Table of Contents

Contents
Foreword xvi
Preface to the Sixth Edition xviii
About the Author xx

1 What Is High-End Audio? 1

2 Choosing a High-End Audio System 7

3 Becoming a Better Listener 27

4 Preamplifiers and Phono Stages 57

5 Power and Integrated Amplifiers 81

6 Loudspeakers 117

7 Digital Source Components: DACs, Music Servers, Streaming,
Disc Players, Interfaces 173

8 Turntables, Tonearms, and Cartridges: The LP Playback System 255

10 Audio for Home Theater 317

11 Multichannel Audio 345

12 Personal Audio: Headphones, Desktop, and Mobile Audio 361
13 System Setup Secrets, Part One: Loudspeaker Placement and Room
Acoustics 381

14 System Setup Secrets, Part Two: Expert Tuning Techniques,
Accessories, Equipment Racks, and AC Power Conditioners 425

15 Specifications and Measurements 451

Appendix A: Sound and Hearing 463

Appendix B: Audio and Electronics Basics 479

Appendix C: Digital Audio Basics 503

Glossary 519

Index 559

About the Author

Robert Harley is the editor in chief of The Absolute Sound, the world's most respected magazine on high-performance audio. He has written more than 1,200 product reviews and articles on high-quality music reproduction. His books on home audio have sold more than 300,000 copies in five languages. He lives in Albuquerque, NM.

Reviews

"Its impressive breadth and depth make it a valuable guide to audio's gold mine. . . You'll learn valuable things from Harley's book, not just at first reading, but as you come back to it over and over. Peter Moncrieff, International Audio Review

"This is the best guidebook we've seen on the subject." Wayne Thompson, The Oregonian