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Driver

In the context of an audio system, a driver is an individual transducer. A speaker is made up of drivers.

Two channel audio, or stereo, is a format that a good 99% of the music you listen to is recorded in. For playback, it is generally listened through a pair of speakers or headphones.read more

5.1 Channel Audio

The most common surround sound setup. This includes a left, center and right speaker, two surround speakers and a subwoofer.read more

Active Noise Cancelling

Active Noise Cancelling can help remove unwanted background noise, allowing you to focus on your music.read more

Asynchronous DAC

A device which converts a digital audio signal to an analogue one. Often used for playing digital music through a traditional stereo. Asynchronous means that the DAC controls all of the timing information.read more

ATL (Advanced Transmission Line)

PMC have very unqiue, well thought out cabinet designs to create the most linear, accurate sounding speakers.read more

Atmos

Dolby Atmos is the latest and greatest surround format from Dolby. It is based on a completely immersive speaker setup with overhead speakers.read more

Audio Resolution

The resolution is the ability to accurately reproduce the small details of the sound. In digital audio it specifically refers to the bit depth, which refers to how small each digital increment can be.read more

Balanced Interconnect (XLR)

Wiring which sends a mirrored signal alongside the original so that all interference along the length of the cable is cancelled out.read more

Bass	The low frequency part of a sound. This refers to everything from a low loud rumble through to a particularly deep voice.read more

Bi-Amp

Bi-Amp means using two amplifiers to power your speakers. This can be either using a separate amplifier for the low and high frequencies, or a separate amplifier for each speaker.read more

Bi-Wire

This refers to wiring separately for the low and high frequency drivers in your speakers. This requires two seperate sets of speaker cables but can improve the performance of some speakers.read more

Bitrate

Bit-rate is the number of digital samples taken every second. This allows a digital signal to accurately track high frequency sounds.read more

Bluetooth Apt-X

Buetooth Apt-X is a lossless transmission format for bluetooth audio. In good reception, the full resolution of CD is transmitted.read more

Bluetooth SBC

SBC is the default codec used for audio over bluetooth. It is a lossy codec, which means that not all of the data from the music is transferred perfectly. The quality of SBC is easily surpassed by the newer apt-X bluetooth. read more

Bridged Power

Bridging an amplifier combines the power output of two channels into one channel. There are two different ways of achieving this.read more

Clamping Voltage

Clamping Voltage is the voltage above which a surge protector starts working, literally "clamping' the voltage and protecting from spikes above this number. read more

Class D Amplification

A Class D amplifier is an integrated or power amplifier using a particular method for amplifying a signal. Class D is beneficial as it features a very, very efficient design compared to conventional amplifiers.read more

Clipping

Clipping is a strong distortion caused when your amplifier exceeds it's power output. It can severely damage speakers.read more

Coaxial Cable (RG6)

A cable with an inner core and an outer shield. Most commonly used in aerial systems due to it's low cost and high reliability.read more

Compression (Audio Files)

A process of temporarily or permanently reducing audio data for more efficient storage or transmission. Common formats include MP3 and FLACread more

Crossover

The crossover is the part of a speaker system that seperates out the low and high frequencies and divides them to different speaker or drivers. It can either be in the speaker, receiver or both.read more

DAB	DAB is a standard for digital radio transmission. Although it is very popular overseas, it is yet to catch on in a meaningful way in New Zealand.read more

DAC - Digital to Analogue Converter

A DAC is a device to convert a digital signal to an analogue one. This is required for playing a digital music source (such as a computer) through a traditional stereo systemread more

Damping Factor

Damping factor is a term used in regards to how quickly an amplifier can stop a speaker's driver from moving, when no signal is present.read more

Dark Chip

A comparison of the different technologies available for DLP based projectors including DC, DC2, DC3, DC4 and including both 0.65" and 0.95" chipsetsread more

DCI-P3

You may have seen the term DCI-P3 when looking at projectors or monitors. It referes to a colour spectrum and how much potential the output device has. The Listening Post, Chrirstchurch and Wellington, NZ. read more

DLNA	A standard set to enable audio and video streaming between networked devices. Theoretically this should allow your device to connect relatively painlesslyread more

Dolby Digital

Dolby digital is one of the most popular formats for surround sound. It's used by DVD's and Netflix. It is a compressed format, so the newer uncompressed formats sound better.read more

Dolby Pro Logic

Dolby's system for upsampling audio from a two channel source to a surround sound system. It is of basic quality and has since been trumped by newer standards.read more

DoP Protocol

The DoP protocol is a method for transferring DSD Audio over PCMread more

Driver

A driver is an individual transducer, which is the part of the speaker that turns electricity into actual sound.read more

DSD - Direct Stream Digital

DSD stands for Direct Stream Digital, a method of encoding analog sound as digital informaton. It differs radically from a traditional CD; where a CD is 44,100 samples of 16 bits per second, DSD is 2,822,400 1 bit samples per second.read more

DSP	DSP refers to algorithms which alter sound digitally. This can massively improve the sound with much less error that similar analogue methods.read more

DTS	DTS is a company which licences codecs. They dominate the physical disc market with DTS5.1 and DTS Master Audio.read more

DTS Play-Fi

A simple glossary article describing: What is DTS Play Fi? How do I stream music throughout my house and related questions.read more

DVD-Audio

DVD-Audio (commonly abbreviated as DVD-A) is a digital format for delivering high-fidelity audio content on a DVD. It contains no video information.
It is an alternative to SACD, though neither has really gained wide spread acceptance. read more

Dynamic Range

Dynamic Range is the difference between the quietest sounds on a recording to the loudest. This defines a systems ability to go smoothly from a whisper to a roar.read more

Electrostatic Speaker

An Electrostatic Speaker is a driver made of a thin, electrically charged film. This frees it of traditional cabinets for a clear, focused, colour free sound. There are physical trade off's with this approach.read more

Esotar3 Tweeter

Dynaudio's Esotar3 tweeter is a world renowned tweeter. Find out just why it's so famous.read more

FLAC	FLAC is a common codec for storing Music digitally. With a smaller file size but without any loss of quality.read more

Frequency Response

The range of frequencies which a speaker is capable of reproducing. Low frequencies that we can hear start at 20Hz and go through to 20,000Hzread more

1080P Full HD

1080P is a set of standards for high resolution video. It typically involves 1080 lines of vertical resolution. It is the current resolution of most Blu-Ray Disc'sread more

High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP 2.2)

HDCP or High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection is a hardware level encryption for helping tackle piracy. But there are a few things worth noting when considering HDMI compliant devices.read more

HDMI	HDMI is short for High Definition Media Interface, a standard used for connecting many Digital Audio and Video Devices. It is the only way to get the best quality audio and video in consumer products.read more

HLD LED Projector Lamps

HLD LED stands for high lumen density LEDs that are used in newer projectors. These lamps allow for a much brighter projection meaning more clarity and detail.read more

Integrated Amplifier

An Integrated Amplifier, Integrated Amp or just 'Amplifier' is what powers your speakers, and amplified the signal it is given, be it a CD player, Streamer, Turntable etcread more

Jitter

Jitter is a common source of poor sound in digital systems. It is one of the main targets of improvement in nicer D/A converters.read more

kbps	kbps stands for kilo bytes per second. It refers to how aggressively compressed music is. In general, the smaller the number the smaller the file size and the worse the sound.read more

Line Level

Line Level is a standard volume for analogue sources to be plugged into an amplifier when using a standard RCA connector.read more

Lossless Compression

Lossless compression means temporarily reducing the file size of an audio signal. This means you can fit more files on your hard drive without reducing audio quality.read more

MDC	MDC is NAD's Modular Design Construction. It gives many of their new amplifiers the ability to be upgraded by adding a module to increase functionality; hence the name. read more

Media Renderer

A device used to decode, or render, an incoming stream from a local, or non-local source.read more

Media Server

A device used to store digital media files as well as distribute them to devices throughout the local network.read more

Musiccast

Yamaha MusicCast is Yamaha's system for easily controlling music and sound throughout your home from your iPad or Android device. Based on simple app control of their entire suite of products from mini systems through to home theater amplifiers. read more

NAS (Network Attached Storage)

Network Attached Storage is essentially a hard drive that is accessible to everyone on your home network.read more

NFC	NFC is part of the Bluetooth protocol for easy pairing.read more

PCM - Pulse Code Modulation

PCM is the raw digital format for almost all sound file types. It is comprised of Sample Rate, Bit Depth and Number of Channels.read more

Phase Cancellation

Phase cancellation is a phenomenon where a sound wave can be 'cancelled out' to varying degrees by an identical wave that is out of phaseread more

Power Amplifier

A power amplifier or power amp is the main 'driving' stage of an integrated amplifier or pre and power amp combo. It does exactly what it's prefix suggests which is powers the speaker, by pushing, or pulling the driver in and out to create sound.read more

Preamplifier

The preamp's duty is to change the input as well as things like volume, balance, tone controls and any other adjustments.read more

Rec. 709

SACD	Super Audio CD (SACD) is a high-resolution CD for audio storage. Although the sound quality is very good, it is a difficult format to work with, so never gained widespread popularity outside audiophile circles.read more

Sonos Trueplay

Sonos Trueplay takes advantage of the microphones in your iOS devices to perform a room correction for your Sonos units.read more

Streaming

Playing content from one source (server) to another (renderer). read more

Sub Woofer

A speaker designed to produce low frequency sound (sub bass). Generally this is done by using a large, single driver.read more

Tweeter

A rundown on what a tweeter is, and what is does as well as the different types.read more

Voice Coil

The motor part of the speaker driver that moves the cone.read more

Woofer

A Woofer is generally the larger driver in a loudspeaker and is used to produce bass or low frequency sound. This can generally be from anywhere between 200-1000Hz and below.read more

MQA

Driver

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