[SilverEars]

Any books you guys recommend to get more familiar with audio?  From signal processing to amplifers to headphones?  

 

[esldude]

Well might help to know a bit more about your background and your aims.
 
Not asking for highly revealing personal info of course.  But one important example, how are your math skills and at what level?
 
Also as for aims, do you want a general overview of how such things work, want to know enough to build DIY kits, or want to know more than that one day?

 

[castleofargh]

did you already eat all the utube vids?

 

[SilverEars]

  did you already eat all the utube vids?

Not yet.  I've been looking at audio Precision videos lately after reading Tyll article regarding headphone compensation.

  Well might help to know a bit more about your background and your aims.
 
Not asking for highly revealing personal info of course.  But one important example, how are your math skills and at what level?
 
Also as for aims, do you want a general overview of how such things work, want to know enough to build DIY kits, or want to know more than that one day?

I have an EE background so I've solved plenty of math problems from basic circuits to DSP.  I have the theoretical background, but lack the practical knowledge in audio which I have growing interest in.  I'm interested in learning more about the practical side of audio such as why certain parameters are measured, how DACs and Amps work, how acoustic output devices work and are tweaked, and other concepts that matter in audio engineering.  I feel the advantage of knowing more about technical aspects of audio is beneficial in making more informed decisions when choosing audio gears since you know what to look for instead of relying on subjective impressions or trial and error.

 

[esldude]

http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Psychology-Hearing-5th-Edition/dp/0125056281
 
http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Hearing-Introduction-William-Yost/dp/9004236384/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1408769950
 
I thought both of these were very helpful.  College level introduction to the psychoacoustics of hearing.  Covers the fundamentals well with good explanation and detail.  Not cutting edge, but very informative about how hearing works.  Gives lie to the audiophile idea we don't know much about human hearing.  I think the first text above was a slightly easier read, and the second goes a bit more in depth. 
 
Maybe some others can suggest more up to date works that are better.  But this is well founded science which means it isn't out of date in the sense of no longer being true.  It also is a good founding to later understand just what is it we can hear with human ears.  A good anecdote to some of the ridiculous golden ear claims you run across in much of audio.
 
So these won't tell you details of how speakers, microphones, ADCs, DACs, and audio amps work.  But they will help you realize what is and is not worth worrying about when you get to those equipment details.  One can learn audio engineering of the equipment yet not have a grounding to know when enough is enough vs when one starts gilding a lily way beyond reason.

 

[ab initio]

Kinsler Frey Coppens & Sanders - Fundamentals of Acoustics
 
Here is an Engineering text on Acoustics. This was the reference for the acoustics course I took as an undergrad.
 
Does somebody care to recommend a reference for the electronics?
 
Cheers

 

[SilverEars]

Didn't somebody mention some sort of bible?  signal processing bible?

 

[SilverEars]

  did you already eat all the utube vids?

Links Please

 

[castleofargh]

 

  did you already eat all the utube vids?

Links Please

arf I don't keep links of vids soz. my audio bookmark folder is already a huge mess with subfolders where I pretend to know where is what and never find it again. and that's only stuff to read.
I guess you have looked at most of ethan winer's videos(there is even a nude girl at some point but don't ask me why)? I guess he does the best job of talking to a layman person. also the xiph.org guy (monty something, I only remember because of monty pythons ^_^). the MIT vids on feedback that ab initio posted a while back(I learned a great deal with those but an engineer probably already have most of that knowledge already).
and then I just look around randomly about R2R, sigma delta, op amp, volume control, EQ, and whatever part I'm interested in at the moment. it's a little like headfi you have to swim into a lot of crap before finding something great and informative, but I end up with my answer most of the time. but there are no know-it-all playlist if that's what you hoped for.

 

[SilverEars]

Most informative stuff I've learned from is Rin's blog.  Although his measurements may not be precise, what is useful is the subject matter he investigates and the process he goes about in taking out useful info to get a better idea of what is going on.  Are there anything online like Rin's blog?  I already know about the one we cannot name here.  

  ODAC/O2 may not be the best thing out there, but I like the rich info he provides in the blog of all concepts that are involved during the design process.  Those two blogs are full of rich information.  I'd like to see other blogs like that.  We need people like that here on headfi, too many of them has either got banned or left.  It's unfortunate, and it creates an unbalance here to more commercialism which doesn't push the hobby like it used to.  This place is transforming to it's own entity and at the same time other forums are popping up as a result each drawing their own audiences.

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

I love this book: http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Reproduction-Acoustics-Psychoacoustics-Loudspeakers/dp/0240520092/ref=la_B001JS2MQ2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408814160&sr=1-1

 

[Roly1650]

I love this book: http://www.amazon.com/Sound-Reproduction-Acoustics-Psychoacoustics-Loudspeakers/dp/0240520092/ref=la_B001JS2MQ2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408814160&sr=1-1

Yes, good recommendation, I like this blog to: archimago.blogspot.com

 

[esldude]

Since you have an EE background there are some good online resources about basics of DSP.
 
Steven Smith has a book available for free in pdf form.
 
http://www.dspguide.com/pdfbook.htm
 
These guides from chip makers can be useful too.
 
http://www.analog.com/en/content/scientist_engineers_guide/fca.html
 
http://www.xilinx.com/publications/archives/books/dsp.pdf
 
And if you haven't seen this video on how ADC and DAC works for audio it is worthwhile.
 
http://xiph.org/video/vid2.shtml
 
Vance Dickinson's book on Loudspeaker Design has been around some time, but covers the very basics of loudspeakers pretty well. 
 
John Eargle's book on microphones is out there too for basics on that end. 
 
Now much of the basic info is out there with the use of google, but that is time consuming and scattered.