Customer Reviews

The Master Handbook of Acoustics

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an outstanding book for anyone interested in room acoustics. My motivation as an Audiophile for purchasing this book was to answer the basic question: "Should my next audio investment be in room acoustic treatments, and if so what are the considerations involved?" This book methodically breaks down every aspect of the behavior of sound, and how that behavior affects and is percieved by the listener. Reverberation, reflection, dispersion, diffraction, absorption, spectral analyses, modal analyses, room topology, etc., etc... It's all there. An absolute must have for any Audiophile.

This book can be a tremendous asset to anyone interested in cleaning up their audio listening invironment. It would be difficult to imagine myself not having this book around now with all the wealth of information it possesses. Highly recomended.

To say that the Master Handbook of Acoustics is an 'incredibly comprehensive work' it's like saying that the Beatles were 'some band from Liverpool'. Without a doubt, a must-have. Better than that, buy two and enlighten a friend! :-)

Now really, this is the absolute definitive book on acoustics, covering topics ranging from sound propagation to room acoustics to absortion, diffusion, refraction, reflection, diffraction and everything else you can think of.

This book is excellent as an introduction to room acoustics. But it has no focus on a myriad of other acoustical issues. It should be called 'Master Handbook of Room Acousitics.'

The chapter on digital sound is laughable and perfunctory. An introduction to specifics of digital sound sampling is essential in a modern book.

Some aspects of psychoacoustics are poorly presented; you should consult Roederer's Introduction to the Physics and Psychophysics of Music for this area.

The contributed chapters are not particularly helpful, and their style diverges from that established by the author. These are rather technical, and the material in the book on digital sound, Fourier Analysis, and related areas (including ray tracing) is inadequate to prepare the reader for the more complex topics.

The title is a little misleading. If you're looking for a general textbook on acoustics, this isn't it. If you're looking for a book on architectural acoustics, this isn't it. If you're looking for a highly technical reference on the physics of sound, this isn't really that, either.

But if you have a recording studio, even if it's a converted basement, garage or bedroom, this book is packed with information you can use. The math is easy enough that it won't intimidate anyone, and the text is easy to read.

If you're struggling to get your mixes to translate, acoustic treatment is your salvation, and after reading this book you'll know what needs to be done. Furthermore, you'll be armed with information that will help you defend yourself from acoustic treatment vendors hawking ineffective, overpriced acoustic products.

Everest's book Master Handbook of Acoustics lives up to it's name. It's an excellent overview of acoustics for everyday purposes. I haven't been through it completely (skipped Ch.28) but am pleased with the level of detail. This is a good intro for a serious hobbyist, though it might be too much information for some. For a non-engineer professional it's a good 'one book' place to start. It does not take you heavily into the physics of why or how sound behaves a certain way, but it makes the reader aware of the concepts in a factual manner. There is more of an emphasis on small room acoustics and studio applications.

The Master Hanbook of Acoustics has ample illustrations and references that will take you to the source for more detailed study.

For a great classic intro book on sound in large or open spaces, and sound / noise transmission see Architectural Acoustics by Meheta et al.
Addition 2006 - Two excellent new titles of note are "Concert Halls and Opera Houses" by Beranek and "Architectural Acoustics (Applications of Modern Acoustics)" by Long. These two titles are more technical and rigorous.

2008 - for a simlar fairly non-technical, good read on how we listen to speakers in small rooms see Floyd Toole's book.

This is the best technical book I've ever read. Virtually every page has useful information that has furthered my understanding of acoustics. I've never read a technical book from cover to cover before, but that is what I'm doing with the Handbook. There are plenty of graphs, pictures and diagrams to support the text. The equations provided are all algebraic; no math degree is required to read it.

Only the last two chapters seem out of place. They outline the design of some acoustical software and would mostly be of interest to people writing such software. Still, don't let this dissuade you; the rest of the book is well worth the price.

Highest recommendation!

I like this book: it's mainly about acoustic principles and room acoustics. It's easy to read (even for a beginner) and is not too superficial. One of the few audio books I still return to every now and then.
I would buy this book again.

I went to library and read an earlier version of this book before purchasing it. Despite taking copious notes, I felt it necessary to own a copy of Everest's classic. Why? Because it is clear and authoritative. The question you have to ask yourself is "Do I REALLY want to understand sound and acoustics?" The answer may be "no". In that case, this book may not be your best choice. A lot of people don't have the time, patience, or need to know exactly why sound acts as it does. Everest has many examples of how to build studio rooms, control rooms, diffusers, and so on, but the principal approach is theoretical. Acoustics is a specialty within physics, but is also an applied science within audio engineering and architecture. There is a spectrum of books on acoustics, each with its own preferred context. For example, Don Hall's book is largely a physical explanation of musical instruments, while covering other topics well but to a lesser degree. Bill Gibson's books are mostly concerned with sound engineering using a DAW, but he covers acoustics because its unavoidable. Phil Newell's book (Recording Spaces) is great if you want to understand issues of studio design.

The advantage of Everest's book is other books will tell you "it's like this" or "it's like that", but never get down to why. You scratch your head and scribble diagrams trying to sort it out. If you read Everest first -- and understand him -- you can breeze by all those tortured half-explanations. You can see how they are correct and what they are overlooking. You'll get more out of other books by having this one. If you are responsible for sound at live concerts, then you know how convenient it is to quickly understand the hall you just arrived at. Deep basic knowledge is an asset at times like that.

Bottom Line: Everest's book gives you a solid grounding, but is probably not enough by itself. It is a valuable reference. You can turn to it whenever you get thrown by some technical argument about the behaviour of sound in an internet article, at gearslutz, or in someone else's book. If you are really in this game, how can you not have a copy of Everest?

A good overview of the field of acoustic treatment for various rooms, halls, etc.
Poor resource for mathematical derivations, but good for qualitative understanding.

After reading the book it did not take long to understand that most of
the SPL graphs that I have made when testing my speakers say more about the room
than the speakers. The room dominates strongly. It is an interesting topic and opens up
an entire universe of things to twiddle, walls to tear out & rebuild, bass traps, absorbers, diffusers
yada yada.

Another nail in the coffin of the "high end" audio folks that think ultra pure oxygen free copper
connections are gonna make a difference.