Customer Reviews

The Complete Guide to High-End Audio

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This book is:
Almost what the High-End Audio industry needs

It's important for me that a book be written on the advantages of high-end audio. It's the business I'm in and it is dear to me on a personal level. There are many excellent portions and handy information pieces scattered about the book and that's the good news.

I will refrain from personalizing my complaints and stick to the issues as I see them. To write this book as the author, you should know Ohm's Law. Harley does not. This is made evident in several examples. Amperes, voltage and wattage are all part of a greater equation that appears to mystify the author. The basic laws of physics and simple electrical concepts need be firmly grasped prior to making an endeavor such as this. There are many elements of "Dark Science" in the high-end audio realm and a mystique that is largely relevant. This book does a strong job of handling that delicate balance between science and myth, that is so important to this industry. Along the way however it forgets to "check the science"

That's too bad, but not a total loss...

A serious explanation of negative feedback as used in power amplifiers would have been pretty easy to put down for the record. Most power amp manufactures have fascinating solutions to the problems associated with negative feedback. A breakdown of a few of the key developments in this area would have been excellent. An opportunity missed. Instead he uses an example of a negative feedback amplifier and calls it just the opposite! At that point in the book I admit I was a bit frustrated.

The good parts are many!
It's an enjoyable read when the author sticks to what he actually knows, acoustics and auditioning gear. I learned much and felt the key points were illustrated clearly and in the contexts of meaningful application. I am not saying "don't buy"

I guess I'm saying this book missed a huge opportunity simply by not getting some important parts right. That's all.

This is one of the very few books I have ever returned to the bookstore (and I have bought thousands of books.)

Why don't I like this book?

1) It contains many, many, factual errors. These errors would be easily spotted by any freshman physics student, and should have been spotted by the publisher. For example, the author Robert Harley apparently doesn't understand the difference between electrical current and voltage.

2) It doesn't actually explain things. To me, an explanation shows how something works in terms of basic principles. Mr. Harley simpley states "facts", e.g., an outboard D/A converter will improve your sound, without explaining how or why.

3) Many photos and diagrams have mistaken or even irrelevant captions, leading me to conclude that Mr. Harley doesn't understand his own diagrams. For example, a diagram of an amplifier that uses feedback is used to "illustrate" a point about amplifiers that don't use feedback.

This last is the most serious point to me, because it makes me suspect that much of the technical-looking stuff in the book is included to impress the reader, not to actually explain things. In other words, it creates the impression of dishonesty.

To the people who defend the book as not intended for technical readers, I say this: even a non-technical book should be written by someone who understand the technical issues, so he or she can explain things clearly and truthfully. If it turns out that the author doesn't know the technical stuff, why should we read the book?

I might add that Robert Harley has a very poor reputation among respected audio engineers and other commentators in the field. Some audio manufacturers (but not all) pander to him apparently because he edits a high-end audio magazine, and his reviews can make or break a product.

[Just for reference, I have a background in electronics, old-school hi-fi sales, professional sound system installation, and operating both a PA system business and a mobile DJ business... and my hearing as measured by audiologists still reaches most of the spectrum from 50-18khz and follows normal response (aka loudness) curves.]

>> If you want to understand the electrical and electronic "rules" and theories, there are several books you can borrow from a local library (or buy at an electronics supply store). Understanding voltage, amperage, power (v*a), capacitance, inductance, phasing, etc. is all basic to correctly installing any level of "advanced" audio equipment.
/* if you dont understand these terms or the acronyms in my review - you need to get some electronic and audio engineering texts...*/

There are some old-school "hi fi" books that cover the basics of speakers, acoustics, and room design, (most are less than $25).
If you seriously want to understand high-end audio Systems, I suggest investing in Audio Engineering books (most are $50 to $100+). These cover acoustics more comprehensively, how to "aim" speakers, apply acoustic treatment, what wire guage is needed for long speaker runs, how to design (or choose) a passive crossover, how to operate an active crossover, etc.

**These all get you to the basic level of knowledge needed to weed out the useful info from the "fluff" in high-end audio magazines and 'text books'. A basic example is that there is a significant difference in power loss (heard as loss in dynamic range) between 20AWG speaker wire and 14AWG cable. But most professional audio engineers/installers question the value of $1,000 per meter(yard) oxygen-free-copper wire as compared to using a doubled pair of 16awg or 14awg (a pair each for negative and positive for each speaker), for < $50/meter. A pair of thick extension cords turned into speaker wires may not be as cool looking as a multi-colored cable labeled "Mega-Cable" and having some funny looking noice-cancelation inductors and proprietary gold flashed connectors - but there are very few people on this earth who can *honestly* tell the difference in a "double blind test", unbiased by knowing what cable costs $8,000 and what costs $200 and came from a hardware store.

Likewise, many people with trained ears can hear the difference between tube and solid-state audio, and can SEE it on an oscilloscope as the rounded edges of a clipped waveform as compared to the square edge produced by a SS amp.
Again, proper speaker placement (height and room position) and acoustic treatment of the listening room has noticeable affects on sound quality.
And - large power amps (>200wpc RMS) have a more noticeable dynamic range before distortion occurs due to clipping, allowing more comfortable listening at higher SPLs (even if they are dangerous). but...a tube amp with only 20-30wpc can sound better than a SS amp with the correct speakers and correct musical source (i.e. not rap or metal). [ps. I love metal, some rap, and lots of other types of music!]
**All these effects are not only something you can Hear but they can be Measured and are based on Scientific principles developed over at least 100 years (some are old, some are circa 1940s-today).

BUT - claiming to hear a power conditioner providing more "soundstage", or claiming a $1,000 RCA interconnect has certain audible traits in the low frequency range is very questionable. Beware when an audio review reads like a WINE or CIGAR tasting. It is not referenceable to Anything! MORE IMPORTANTLY, unless the same audible characteristic is heard by more than one person, it is a Subjective evaluation based on personal taste and several psychological factors unique to that person and time.

Honestly, I like TAS, but many of the reviews make me laugh. For example an interconnect is claimed to "..have an expansive soundstage in which orchestral images always seem rooted and stable..." Come on!!-what the hell does that really mean!?!? A wire is not a dynamic component like a tonearm or speaker motor and unless it is being chewed on by the cat should not be affecting the audible "soundstage" perceived by the listener.
Will a $1,000 tonearm "sound" better than a $250 one? ...possibly slightly noticable, but will a $15,000 tonearm sound better than the $1,000 model....?

CONCLUSION: Use this book as a guide, but temper it with factual knowledge from Audio/Sound Engineering books (go to the local college if you dont want to buy them).

CAVEAT - if you have ruined your hearing with excessively loud music - of any genre, or by loud engines or industrial noise, you can't hear much beyond 100-12khz if you are lucky, and the frequency response of your ears is probably very ragged,(so save some money and stick to an iPOD or a $500 packaged system....)

ALSO - if you can afford high-end gear and like the prestige and sex appeal it has - Go for It and dont waste time on a book. Open the checkbook and buy what looks sexy and fits your budget. Most people with the money to buy this gear dont *really* have the ears that a professional musician, engineer, or producer has - they buy the stuff on snob appear and on "horsepower races" (mines better than yours).

True audiophiles with gifted ears value an old AR turntable and Dynaco-70 amp as much as a set of MBL speakers driven by a Conrad Johnson amp and Mark Levinson preamp... They can hear and enjoy the subtle sonic differences in how the different systems reproduce different music... (A basic concept that RH emphasizes in his books...)

This book covers a wide range of subjects, mainly covering "high-end" audio equipment. Basic electronics is in here, with descriptions of all components and also software formats...like the new CD or DVD audio standards. If you are planning to spend big bucks on audio, you should do research, and this book fits the need. I don't agree with ALL statements and philosophies....the old engineer vs audiophile debate, or subjectivist vs objectivist debate. If you are set on mass market equipment sold at common discount stores, you may not need this book. If you want to step up to more exotic equipment, this can guide you. But beware! High prices do not been good sound. And don't go broke on something you really don't need.

Harley has encyclopedic, unbiased knowledge of all things audio, most importantly, a passion for music. Everything in the book is predicated on the notion that what we try to achieve through our devotion to high-end audio is musical purity, a representation that brings us as close to the real thing (and as far away from the equipment) as possible. Harley gives no impression that he favors any particular brand or format, nor that he has any other ax to grind apart from the pleasure imparted by good sound.

That said, for the budding and experienced gearheads alike, there is copious, well-crafted exposition of the technical minutae governing each aspect of sound reproduction, from the nature of digital and analog signals to their final output from the loudspeakers. After reading the first few chapters on the basics of listening to and buying high-end equipment, many readers may find it most useful to skip around the book and read the chapters or sections that are most appropriate to their present needs or questions. Fortunately, Harley has organized and indexed the book to make its use as a reference guide easy and exceedingly useful.

I recommend it highly.

Fist a disclaimer...I'm not an audio engineer or circuit designer. I'm also a relative newcomer to high-end audio--but am a long time music lover. This review is based on the 1995 edition of this book (I understand new ed is forthcoming). I felt the author did an exceptionally good job in structuring the book and writing to an appropriate level of reader. He describes what each component does, how it works, what to listen for when testing, etc...The initial chapters which are "stage setting" chapters, teminology, etc. are also very valuable. Lots of technical details are included, but they are in appendices so that someone who is interested, can go get the info there, while those less interested in that don't get bogged down in the detail. So, bottom line: this *has* to be a very difficult book to write--ie, author is writing to a very diverse readership in terms of audio expertise, etc. As one who is interested in high-end audio and in the process of upgrading a mid-range system to a true high-end system, I found this book invaluable. Well worth the $$ and time if you have even a passing interest in audio/music. Highly recommended.

Bad reviews of this book seem to critique it as a science or reference book, which it isn't. I have some of those types of books focused specifically on hifi and acoustics. They're useful but not much fun to read. This book is genuinely enjoyable to read and still educational. I'm no hard core audiophile and don't presume to hear all the "esoteric" nuances that audiophiles seem to hear (or imagine they do). But Harley comes up with real definitions for things like "air", "bloom" and "grainy". And some topics he absolutely nails. For example, for years I've tried to understand how to use Small/Thiel parameters to model an isobaric subwoofer. He answered my questions in one sentence. That's impressive.
This is just a fun book. At 600ish pages I'm amazed at how fast I'm absorbing it.

I just purchased the latest edition of this book after owning the 3rd ed then passing it on to friends.

The author, Robert Harley has done a service to audiophiles that few before him have dared, namely writing a book without the self-absorbed geek-speak of meters and metrics that have been used in excess to evaluate audio equipment. It does not matter if the author is not an engineer or a physicist (some of whom are terrible writers). What is evident (if you take the time to read the entire book), is his experience in this business and the number of subjects discussed, even if it is not at the depth that would please those with their Masters & PHD's.

I supposed editors of audio magazines have a certain amount of pressure on them from the manufacturers of the gear. If they don't pander to the vendors from time to time, they don't get loaners to evaluate for the reviews, they don't get paid-for advertising, they don't get tours of the labs & plants where the equipment is designed / built, and they don't get invited to audio shows.

This book is a bargain if you have any confusion about what constitutes high end audio or you are making the leap from big-box retailed audio to the real stuff. You aren't going to find this book on a rack at Best Buy. Harley covers a wide range of topics, not just about the electronics, players, and speakers, but on cables, placement of components, some rudiments of theory, how to buy, and a lot more. Let's face it, there is some pretty pricey stuff out there with known brand names on it, but how can you trust the marketing hyperbole that some high end audio vendors publish. After all, much of the advertising for it is written by expensive hired guns (and the pricier the product is, the more expensive is the marketing behind it).

I would have given the book 4.5 or 5 stars, only because I thought it could have delved into more detail with some of the subject matter, but I'm guessing the publisher determined this, not the author.

High-end audio purchases can be reasonably affordable. I discovered that there is a sea of difference between many products, independent of their pricing. This book is not perfect (which one is?) but it will steer you in the right direction before you plop down your dollars. Pretty interesting read, to-boot.

If you are the type of person who has a "critical ear" and is interested in learning about what is the full spectrum of options available in buying and setting-up a high quality audio system, I highly recommend this book. It will prevent you from buying equipment that you may soon become dissatisfied with and in the long run, it will save you a lot of grief as well as money. The author makes a point to emphasize that "high end audio" refers to the quality of the component/system and not the cost. However, like most things in this world, you will find that the two are usually closely related.

The body of the book is not overly technical, however it does provide several appendices for those who wish to delve into the theory behind the concepts. It is also quite through and is intended for the reader who wishes to get into some depth on the subject. If your interest is only in a basic overview, I would suggest that you look elsewhere.

I have read the book thoroughly and still find myself referring back to it on many occasions. It is by far the best book on this subject that I have been able to locate and should be of value to those interested in home theater as well as two-channel audio.

This book is a great introduction and reference to high quality audio (music and home theater acoustic and equipment). As other reviewers note, this book is not without flaws, but the positives outweigh the negatives. I first read it years ago (probably an earlier edition) and now I bought it as a reference as I am upgrading my home theater system.

First, you should realize that high end audio is a cottage industry riddled with marketing BS and subjective reviews, rarely based on solid science and engineering. There are a lot of overprices products, some of them flawed. It is not easy sorting through the mess, which is where this book helps.

The author explains what high end audio is about, mostly with an emphasis on 2-channel stereo (which is indeed what audiophiles seem to fixate upon the most). There are good sections on home theater and multi-channel playback. Ultimately, however, the focus is on stereo and separate high end components, rather than one-piece receivers and home theater, but most of the principles described in the book apply to those system and can make you a more informed consumer.

For a novice, the book explains the roles and useful characteristics of different portions of the audio chain, such as preamplifiers, controllers, amplifiers, speakers, room acoustics, and what to look for. If you are a more advanced reader, the chapters at the end about how to read and interpret measurements are probably worth the price of the book.

To answer some of the criticisms of this book: if you really want to get deeply into room acoustics, amplifier and loudspeaker designs, there are better books, e.g. by Floyd Toole or Tomlinson Holman. Acoustics and audio component design are complex engineering fields where new breakthroughs happen occasionally, but myths and outdated practices live long, so it helps if you read more than just this book.

Bottom line: this is a nice, well-written book worth reading :)