A/V Receiver
A receiver that is manufactured to provide audio and video functions.
AC
Alternating Current
AC3
The first description of Dolbyâ Digital.
Acoustic Suspension
A sealed box speaker enclosure.
Active Crossover
A device that performs highpass, lowpass, and bandpass functions for the speaker drivers.
Active Speaker
A speaker with a built in power amplifier.
AM
Amplitude Modulation
Amperage
A measurement of electrical current.
Amplification
An increase in signal level.
Amplifier
A device that amplifies both current and voltage to provide more output to a speaker system.
Audio Cable
A shielded wire used to connect a signal from one device to another.
Audiophile
A person interested in the reproduction of sound.
Bass
Low frequency audio signals.
Bass Reflex
A low frequency speaker enclosure, also known as vented, or ported.
Bi-amping
The ability to use two amplifiers to drive one speaker enclosure.
Bi-Wiring
The use of two sets of wires from the amplifier to the speaker enclosure.
Bi-pole
A speaker enclosure that has drivers pointing to the front and rear.A/V
Audio / Video
Capacitor
A device that stores an electrical charge.
CD
Compact disc
CD-DA
Compact Disk Digital Audio
CD-R
A compact disc that can be recorded on one time.
CD-RW
A compact disk that can be recorded on many times.
Center Channel
A speaker enclosure located between the front left and front right speaker enclosures. In movies and television
audio, this is where most of the dialog is heard.
Channel
A signal path starting at the amplifier and ending at the speaker enclosure.
Clipping
Distortion that occurs when trying to drive an amplifier beyond it's voltage or current limit.
Coil
A device that blocks high frequencies.
Coloration
In audio, this refers to sound that does not belong in the recording.
Cone
The diaphram of a speaker driver.
Crossover Frequency
An electrical filter that separates the upper, middle, and lower frequencies in a speaker enclosure to the proper
drivers.
db - Decibel
In audio, this represents a measurement of sound level.
Distortion
An audio signal that has been changed by electrical, mechanical or acoustical interference.
Dolby Pro Logic ®
A decoder for Dolby Surround signals outputting four audio channels: left, center, right and surround channel.
Dolby Pro Logic® II
Upgrade of Dolby Pro Logic®, the surround channel was seperated into two surround audio channels.
Dolby® Digital
The encoding / decoding of audio signals, and the compression of such audio signals.
Driver
The name for a transducer, such as a woofer or midrange tweeter.
DTS®
Digital Theater Systems, their development of encoding / decoding of audio signals and the compression of such
audio signals.
Efficiency
The measure of the drivers ability to convert input power to work.
Electrolytic Capacitor
A common capacitor used in crossover networks.
Equalizer
A device with an adjustable filters that changes the frequency response of an audio system.
Fared
The basic unit of a capacitor.
Frequency
The amount of cycles completed by a signal in one second. Frequency is expressed in Hertz. (Hz)
Frequency Response
In an audio system, it should have a flat response. This means it should reproduce all frequencies at the correct
level.
Ground
An electrical connection to the earth.
Hertz
The amount of cycles completed by a signal in one second. Frequency is expressed in Hertz. (Hz)
High Pass Filter
A filter that allows higher frequencies to pass.
Impedance
The opposition to alternating current flow in a device or circuit.
Inductor
Coil, a device that blocks higher frequencies.
Kilo
A prefix meaning thousand, one thousand Hertz is 1 kilohertz, or 1 khz.
Loud Speaker
A speaker enclosure with transducers and a crossover network within the enclosure.
Lowpass Filter
A filter that allows lower frequencies to pass.
Magnetic Shielding
The design of the driver which the magnetic field is suppressed to avoid distortion to the video of the television.
Midrange Driver
The driver designed to reproduce the middle frequencies.
Multi-channel
An audio system with more than two channels.
Nominal Impedance
The impedance rating of a speaker, which represents the load it will have on the amplifier.
Octave
The doubling or halving of a frequency.
Ohm
The unit of measuring resistance and impedance.
Power Rating
The amount of energy to or from a device or system, expressed in watts.
Satelite Loudspeaker
Usually a small bookshelf speaker with a subwoofer. Small bookshelf speakers are limited to low frequencies.
Sensitivity
A measure of the sound output for a known input signal.
Shielded Speaker
See: Magnetic Shielding
Subwoofer
A loud speaker designed to reproduce bass frequencies.
Surround Sound
A term that describes multi-channel audio.
Vent
Also known as port, used for venting an enclosure to increase acoustical output at a certain level.
Watt
The basic unit for acoustical power.
Woofer
A device designed to reproduce bass frequencies. 9/14/04