Exceptional achievement
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This book is excellent for anyone even remotely interested in hi-fi and good music. Robert Harley has done a very good job at spanning the various levels of detail, from the general overviews to the details of a CD player's inner workings. There is enough background explanation for the novice, and also enough detail for the enthusiast or the hard-core hi-fi buff. But one of the most amazing achievements of this book is its sheer readability. Harley's professionalism and enthusiasm show through clearly, and his use of examples and enlightening analogies combine together to create a book that even hi-fi sceptic friends of mine have found hard to put down!
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excellent guide
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Fist a disclaimer...I'm not an audio engineer or circuit designer. I'm also a relative newcomer to high-end audio--but am a long time music lover. This review is based on the 1995 edition of this book (I understand new ed is forthcoming). I felt the author did an exceptionally good job in structuring the book and writing to an appropriate level of reader. He describes what each component does, how it works, what to listen for when testing, etc...The initial chapters which are "stage setting" chapters, teminology, etc. are also very valuable. Lots of technical details are included, but they are in appendices so that someone who is interested, can go get the info there, while those less interested in that don't get bogged down in the detail. So, bottom line: this *has* to be a very difficult book to write--ie, author is writing to a very diverse readership in terms of audio expertise, etc. As one who is interested in high-end audio and in the process of upgrading a mid-range system to a true high-end system, I found this book invaluable. Well worth the $$ and time if you have even a passing interest in audio/music. Highly recommended.
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United Kingdom | 
Canada