Book Reviews

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SDhawan
Stammgast

#1 erstellt: 03. Okt 2006, 20:14

Hi !

I thought I'd share my views about a few books that I read recently:

The Complete Guide to High-End Audio - by Robert Harley
Third Edition. 2004. Acapella Publishing

Robert Harley is Editor-in-Chief of The Absolute Sound & The Perfect Vision magazines. He hold a degree in recording engineering.

An excellent text for both the novice & seasoned audiophile alike. The author very lucidly explains in very simple terms various aspects of audio equipment & technology. Chapters include:
1. What is high end audio system?
(one of tbe section is on how to read magazine reviews)
2. Becoming a better listener
3. How to get the best sound from you room
(this is the second largest chapter of the book & deals extensively with speaker placement, room acoustics and room treatment - this chapter is an "ear" opener)
4. Preamplifiers
5. Integrated & Power Amplifiers
6. Loudspeakers
7. Digital Source Components
(this is the largest chapter in the book. Beautifully explains the funda of jitter, SACD, DVD-A, etc.)
8. Turntables, Tonearms, and Cartridges: The LP Playback System
9. FM Tuner & Digital Audio Radio
10. Cables & Interconnects
(you get to know why good cables are expensive and how a simple cable can have a not so simple influence on the system)
11. High-End Audio Accessories
(which ones work and which ones are just fad)
12. Audio for Home Theatre
13. Multichannel Audio
(why has it been so slow to catch up)
14. Specifications & Measurements
(how to decode those cryptic Greek & Latin tech figures)

And there is enough meat for the technically inclined too.

In my humble opinion it's a must read for any serious audio enthusiast.

The second book by the same author & publisher:

Home Theatre for Everyone
Second Edition 2002
Elaborates specific aspects of HT system namely the AVRs and the Displays. A desirable source for those interested in HT (not a must unlike the previous one).

Unfortunately these books are not available in Delhi (probably india). But can be easily ordered at Amazon.com It's cheaper to order both together. And express shipment reaches you in 3 days !

Worth the money spent !

I hope you guys benefit from these views

Arj
Inventar

#2 erstellt: 03. Okt 2006, 21:42

Good idea on putting in a review here.. can be used for reference

on the review agree wholeheartedly, it is a very good introduction to audio and also a reference.. covers everything from listening to cables.

I have it as me reference as well..

i had tried to get it in the landmark bookstall in forum but did not get it..

try out this chapter on cables which is available online to get an idea of the writing style

http://www.monstercable.com/RobertHarley/ch11_p01.asp

Arj
Inventar

#3 erstellt: 03. Okt 2006, 23:29

but as an addendum it is not really the end all of audio talks.. lot of concepts like Jitter and acoustics have got better and more detailed treatments elsewhere

but this is definitely a "universal player" among books to give one an introduction and also a certain level of depth after which you are free to explore and research yourselves

zhopudey
Stammgast

#4 erstellt: 04. Okt 2006, 06:43

Well, I haven't read the book, but I was going through the user's comments on amazon, and they are not very impressed.

e.g., one user says -

This is one of the very few books I have ever returned to the bookstore (and I have bought thousands of books.)

Why don't I like this book?

1) It contains many, many, factual errors. These errors would be easily spotted by any freshman physics student, and should have been spotted by the publisher. For example, the author Robert Harley apparently doesn't understand the difference between electrical current and voltage.

2) It doesn't actually explain things. To me, an explanation shows how something works in terms of basic principles. Mr. Harley simpley states "facts", e.g., an outboard D/A converter will improve your sound, without explaining how or why.

3) Many photos and diagrams have mistaken or even irrelevant captions, leading me to conclude that Mr. Harley doesn't understand his own diagrams. For example, a diagram of an amplifier that uses feedback is used to "illustrate" a point about amplifiers that don't use feedback.

This last is the most serious point to me, because it makes me suspect that much of the technical-looking stuff in the book is included to impress the reader, not to actually explain things. In other words, it creates the impression of dishonesty.

To the people who defend the book as not intended for technical readers, I say this: even a non-technical book should be written by someone who understand the technical issues, so he or she can explain things clearly and truthfully. If it turns out that the author doesn't know the technical stuff, why should we read the book?

I might add that Robert Harley has a very poor reputation among respected audio engineers and other commentators in the field. Some audio manufacturers (but not all) pander to him apparently because he edits a high-end audio magazine, and his reviews can make or break a product.

Arj
Inventar

#5 erstellt: 04. Okt 2006, 06:57

well if you go by reviews for books you will end up not reading any

audio is such a subjective field that any body write anything about it and you will have the natural three sides of the agrees, dont agrees and the dont-care-about-its. !!

what i could appreciate about the book is that it brings you at least to a level where you can confidently say about what you agree and what you dont rather than quote someone else on it blindly. ie a compendium of all things audio. once you get your basics, you can anyway do your research yourself..

SDhawan
Stammgast

#6 erstellt: 04. Okt 2006, 07:03

Hi !

I bought my book from Amazon.com and I did scan through the reviews there. These reviews should also be taken like the audio reviews by a magazine - with a pinch of salt.

I did not come across many factual errors in the book - may be I don't know enough facts. Moreover, in audio the subjective experience often defy scientific facts.

The book does give some technical details too (for the tech minded) but thoughfully separates these details for the parts that are meant for general consumption.

Certainly this is not an engineering textbook on Sound Engineering - it's a guide for the audiophile. And Audiophilia is not science but an "art form" based on technology (quite like photography).

I suggest you pick up the book browse through the sections that you are already have knowledge about and belive your own "ears" only.

Robert Harley has a degree in sound recording engineering, he has been on a faculty of an institute & he is editor of two leading audio-visual magazine - I'm sure he must have at least passively absorbed enough knowledge to guide an audiophile like me.

SDhawan
Stammgast

#7 erstellt: 31. Jan 2008, 20:18

Book Title: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
Author / Editor: Robert Dimery
Published: 2005-6
Publisher: Cassel Illustrated
Price: Rs.1400

A very good compilation of 1001 music albums from 1950 to 2005 covering all the genres from jazz, soul, pop, reggae, rock and world music. Gives details about the artists, groups, album and the impact the album had on the music scene. Interesting trivia and some great photographs are additional treat.

It's nice to see that even an Indian Classical album figures there: Call of the Valley by Shiv Kumar Sharma, Brijbhushan Kabra & Hari Prasad Chaurasia. Also it is interesting to note that Norah Jones figures in there but Diana Krall does not.

An interesting preface is written by Michael Lydon.

A useful reference for those who like to research before buying new music or those who do not want to miss out on great works & compositions !