Technology / Home Audio Glossary

Volume: Volume is obviously the most common word used to specify the control of relative loudness of sounds. It also pertains to the function on many electronic devices that is used to control the l . . . View Full Definition

Vom: Volt-Ohm-Meter, sometimes called a Volt-Ohm-Milliammeter. A multimeter that measures voltage, ohms, and milliamperes.

Watt: A unit of power. Named after James Watt for his contributions to the development of the steam engine.

Watts: A measurement of power. In speakers, wattage is a term that indicates power-handling characteristics in dealing with electrical voltage inputs from the amplifier. RMS or continuous power han . . . View Full Definition

Wav: A format for sound files developed jointly by Microsoft and IBM, and built into Windows 95 to XP which made it the de facto standard for sound on pcs. WAV sound files end with a.wav extensio . . . View Full Definition

Wave: A single oscillation in matter (i.e., a sound wave). Waves move outward from a point of disturbance, propagate through a medium, and grow weaker as they travel farther. Wave motion is associ . . . View Full Definition

Wave Table Synthesis: A technique for generating sounds from digital signals. Wave table synthesis stores digital samples of sound from various instruments, which can then be combined, edited, and enhanced to rep . . . View Full Definition

Waveform: The waveform of a signal is a depiction of its instantaneous voltages versus time. In audio, for example, we are always dealing with periodic waveforms that make up what we hear. These perio . . . View Full Definition

Wavelength: The distance between one peak or crest of a sine wave and the next corresponding peak or crest. The wavelength of any frequency may be found by dividing the speed of sound by the frequency.

Weighting: When laboratory measurements are taken of audio gear, the literal, 'true' figures obtained often do not reflect the anomalies introduced by human perception. In these cases, the measurements . . . View Full Definition

White Noise: Random noise with equal energy per frequency is called white noise. It tends to sound very bright and 'hissy' due to the unique characteristics of the human ear's frequency response curve. E . . . View Full Definition

Wide-Bit Stream Processing: This technology maintains 20-bit precision through the recording process, for clearer reproduction of delicate, low-level music.

Windings: The wire in a voice coil that is wound around the former (also called a bobbin) to create a coil. Generally, any coils in a transformer, motor, or as an inductor.

Woofer: A type of driver that features a cone-shaped diaphragm, commonly used for producing the mid- and low-frequency portions of the music signal.

Woofer (Subwoofer): The bass and lower midrange sounds are reproduced by the woofer. To operate efficiently, a woofer's cone should be made of material that is stiff, yet lightweight. Cones made of polymers, po . . . View Full Definition

Wow: Wow is a relatively slow variation in the frequency of reproduced sound caused by slow speed variations in records, tape recorders, etc. Pitch fluctuations of one or two per second are class . . . View Full Definition

X And Y Axis: In a graph or chart showing the realtionship of one acoustical phenomenon or measurement relative to another, it is common to plot the ralionship on a chart with intersecting vertical and ho . . . View Full Definition

Xmax: A measure of a speaker cone's maximum Excursion (back and forth motion) in one direction while still maintaining a linear behavior (moving in a straight line with high precision). This facto . . . View Full Definition

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