PART ONE

Understanding the Principles

The purpose of this book is to understand how to design what I call “listening experiences,” also known as home theaters, home cinemas, stereo systems, or just entertainment rooms. Video may or may not be a part of the experience, but audio is always there. But, what kind of audio? What sounds need to be delivered to listeners’ ears in order to create the appropriate perceptions? What properties do loudspeakers need to possess in order to generate the right sounds, and what acoustical characteristics of rooms provide optimal propagation conditions for those sounds? What is it that we mean by “good sound,” and is there agreement on what it is?

In this part of the book we review the history of sound reproduction ...

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