
- Same compact DHO form factor with USB-C power support
- Bode plot analysis built in — useful for filter and feedback loop characterization
Cons
- At ~$549, you're paying $100 more than the DHO924S which has 250MHz bandwidth
- 125MHz bandwidth is lower than the DHO924S's 250MHz
- Logic analyzer probe is an additional purchase — not included
- Fan noise is present, consistent with the DHO series
- The DHO924S also includes a function generator, making the price gap harder to justify
Rigol DS1054Z
Pros
- 4 channels for $349 — nearly every competitor at this price is 2-channel, making it the go-to pick when you need clock, data, enable, and ground all visible at once
- 12Mpt memory depth captures long protocol bursts that 1–2Mpt scopes miss — a full UART session at 115200 baud across hundreds of milliseconds stays in buffer without retriggering
- A well-documented firmware procedure unlocks 100MHz bandwidth from the stock 50MHz — the community has published step-by-step guides since 2015 and it takes under 10 minutes
- SPI, I2C, UART, and RS232 protocol decoding included with no upsell — some competitors charge extra license fees for the same decoders
- Ten years of community answers: searching 'DS1054Z + [your problem]' returns solved threads on EEVblog, r/AskElectronics, and YouTube before you finish typing
Cons
- 50MHz stock bandwidth can't cleanly capture SPI clocks above ~10MHz or RF signals — the firmware unlock helps, but it's still a soft ceiling
- Menu navigation is physical-button-only — no touchscreen, no scroll wheel; takes a few sessions to get fluent
- Interface looks dated next to modern touchscreen scopes; not a functional problem, but noticeable
- Anyone doing daily professional bench work should budget for the DHO924S — the touchscreen and 250MHz bandwidth are genuinely worth the extra $550 at that usage level
Our Verdicts
Rigol DHO914S
The Rigol DHO914S is Rigol's Swiss Army knife oscilloscope — 4 analog channels, a 25MHz function generator, optional 16-channel logic analyzer, and Bode plot analysis in the compact DHO form factor. The mixed-signal capability is the real differentiator: if you're debugging embedded systems where you need to correlate analog and digital signals simultaneously, the logic analyzer option makes this genuinely useful in ways a pure analog scope isn't. The built-in AWG saves you $100-200 on a standalone function generator. The catch is the DHO924S at $449 — it also has a function generator and offers 250MHz bandwidth for $100 less. The DHO914S only pulls ahead if you need the logic analyzer capability or the Bode plot feature for control loop design. For pure oscilloscope work, the DHO924S remains the better value.
Rigol DS1054Z
If you're buying your first oscilloscope to learn embedded systems, debug Arduino or ESP32 projects, or study signals at school, buy the DS1054Z — 4 channels, full protocol decoders, and a decade of community support for $349 is a package that still has no real competition at this price. Don't buy it if you do professional bench work daily or need clean capture above 50MHz; for that, the DHO924S at $899 is the right tool. The honest tradeoff: DS1054Z gives you 4 channels and the largest hobbyist knowledge base on the internet; DHO924S gives you 250MHz and a touchscreen for $550 more. For a first scope for a hobbyist, student, or maker, this is the buy.