A banana plug is mainly used to insert speaker wire coming from an amplifier or receiver directly into the speaker. The banana plug is named after its shape. It is a slender, but bulging prong that is similar to a banana. However, unlike bananas, the banana plug is not bent, but straight. Other uses for …
Lossy compression is a type of compression that removes unnecessary components of a file to reduce the file’s size. Lossy compression is often used in multimedia files, such as still images and audio files that hold a significant amount of redundant information. Lossy compression results in a reduction of quality of the file that is …
Most people usually look to Signal to Noise Ratio to measure the signal quality of either audio or video communications. Signal to noise ratio is usually written either S/N or SNR. Most of the time the signal to noise ratio is measured in decibels. A decibel is a measure of power or loudness. Not to …
There are many ways to measure sound quality. Many measurements have been created to specifically measure and rate the quality of sound. Here are a few of the most common types of measurements used for sound quality. THD THD stands for Total Harmonic Distortion. It is a measurement taken to view the total amount of …
Noise-canceling headphones are headsets that have the ability not just to block out noise but to cancel it using the properties of sound waves. Sound waves have compression and rarefaction characteristics similar to the crests and troughs of a transverse wave. They also have amplitude and frequency characteristics. These characteristics of sound waves are used …
Conceptually, hypersonic sound (HSS) systems do to sound what laser technology does to light – focus sound into a tight beam that can travel great distances without dispersing. HSS systems can create sound that is meant only for a certain individual(s), not for everyone who just happens to be in the vicinity. HSS Speakers versus …
Automatic gain control is a technique implemented in many consumer electronics that automatically adjusts the input levels of a system by inducing a portion of the output levels in the input terminals. Automatic gain control is used in a wide variety of technologies, including telecommunications, navigation, audio/video recordings, and radio systems. Automatic gain control can …
HRTF (Head Related Transfer Functions) refers to a technique used in audio recordings in order to produce binaural signals from a monaural source. While monaural signals refer to sounds that a signal source produces and both ears hear them at varying distances and frequencies, binaural signals refer to sounds that two separate sources produce and that each ear …
TOSLINK or Toshiba – LINK is a connection standard for digital audio streams. It is a standard which uses fiber optic cables. The important feature of fiber optic cables is that they convert audio signals into light impulses as opposed to electric signals. TOSLINK cables usually transmit their signals as the red LED lights. The …
A microphone is a device that converts acoustic power into electric power. Both the acoustic power and the electric power have similar wave characteristics that convert sound waves into electric voltages that eventually convert back into sound waves through speakers. Microphone were used with the first telephones, and then with radio transmitters soon after. Sir …