Designer Notes Vol. 1 - Hi-fi Projects

By Kevin O'Connor, ©2009

ISBN to be announced

     approx. 100 pages
     numerous figures (schematic diagrams) & tables
     8-1/2" x 11", spiral bound with clear protective covers

$30 is the special advance price for our newest book - Designer Notes Vol. 1 - Hi-fi Projects - to be shipped in early 2009. Be among the first to get a copy!

Listening to music is one of life's great pleasures! And, being able to build the equipment used to enjoy that music is another pleasure. The long-anticipated "Designer Notes" series provides insights into high fidelity that will enlighten, entertain and make the reader think - debunking myths while ultimately providing many options for achieving great sound. And why not save some money while you do it?

"Designer Notes Vol. 1" begins with a discussion of how live sound is mimicked in the home listening environment. Mono, stereo, quadrophonic, binaural and surround sound systems are discussed with an emphasis on clarity of perception and how well these various approaches achieve that goal. Speaker systems are explored, including passive and active crossovers.

Many hi-fi enthusiasts use vacuum tubes to attain their sonic goal, so this volume explores tube power output stages and output transformers, with an eye to overcoming the deficiencies of the transformer itself using low-impedance drive techniques. Traditional triode amplifiers, ultralinear and other local feedback techniques are detailed in various projects. Both single-ended and push-pull designs are presented. The goal is to attain consistently great hi-fi sound while using off-the-shelf parts any hobbyist can find.

This long-awaited series from Kevin O'Connor promises to be a mine of hi-fi ideas! Future volumes will explore advanced tube techniques, solid-state methods, and hybrid technologies for both power amplifiers and preamplifiers.