Table of Contents
Foreword xvi
Preface to the Sixth Edition xviii
About the Author xx
1 What Is High-End Audio? 1
2 Choosing a High-End Audio System 7
Introduction 7
Choosing the System Best Suited to Your Needs 9
Setting Your Budget 10
The Complete vs. the Incremental Purchase 11
Value vs. Luxury Components 12
Allocating Your Budget to Specific Components 13
Upgrading a Single Component 16
How to Read Magazine Reviews 17
System Matching 20
Do's and Don'ts of Selecting Components 21
Your Relationship with the Retailer 22
Used Equipment 24
Product Upgrades 25
Component Selection Summary 25
3 Becoming a Better Listener 27
Audiophile Values 29
Pitfalls of Becoming a Critical Listener 32
Sonic Descriptions and their Meanings 32
Tonal Balance 35
Perspective 36
The Treble 36
The Midrange 38
The Bass 40
Soundstaging 42
Dynamics 45
Detail 46
Pace, Rhythm, and Timing 47
Coherence 48
Musicality 48
Notes on Learning Descriptive Terms 51
Critical-Listening Setup Procedures 51
Single-Presentation Listening-What It's All About 54
Critical Listening Summary 55
Addendum: Level Matching 55
4 Preamplifiers and Phono Stages 57
Introduction 57
How to Choose a Preamplifier 61
Balanced and Unbalanced Connections 63
What to Listen For 63
Tubes vs. Transistors 66
Tube Life and Replacement Options 67
The Line-Stage Preamplifier 68
The Phono-Stage Preamplifier 69
RIAA Equalization 69
Phono-Stage Gain 71
Cartridge Loading 73
Balanced Phono Inputs 74
The Transimpedance Phono Stage 74
Non-Standard Phono Stages 74
The Digital Preamplifier 75
Audio/Video Controllers and Multichannel Preamplifiers How a Preamplifier Works 76
Balanced and Unbalanced Preamplifiers 78
5 Power and Integrated Amplifiers 81
Introduction 81
How to Choose a Power Amplifier 83
Integrated Amplifiers 83
How Much Power Do You Need? 85
The dBW Power Rating 86
Why Amplifier Output Current Matters 88
What to Look For when Comparing Power Ratings 89
Why Amplifier Power Isn't Everything 90
Other Power-Amplifier Considerations 92
Tubes vs. Transistors 92
Balanced Inputs 93
Bridging 94
Bi-Amping 94
What to Listen For 96
A Survey of Amplifier Types 98
Single-Ended-Triode Amplifiers 98
Single-Ended Solid-State Amplifiers 100
Class D (Switching) Power Amplifiers 101
Digital Amplifiers 102
A Unique Amplifier 104
Output-Stage Topology and Class of Operation 105
How a Power Amplifier Works 108
The Power Supply 109
Input and Driver Stages 110
Output Stage 111
How a Tubed Power Amplifier Works 112
6 Loudspeakers 117
Introduction 117
How to Choose a Loudspeaker 118
Other Guidelines in Choosing Loudspeakers 120
Finding the Right Loudspeaker-Before You Buy 121
What to Listen For 122
Loudspeaker Types and How They Work 124
The Dynamic Driver 124
The Coaxial (Concentric) Driver 126
Dynamic Compression 127
Problems with Dynamic Drivers 128
The Electromagnetic Dynamic Driver 128
The Planar-Magnetic Transducer 129
The Heil Air-Motion Transformer 133
The Electrostatic Driver 134
The Dipolar Radiation Patterns of Ribbons and Electrostatics 137
Bipolar and Omnidirectional Loudspeakers 137
The Horn Driver 139
Waveguides 141
The Plasma Driver 142
The Bending-Wave Driver 142
The Full-Range Driver 144
Loudspeaker Enclosures 144
Infinite-Baffle Loading 145
Reflex Loading 145
Passive Radiators 147
Transmission-Line Loading 147
Isobaric Loading 148
The Finite Baffle 148
System Q 149
Powered and Servo-Driven Woofers 150
Enclosure Resonances 152
Enclosure Shapes 155
Loudspeaker Footers 156
Crossovers 157
Powered and Active Loudspeakers 160
Digital Loudspeakers 161
DSP Loudspeakers 163
Wireless Loudspeakers and Integrated Systems 164
Subwoofers 166
Subwoofer Technical Overview 170
Loudspeaker Stands 172
7 Digital Source Components: DACs, Music Servers, Streaming, Disc Players, Interfaces 173
Introduction 173
How to Choose a Digital Source-Overview 174
What to Listen For 175
DAC Features and Specifications 178
Number and Type of Inputs 183
Wireless Connection: Bluetooth, AirPlay2, and Chromecast 184
Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) 186
Streaming 186
Choosing a Streaming Service 186
Networking Capability 188
DSD Decoding 188
DSD over PCM (DoP) 189
Volume Control and Source Switching 190
Selectable Digital Filters 191
Balanced Outputs 191
Upsampling 192
Internet Radio 192
Hardware or Software Updatable DACs 192
Music Servers 193
Music Server Sound Quality: Better than Disc 194
Music Server Features 195
Music-Management App 196
Integral DAC 196
Roon 196
Integral Storage 199
External Storage and Backup: USB and NAS Drives 199
Digital Outputs 200
DSD Support 201
Music Server Accessories 201
USB Reclockers 201
Ethernet Isolators and Switches 202
A Music-Server Alternative: The Network Bridge 202
Downloading Music 204
File Formats 204
Download Caveats 206
Transferring an LP Collection to a Server 207
Disc Players 209
Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD) 210
Universal Disc Players 211
Blu-ray Disc 212
Bass Management in SACD and Universal Players 212
Extracting High-Resolution Data Streams from Disc Players 213
Digital Interfaces 214
S/PDIF 214
USB 216
Ethernet 217
I2S 217
Proprietary Digital Interfaces 218
Jitter in the Digital Interface 218
Outboard Clocks 219
Computer-Based Music Servers 221
The Do-It-Yourself, PC-Based Music Server 221
The Importance of Bit Transparency 221
Computer Requirements 222
Operating System and Playback Software 223
Metadata 223
Hard-Disk and Solid-State Storage 224
Loading Your Server with Music 225
Getting Music from the Server to Your Playback System 227
Networking 228
Technical Addenda 229
High-Resolution Digital Audio: Why 44.1kHz Sampling and 16-bit Quantization Aren't Enough 229
16 Bits, 20 Bits, 24 Bits 231
A Caveat About High-Resolution Digital Audio 233
Direct Stream Digital 234
How a DAC Works 236
Custom Digital Filters 238
Digital-to-Analog Conversion 238
Delta-Sigma DACs 239
Analog Stages 241
Balanced Outputs 241
MQA Explained 243
Background: An End-to-End System 244
MQA in Practice 245
MQA Sound Quality 247
MQA Technology 247
Temporal Blur 248
Rethinking the Container 250
Encapsulation and Music Origami 252
8 Turntables, Tonearms, and Cartridges: The LP Playback System 255
Introduction 255
LP Playback Hardware Overview 257
System Hierarchy: Why the LP Front End Is So Important 257
How to Choose an LP Playback System 257
What to Listen For 260
Technical Aspects of Choosing an LP Front End 263
The Turntable 265
The Base and Plinth 266
Sprung and Unsprung Turntables 267
The Platter and Bearing Assembly 269
Platter Mats, Record Clams, and Vacuum Hold-Down Systems 270
The Drive System 271
The Tonearm 272
The Phono Cartridge 277
Moving-Magnet and Moving-Coil Cartridges 277
The Moving-Iron Cartridge 279
The Strain-Gauge Cartridge 280
The Optical Cartridge 280
Phono Cartridges and Balanced Operation 281
Stylus Shapes and Cantilever Materials 282
LP Playback System Setup 284
Record Care and Cleaning 288
Vinyl as Art: Half-Speed Mastering, 45rpm Pressings, 180-Gram Vinyl, Mobile Fidelity's One-Step Process, and Direct-to-Disc LPs 291
9 Cables and Interconnects 297
Introduction 297
How to Choose Cables and Interconnects 299
How Much Should You Spend on Cables and Interconnects? 301
What to Listen For 302
Binding Posts and Cable Terminations 303
Bi-Wired Loudspeaker Cables 304
Balanced and Unbalanced Lines 306
Cable and Interconnect Construction 309
Conductors 309
The Dielectric 310
Terminations 311
Geometry 311
Terminated Cables and Interconnects 312
Batter Bias in Cables and Interconnects 313
Cable and Interconnect Specifications 316
Cables in the Power-Amplifier / Loudspeaker Interface 315
10 Audio for Home Theater 317
Introduction 317
Overview of Home-Theater Systems 318
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 320
Should You Choose a 5.1-, 7.1-, or 9.1-Channel System? 321
Home-Theater Controllers 322
How to Choose a Controller 323
Inputs, Outputs, and Source Switching 323
Automatic Calibration 324
DSP Speaker and Room Correction 325
Analog Bypass Modes 325
Bass-Management Flexibility 326
8-Channel Analog Input 326
Digital-to-Analog Conversion 327
7.1-Channel and 9.1-Channel Playback from 5.1-Channel Sources 327
THX Certification 327
Audio Return Channel, Network Connection, Wireless Streaming,-and Multi-Zone 328
Multichannel Power Amplifiers 328
How to Choose a Home-Theater Power Amplifier 329
Loudspeakers for Home Theater 330
The Center-Channel Speaker 330
Adding a Center Speaker to Your System 331
Left and Right Speakers 331
Surround Speakers 332
Dipolar and Bipolar Surround Speakers 332
Surround-Back Speakers 332
Height Speakers 334
Subwoofers 334
Setting Up a Home Theater 334
Basic Setup 334
Acoustical Treatment 335
Speaker Placement 335
Surround Speaker Placement 335
Center Speaker Placement 336
Left and Right Speaker Placement 336
Calibrating a Home Theater 337
Bass Management 338
Setting Individual Channel Levels 338
Adding Home Theater without Compromising Music Performance 339
Addendum: Surround-Sound Formats Explained 341
11 Multichannel Audio 345
Introduction 345
A Short History of Multichannel Audio 346
Do We Want Multichannel Music Playback? 348
How to Get Multichannel Audio in Your Home 352
Loudspeaker Types and Placement 354
Bass Management 354
Calibration 355
Multichannel Playback from 2-Channel Sources 356
Ambisonics 358
12 Personal Audio: Headphones, Desktop, and Mobile Audio 361
Introduction 361
Headphones 362
Earbuds, Earphones, and In-Ear Monitors 362
Headphones 364
Dynamic, Electrostatic, and Planar-Magnetic Headphones 367
Headphone Enhancement Technologies 369
Crossfeed Circuits 369
Smyth Virtual Surround (SVS) 369
Binaural Listening 371
Multichannel Headphones 372
Headphone Specifications 373
Headphone Amplifiers 374
Balanced and Unbalanced Drive 375
Portable Audio 376
Desktop Audio 379
13 System Setup Secrets, Part 1: Loudspeaker Placement and Room Acoustics 381
Introduction 381
Loudspeaker Placement 382
Loudspeaker Placement in Asymmetrical Rooms 389
Short-Wall vs. Long-Wall Placement 391
Dipolar and Bipolar Loudspeaker Placement 392
Subwoofer Setup and Placement 393
Loudspeaker Placement Summary 395
Common Room Problems and How to Treat Them 396
Acoustical Dos and Don'ts 404
A Short Course in Acoustical Theory 406
Listening-Room Resonance Modes 406
Optimizing Dimensional Ratios 408
Standing Waves 412
Reverberation 413
Building a Listening Room from Scratch 417
Isolating the Listening Room 417
The IsoWall Technique 418
DSP Room Correction 421
14 System Setup Secrets, Part 2: Expert Tuning Techniques, Accessories, Equipment Racks, and AC Power Conditioners 425
Introduction 425
Accessories 426
How to Choose Accessories 427
Analog Accessories 432
System Setup Techniques 435
Equipment Placement 435
Cables and Interconnects 436
Tubed Equipment 437
LP Playback 438
Digital Playback 439
Loudspeakers 439
AC Power 440
General 440
Equipment Racks and Isolation Devices 441
Equipment Racks 441
Vibration-Control Accessories; Spikes, Feet, and Cones 443
AC Power Conditioners and AC Cords 444
AC Power Cords 447
Dedicated AC Lines 447
A Final Note 450
15 Specifications and Measurements 451
Preamplifiers 451
Power Amplifiers 454
Loudspeakers 456
Digital Components 461
Appendix A Sound and Hearing 463
Introduction: What is Sound? 463
Period and Frequency 464
Wavelength 465
Phase 465
Absolute Polarity 466
Complex Waves 467
Comb Filtering 469
Absorption, Reflection, and Diffusion 469
Diffraction 470
The Decibel (dB) 471
Frequency, Loudness, and Equal Loudness Contours 474
Weighting Filters 475
The Dynamic Nature of Music 476
Localization 477
Other Psychoacoustic Phenomena 478
Appendix B Audio and Electronics Basics 479
Introduction 479
Voltage, Current, Resistance, and Power 479
Ohm's Law 480
Series and Parallel Circuits 482
Alternating Current (AC) 483
Electromagnetic Induction, Inductance, and Capacitance 484
Filters 486
Impedance 488
Loudspeaker Phase Angle 489
Capacitor Types 490
Anatomy of an Audio Product 491
The Power Supply 491
Amplifier Circuits 494
Amplifier Distortion 498
Vacuum Tube Amplifiers 499
Operational Amplifiers 500
Digital Electronics 501
Appendix C Digital Audio Basics 503
Introduction 503
Binary Number System 504
Sampling and Quantization 505
Sampling Rate, Nyquist Theorem, and Aliasing 506
Quantization 509
Dither 511
Digital Audio Storage 513
Error Correction 53
Digital-to-Analog Conversion 514
Jitter Explained 514
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) 516
Perceptual Coding 517
Glossary 519
Index 559
