HiFi

STEREO SOUND

Stereo sound uses two channels to fool your ear and brain into thinking you're hearing music from a single source -- the idealized, long-sought ...

SETTING UP LOUDSPEAKERS

The best way to set up loudspeakers is to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Unless you have unusual speakers designed for corners, like ...

SIGNAL SOURCES

Your CD, tape deck, turntable, etc are signal sources. They take the music encoded in storage media, like tapes and CDs, and decode it into a ...

HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU SPEND?

How much should you spend on a stereo system? As much as you can afford! That sounds like an excuse to blow money on stereo gear, but there's sound ...

RCA PLUGS

Nearly all stereos use "RCA" or "phono" plugs to connect equipment, but why are they called that? Before audiotape and compact discs, "phono" -- ...

SAMPLING RATE

In digital audio, "sampling rate" refers to how often a signal, such as music, is examined or "sampled" for conversion into a digital code within a ...

PREAMPLIFIERS

Preamplifiers or "preamps" are a stereo system's control center. They are usually included as part of your receiver or integrated amplifier (the ...