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Page Last Updated - 01 July 2008


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Feature Articles Updated

Incandescent vs CFLIncandescent Lamps - Should they be banned? Really? This is rapidly becoming a Hot Topic topic (pardon the pun) 05 May 07
External PSU External PSUs - Hot on the heels of the CFL fiasco, now the leglislators want to ban external transformer supplies05 May 07
 
BiampBenefits of Bi-Amplification - Not quite magic, but close (Part I) 02 May 05
Biamp 2Benefits of Bi-Amplification - Crossovers, tri-amping, etc. (Part II) 02 May 05
FakeCounterfeit (Fake!) Semiconductors - Don't you be caught with fake, below spec transistors when you build a project!01 Jul 08
SchoolEducation - Customised projects for schools, technical colleges and universities30 Apr 03
ManufactureThe State of Manufacturing - This article should be a mandatory read for all businessmen and politicians, a real wake-up call !03 Sep 02

Amplification

Amp SoundAmplifier Sound - What causes the perceived differences between amps?  Is it real or imaginary?09 Apr 00
Class AClass- A - a discussion of the benefits of Class-A amplifiers02 Apr 05
ClippingClipping Behaviour - One of the lesser known effects of amplifier clipping, and the damage it can do.15 Oct 04
FeedbackDistortion & Negative Feedback - A detailed look at the way negative feedback reduces distortion17 Oct 06
GuitarMusical Instrument Amplifiers - Guitar, Bass and Keyboard 04 Feb 01
ProtectionShort Circuit Protection - Testing amplifiers to the limits ‡ 22 Aug 00
Soft ClipSoft Clipping - Is adding a soft-clip circuit worth the effort? 15 Apr 06
SpeedThe Need For Speed - Very high speed opamps from Texas Instruments17 Aug 01
PhasePhase Angle Vs. Transistor Dissipation - A simplified approach to understanding Safe Operating Area19 Mar 05
PWMPWM Amplifiers - Theory and design concepts behind these 'new' amplifiers25 Jun 05
SIMSound Impairment Monitor - Is This The Answer? - A new method to monitor distortion in real time23 Sep 00
SOATransistor Safe Operating Area - What is SOA, and how does it affect amplifier designs14 Aug 03
ValveValve Amplifiers - do they really sound different - Includes a review of one of my valve amps28 Nov 99

Cables

Cable The Truth About Cables, Interconnects and Audio in General - A "must read" article 20 Sep 02
White Paper More Truth About Cables - A white paper discussing speaker cables and interconnects *‡ 22 Jul 01
Cable Z Cable Impedance - Characteristic impedance, high capacitance designs and amp stability 17 Oct 03

General Information

A-BA-B Switch Box for Amplifier Comparisons - Something to offend everyone, or a great tool? ‡15 Aug 00
ABXABX Comparator - A true ABX system that does not need a PC or microcontroller ‡11 Aug 02
AMAM Radio - Approaches to high fidelity AM broadcast band reception ‡18 Feb 06
CapsCapacitors - What are the influences that determine the so-called 'sound' of capacitors. Covers dielectrics, dissipation factor, etc.25 Oct 05
CD etcCD, SACD and DVD-A -A Comparison of the formats in a discussion between Niklas Ladberg and Ing. Öhman (very interesting)28 Aug 02
CompressionCompression In Audio - Ever wondered why some music sounds flat and lifeless, even though it's loud?21 Dec 01
EarthingEarthing Your Hi-Fi - Tricks and Techniques - How to eliminate hum without affecting safety30 Dec 99
ElectrocutionElectrocution - How to avoid being electrocuted, what to do if the worst happens28 Apr 07
DC and TransformersDC Offset and Transformers - Many people have found that toroidal transformers growl at times. This explains why, & how to fix it. 09 Mar 08
HeatsinkBuild Your Own Heatsink? - Yes, it can be done. If you have the tools, you can make a heatsink as big as you'll ever want.11 Feb 06
ImpedanceImpedance - What does it really mean?  A general discussion on impedance, damping, etc.24 Jan 05
MicsMicrophones - An introduction to the different types, polar response and behaviour of microphones12 Jan 06
TweetersWhy Do Tweeters Blow? - The real reason that tweeters (and other drivers) are destroyed by distortion28 Jul 01
What Is-1What is Hi-Fi - A contributed article on some of the subtle aspects of Hi-Fi ‡05 May 01
What Is-2What is Hi-Fi (Part II) - Continuation of 'What is Hi-Fi' explaining the idea of accuracy (amongst other things)29 Mar 04

Beginners' Luck - The beginners' Guide to ...

LenardElectronics Basics - The Lenard Audio site has an education section that is highly recommended for those just starting out
BasicsAmplifier Basics - How Amps Work - How amplifiers do what they do06 Apr 05
EfficiencyAmplifier Efficiency - Power Loss, DC voltages and current explained 29 Jan 00
RepairAmplifier Troubleshooting and Repair Guide  If it's broken, you may be able to fix it. This article is designed for those new to repairs27 Apr 03
Repair 2Amp Troubleshooting and Repair Guide - Part 2  Preamps, crossovers and other opamp circuits can cause grief too06 Jan 07
BridgingBridging - How the "Trimode" bridging system works in car power amplifiers20 Oct 02
EtiquetteBulletin Boards - A guide to etiquette when posting at your favourite forum ‡ Grin09 Apr 01
Opamps 1Designing With Opamps I - What they are, what they do, and how they do it03 May 00
Opamps 2Designing With Opamps II - Audio applications, filters, crossovers, etc.08 May 00
Opamps 3Designing With Opamps III - More Filters, Specifications, Comparators, etc.11 May 06
Beginner 1Electronics - Part 1  Passive components - resistors, capacitors and inductors explained 13 Mar 01
Beginner 2Electronics - Part 2  The resistor 'E' series (e.g. E12, E24, etc), Zener Diodes05 Mar 04
dBFrequency, Amplitude and dB - An explanation of the terms, what they mean, and how they are applied02 Dec 06
MetersMeters, Multipliers & Shunts - How to use analogue and digital panel meters06 May 06
PotsPotentiometers.  - what they are and how to use them in practical circuits.22 Jan 03
PowerPower - An explanation of the derivation of PMPO in amplifiers.  Light reading, really Grin19 Jun 00
ToolsTools - The first in a series on mechanical aspects of your hobby ‡21 Mar 01
DividersVoltage Dividers & Attenuators - A short article describing how to design these essential circuits21 Dec 02

Design Guidelines

DesignAmplifier Design - ESP's contribution to the everlasting debate09 Jun 01
HEXFETsAmplifier Design With HEXFETs - Getting good performance from vertical MOSFETs is possible (Updated)13 Mar 06
BalancedBalanced Driver with Floating Output - An in depth discussion of the design process ‡14 Apr 02
CurrentCurrent Sources, Sinks & Mirrors - A discussion on these much misunderstood circuits.28 Apr 07
HeatsinkHeatsinks - An article on heatsink selection, transistor mounting and thermal transfer principles17 Sep 03
NoiseNoise in Audio Amplifiers - An explanation of noise figures, and how circuit noise is calculated29 Jan 00
Pre-OpampOpamp Alternatives - A sample of the circuits that were in common use before opamps 'took over'28 Apr 05
SupplyPower Supply Design - How to design linear power supplies - transformers, rectifiers and filters03 Dec 07
MatchingTransistor Matching Tests - Matching Bipolars or MOSFETs for critical amplifier applications08 Dec 01
VariableVariable Impedance Amplifiers - How you can control the output impedance of a power amp22 Apr 00

Power Supplies

SupplyPower Supply Wiring  There are a lot of considerations for the wiring of a PSU - read about it here07 Jun 03
Transformer 1Transformers - Part 1  The basics of transformers, what they do, and how they do it.05 May 01
Transformer 2Transformers - Part 2  The details of magnetic circuits, windings, core types and losses03 Apr 01
Transformer 3Transformers - Part 3  Designing and analysing transformers - not at all for the faint-hearted, but all very useful information.16 Jan 06
Transformer 3Small Power Supplies  Design of small PSUs - includes information that might save your life !12 May 08

Crossovers, Filters and Signal Processing

Active Vs. PassiveActive Vs. Passive Crossovers - An explanation for the profound audible differences11 Jan 04
BaffleBaffle Step Compensation - What it is and why we need to compensate for it08 Dec 01
DerivedDerived (Subtractive) Crossovers - An examination of these networks, and why they are unsuitable for serious use21 Sep 05
DSPDigital Signal Processing (DSP) - What DSPs can - and cannot - do for your system09 Dec 06
NTMNTM™ Crossovers - This is a topic that has virtually zero technical information on the Net ... until now.15 Sep 05
PassivePassive Crossovers - The Design of High Quality Passive Crossover Networks05 Nov 01
PhasePhase Correction - Myth or Magic? - Do all-pass filters really work to correct loudspeaker phase anomalies?27 May 07
SerialSerial vs. Parallel Crossover Networks - Are there any real differences?14 Aug 03

Loudspeaker Design

ComplianceCompliance Scaling - Fitting just about any driver to just about any alignment30 Jun 05
DopplerDoppler Distortion in Loudspeakers - Is the effect real or imaginary when applied to loudspeakers?  The results may surprise you23 Aug 04
ImpedanceImpedance - Effects Of Source Impedance on Loudspeaker Drivers22 Jul 01
TransformThe Linkwitz Transform Circuit - What it is, what it does and how it does it ‡16 Sep 02
Pwr vs. EffLoudspeaker Power vs. Efficiency - There's more to this than meets the eye16 Dec 06
Speakers 1Loudspeakers (Part I) - see the production of my latest triamped speaker boxes unfold14 Jul 01
Speakers 2Loudspeakers (Part II) - The electronics that drive the 3-way system are described18 Nov 01
PhasePhase, Time and Distortion in Loudspeakers - Is "Time Alignment" worth the effort?30 Jul 02
PikkuPikku 9 - Simple Network Lowers f3 - A useful approach for obtaining better bass from a very small loudspeaker ‡23 Jul 06
Subs 1Satellites & Subwoofers - Description of the little known QB5 loudspeaker alignment.  Maximum SPL from 2-way bookshelf speakers. ‡28 Aug 04
SSLSmall Satellite Loudspeaker - Using techniques described in various articles, this project should have wide appeal for home theatre ‡ 27 May 07
Subs 2Subwoofer Conundrum - Some tips and hints on subwoofer selection, efficiency and placement12 Mar 04
TSPThiele Small Parameters - Determining the Thiele/Small parameters for a loudspeaker driver12 Jan 06
Box StuffingVolume Filling a Reflex Box - It is generally thought that vented boxes should not be filled, but this isn't necessarily the case ‡05 Feb 07
WaveguidesPractical DIY Waveguides - Waveguide definition, calculation and construction ‡01 Dec 06

Explanation of Symbols ...

NewThe article is new - that must come as a surprise GRIN  Less than 2 months old (typically).
REDDates in the update column indicate a new or updated (within 2 months) article. Usually accompanied by Update
GrinIndicates an article that may include humour - caution is advised
Contributed article (see copyright notice on article page)

Main IndexMain Index
Please refer to Copyright information in the individual articles. All articles are Copyright © 1998 ... 2006 Rod Elliott, unless otherwise stated.
My Thanks

I must express my great appreciation to Geoff Moss from the UK, who has provided me with information about spelling errors, inconsistencies, and general errors in many of these articles. Geoff has done the thing that I cannot do - looked at the articles with detachment, and has spotted and brought to my attention several howling blunders as well as the general editorial help.

Geoff, my sincere thanks and appreciation for what has been many hours of work. This short acknowledgement is scant reward, but I really appreciate the help and assistance.

In addition, I would like to thank the many readers who have pointed out various additional errors and omissions - Your help in ensuring that the information on these pages is as accurate as possible is appreciated, always!

Although it goes without saying (but I will say it anyway :-) the contributed articles and projects from all over the world have added considerably to the overall value and range of topics covered in these pages, and on behalf of all the readers of The Audio Pages, I thank you for you efforts. Writing a clear and descriptive technical article is not an easy task, but your perseverance is acknowledged, and I am grateful that you have taken the time to share your knowledge.

May the flow of input continue - for anyone who would like to contribute, please do not hesitate to contact me.


Upcoming Articles

At any given time, there are usually articles in production either by myself or contributors. It is no longer possible (or sensible) to leave hints as to what may or may not be coming, since it is so easy to get sidetracked by something new that comes along. Feel free to offer suggestions, or offer your own contribution.

Total Visitors since Jan 2001 - 

Last significant page update 11 Feb 2006 - rearranged each section into alphabetical order, added DIY heatsinks