gr3k0sLaV
08-12-2002, 10:43 PM
http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~alfisti/lingo.htm
AM - Stands for Amplitude Modulation, one of the two main methods of sending and receiving radio waves carrying music and words. The other is FM.
Amplifier - A component of an audio system that boosts the signal from the head unit to drive high powered loudspeakers.
Attenuate - To decrease the level of a signal. An attenuator is the circuit that is used.
Auto-Changer - Used mostly in car audio as a method of changing between several (up to 50) CD's without the need to handle them. Attaches to the Head Unit or remote control and can be mounted in many locations in the car.
Autoreverse - A feature of many auto cassette players which changes the playing side of a tape without removing the tape from the player. This allows continual listening and ensures safe driving because you don't take your eyes off the road.
AUX - Short term for auxiliary, which is an input which can be used to add additional sources to a system.
Baffle - A board or panel on to which a loudspeaker or driver can be mounted.
Balance Control - Used to adjust the volume of the speakers left and right in relation to each other. Used in conjunction with a Fader.
Bass - Low frequency sounds, usually below 200 Hz.
Bridge - When you combine two outputs of a stereo amplifier to achieve a mono output greater then their sum. This is achieved through lowering the impedance.
CAP - Short for Capacitor, which can be used as a filter in a crossover, or as an instant power supply in high power systems where the battery cannot keep up with the demands of the amplifiers.
Co-Axial Cable - Made up of an inner conductor and an outer screen that can be used for interconnection between audio components at a line-level signal.
Coaxial Speaker - A type of loudspeaker, which consists of a woofer and a small speaker, called a tweeter, mounted on a pole situated in the center of the speaker. A Tri-axial speaker is the same idea, however has a tweeter and a super tweeter combined on the same mount.
Cross Fire - The arrangement of tweeters where the paths of sound cross over in the center of the car. This can improve the stereo imaging of the system.
Crossover - A filter which is used to attenuate frequencies going to a particular driver. Crossovers are needed in high quality systems because no one speaker is capable of accurately reproducing the entire audio spectrum (20Hz - 20,000Hz) A passive crossover is inserted between the amplifier and the driver and an active crossover is placed between the Head unit and the amplifier.
Passive Crossover Active Crossove
DAC - Digital to analogue converter. This is a processor in a CD or MD played that turns the digital data on the disk into an analogue waveform that the loudspeakers can reproduce.
Decibel (dB) - A logarithmic unit used to express the ration between two power or voltage levels. A doubling of power will see an increase of 3dB. A doubling of voltage will see a 6dB increase.
DIN - an international standard of car head unit sizes.
Driver - Loudspeakers are made up of several drivers that handle different frequency ranges.
DSP - Digital Signal Processing. Made up of various processes where the analogue signal is transformed into a digital form, which can then be manipulated in several ways. Examples include changing the perceived room volume and characteristics such as hall, church and stadium, and time delay.
Equalization (EQ) - The process of correcting an audio signal to compensate for non-linearity's of the recording or the listening environment. This is done by adjusting certain frequency bands with a processor called an equalizer.
Fader - Adjusts the volume of sound to and from the front and rear speakers. Used in conjunction with a balance control.
FM - Frequency Modulation. Another major means of broadcasting music and words via radio waves. FM is less prone to interference than AM, and can broadcast in stereo.
Frequency Response - The range of frequencies an audio component is able to reproduce within certain tolerances such as power levels (dB), and distortion rates.
Head Unit - The control center of an audio system. Usually situated in the dash of a vehicle, and has a tape or CD player included with the radio.
Hertz - (Hz) A unit of frequency. 1 hertz, is equal to one cycle per second. 20Hz to 20,000 Hz is this limit of human hearing.
IASCA - International Auto Sound Challenge Association. World governing body for auto sound competition. Entrants need to conform to the standards set by this governing body.
Impedance - A measurement of the resistance to the flow of electric current produced. Expressed in ohms, the lower the number, the lower the impedance.
Input Sensitivity - Refers to the input level of a component used to match the voltage from one component to the next. Commonly shown as 'gain' on many components.
Line-Level - A low-voltage audio signal used between head units and processors and amplifiers. Speaker level signals have a higher voltage as a result of amplification. Uses co-axial cables to transmit the signal.
Loudness Control - Common in most car head units. Used to boost the bass and treble frequencies to compensate for road noises of the car environment.
Maximum Power - The maximum power am amplifier can produce or a driver can handle in a short space of time. Also shown as PMPO, or peak music power output.
Mid-Bass - The frequencies between the bass and mid-range frequencies. 200Hz-400Hz
Mid-Range - The frequencies between the mid-bass and treble frequencies. 400Hz-1000Hz
MOSFET - Metal Oxide Semi-Conducting Field Effect Transistor. A transistor is a component in an amplifier that turns a direct current from the battery to an alternating current for reproduction of music by speakers.
Noise - Unwanted output signals which cause annoying fatigue and sounds like a hiss, hum, or distortion.
Parallel - A way of wiring loudspeakers so that several speakers can be used while reducing the impedance and thereby increasing the output from the amplifier.
Phasing - Speakers should be connected to an amplifier so that their cones move in the same direction at the same time, so the speakers are in phase. When this doesn't occur, the speakers are said to be out-of-phase.
Polarity - The connections in audio are described as positive and negative. Polarity exists when a positive output is connected to the positive terminal of the driver.
Port - Also termed as vent. An aperture in a loudspeaker enclosure that allows improved transmission of bass frequencies. A port is tuned to the driver and enclosure by adjusting its length and diameter.
RMS - Root Mean Squared. This is a measure of output power of an amplifier or capability of a loudspeaker. This measurement is long-term, in that the component can handle the power at that continuous level. Usually about 1/3 of the Maximum Power value.
RTA - Real Time Analyser. This is a computer based tool, used for analysing the frequency response of sound. It has one or more microphones which pick up sound called pink noise, which has 30 specific frequencies within it. The RTA then graphically shows the resulting SPL in a graph.
Sensitivity - The sensitivity of a driver is its capability of producing sound with a given amount of power. Generally the more sensitive a driver, the louder it will be at the same power level.
SPL - Sound Pressure Level. A measurement of acoustic energy, expressed in dB.
Splits - A term that describes a set of matching drivers, usually a mid-range and a tweeter with a dedicated cross-over to split the signal between them. Can also come in the form of a three speaker set with a tweeter, mid-range and mid-bass.
THD - Total Harmonic Distortion. A measurement in percent of the amount of distortion present in a signal in comparison to the original signal.
Treble - High frequencies, usually above 1000Hz.
Tweeter - A driver designed to produce high frequencies, or treble.
Two-way - Another term for co-axial speaker.
Voice Coil - Part of a loudspeaker assembly. Is a winding of copper wire that is energised by the signal and forced to move within a magnetic field produced by the speakers magnet. Together the voice coil and magnet are called the 'motor'.
Woofer - A loudspeaker designed to reproduce the low frequencies of the audio spectrum. Usually large and strong to handle to rigors of modern music.
AM - Stands for Amplitude Modulation, one of the two main methods of sending and receiving radio waves carrying music and words. The other is FM.
Amplifier - A component of an audio system that boosts the signal from the head unit to drive high powered loudspeakers.
Attenuate - To decrease the level of a signal. An attenuator is the circuit that is used.
Auto-Changer - Used mostly in car audio as a method of changing between several (up to 50) CD's without the need to handle them. Attaches to the Head Unit or remote control and can be mounted in many locations in the car.
Autoreverse - A feature of many auto cassette players which changes the playing side of a tape without removing the tape from the player. This allows continual listening and ensures safe driving because you don't take your eyes off the road.
AUX - Short term for auxiliary, which is an input which can be used to add additional sources to a system.
Baffle - A board or panel on to which a loudspeaker or driver can be mounted.
Balance Control - Used to adjust the volume of the speakers left and right in relation to each other. Used in conjunction with a Fader.
Bass - Low frequency sounds, usually below 200 Hz.
Bridge - When you combine two outputs of a stereo amplifier to achieve a mono output greater then their sum. This is achieved through lowering the impedance.
CAP - Short for Capacitor, which can be used as a filter in a crossover, or as an instant power supply in high power systems where the battery cannot keep up with the demands of the amplifiers.
Co-Axial Cable - Made up of an inner conductor and an outer screen that can be used for interconnection between audio components at a line-level signal.
Coaxial Speaker - A type of loudspeaker, which consists of a woofer and a small speaker, called a tweeter, mounted on a pole situated in the center of the speaker. A Tri-axial speaker is the same idea, however has a tweeter and a super tweeter combined on the same mount.
Cross Fire - The arrangement of tweeters where the paths of sound cross over in the center of the car. This can improve the stereo imaging of the system.
Crossover - A filter which is used to attenuate frequencies going to a particular driver. Crossovers are needed in high quality systems because no one speaker is capable of accurately reproducing the entire audio spectrum (20Hz - 20,000Hz) A passive crossover is inserted between the amplifier and the driver and an active crossover is placed between the Head unit and the amplifier.
Passive Crossover Active Crossove
DAC - Digital to analogue converter. This is a processor in a CD or MD played that turns the digital data on the disk into an analogue waveform that the loudspeakers can reproduce.
Decibel (dB) - A logarithmic unit used to express the ration between two power or voltage levels. A doubling of power will see an increase of 3dB. A doubling of voltage will see a 6dB increase.
DIN - an international standard of car head unit sizes.
Driver - Loudspeakers are made up of several drivers that handle different frequency ranges.
DSP - Digital Signal Processing. Made up of various processes where the analogue signal is transformed into a digital form, which can then be manipulated in several ways. Examples include changing the perceived room volume and characteristics such as hall, church and stadium, and time delay.
Equalization (EQ) - The process of correcting an audio signal to compensate for non-linearity's of the recording or the listening environment. This is done by adjusting certain frequency bands with a processor called an equalizer.
Fader - Adjusts the volume of sound to and from the front and rear speakers. Used in conjunction with a balance control.
FM - Frequency Modulation. Another major means of broadcasting music and words via radio waves. FM is less prone to interference than AM, and can broadcast in stereo.
Frequency Response - The range of frequencies an audio component is able to reproduce within certain tolerances such as power levels (dB), and distortion rates.
Head Unit - The control center of an audio system. Usually situated in the dash of a vehicle, and has a tape or CD player included with the radio.
Hertz - (Hz) A unit of frequency. 1 hertz, is equal to one cycle per second. 20Hz to 20,000 Hz is this limit of human hearing.
IASCA - International Auto Sound Challenge Association. World governing body for auto sound competition. Entrants need to conform to the standards set by this governing body.
Impedance - A measurement of the resistance to the flow of electric current produced. Expressed in ohms, the lower the number, the lower the impedance.
Input Sensitivity - Refers to the input level of a component used to match the voltage from one component to the next. Commonly shown as 'gain' on many components.
Line-Level - A low-voltage audio signal used between head units and processors and amplifiers. Speaker level signals have a higher voltage as a result of amplification. Uses co-axial cables to transmit the signal.
Loudness Control - Common in most car head units. Used to boost the bass and treble frequencies to compensate for road noises of the car environment.
Maximum Power - The maximum power am amplifier can produce or a driver can handle in a short space of time. Also shown as PMPO, or peak music power output.
Mid-Bass - The frequencies between the bass and mid-range frequencies. 200Hz-400Hz
Mid-Range - The frequencies between the mid-bass and treble frequencies. 400Hz-1000Hz
MOSFET - Metal Oxide Semi-Conducting Field Effect Transistor. A transistor is a component in an amplifier that turns a direct current from the battery to an alternating current for reproduction of music by speakers.
Noise - Unwanted output signals which cause annoying fatigue and sounds like a hiss, hum, or distortion.
Parallel - A way of wiring loudspeakers so that several speakers can be used while reducing the impedance and thereby increasing the output from the amplifier.
Phasing - Speakers should be connected to an amplifier so that their cones move in the same direction at the same time, so the speakers are in phase. When this doesn't occur, the speakers are said to be out-of-phase.
Polarity - The connections in audio are described as positive and negative. Polarity exists when a positive output is connected to the positive terminal of the driver.
Port - Also termed as vent. An aperture in a loudspeaker enclosure that allows improved transmission of bass frequencies. A port is tuned to the driver and enclosure by adjusting its length and diameter.
RMS - Root Mean Squared. This is a measure of output power of an amplifier or capability of a loudspeaker. This measurement is long-term, in that the component can handle the power at that continuous level. Usually about 1/3 of the Maximum Power value.
RTA - Real Time Analyser. This is a computer based tool, used for analysing the frequency response of sound. It has one or more microphones which pick up sound called pink noise, which has 30 specific frequencies within it. The RTA then graphically shows the resulting SPL in a graph.
Sensitivity - The sensitivity of a driver is its capability of producing sound with a given amount of power. Generally the more sensitive a driver, the louder it will be at the same power level.
SPL - Sound Pressure Level. A measurement of acoustic energy, expressed in dB.
Splits - A term that describes a set of matching drivers, usually a mid-range and a tweeter with a dedicated cross-over to split the signal between them. Can also come in the form of a three speaker set with a tweeter, mid-range and mid-bass.
THD - Total Harmonic Distortion. A measurement in percent of the amount of distortion present in a signal in comparison to the original signal.
Treble - High frequencies, usually above 1000Hz.
Tweeter - A driver designed to produce high frequencies, or treble.
Two-way - Another term for co-axial speaker.
Voice Coil - Part of a loudspeaker assembly. Is a winding of copper wire that is energised by the signal and forced to move within a magnetic field produced by the speakers magnet. Together the voice coil and magnet are called the 'motor'.
Woofer - A loudspeaker designed to reproduce the low frequencies of the audio spectrum. Usually large and strong to handle to rigors of modern music.