The Art of Sound Reproduction

Chapter 14

Sound quality considerations

Sound reproduction can only achieve the highest quality if every step is carried out to an adequate standard. This requires a knowledge of what the standards are and the means to test whether they are being met.

14.1 Introduction

In principle quality can be lost almost anywhere in the audio chain, whether by the correct use of poorly designed equipment or the incorrect use of good equipment. The best results will only be obtained when good equipment is used correctly.

There is only one symptom of quality loss, which is where the reproduced waveform differs from the original. For convenience the differences are often categorized.

Any error in an audio waveform can be considered as an unwanted signal which ...