Introductory Guide to High-Performance Audio Systems: Stereo, Surround Sound, Home Theater

For those who want a firm grounding in the fundamentals of Hi-Fi etc. this is a stellar book. It is written in a no-nonsense fashion and the advice is always sensible and grounded in empirical research. My initial concerns were that this book might have offered views or recommendations that were a little too rarefied for the majority of consumers (the speaker on the cover is absurdly expensive if you are not a city banker), but in fact the approach is very sensible.The book takes the reader through all of the most common hi-fi formats and the required equipment. It doesn’t advocate a particular product, brand or approach; it merely explains the rationale behind the different attitudes and what may be of interest to consumers based on their attitude.If you regularly read the Hi-Fi press (Hi-Fi News, Hi-Fi World, Hi-Fi Choice, Hi-Fi+), then this book will offer you very little as you will probably already be inducted into the arts of audio nirvana. If however you are new to the scene or don’t bother with such publications it may just broaden your mind.

A few years old, but well written. Happy to say this book avoids promoting specific suppliers of good quality HiFi whilst concentrating on how it works and how to choose what you might want to buy. A favourite subject of mine for many years, I still found some articles which taught me something new. I recommended it to a friend and he bought a copy too..so I would further recommend reading this book if you want some quality music around the home

Very informative and an interesting read for AudiophilesI have learned heaps

An excellent book that will show you how to select high performance audio systems at a non high end prices. I will also tell you how systems work in lay mans language.

I definitely gained a much better understanding of how turntables, amplifiers and loudspeakers work as well as what to look out for when building a system. The guide’s technical explanations are aimed at people who have an interest in high-end audio equipment, but not a background in, say for example, electrical engineering. It was published in 2007, so not it’s not completely up-to-date. It would probably benefit from having sections dedicated to DACs and headphone amplifiers, but I’m sure they’ll be feature in the next edition.

I haven't actually read this yet, it is still in the package it come in but having a brief look at this item, it is good.