[kb100]

For the AUDIO INNNOCENTS - as Sam puts it... Its worthwhile to start a glossary of terminology used in ICE world! ... Perhaps we can make this a sticky too... I'll get this going... everyone can add (even narrations where required)... at some point the mods can consolidate and sort everything in alphabetical order for everyones convenience...HERE GOES!!

1. NOOBIE = AUDIO INNOCENTS ;o)
2. AMP = AMPLIFIER
3. HU = HEAD UNIT
4. SUB/SW = SUB-WOOFER (speakers that produce only low frequencies usually less than 100hz)
5. MONOBLOCK = Amplifiers with a single channel of amplification - usually used to drive subs.


Fantastic Idea KB. THis way we can have a ready reference. THis thread will allow only 2 types of posts. (1) People asking what a particular term means and (2) People answering the questions asked in (1). No Off Topic. No Backslapping. No Thank yous. No digressions will be tolerated. I would love this thread to be readable by Noobies.

[panky12345]

in case of SW,

DVC = Dual Voice coil Sub, having 2 voice coils in same SW. either 2 ohms or 4 ohms each, to give u great wiring options to extract the max outta ur amp and SW set up.

SVC = single voice coil Sub, either 2 ohms or 4 ohms.

[Bass&Trouble]

Just some exceptions, some subs have voice coil nominal impedance other than 2 ohms and 4 ohms also.

There are also other subs with multiple voice coil configurations, like quad voice coil subs, which have 4 taps.

[panky12345]

yes sir B&T, i fully acknowledge....i was abt to write it....then thot its for new entrants, and had i written those, they wd have felt the same way as i feel when navin replies.

[antardaksh]

I still wonder what does ICE mean ;(in car entertainment) i guess!

[panky12345]

Originally Posted by antardaksh

I still wonder what does ICE mean ;(in car entertainment) i guess!

yes antardaksh, it means In Car Entertainment only. Welcome to TBHP!!
may u have a pleasent stay here.

[Mistakenguy]

What does single din and double din mean?

[panky12345]

in simplest words, Single Din means normal width HU's as are available in markets....these are normal sized stereos (HUs) that you see around in web sites, car shops etc (90% of the time). and if u spot a HU which is bigger (double app - seems like 2 HUs combined to form a single unit) its called a Double Din. have urself search on google for "single din" and "double din" images once for more clarification.

[low_bass_makker]

single din->


double din->

[navin]

Tweeters: Speakers used for reproducing high frequencies like the tweeting of a sparrow.

Woofer: Speakers used for reproducing low frequencies like the woofing of a dog.

Midrange: Speakers used between a woofer and tweeter

Midbass: Midrange with some woofer capability or woofer with some midrange capability.

Crossover or XO: Used to part audio signals from amplifier and send signals to woofer and tweeter and/or midrange.

Power Cables; Used for connecting your battery to the Amplifier or Head Unit or other accessory like Equaliser. These differ from speaker cables and Interconnect cables in topology and design but not in basic function of transmitting electrical signals.

Interconnect cables: Cables used to connect your Head Unit to an Amplifier or Equaliser or to connect and Equaliser to Amplifier. etc. Most common Interconnect cables used in car audio use RCA connectors and are hence often also called RCA cables.

RCA: Radio Corporation of America. Formed the standard of the RCA connector used for most Interconnect cables. Others are DIN, XLR, etc... but there are not often found in car audio.

[jkdas]

Thanks to Sam...............

What is compo?
Shrt form for component. A component set is a set of speakers where you get 2 mid woofers (generally 5.25" or 6"), a crossover network and a pair of tweeters. These sound very nice in the front of your car.
What is co-ax?
sounds like co-axial, but again, co-axial what.. cable?
Co-Axial means speakers with a common axis. For example, regular car speakers have a woofer, midrange and tweeter built all on the same axis.

I assume channel means a channel of amplification in amp? For a stereo you have 2 channels, what is 4 channel then?
A 4 channel amplifier is basically 4 seperate chanels of independent amplification in one body. You can use 2 channels to drive the front speakers in stereo and the other 2 to drive the rear.

What is bridging?
Instead of running pair of speakers on 2 channels, if you combined the power of two channels to give you one powerful channel to drive (for example) a subwoofer, that is called bridging.

Thanks to Autophile........

HPF = High Pass Filter, it cuts / attenuates the below the value selected. Eg HPF at 80Hz means the frequency below 80 Hz will be attenuated. The attenuation depends on the slope of the crossover. Used for speakers, tweeters, subwoofers (Subsonic filter)

LPF = Low Pass Filter, it cuts / attenuates the above the value selected. Eg LPF at 80Hz means the frequency above 80 Hz will be attenuated. The attenuation depends on the slope of the crossover.Used in midranges, subwoofers.

BPF = Band Pass Filter, combination of HPF and LPF it cuts / attenuates the above and below the values selected. Eg in case of subwoofer HPF at 20Hz and LPF at 80Hz means the frequency below 20Hz and above 80 Hz will be attenuated. The subwoofer will play frequencies from 20Hz to 80Hz.

TA meands Time Alignment of speakers. It is used to delay the speakers which are nearer in respect to farther speakers so that the sound from both the speakers arrive you at the same time. Results in better sound, imaging, sounstage.


(this is CNTRL + C plus CNTRL + V job)

[jkdas]

DAC : Digital to Analog Convertor
Burr Brown: A hig end DAC

[Vivekphadnis]

We are always talking about how a HU, amp or speaker sounds. So I think it would help if we define some basic terms like bright, boomy, muddy. I could do a google and dig up definition of such terms. What say?

Also, terms like harmonic, intermodulation distortion could be added on later.

[Sam Kapasi]

hey McLaren, Navin warned us before hand. Lets not get humour into this thread. It's for people that dont know terminology. Let's not confuse them.
As for the newbies, please dont fret over CCTB, disregard ok, it's an old joke.

OK so here's a little gyaan, not too technical, i'm keeping it very simple:

2 of the most common forms of Subwoofer boxes. (There are many more but these are the most commonly used)

1) Ported AKA Vented AKA Bass Reflex type box:

A box in which we fit the subwoofer and make a hole, to allow some the reverse bass pressure to escape and add to the overall bass. The hole is not just any ordinary hole. Just like the size of the box is carefully calculated, the diameter of the port(hole) is carefully calculated along with the length of the tube in the port.
A wrongly made port will spoil the sound completely, as will the wrong size of the box. Boxes and ports are made using various parameters, often supplied with the woofer. Remember 50% of the woofers sound is the box.
Generally a vented box is used to achieve a louder volume of bass.

2. Sealed box:

As the name suggests, this box fits a woofer and is completely sealed. There is no port/hole anywhere in the box. This smaller kind of box gives a little less bass, but the bass is tighter, faster and more precise/accurate. You can avoid a deep resounding "BOOM" using a sealed box.

Please do accept that this is seriously watered down information and there are many exceptions and many variations to these rather broad explanations I've given. I just want the newbies to be able to nod when they hear these terms being thrown around.

[low_bass_makker]

Originally Posted by jkdas

DAC : Digital to Analog Convertor
Burr Brown: A hig end DAC

Burr brown which is now owned by Texas Instruments is a company which makes DAC there are many other compnay which make DAC....

a small write up for DAC useful for newbies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital...alog_converter

DAC manufacturing companies
http://www.semiconductor-manufacturi...-Converter.htm

High end dac other than burr brown....
http://www.analog.com/en/prod/0,,761...1955%2C00.html