The complete guide to high-end audio / Robert Harley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Harley, Robert, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Stereophonic sound systems.

High-fidelity sound systems.

Sound--Equipment and supplies--Purchasing.

Sound.

Electronic apparatus and appliances--Purchasing.

Electronic apparatus and appliances.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (577 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

Fifth edition.

Place of Publication:

Carlsbad, California : Acapella Publishing, 2015.

Summary:

An updated edition of what many consider the "bible of high-end audio" In this newly revised and updated fifth edition, Robert Harley, editor in chief of the Absolute Sound magazine, tells you everything you need to know about buying and enjoying high-quality hi-fi. With this book, discover how to get the best sound for your money, how to identify the weak links in your system and upgrade where it will do the most good, how to set up and tweak your system for maximum performance, and how to become a more perceptive and appreciative listener. Just a few of the secrets you will learn cover high-end sound on a budget, how to do it cheap and still do it right; five system set-up mistakes and how to avoid them; how to make your speakers sound up to 50% better, at no cost; how to choose and set up a computer-based music system; how to find the one speaker in 50 worth owning; and why all 100-watt amplifiers don't sound the same. Since the first edition's publication in 1994, The Complete Guide to High-End Audio has been considered the essential reference on high-quality music reproduction, with more than 150,000 copies sold in five languages.

Contents:

Front Cover

Title Page

Half Title

Copyright

Contents

Foreword

Preface to the Fifth Edition

About the Author

1 What Is High-End Audio?

2 Choosing a High-End Audio System

Introduction

Choosing the System Best Suited to Your Needs

Setting Your Budget

The Complete vs. the Incremental Purchase

Value vs. Luxury Components

Allocating Your Budget to Specific Components

Upgrading a Single Component

How to Read Magazine Reviews

System Matching

Do's and Don'ts of Selecting Components

Your Relationship with the Retailer

Used Equipment

Product Upgrades

Component Selection Summary

3 Becoming a Better Listener

Audiophile Values

Pitfalls of Becoming a Critical Listener

Sonic Descriptions and their Meanings

Tonal Balance

Overall Perspective

The Treble

The Midrange

The Bass

Soundstaging

Dynamics

Detail

Pace, Rhythm, and Timing

Coherence

Musicality

Notes on Learning Descriptive Terms

Critical-Listening Setup Procedures

Single-Presentation Listening-What It's All About

Critical Listening Summary

Addendum: Level Matching

4 Preamplifiers

How to Choose a Preamplifier

Balanced and Unbalanced Connections

What to Listen For

Tubes vs. Transistors

Tube Life and Replacement Options

The Line-Stage Preamplifier

The Phono-Stage Preamplifier

RIAA Equalization

Phono-Stage Gain

Cartridge Loading

The Digital Preamplifier

Audio/Video Controllers and Multichannel Preamplifiers

How a Preamplifier Works

Balanced and Unbalanced Preamplifiers

5 Power and Integrated Amplifiers

How to Choose a Power Amplifier

Integrated Amplifiers

How Much Power Do You Need?

The dBW Power Rating

Why Amplifier Output Current Matters

What to Look For when Comparing Power Ratings.

Why Amplifier Power Isn't Everything

Other Power-Amplifier Considerations

Balanced Inputs

Bridging

Bi-Amping

A Survey of Amplifier Types

Single-Ended-Triode Amplifiers

Single-Ended Solid-State Amplifiers

Class D (Switching) Power Amplifiers

Digital Amplifiers

A Unique Amplifier

Output-Stage Topology and Class of Operation

How a Power Amplifier Works

The Power Supply

Input and Driver Stages

Output Stage

How a Tubed Power Amplifier Works

6 Loudspeakers

How to Choose a Loudspeaker

Other Guidelines in Choosing Loudspeakers

Finding the Right Loudspeaker-Before You Buy

Loudspeaker Types and How They Work

The Dynamic Driver

The Coaxial (Concentric) Driver

Dynamic Compression

Problems with Dynamic Drivers

The Electromagnetic Dynamic Driver

The Planar-Magnetic Transducer

The Heil Air-Motion Transformer

The Electrostatic Driver

The Dipolar Radiation Patterns of Ribbons and Electrostatics

Bipolar and Omnidirectional Loudspeakers

The Horn Driver

Waveguides

The Plasma Driver

The Full-Range Driver

Loudspeaker Enclosures

Infinite-Baffle Loading

Reflex Loading

Passive Radiators

Transmission-Line Loading

Isobarik Loading

The Finite Baffle

System Q

Powered and Servo-Driven Woofers

Enclosure Resonances

Enclosure Shapes

Crossovers

Digital Loudspeakers

DSP Loudspeakers

Subwoofers

Subwoofer Technical Overview

Loudspeaker Stands

7 Digital Source Components, Part One: Disc Players, DACs, and Interfaces

How to Choose a Digital Source-Overview

Disc Players

Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD)

Universal Disc Players

Blu-ray Disc

Bass Management in SACD and Universal Players.

How to Choose a Digital Source-Features and Specs

Disc Player and DAC Features and Specs

Digital Interfaces

The S/PDIF Interface

The USB Interface

Ethernet

The I2S Interface

DSD over PCM (DoP)

Proprietary Digital Interfaces

Wireless Connection

Jitter in the Digital Interface

Outboard Clocks

Asynchronous Sample-Rate Conversion

High-Resolution Digital Audio: Why 44.1kHz Sampling and 16-bit Quantization Aren't Enough

16 Bits, 20 Bits, 24 Bits

A Caveat About High-Resolution Digital Audio

Technical Addenda

Direct Stream Digital (DSD) Encoding on SACD

High Definition Compatible Digital (HDCD)

How a DAC Works

Custom Digital Filters

Digital-to-Analog Conversion

Delta-Sigma DACs

Analog Stages

Balanced Outputs

8 Digital Source Components Part Two: Music Servers

Music Server Sound Quality: Better than Disc

Downloads

Download Caveats

Turnkey Music Servers vs. Computer-Based Servers

The Turnkey Music Server

Another Type of Turnkey Music Server

Turnkey Server Considerations

Using a Smartphone or Tablet with a Music Server

Internet Radio and Music Subscription Services

Metadata

File Formats

The Do-It-Yourself, PC-Based Music Server

The Importance of Bit Transparency

Computer Requirements

Operating System and Playback Software

Hard-Disk Storage

Loading Your Server with Music

Getting Music from the Server to Your Playback System

Networking

A Simple Do-It-Yourself Music Server

Transferring an LP Collection to a Server

9 Turntables, Tonearms, and Cartridges: The LP Playback System

LP Playback Hardware Overview

System Hierarchy: Why the LP Front End Is So Important

How to Choose an LP Playback System

Technical Aspects of Choosing an LP Front End

The Turntable.

The Base and Plinth

Sprung and Unsprung Turntables

The Platter and Bearing Assembly

Platter Mats, Record Clams, and Vacuum Hold-Down Systems

The Drive System

The Tonearm

The Phono Cartridge

Moving-Magnet and Moving-Coil Cartridges

The Strain-Gauge Cartridge

Stylus Shapes and Cantilever Materials

LP Playback System Setup

Record Care and Cleaning

Vinyl as Art: Half-Speed Mastering, 45rpm Pressings, 180-gram Vinyl, and Directto-Disc LPs

10 Cables and Interconnects

How to Choose Cables and Interconnects

How Much Should You Spend on Cables and Interconnects?

Binding Posts and Cable Terminations

Bi-Wired Loudspeaker Cables

Balanced and Unbalanced Lines

Cable and Interconnect Construction

Conductors

The Dielectric

Terminations

Geometry

Terminated Cables and Interconnects

Battery Bias in Cables and Interconnects

Cable and Interconnect Specifications

Cables in the Power Amplifier/Loudspeaker Interface

11 Audio for Home Theater

Overview of Home-Theater Systems

Should You Choose a 5.1-, 7.1-, or 9.1-Channel System?

Home-Theater Controllers

How to Choose a Controller

Inputs, Outputs, and Source Switching

Automatic Calibration

DSP Speaker and Room Correction

Analog Bypass Modes

Bass-Management Flexibility

8-Channel Analog Input

7.1-Channel and 9.1-Channel Playback from 5.1-Channel Sources

THX Certification

3D Capability, Network Connection, Wireless Streaming, and Multi-Zone

Multichannel Power Amplifiers

How to Choose a Home-Theater Power Amplifier

Loudspeakers for Home Theater

The Center-Channel Speaker

Adding a Center Speaker to Your System

Left and Right Speakers

Surround Speakers

Dipolar and Bipolar Surround Speakers.

Surround-Back Speakers

Height Speakers

Setting Up a Home Theater

Basic Setup

Acoustical Treatment

Speaker Placement

Surround Speaker Placement

Center Speaker Placement

Left and Right Speaker Placement

Calibrating a Home Theater

Bass Management

Setting Individual Channel Levels

Adding Home Theater without Compromising Music Performance

Addendum: Surround-Sound Formats Explained

12 Multichannel Audio

A Short History of Multichannel Audio

Do We Want Multichannel Music Playback?

How to Get Multichannel Audio in Your Home

Loudspeaker Types and Placement

Calibration

Multichannel Playback from 2-Channel Sources

Ambisonics

13 Personal Audio: Headphones, Desktop, and Mobile Audio

Headphones

Earbuds, Earphones, and In-Ear Monitors

Dynamic, Electrostatic, and Planar-Magnetic Headphones

Headphone Enhancement Technologies

Crossfeed Circuits

Smyth Virtual Surround (SVS)

Binaural Listening

Multichannel Headphones

Headphone Specifications

Headphone Amplifiers

Balanced and Unbalanced Drive

Portable Audio

Desktop Audio

14 System Setup Secrets, Part One: Loudspeaker Placement and Room Acoustics

Loudspeaker Placement

Loudspeaker Placement in Asymmetrical Rooms

Short-Wall vs. Long-Wall Placement

Dipolar and Bipolar Loudspeaker Placement

Subwoofer Setup and Placement

Multichannel Loudspeaker Placement

Loudspeaker Placement Summary

Common Room Problems and How to Treat Them

Acoustical Dos and Don'ts

A Short Course in Acoustical Theory

Listening-Room Resonance Modes

Optimizing Dimensional Ratios

Standing Waves

Reverberation

Building a Listening Room from Scratch

Isolating the Listening Room

The Walldamp Technique.

DSP Room Correction.

Notes:

Includes index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed March 16, 2015).

ISBN:

0-9786493-5-4