Complete Guide to Premium Audio, by Robert Harley – Book Review

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This book deals with the subject of “high end audio” – which is a term used for very high quality music playback systems. Although it was first published in 1994 and contains chapter titles like “The LP Playback System”, it is still as relevant and useful today as it was then. where it was written.

What is the concept of “high end”?

Most people are familiar with the word “high fidelity” or “hi-fi” for short. This word is used in common parlance to designate any music playback system comprising a CD player, an amplifier or a receiver and a pair of speakers. It also implies that there is some sort of minimum quality involved, so you wouldn’t call a ghettoblaster on the beach or a substandard music system in a restaurant for “hi-fi”.

When it comes to the high end, a lot of people would immediately think of very technical, complicated and expensive gear that can only be set up and even enjoyed by a small clique of nerds speaking insider language beyond the grasp. ordinary people.

While the book covers a lot of technical details, the only reason these same details are needed to be described isn’t because they are particularly interesting in themselves.

Rather, they are the means and the end of bringing the feeling and emotion of the recorded music to the listener so that he or she can truly enjoy the listening process. This is not accomplished by cheap equipment bought from the nearest supermarket for cheap dollars and hastily installed in the first available spot on the living room shelf.

It is not necessary to buy the most expensive and the most prestigious and thus buy a ticket to paradise. Some adjustments, like the correct placement of your speakers, stable furniture for your equipment, choosing the right cable, can go a long way without horrendous costs. You just need to know what will make the difference and why, and then do your own experiments and draw your own conclusions.

In this book you will simply find out how

  • get the best sound for your money
  • identify weak links in your system and upgrade where it will do the most good
  • configure and “fine-tune” your system and get maximum performance from the equipment you already own
  • read equipment reviews
  • make hi-fi more fun!

I have read the book myself many times and always enjoy the fun descriptions and the pleasure of making small changes in my stereo with surprising results.

About the Author

Robert Harley was for years the consulting technical editor of the legendary Stereophile magazine.

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Source by Stig Andersen

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