Recommended books

[Jason]

Hi All,

I'd like to create a general list of recommended books and make it more prominent, as well as stock (or link to) the best ones in the diyAudio store..

We have a few existing threads on this:

Most Recommended books
Recommended Tube Books for DIY
The best books to buy on speaker design and construction
Please recommend some books about electroacoustics
The best audio amplifier books - Overview (Google books)
New Book Review
Books for Tube nOObies...
best audio amplifier book??
looking for a great tube amp book.
Books!
Best books for solid state design?
What books should I get to learn?
Amplifier Design Book

From those I've got:

• Building Valve Amplifiers - Morgan Jones
• Valve Amplifiers, Third Edition - Morgan Jones
• Mullard Tube Circuits For Audio Amplifiers - Mullard Ltd.
• Beginner's Guide to Tube Audio Design - Bruce Rozenblit
• High-Power Audio Amplifier Construction Manual - Randy Slone
• Designing Audio Power Amplifiers - Bob Cordell
• Design with Operational Amplifiers and Analog Integrated Circuits - Sergio Franco
• Operational Amplifiers, 5th Edition (EDN Series for Design Engineers) - G.B. Clayton and Steve Winder
• The Audiophile's Project Sourcebook: 80 High-Performance Audio Electronics Projects - G. Randy Slone
• Small Signal Audio Design - Douglas Self
• Linear Audio Vol. 1: Your Tech Audio Resource - Ian Hegglun
• Op Amp Applications Handbook (Analog Devices Series) - Walt Jung
• The Design of Active Crossovers – Douglas Self
• Build Your Own Printed Circuit Board - Al Williams
• The Circuit Designer's Companion, Second Edition – Tim Williams
• Audio Power Amplifier Design Handbook - Douglas Self
• The Great Sound Stereo Speaker Manual – David Weems
• Designing, Building and Testing Your Own Speakers System – David Weems
• Testing Loudspeakers - Joseph D'Appolito
• Loudspeaker Design Cookbook - Vance Dickason
• Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook – John Borwick
• RCA Recieving Tube Manuel
• General Electric's Essential Characteristics
• Valve and Transistor Audio Amplifiers by John Linsley Hood
• High-Power Audio Amplifier Construction Manual Randy Slone
• How to Design and Build Audio Amplfiers by Mannie Horowitz
• The Art of Electronics by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill
• Designing Power Amplifiers - Stephen Kamichik
• The art of linear electronics 2nd Ed by John Linsley Hood
• Audio Electronics 2nd Ed by John Linsley Hood
• Designing Analog Chips by Hans Camenzind
• The Tube Preamp CookBook - Allen Wright
• Radiotron Designer's Handbook, 4ed. - Langford-Smith
• Operational Amplifiers with Linear Integrated Circuits – William Stanley
• Electronics Fundamentals, 8th Ed by Thomas L. Floyd
• Electronic Principles, by Albert Malvino
• Electric Guitar Amplifier Handbook by Jack Darr
• The Ultimate Tone – Kevin O' Connor
• Electronic Formulas, Symbols & Circuits by Forrest M. Mims III
• Building Power Supplies – David Lines
• Electronics Pocket Handbook, 3rd Edition - Daniel L. Metzger
• Basic Electronics Theory With Projects and Experiments - Delton Horn
• IC Op-Amp Cookbook (3rd Edition) - Walter G. Jung
• Beginner's Guide to Tube Audio Design by Bruce Rozenblit
• Firsts in High Fidelity - Stephen Spicer
• Practical Electronics For Inventors, Paul Scherz
• Electromagnetic fields and waves - Rojansky
• Switching Power Supply Design - Pressman
• Serial Port Complete - Axelson
• Acoustics - Leo Beranek
• Art of Electronics
• National Semiconductor databooks and app notes
• Pease's "Troubleshooting"
• Crowhurst's "Understanding Hifi Circuits"
• Herbert Reich's - Theory and Application of Electron Tubes
• Frequency Analysis, Modulation and Noise
• Building Valve Amplifiers
• The Master Handbook of Acoustics", 3rd Edition by F. Alton Everest

If anyone would like to "+1" or vote for any particular book being a "must", it would be most appreciated 🙂

Cheers,

Jason

 

[Johno]

Hi Jason,
A very serious sin, you have missed W Marshall Leach - Introduction to Electroacoustics and Audio Amplifier Design.

 

[Jason]

Thanks! By the way, I have made an mirror archive of the late Mr Leach's website, in the event it ever goes down, we'll have the potential option of restoring that archive.

 

[DF96]

Horowitz and Hill, Morgan Jones, Doug Self (even for those who disagree with him!), Langford Smith.

For newbies any version of "Foundations of Wireless". Early versions by Sowerby, then MG Scroggie, finally SW Amos. Later versions added "and Electronics". I'm not sure how well known this book is outside the UK.

 

[marce]

Electromagnetic Compatability Engineering, H Ott
High-Speed Digital Design, Howard Jonson & Martin Graham
The Fields of Electronic, Ralf Morrison

 

[Ron E]

Theory and Design of Loudspeaker Enclosures - J.E. Benson

It would be nice to see some practical books on woodworking and metalworking as well as essential tools, etc and how to start a workshop the right way in various amounts of space.

 

[Jason]

Thanks for the feedback, I guess the main point of this thread is to say that there is a lot out there, but what is the cream of the crop and should be "recommended".

What are your "Top 5" essential recommendations?

 

[Johno]

Top 5

Top 5 is very personal, my selection reflects a former life as an EE although now I am older and lazier the empirical approach is winning more and more over rigorous design.

1/ Leach - Introduction to Electroacoustics and Audio Amplifier Design
2/ Manufacturer data books (hard copies used to be free, mine are frozen in time in 1987 but now supplemented by the internet)
3/ Manufacturer application notes (ditto)
4/ Most used is Siliconix Mospower Applications, 1985
5/ LTSpice reference manual (now no need to waste time on the math)

 

[sofaspud]

If I may I'd like to suggest that the recommendations be further divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Or some variation thereof. IMHO it would help everyone zero-in on the sort of reading they want/need.

 

[Jason]

That's a good idea, and I have no idea which books fall into which groups 🙂

 

[DF96]

Beginner: Foundations of Wireless and Electronics
Intermediate: Horowitz and Hill, Self
Advanced: Radiotron Designer's Handbook, Pease

 

[osscar]

Hi,
I recommend the articles of the FIRST WATT website also.
Nice list we have there. tnx.

 

[DF96]

Perhaps a general thing to say is that there is little point in people reading an intermediate book too soon. Some people read something like Doug Self or Morgan Jones, then pop up here with lots of question and it quickly becomes clear that while they may have learnt lots of words they have little real understanding so our replies don't actually help them.

How long does it take for someone to gain reasonable competence in electronics? Starting from scratch (e.g. some science and maths, but no electronics) I would say 2-3 years of intensive study or 5-10 years of spare time hobby. To be an expert you can multiply these times by 2 or 3.

 

[thompsontechs]

Had to dig this one from the grave. I do hold an EE degree, but whatever I learned 20 odd years ago has long since left along with my Commodore 64. I find myself stuffing boards without really know wtf I'm doing. So in light of that, I'm going to take a few, "refreshers," in my case more of a, relearners classes, and do some reading as well.



This long forgotten thread is part of that task. Since nothing has been added in years, perhaps there are some new books out there, that you have read and should be added here?


Anyway, time to get the Ginko out and see if I can force any more into this old noodle of mine.

 

[Soundhappy]

http://www.hornspeakersystems.info/images/pdf/TOC.pdf

This one New Book on High-Quality Horn Loudspeaker Systems Now Available | audioXpress History, Theory & Design

 

[PRR]

...I do hold an EE degree, but whatever I learned 20 odd years ago has long since left ..... This long forgotten thread is part of that task. Since nothing has been added in years, perhaps there are some new books out there...

The old books are the best books. -Grumpy old man

I just bought near a dozen books, the one I like best is 1948, the disappointment was the 3rd edition of a book I loved in 1st edition. (Newer/Bigger is NOT always better.)

For medium and leading-edge audio amplifiers, Doug Self and Bob Cordell have recent editions which are excellent for the readers they target. Richard Kuehnel is known for guitar amplifiers but two recent books are more general (Fundamentals of Guitar Amplifier System Design, and Circuit Simulation - Model vacuum tube guitar amplifiers using SPICE!) The SPICE book is general (not just tubes) and about the 2nd best LTspice tutorial I've seen (the best is in this forum).

 

[rayma]

I'm going to take a few, "refreshers," in my case more of a, relearners classes, and do some reading as well.

The current edition of The Art of Electronics will fix you right up.

 

[gentlevoice]

Hi all,

I would suggest "Audio Power Amplifiers" by Arto Kolinummi. It describes and lists many different approaches to inherently linear amplifiers (without GNFB) including schematics and distortion levels. I wouldn't call it a stand-alone book but consider it an addition to e.g. Self & Cordell's books.

Cheers,

Jesper

 

[thompsontechs]

Thanks for the input people, I will get some of these on order...



JT

 

[tiefbassuebertr]

check out last post of this thread
The best Audio Books and Magazines about Loudspeaker (like Speakerbuilder) - Overview
and this URL's from saved files of all articles from the magazine l' Audiophile (most of them from J.Hiraga)
index
(sorted by topic) and
Index of /revues/audiophile
(sorted by issue)