Recommended reading for new comers and inquisitive minds.

[Hipper]

Get Better Sound by Jim Smith

http://getbettersound.com/index.php

Not loads of science, more anecdotal but useful nevertheless.

Acoustics and Psychoacoustics by David M Howard and James Angus.

There's maths involved but the accompanying CD is an 'eye opener'!

There may be other sources of hearing psychoacoustic phenomena and I would recommend having a listen if you can find them.

 

[LDKTA]

High-Quality Horn Loudspeaker Systems by Bjørn Kolbrek and Thomas Dunker

 

[pozz]

I had previously compiled these articles on various technical aspects of audio from those available on the forum. Most are by @amirm and @DonH56, with a few by other members and some links to external sources.

Now maintained here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/master-review-index.11398/

 

[mkarikom]

Just stumbled on this awesome site!
I think I'm about to get my ass handed to me at SBAF for linking this reading list in a response to my own request for technical references (original reply was [paraphrased] 'this is not super best signal processing engineers')...

 

[solderdude]

Don't forget to watch some videos by Ian Shepherd

 

[q3cpma]

High-Quality Horn Loudspeaker Systems by Bjørn Kolbrek and Thomas Dunker

While I really want it, is this really a £122 book?

 

[mkarikom]

Don't forget to watch some videos by Ian Shepherd

Definitely going to check this out. I think the 'primacy of content' is something that I've not properly considered in the past.

 

[Speedskater]

Tons of stuff on the "Audio Engineering Society" 'Pacific Northwest Section' page:
http://www.aes.org/sections/pnw/jj.htm
http://www.aes-media.org/sections/pnw/ppt/
http://www.aes-media.org/sections/pnw/pnwrecaps/

 

[Wes]

any textbook on Cognitive Psychology

 

[Blumlein 88]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0125056281/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Brian C.J. Moore on Introduction to Psychology of hearing. A college level textbook. Every audiophile could learn a lot from it. There are newer editions than the one linked.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0127756957/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fundamentals of Hearing by William Yost. Also has newer editions.

Even someone who isn't and/or will not become a techie delving into the electronics will benefit even as a simple consumer/music lover from learning the basics of hearing. Many ill conceived questions will be eliminated by learning from these, and some very good questions will occur to you once you have some of the basics understood.

 

[JustAnandaDourEyedDude]

This thread is very valuable with its links for audio newbies like me. I started to learn more about audio science and engineering in 2018, in search of better audio gear. Now, just when I stop buying yet more audio gear, I find here a bunch of fascinating books to buy which will keep me poor!

A couple of days ago, member @TLEDDY in the ASR thread Sound - an interesting perspective linked to the following excellent animated explanation of sound waves for the layperson
Everything You Should Know About Sound by Tim Urban

 

[scott wurcer]

but there's a joke that every equation reduces a book's sales by half...

I can relate to that.

 

[mkarikom]

Tons of stuff on the "Audio Engineering Society" 'Pacific Northwest Section' page:
http://www.aes.org/sections/pnw/jj.htm
http://www.aes-media.org/sections/pnw/ppt/
http://www.aes-media.org/sections/pnw/pnwrecaps/

Ooh nice... wait apparently my institution library does not have the AES Journal

 

[mkarikom]

Ooh nice... wait apparently my institution library does not have the AES Journal

Apparently these dudes don't use arXiv much either, lol.

 

[Speedskater]

The one Audio Engineering Society Journal everyone interested in audio engineering should have, it's about 84 pages and it's only $15:
June 1995, Volume 43 Number 6 "Shields and Grounds"
https://customer258769455.portal.me...tegoryID=dfb59c4a-0066-cfc7-defb-0b3b8d837468
with papers and reports by: Bill Whitlock, Charles Atkinson, Philip Gliddings, Stephen Macatee, Cal Perkins, Kenneth Fause
and the complete Neil Muncy (RIP) pin1 problem paper
and the John Windt "Hummer Tester" paper

 

[Haflermichi]

The Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook.
By Gary Davis & Ralph Jones

 

[KaiserSoze]

Well, if there is going to be list here, Harry F. Olson's "Music, Physics and Engineering" needs to be on the list. It was first published in 1966 or 1967, and is now available in paperback from Dover, or as a Kindle book. Many people would consider it too old to be useful, but part of what makes it so great is the broad range of topics it covers. I think that many people will still find it relevant and very useful.

https://www.amazon.com/Music-Physics-Engineering-Dover-Books/dp/0486217698

 

[mhardy6647]

spend some quality time browsing
www.tubebooks.org
www.worldradiohistory.com

Speaking of Olson -- several of his seminal texts (well... at least one) are (is) available in (apparently) the public domain.

http://cyrille.pinton.free.fr/electroac/lectures_utiles/son/Olson.pdf

 

[KaiserSoze]

spend some quality time browsing
www.tubebooks.org
www.worldradiohistory.com

Speaking of Olson -- several of his seminal texts (well... at least one) are (is) available in (apparently) the public domain.

http://cyrille.pinton.free.fr/electroac/lectures_utiles/son/Olson.pdf

The amount of information in Olson's texts is staggering. The PDF file you linked has the image of a book spine at the top, indicating the early editions from 1940 or 1947, which were titled "Elements of Acoustical Engineering". But the PDF file is actually the edition published in 1957, titled "Acoustical Engineering", reprinted in 1960 and again in 1964. Possibly more reprints after 1964. 700 pages jam-packed with information.

 

[mhardy6647]

The amount of information in Olson's texts is staggering. The PDF file you linked has the image of a book spine at the top, indicating the early editions from 1940 or 1947, which were titled "Elements of Acoustical Engineering". But the PDF file is actually the edition published in 1957, titled "Acoustical Engineering", reprinted in 1960 and again in 1964. Possibly more reprints after 1964. 700 pages jam-packed with information.

Thanks for pointing that out! I had forgotten that disconnect. I think that an earlier version is also available... but I didn't turn up a link yesterday (and there were some pretty skeevy links... the chance one takes when googling for content via free PDF )

Another seminal text (from the other side of the speaker wire), of course, is Langford-Smith's Radiotron Designer's Handbook. Due to the generosity of a local hifi guru, a real copy of an edition of that graces a shelf upstairs (although much of it is beyond my grasp, not surprisingly).