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Any good books on Audio?

post #1 of 23
1/20/13 at 10:13am
Thread Starter 
I'm new to the home theater scene and I'm wondering if anyone could refer me to a book on the subject.

Id like to know more about what each spec actually means rather than just the simplistic "X-value is usually pretty good when looking at speakers." This would help me tremendously in upgrading my system in a manner that makes sense.

Thanks in advance!
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post #2 of 23
1/20/13 at 11:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ItsAllDay View Post

Id like to know more about what each spec actually means rather than just the simplistic "X-value is usually pretty good when looking at speakers." This would help me tremendously in upgrading my system in a manner that makes sense.

This book is exactly what you're looking for:

The Audio Expert

--Ethan
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post #3 of 23
1/20/13 at 7:26pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks! My school's library has an electronic copy of this book available to me. Even after just reading through the first few sections I have learned some new things. This seems to be a great source so far and should help me out. Still I'm open to reading other books if anyone else know of some others let me know.
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post #4 of 23
1/21/13 at 11:43am
For a broad introduction that covers just about every facet of this obsession/hobby/life's work, Ethan's book is superb. If you want to dig deeper into different areas, then Everest's Master Handbook of Acoustics and Toole's Sound Reproduction are good reads. There are numerous other books advertised but I have not read them so can't comment. Even deeper, and you'll get into things like my grad texts on acoustics, but unless you want to deal with wave equations and ugly calculus I'd go with the first suggestions.
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post #5 of 23
1/21/13 at 11:50am
www.amazon.com/Sound-System-Engineering-Don-Davis/dp/0240808304

http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Systems-Optimization-Techniques-Alignment/dp/0240520203/
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post #6 of 23
1/21/13 at 2:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DonH50 View Post

unless you want to deal with wave equations and ugly calculus I'd go with the first suggestions.

Exactly. biggrin.gif

--Ethan
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post #7 of 23
1/22/13 at 8:43am
Robert Harley (editor of the Absolute Sound Mag.) has a couple books available on Home Theater and audio.
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post #8 of 23
1/22/13 at 9:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Espo77 View Post

Robert Harley (editor of the Absolute Sound Mag.) has a couple books available on Home Theater and audio.
You may have missed this: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-High-End-Acoustic-Engineering/product-reviews/0978649311/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
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post #9 of 23
1/24/13 at 11:29am
I would not get the Harley book. It received terrible reviews for promoting myths as science.
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post #10 of 23
1/24/13 at 11:44am
Yeah, in context of the other suggestions above (Ethan's, Toole's, Everest's, and the phenomenal Sound System Engineering), Harley's fluff piece has no place.

I mean I read Audio, Stereophile and TAS for decades, but what some of the contributing individuals have become is laughable. I still enjoy a good laugh once in a while.
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post #11 of 23
1/24/13 at 1:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hd_newbie View Post

I would not get the Harley book. It received terrible reviews for promoting myths as science.

I've heard that if you put Ethan's book and Harley's book close to each other, Harley's book simply disappears! ;-)

This is a good thing because Harley's book not only is not science, its actually anti-science!
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post #12 of 23
1/24/13 at 1:43pm
Back when Harley was Technical Editor at Stereophile, Peter Aczel of The Audio Critic tried to set up a fund called Send Robert Harley to Engineering School.
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post #13 of 23
1/24/13 at 1:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ItsAllDay View Post

I'm new to the home theater scene and I'm wondering if anyone could refer me to a book on the subject.

Id like to know more about what each spec actually means rather than just the simplistic "X-value is usually pretty good when looking at speakers." This would help me tremendously in upgrading my system in a manner that makes sense.

Thanks in advance!

http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Reproduction-Acoustics-Psychoacoustics-Loudspeakers/dp/0240520092 Floyd E. Tolle

This is the most thorough, single book, covering the residential environment that I have found.
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post #14 of 23
1/24/13 at 3:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcnarus View Post

Back when Harley was Technical Editor at Stereophile, Peter Aczel of The Audio Critic tried to set up a fund called Send Robert Harley to Engineering School.

Usual suspects should be here any minute to defend Harley and attack Ethan now.
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post #15 of 23
1/24/13 at 3:29pm
http://www.amazon.com/SOUND-FATAL-AUDIO-WOULD-LEADING/dp/1414078838
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post #16 of 23
1/24/13 at 6:12pm
Thread Starter 
I want to say thanks again to everyone who has posted a suggestion, or their opinions of the books. I'm pretty sure all of them are available to me through my schools library, so fortunately I won't have to worry about buying a bad book. Hopefully some others can gain some knowledge from these books too. I look forward to reading through many of them. What has been suggested so far ought to be more than enough to get me familiar with the hobby, and well on my way to being an educated buyer. Please continue to post suggestions/reviews though, as they may be helpful to other people who are in the same boat as me.
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post #17 of 23
1/24/13 at 11:50pm
Get Better Sound by Jim Smith. Not an engineer or science book, but offers helpful tips to get BETTER SOUND.

Cheers!
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post #18 of 23
1/25/13 at 8:10am
As far as Jim Smith is concerned, here's one of his posts in which he tries to justify some ridiculous claim by Harley about power cords.
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post #19 of 23
1/25/13 at 10:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rock_bottom View Post

As far as Jim Smith is concerned, here's one of his posts in which he tries to justify some ridiculous claim by Harley about power cords.

I guess he used to work for the US importer of Avant Garde speakers.



Yes, those speakers! ;-)
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post #20 of 23
1/25/13 at 10:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rock_bottom View Post

As far as Jim Smith is concerned, here's one of his posts in which he tries to justify some ridiculous claim by Harley about power cords.

So what?
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post #21 of 23
1/25/13 at 10:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by arnyk View Post

I guess he used to work for the US importer of Avant Garde speakers.



Yes, those speakers! ;-)

Nice speakers!
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post #22 of 23
1/25/13 at 10:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd68 View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by arnyk View Post

I guess he used to work for the US importer of Avant Garde speakers.



Yes, those speakers! ;-)

Nice speakers!

Nice looking speakers.

I'm generally an advocate of good modern waveguide designs, so the fact that they are horns doesn't bother me in the least. However they kinda bypass that good modern thing.

I think I had a nightmare with exactly that picture in it. Something about a blood-thirsty marching band chasing me down... ;-)
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post #23 of 23
1/25/13 at 6:31pm
I like this book, minus the multiple Monster plugs:
http://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Recording-Method-Microphones-Mixers/dp/1423430484
It's part 1 of 6. I haven't had a look at the other 5 but this was a great way for me to get my toes (or rather, ears, if you will) wet.
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