The Audiophile S Guide

Expanded and revised to cover recent developments, this text should tell you what you need to know to become a better listener and buyer of quality high-fidelity components. New sections include: super audio CD; high-resolution audio on DVD; and single-ended amplifiers.

Neil Young took on the music industry so that fans could hear his music—all music—the way it was meant to be heard. Today, most of the music we hear is com-pressed to a fraction of its original sound,while analog masterpieces are turning to dustin record company vaults. As these record-ings disappear, music fans aren't just losing acollection of notes. We're losing spaciousness,breadth of the sound field, and the ability tohear and feel a ping of a triangle or a pluckof a guitar string, each with its own reso-nance and harmonics that slowly trail off intosilence. The result is music that is robbed of its original quality—muddy and flat in sound compared to the rich, warm sound artists hear in the studio. It doesn't have to be this way, but the record and technology companies have incorrectly assumed that most listeners are satisfied with these low-quality tracks. Neil Young is challenging the assault on audio quality—and working to free music lovers from the flat and lifeless status quo. To Feel the Music is the true story of his questto bring high-quality audio back to musiclovers—the most important undertaking ofhis career. It's an unprecedented look insidethe successes and setbacks of creating thePono player, the fights and negotiationswith record companies to preserve master-pieces for the future, and Neil's unrelentingdetermination to make musical art availableto everyone. It's a story that shows how muchmore there is to music than meets the ear. Neil's efforts to bring quality audio to his fans garnered media attention when his Kickstarter campaign for his Pono player—a revolutionary music player that would combine the highest quality possible with the portability, simplicity and affordability modern listeners crave—became the third-most successful Kickstarter campaign in the website's history. It had raised more than $6M in pledges in 40 days. Encouraged by the enthusiastic response, Neil still had a long road ahead, and his Pono music player would not have the commercial success he'd imagined. But he remained committed to his mission, and faced with the rise of streaming services that used even lower quality audio, he was determined to rise to the challenge. An eye-opening read for all fans of Neil Young and all fans of great music, as well as readers interesting in going behind the scenes of product creation, To Feel the Music has an inspiring story at its heart: One determined artist with a groundbreaking vision and the absolute refusal to give up, despite setbacks, naysayers, and skeptics.

Unlock the secret to great sound from a pair of loudspeakers.Imagine building or improving your home stereo system in a way that makes your music come alive--like the performers are right in front of you--even on a budget. It's easier than you think.In The Audiophile's Guide, PS Audio CEO and 45-year audio industry veteran Paul McGowan walks beginners and veterans alike through his easy-to-follow step-by-step secrets for creating amazing 3D sound from two speakers.Whether you're new to high-end audio or a lifelong veteran, there's something for everyone in this book and reference audio disc. Regardless of your system's configuration--analog or digital, Paul shows you how to make magic happen in your listening room. The Audiophile's Guide: The Stereo, along with its companion Reference Audio disc is the ultimate how-to instructional method for turning two-channel home music systems into magical reproduction chains. A must-have for any audiophile or lover of great sound. This instructional guide works for any level of 2-channel audio system, from the most humble to the most aspirational. The Audiophile's Guide is an essential upgrade. The companion Reference Audio SACD (playable on all CD or DVD players) is available at https://www.psaudio.com/products/audiophile-reference-music/

PS Audio CEO Paul McGowan's definitive step-by-step book on how to get the most out of your new Aspen loudspeakers

The Audio Expert is a comprehensive reference that covers all aspects of audio, with many practical, as well as theoretical, explanations. Providing in-depth descriptions of how audio really works, using common sense plain-English explanations and mechanical analogies with minimal math, the book is written for people who want to understand audio at the deepest, most technical level, without needing an engineering degree. It's presented in an easy-to-read, conversational tone, and includes more than 400 figures and photos augmenting the text. The Audio Expert takes the intermediate to advanced recording engineer or audiophile and makes you an expert. The book goes far beyond merely explaining how audio "works." It brings together the concepts of audio, aural perception, musical instrument physics, acoustics, and basic electronics, showing how they're intimately related. Describing in great detail many of the practices and techniques used by recording and mixing engineers, the topics include video production and computers. Rather than merely showing how to use audio devices such as equalizers and compressors, Ethan Winer explains how they work internally, and how they are spec'd and tested. Most explanations are platform-agnostic, applying equally to Windows and Mac operating systems, and to most software and hardware. TheAudioExpertbook.com, the companion website, has audio and video examples to better present complex topics such as vibration and resonance. There are also videos demonstrating editing techniques and audio processing, as well as interviews with skilled musicians demonstrating their instruments and playing techniques.

THE AUDIOPHILE’S PROJECT SOURCEBOOK Build audio projects that produce great sound for far less than they cost in the store, with audio hobbyists’ favorite writer Randy Slone. In The Audiophile’s Project Sourcebook, Slone gives you— • Clear, illustrated schematics and instructions for high-quality, high-power electronic audio components that you can build at home • Carefully constructed designs for virtually all standard high-end audio projects, backed by an author who answers his email • 8 power-amp designs that suit virtually any need • Instructions for making your own inexpensive testing equipment • Comprehensible explanations of the electronics at work in the projects you want to construct, spiced with humor and insight into the electronics hobbyist’s process • Complete parts lists "The Audiophile's Project Sourcebook" is devoid of the hype, superstition, myths, and expensive fanaticism often associated with 'high-end' audio systems. It provides straightforward help in building and understanding top quality audio electronic projects that are based on solid science and produce fantastic sound! THE PROJECTS YOU WANT, FOR LESS Balanced input driver/receiver circuits Signal conditioning techniques Voltage amplifiers Preamps for home and stage Tone controls Passive and active filters Parametric filters Graphic equalizers Bi-amping and tri-amping filters Headphone amplifiers Power amplifiers Speaker protection systems Clip detection circuits Power supplies Delay circuits Level indicators Homemade test equipment

Introduces readers to the comeback of vinyl records from a collector's standpoint.