Jag fick den av min flickvänn i julklapp förra julen, den bästa julklappen jag någonsin fått.
Dom kristna har bibeln, muslimerna koranen, judarna toran och jag den här.
Ett absolut måste för den som älskar ljud.
Den är skriven av Robert harley ,chefredaktör på tidningen the absolute sound.
Den finns att köpa på hifiklubben tror jag.Här är vad den innehåller:
Chapter 1
What is High-End Audio? Chapter 2
Choosing a High-End Audio System Introduction
Setting Your Budget
The Complete vs. the Incremental Purchase
Choosing the System Best Suited to Your Needs
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
Setting Up Your System for the Best Sound
Component Selection Summary
Chapter 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
Recommended Recordings
Single-Presentation Listening—What It’s All About
Critical Listening Summary
Level Matching
Chapter 4
How to Get the Best Sound from Your Room Introduction
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 Do’s 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
Complete Room Treatment: A Case Study
DSP Room Correction
A Survey of Acoustical Treatments
Chapter 5
Preamplifiers Introduction
How to Choose a Preamplifier
Balanced and Unbalanced Connections
Other Considerations in Choosing a Preamplifier
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
Passive Level Controls: Are They Right for Your System?
How a Preamplifier Works
Balanced and Unbalanced Preamplifiers
Chapter 6
Power and Integrated Amplifiers Introduction
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
Tubes vs. Transistors
Balanced Inputs
Bridging
Bi-Amping
What to Listen For
A Survey of Amplifier Types
Single-Ended Triode Amplifiers
Single-Ended Solid-State Amplifiers
Switching Power Amplifiers
Digital Power Amplifiers
How a Power Amplifier Works
The Power Supply
Input and Driver Stages
Output Stage
How a Tubed Power Amplifier Works
Chapter 7
Loudspeakers Introduction
How to Choose a Loudspeaker
Other Guidelines in Choosing Loudspeakers
Finding the Right Loudspeaker—Before You Buy
What to Listen For
Loudspeaker Types and How They Work
The Dynamic Driver
Dynamic Compression
Problems with Dynamic Drivers
The Planar Magnetic Transducer
The Electrostatic Driver
The Dipolar Radiation Patterns of Ribbons and Electrostatics
Bipolar and Omnipolar Loudspeakers
Loudspeaker Enclosures
Infinite Baffle Loading
Reflex Loading
Passive Radiators
Transmission-Line Loading
Isobarik Loading
Energy Multiplied Bandpass
The Finite Baffle
System Q
Powered and Servo-Driven Woofers
Enclosure Resonances
Enclosure Shapes
Crossovers
The Crossoverless Coaxial Driver
Digital Loudspeakers
Subwoofers
Subwoofer Technical Overview
Loudspeaker Stands
Chapter 8
Digital Source Components Introduction
How to Choose a Digital Source
What to Listen For
State-of-the-Art CD Playback: Dedicated CD Players and Separate Transports and Processors
Why 44.1kHz Sampling and 16-bit Quantization Aren’t Enough
High-Resolution Digital Audio: SACD and DVD-Audio
Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD)
Hybrid SACD
Direct Stream Digital (DSD) Encoding on SACD
DSD Sound Quality
DVD-Audio
DVD-Audio Sound Quality
Bass Management in SACD and DVD-A Players
Universal Players
Choosing Between CD, SACD, DVD-A, and Universal Players 2
Open Architecture: Customizing and Future-Proofing Your Digital
Purchase
Digital-Audio Servers
Gracenote CDDB System
Upsampling
Sample-Rate Conversion
The Digital Transport
The Digital Processor
Digital Processor Features
Balanced Outputs: Why They’re Not All Created Equal
The S/PDIF Digital Interface
Digital Interconnects
Jitter in the S/PDIF Interface
Jitter-Reduction Devices
Custom Digital Interfaces
Copy Protection, High-Resolution Digital Interfaces, and Watermarking 291
FireWire (IEEE1394) and Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP)
High Definition Compatible Digital (HDCD)
Digital Recording Formats: CD Recordable, MiniDisc, and MP3
Compact Disc Recordable and Compact Disc Re-Writable
MiniDisc
MP3
Helpful Digital Recording Hints
How a Digital Processor Works
Custom Digital Filters
Digital-to-Analog Conversion
One-bit DACs
Analog Stages
Digital vs. Analog Volume Control
How a CD Transport Works
How the S/PDIF Interface Works
Chapter 9
Turntables, Tonearms, and Cartridges: The LP Playback System Introduction
System Hierarchy: Why the LP Front End Is So Important
How to Choose an LP Playback System
What to Listen For
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 Clamps, and Vacuum Hold-Down Systems
The Drive System
The Tonearm
The Phono Cartridge
Moving-Magnet and Moving-Coil Cartridges
Stylus Shapes and Cantilever Materials
LP Playback System Setup
Chapter 10
FM Tuners and Digital Audio Radio Introduction
How to Choose a Tuner
What to Listen For
Tuner Specifications and Measurements
Digital Audio Radio Service: XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio
Radio Data System (RDS)
Chapter 11
Cables and Interconnects Introduction
How to Choose Cables and Interconnects
How Much Should You Spend on Cables and Interconnects?
What to Listen For
Binding Posts and Cable Terminations
Bi-Wired Loudspeaker Cables
Balanced and Unbalanced Lines
Digital Interconnects
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
Getting the Best Sound from Cables and Interconnects
Chapter 12
High-End Audio Accessories How to Choose Accessories
Stands and Racks
Accessories to Isolate and Control Vibration: Spikes, Feet, and Cones
AC Power Conditioners
AC Power Cords
CD Treatments
Portable Audio
Headphones and Headphone Amplifiers
Binaural Recordings
Cassette Decks
Other Accessories
Cable Enhancers
RF Filters
Contact Cleaners
Record-Cleaning Machines
Cartridge Demagnetizers
Stylus Cleaners
Tube Dampers
AC Polarity Testers and AC “Cheater” Plugs
Ground Isolators
Vibration Absorbers for Loudspeakers
Voodoo Accessories and the Lunatic Fringe
Chapter 13
Audio for Home Theater Introduction
Overview of Home-Theater Systems
Home-Theater Controllers
THX Certification of Controllers
How to Choose a Controller
Inputs, Outputs, and Source Switching
Analog Bypass Modes
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Surround Decoding Formats
The Future-Proof Controller: Software Upgrades and Modular Construction
Bass-Management Flexibility
High-Resolution Digital Audio Decoding and 6-Channel Analog Input
Digital-to-Analog Conversion
7.1-Channel Playback from 5.1-Channel Sources
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 for Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES
Subwoofers
Setting up a Home Theater
Basic Setup
Acoustical Treatment
Speaker Placement
Surround Speaker Placement
Surround-Back Speaker Placement for Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES
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
Chapter 14
Multichannel Audio Introduction
A Short History of Multichannel Audio
Do We Want Multichannel Music Playback?
How to Get Multichannel Audio in Your Home
Loudspeaker Types and Placement
Bass Management
Calibration
Multichannel Playback from 2-Channel Sources
Ambisonics
Chapter 15
Specifications and Measurements Preamplifier Specifications and Measurements
Power Amplifier Specifications and Measurements
Loudspeaker Specifications and Measurements
Digital Specifications and Measurements
Appendix A: Sound and Hearing Introduction: What is Sound?
Period and Frequency
Wavelength
Phase
Absolute Polarity
Complex Waves
Comb Filtering
Absorption, Reflection, and Diffusion
Diffraction
The Decibel (dB)
Frequency, Loudness, and Equal Loudness Contours
Weighting Filters
The Dynamic Nature of Music
Localization
Other Psychoacoustic Phenomena
Appendix B: Audio and Electronics Basics Voltage, Current, Resistance, and Power
Ohm’s Law
Series and Parallel Circuits
Alternating Current (AC)
Electromagnetic Induction, Inductance, and Capacitance
Filters
Impedance
Loudspeaker Phase Angle
Capacitor Types
Anatomy of an Audio Product
The Power Supply
Amplifier Circuits
Amplifier Distortion
Vacuum Tube Amplifiers
Operational Amplifiers
Digital Electronics
Appendix C: Digital Audio Basics Introduction
Binary Number System
Sampling and Quantization
Sampling Rate, Nyquist Theorem, and Aliasing
Quantization
Dither
Digital Audio Storage
Error Correction
Digital-to-Analog Conversion
Jitter Explained
Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
DSP in Professional Audio
Perceptual Coding
Appendix D: The Role of Critical Listening in Evaluating AudioEquipment Quality
Glossary