-absorbs

In the context of sound, a surface that "absorbs" is one that resembles the action of an open window: the sound is kept from bouncing back into the room.

-A.C.

A wire conducting a periodically bi-directional stream of electrons is said to have "Alternating Current" flowing through it. The current changes direction through the wire because the voltage which causes the current flow in the first place changes polarity. Wall power and analog music signals are examples of AC voltages that cause alternating currents to flow in a wire.

-analytical

A component or system that is described as "analytical" can be characterized as having an abundance of detail. In terms of balance, midrange warmth is often sacrificed for treble energy and extension.

- attenuated

Reduced, as in volume or some other quantity applicable to audio.

-Axiom #1

Because of the tunneling effect and piezoelectric and triboelectric properties, wire is microphonic. As a result, energy from mechanical resonances effects the flow of electrical energy through a conductor in such a way as to audibly emphasize the notes and overtones that coincide with the frequency of that resonance. If we change the way it vibrates/resonates, we change the way it sounds. Thus, in a sense, wire can be thought of as a "mechanical" tone control.

-Axiom #2

The "Resonance Response" of an audio system is often a major factor in its musicality. The most musically neutral systems will have their resonances spread out evenly with no clumps or gaps in their distribution...just as the best listening rooms have an even distribution of standing waves. An even distribution of resonances establishes a level playing field for all of music's notes and overtones, allows the proper harmonic balance of the music to be preserved, and maximizes listening enjoyment.

-bi-laterally symmetrical room

A room, often rectangular, that has no major architectural features on one side of the room that aren't duplicated on the other side of the room in exactly the same position.

-bright

A descriptive term having to do with a sonic tonal balance that is emphasized in the lower to middle treble.

-Cable Multi-Resonators

A VansEvers product that is used to ADD resonances to a signal or power cable in order to make the resonance response of an audio system more balanced.

-chassis

The enclosure that protects electronics from a consumer, and vice versa.

- compliance

A measure of springiness--or how much force is necessary to compress or stretch something a fixed distance. Often used when describing the suspension of speakers and phono cartridges. Higher compliance suspensions are easier to stretch or compress than lower compliance suspensions.

-Corollary No.1

No products are universal; just because a signal-path component or an "accessory" sounds good in one place, it does NOT mean it will sound good everywhere.

-D.C.

The abbreviation "D.C." stands for Direct Current. A conductor with a unidirectional stream of electrons moving through it is said to have "D.C." flowing though it. A voltage that has a single polarity (a battery) will cause a current to flow in one direction only. Automobiles have an electrical system that is based on current flow that goes "directly" from one terminal to the other.

- dissonance/dissonant

When the sound that an audio system produces is harsh, unmusical, or irritating, this sound can be called "dissonant." An uneven resonance response can be the culprit. (see Tuning)

-Dynamic Neutrality

A newly coined phrase for describing an important aspect of an audio system's sound when that system is playing music. An important contributor to a system's neutrality is the flatness of its Resonance Response. The resonances of that system directly affect all levels of energy (signal and power) that flow through the various conductors (wire) in that system. This means that flatness of the resonance response of the system is a direct contributor to the Dynamic Neutrality, or lack thereof, of a music system.

-elastic constant

A measure of a substance's elasticity. See "energy storage mechanism."

-electrical resonance

A term referring to an electrical/electronic circuit where the circuit's inductance is equal in magnitude to its capacitance (at some particular frequency).

-energy storage mechanism

A physical property of a substance (elasticity) that causes it to hold some of the energy that it is exposed to. A "superball" is an example of a material that is an excellent energy storage mechanism. When it is thrown, it acquires the energy of its "throwing," and when it strikes a surface, it then pushes back on that surface with an almost equal amount of energy. This energy is stored when the material of the superball distorts and is almost 100% available when it pushes back against the surface. The opposite is true when a dampened ball of soft clay is thrown against a surface. With clay, the energy is converted by internal friction to heat, and is not stored, i.e. it does not bounce.

-even distribution of resonances

In order for all of music's notes to be treated equally, the wire used in audio systems has to be subjected to an even distribution of resonances. When a road is smooth, we usually don't pay attention to it; when a road has bumps and potholes, our attention is immediately drawn to it. If our music is uniformly supported by an even distribution of resonances, our ears will ignore the resonances (all notes are being equally reinforced). But when the support structure is weakened because of extra or too few resonances, the music's harmonic balance will be uneven. Our ears will be drawn to these imperfections, and our listening enjoyment will suffer.

- fat bass

Bass in which the harmonics are out of balance with respect to the fundamental. This can be caused by room or equipment resonances.

-fluctuate

Values that do not remain constant are said to "fluctuate."

-ground

Every electronic circuit has to have a zero voltage reference point. A reference point from which every other point is measured. This zero point is called "ground" in the U.S. and "earth" in other countries such as England. On a larger scale, the zero point of our man-made electrical system IS the earth, literally.

- hall reflections

When a musician plays in a room, the sound that we hear is made up of both the sound that has traveled in a straight line from the instrument to our ears, and also of the sound that has bounced one or more times off of a wall before it arrived at our ears. The sound that has bounced off of one or more walls can be called "hall reflections."

-harmonic balance

Each acoustic instrument has a unique sound. This sound is made up of many frequencies that occur simultaneously. Each note will consist of a fundamental (the lowest frequency) and many harmonics (even multiples of the fundamental). The relative level of each harmonic and fundamental create the uniqueness of sound that, for example, lets us distinguish an oboe from a violin. The unique relative level of fundamental and harmonics for each instrument determines its harmonic balance.

-Helmholtz

A German physician and physicist who, in 1862, published a book whose aim was to: "...connect the boundaries of two sciences, which, although drawn towards each other by many natural affinities, have hitherto remained practically distinct--I mean the boundaries of physical and physiological acoustics on the one side, and of musical science and esthetics on the other." He succeeded. This book is a major tour de force on tone and the importance of harmonic balance.

-impedance

"The total opposition to an alternating current presented by a circuit." An impedance can be made up from any of the following: inductance, capacitance, or resistance.

-internal friction

A physical process within a substance that will convert vibrational energy to heat energy.

-isolation platform

A shelf with a built-in mechanism that attenuates vibrational energy.

- mechanical resonance

The natural frequency of an object attached to a fixed body by means of an elastic substance or pivot able arm (rope, wire, rod, etc.).

-mechanical tone control

An audio system is reliant upon hook-up wire, PC boards, and power and signal cabling. All electrical conductors have properties that affect the movement of the electrons that pass through them. These properties are responsible for the fact that mechanical energy (resonances/vibrations) affects the tonal balance of an audio system. (See Axiom #1.)

-musicality

A subjective term used to stress the emotional nature of an audio system's "sound." Audio systems that don't strive for the last word in "detail" and "speed" are likely to be described as "musical." The other side of the coin is "analytical."

-note

A "note" is: 1. A complex mixture of frequencies that have a mathematical relationship to one another. 2. A single sound/pitch given off by an instrument.

Many different instruments can play this same "note/sound/pitch" without sounding exactly alike. This is because the notes from each instrument have the same fundamental (lowest frequency in that note,) but each instrument has its own unique set of overtones/harmonics.

-overtones

When we talk about "overtones," we are discussing the relationship of two frequencies. The first frequency is the lower of the two and is called the "fundamental." The second frequency is a whole number times the frequency of the fundamental. For instance, the first overtone of 1kHz is 2kHz. The 2nd overtone of 1kHz is 3kHz, etc. Overtones are numbered differently than "harmonics" but share the same definition. The 1st overtone is equivalent to the second "harmonic"; the 2nd overtone is equivalent to the third harmonic.

Normally, the word "harmonic" (rather than "overtone") is used when describing frequency multiples of a fundamental.

-PC board

A Printed Circuit board is a thin composite material that is often made from paper, fiberglass, or phenolic. The function of a PC board is to both hold electronic/electrical parts and to provide a simple means for electrically connecting these parts to one another.

-piezoelectric effect

The property that causes some insulators to generate an electric charge when flexed.

-polarity

Magnetism and electricity have two poles. In the case of magnetism, the two poles are North and South. In the case of electricity, the two poles are positive and negative. The polarity of a circuit determines the direction of current flow.

-power supply

A source of energy utilized by audio electronics. A power supply will contribute as much as the electronics to the overall sound of a component. Most power supplies convert wall power (120VAC) to an audio component's preferred D.C. voltage and polarity.

- producer of sound

Both acoustic and electric instruments are creators (producers) of sound. Each size and shape of instrument will have its own unique range of fundamental notes and resonances as well as overtones.

-prototype

A device built to test the effectiveness of a designer's ideas. It is often built in and of the parts that designer has at hand. If the prototype is deemed successful, new parts will be ordered that sometimes are unique to this new design.

-reproducer of sound

Audio systems are supposed to recreate the sounds originally created by acoustic and non-acoustic instruments, without adding a sonic flavor of their own. Manufacturers have historically claimed that only their component has no sound of its own. At this point in time, it is very difficult to make audio products that don't have a sound of their own.

-resonance/resonant

Everything from the earth itself to the air in a coke bottle is resonant. The term "resonance" has to do with the ability of a small amount of energy at the right note/frequency to make an object vibrate sympathetically to maximum effect (resonate) and strengthen the original note. This "right" frequency is called the object's "natural" or "resonant" frequency.

- resonance response

A term that is similar to frequency response in that a chart could be made that shows the magnitude and frequency of each resonance in a particular component or audio system. At present, such a chart is beyond the scope of science.

-resonant signature

The sum total of all the resonances of all the parts of a particular product; the sum total of all the resonances of an audio system (including those of the room). This resonance signature will have a major impact on the acceptance level of that component or audio system.

-reverberation

When a source of sound stops--a singer for instance--the sound of the voice will have several "early" reflections that will bounce off of the closest walls and arrive at a listener's ears within milliseconds. These early reflections are sometimes easily distinguishable from the direct sound and each other. "Echos" fall into this category. The reflections that occur after this make up the complex sound field called "reverberation," in which the individual nature of each reflection is covered-up by the shear number of reflections that occur. In some very large buildings, these indirect sounds (reverberation) will still be audible for up to seven seconds after the direct sound has stopped.

-sound

"Sound is an alteration in pressure, particle displacement, or particle velocity which is propagated in an elastic medium, or the superposition of such propagated alterations.

Sound is also the auditory sensation produced through the ear by the alterations described above." Harry F. Olson

-sound absorbers

An object that does not, to one degree or another, reflect sound.

-sound diffusers

An object that will reflect a single source of sound in many directions (scatter). A wall, on the other hand, will reflect sound in only one direction (for each single source of sound).

-spiked

When speakers or other audio components are fitted with cones or what are quite accurately called "spikes," they are referred to as having been "spiked."

-spring

An elastic body that will yield under stress and then return to its previous shape once the stress is removed. The measure of a spring's "springiness" is called its "compliance."

-sprung

A form of the past tense of the word "spring."

-standing waves

When sound is generated in a room, this sound will bounce back and forth along the three major axes of the room (length, width, and height). Where this distance matches up with a frequency's wavelength, a "standing wave" is created. This will usually be only noticeable for frequencies under 500Hz. Standing waves are characterized by areas in a room where a specific bass note is easily heard, and for the same bass note, areas where that note almost disappears.

-Static Neutrality

A newly coined phrase that describes the ability of a component to pass conventional engineering tests. These tests include but are not limited to: %THD and Noise, frequency response, phase shift, and Signal-to-Noise Ratio.

-String Effect, the

Audio cabling (power, signal, and speaker) will resonate at a frequency determined by the length of cable between two adjacent supports. These supports can be anything that touches or holds up the cable...the edge of a shelf, the floor, the wall, another cable, etc. For example, when using small gauge wire supported on a wall by cup hooks (a la The Listener magazine), the distance between the cup hooks will have a significant effect on the sound of the cables. The shorter the distance, the higher the resonance caused by the String Effect.

-synergy

When two or more components work well together, they can be said to have a sympathetic en ergy (synergy) for each other.

-system (audio)

A "reproducer" of music that has no choice but to impart its own sonic characteristics on the music. Systems with high degrees of both Static and Dynamic Neutrality will minimize this effect.

An audio system can be made from individual components, from combinations of individual components, or can be an all-in-one unit. For example, the necessary individual components for CD playback are:

1) CD player or

1a) CD transport

b) jitter filter

c) DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter)

2) Preamplifier

3) Amplifier

4) Speakers

5) Cables

6) Stands

7) Power distribution (multi-outlet strips, or conditioners)

-Tone Painting

A method for tuning any audio system that deals with its distribution of resonances and seeks to bring these resonances into balance with one another. It can be learned and applied in stages. It differs from traditional methods in that it focuses on SYSTEMS rather than components.

-transformer

An electrical device that is the basis for the distribution of power all over the world. The voltage available from the wall is almost never the correct voltage needed by the electronic equipment we use everyday. A "transformer" is an electro-magnetic device that is used to step-up or step-down our "wall" voltage (120VAC).

- transient impedance

A characteristic of electrical conductors (wire and PC board traces) that causes them to have a "sound." A mechanical resonance in contact with an electrical conductor allows the electrons and/or their fields to travel through that conductor easier. For instance, if a wire has a mechanical resonance at 1kHz, this resonant mechanical energy will make 1kHz notes and overtones sound a little louder. This conductor can be said to have a lower transient-impedance at 1kHz.

-transmits

The property of a substance that allows it to pass energy relatively unimpeded.

-triboelectric effect

The property that causes some cable insulators to produce an electric charge when cable movement causes the insulator to rub against its conductor. This charge will add to, or subtract from, the electrical signal carried by the cable.

-Tuning Block

A small wooden block manufactured by the VansEvers Co. and used for coupling components to shelves, stands, etc. They are made from a variety of hard and soft woods. The many different resonant signatures available offer a powerful tool for achieving a balanced resonance response.

- Tunneling effect

An inherent property of a conductor by which an electron's movement through that conductor is enhanced by the energy of mechanical vibrations from resonances. (From a private conversation with theoretical physicist, Jack Bybee.)

-tuning

All audio systems are the result of the following process: sound is turned into electricity which is then turned back into sound. In this process, there are three types of energy that flow: signal, power, and mechanical vibrations. The third energy type, mechanical vibrations, affects the first two, signal and power. "Tuning" is the conscious and deliberate act of making these unavoidable mechanical vibrations affect our sound in a friendly way.

The proper goal of tuning is to bring an audio system's resonant signature into balance. When an audio system's resonant signature is in balance, it will provide a neutral interface between musician and listener.

-tweak

A "tweak" is a tuning product that is used in conjunction with active and passive electronics. They are commonly thought to somehow eliminate spurious electrostatic, electromagnetic, or vibrational energy. This is sometimes the case.

-vibration pattern

A pattern that is formed by a two dimensional grid of standing waves in a flat sheet of material. These standing waves cause some portions of the material to move perpendicular (to the plane of the material) in one direction while other portions are moving in the opposite direction.

- Waveguide Effect, the

When wood Tuning Blocks (or other wood objects) are turned 90 degrees, the emphasis of that blocks sonic contribution will often change...quite audibly. Why? Because wood is a solid made of many very small tubes that once carried nutrients and provide(d) structural rigidity. This physical make-up of wood allows sound to travel faster in one direction than another--which in turn causes the projection of resonant energy into the listening area to be greater in one direction than another.

- Xylophone Effect, the

An xylophone's highest note is sounded by its shortest "bar" (tuned wooden strip). Its lowest note is sounded by its longest bar.

The length of a Tuning Block (or other objects and tuning devices) determines some of its resonant frequencies. These dimensionally specific resonances are a significant portion of a Tuning Block's sound. Lengths used by the author have a common cross-section (0.75" X 1.0") and vary in length from 0.5" to 2.5" in 0.25" increments; longer lengths vary from 5" to 18" ...but not in such fine gradations. Everything else being equal, shorter lengths will have a higher fundamental resonance frequency than longer lengths.

VER18.1 copyright 1998 Mike VansEvers