|
|
|
= Glossary of Audio Terms = See also the EnglishTranslations page, for common abbreviations of everyday phrases. This page contains English words, both technical and non-technical, commonly used in audio. It should also serve as an index to various sections of the Wiki. I hope that this page is useful to both native English speakers and others. Therefore, wherever possible, please: * keep all explanations in simple English * include links in descriptions * put entries in alphabetical order! Where a topic is controversial, please make a separate page (or start a DiyAudio? thread) for discussion, to avoid filling up entries with clutter. === A === * Amplification : The process of increasing the magnitude of a signal. * Attenuation : The process of decreasing the magnitude of a signal. === B === * Baffle : 1. Technically, any part of an enclosure designed to stop sound waves from the rear of a driver interfering destructively with those from the front, which reduces sound output at low frequencies. 2. Informally, the board on which the driver is mounted. * Bass-reflex enclosure : A type of enclosure where the driver is mounted in a box containing a port (or vent). The port resonates at a low frequency (see Helmholtz Resonator), and thereby gives extended bass response compared with the equivalent sealed box. * Bridged : Multiple amplifiers running in series to double the maximum power (quadruple the power at a specific voltage gain). Bridging two amplifiers is typically done by feeding one amplifier an inverted signal, connecting the negatives of each amplifier together, and connecting the load between the positives. === C === * CCS (or Constant Current Source) : A circuit designed to draw a specific, constant amount of current independent of the voltage applied. * Complementary Pair : A pair of oppositely polarized transistors created to closely complement (but rarely match) the specifications of each other. * Crossover : An electrical circuit designed to split an incoming signal into frequency bands, one for each driver in a loudspeaker system. === D === * Dampen : To reinforce material in a system in such a way as to make it less prone to resonance. May include bracing or covering with a soft material. * Diff Amp (or Differential Amplifier) : An amplifier that only amplifies the difference between two or more input signals. * Driver : A loudspeaker unit: the part consisting of a motor and a cone (etc) i.e. not including the enclosure . See LoudspeakerAnatomy. * Dynamic : 1. When applied to a transducer, means that movement is converted to or from an electrical signal by the action of a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field. Opposite of electrostatic. === E === * Enclosure : The box in which one or more drivers are placed to make a complete loudspeaker. * Electrostatic : 1. When applied to a transducer, means that movement is converted to or from an electrical signal by electrostatic attraction or repulsion between two charged conductors. Opposite of dynamic. See Electrostatic Loudspeakers. === F === * Filter : 1. A circuit made up of resistors, capacitors and/or inductors to change frequency response, phase response, or other characteristics of a given signal. === G === === H === * Helmholtz Resonator : A vessel containing air with an open neck or hole will have a resonant frequency, with the air inside it acting as a gas spring; this is a Helmholtz resonator. The resonant frequency depends on the volume of air and the dimensions of the hole. [Click Here for a useful page on the topic]. * Horn : A type of enclosure where the driver is coupled to the air via a tube whose area increases along its length. See basshorn. === I === * I/V stage * Infinite Baffle : A type of enclosure where the driver is mounted inside a sealed box. Contrast with open baffle. * Input Stage : First of three amplifier subsections as defined by Lin. === J === === K === === L === * Labyrinth : A form of transmission line where the wave guide has been folded a number of times, to reduce the external dimensions. * Lin Topology : Amplifier electronics defined as three separate subsystems: Input Stage, VAS, and Output Stage, each providing it own separately defined contribution to the whole amplifier circuit. * LTP (or Long Tailed Pair) : <define me please> * Loudspeaker : A device or system for turning an electrical signal into sound waves in air. See the Loudspeaker page. The term loudspeaker may refer to a driver on its own, or a complete unit consisting of driver in an enclosure. The term transducer is more usually used when the sound waves are in water, solids, etc. * Load : The device connected to the output of an electrical circuit, such as a loudspeaker. === M === === N === === O === * Open Baffle : A type of loudspeaker which consists of the driver mounted on a baffle which is open at the rear, usually a large flat or curved board. Contrast with infinite baffle. * Output Stage (or OPS or Output Section) : Third and final stage of Lin amplifier topology. Load, usually loudspeaker, is connected to the output of this stage. === P === * Pole Frequency : <define me please> * Port : A hole, or length of tube, put in the wall of a bass-reflex enclosure. * Preamplification : An amplification stage only intended to raise voltage. Preamplifiers are not to drive tough loads like speakers. === Q === * Quasi-Complementary : <define me please> === R === * Resonance : 1. Excitement of a material or system that results in an oscillation at the resonant frequency. Dampen the system to help with resonances. * Resonant Frequency : 1. The center frequency that when applied to a system, results in resonance. Any given system may have several resonant frequencies. * Ribbon : A type of loudspeaker in which a current is applied to a thin metal "ribbon" within a magnetic field usually created by two magnets beside the ribbon. The current creates a magnetic field from the ribbon, which will move it within the static magnetic field. === S === * Sealed Box : Same as Infinite Baffle. * Speaker : Same as loudspeaker. === T === * TQWT : Tapered Quarter Wave Tube. A type of enclosure combining features of both a transmission line and a horn. * Transducer : Any device which converts sound waves into electrical signals, or vice versa. See louspeaker, microphone. * Transmission Line : A type of enclosure where sound waves from the rear of the driver are guided into a long, possibly tapering, tube. [Click here for a website devoted to Transmission Line speakers]. * Tri-mode : A tri-mode amplifier is when two channels of an amplifier are run independently for midrange/treble, but are also bridged for running a (sub)woofer. It is the same as bridging the amplifier, but you keep the midrange/tweeters on their respective channel outputs. * Tweeter : A driver used to reproduce treble frequencies. === U === === V === * VAS : Voltage Amplifier Stage. Second stage of Lin amplifier topology. * Vented Box : Same as bass-reflex enclosure. * Voigt Pipe : See TQWT. === W === * Woofer : A driver used to reproduce bass frequencies. === X === * XO : Abbreviation for crossover. === Y === === Z === |