Technology / Home Audio Glossary

Electronic Shock Protection (ESP): An electronic circuit that stores the audio data stream from a CD or MD in a memory buffer. If the laser pick-up mistracks, audio still flows from the buffer preventing an interruption.

Electrostatic Driver: The Electrostatic Driver generates a motive force for its diaphragm by the interaction of electric rather than magnetic fields as is the case for the dynamic driver. The electrostatic driver . . . View Full Definition

Enclosure: A cabinet in which the various Drivers are housed. This arrangement is absolutely essential if bass response is desired from the woofer, which by itself in the open air, will produce very li . . . View Full Definition

Enclosure Volume: The total amount of internal airspace of an enclosure. Each woofer has an optimal airspace volume that helps it meet it's bass potential. This resonance cavity specification usually measured . . . View Full Definition

Enhancer Circuit: An active low pass amplifier section added to some receivers, equalizers, and amplifiers that allows as much as an 18 decibel boost to be applied to an audio signal in the low frequency 35 t . . . View Full Definition

Equalizer (EQ): A class of electronic filter circuits designed to augment or adjust electronic or acoustic systems. Equalizers can be fixed or adjustable, active or passive. Most consumer audio equallizers . . . View Full Definition

Ergonomics: The accessibility and ease of controlling a system in normal operational mode with a minimum of motion and thought required.

Excursion: The back-and-forth travel of a cone in a dynamic Driver. How loud a speaker can play depends on how much air it can move without overheating. How much air can be moved is determined by the s . . . View Full Definition

Excursion Limited Power Handling: Based on the maximum amount of power the driver can handle without appreciable distortion. All frequencies 30 Hz and above are considered in this limit.

Excursion Limited SPL: The maximum sound pressure level the system can produce given an input signal equal to the rated excursion limited power handling.

Expander: A type of dynamic range processor which reduces the gain of audio signals which are under an adjustable 'threshold' level, therefore increasing the dynamic range. Generally allows the operat . . . View Full Definition

Extended Pole Piece: Extended pole pieces on the magnet assembly allow for more voice coil travel, and thus lower Frequency Response, and less chance of 'bottoming out'

F3: The frequency at which the acoustic power output from a system has fallen to one-half its reference value. Known as the systems 3db down point. F3: determined by the frequency at which the o . . . View Full Definition

Fader: Rather like the right to left balance control, however the fader moves the sonic position between the front and back speakers.

Farad (F): The basic unit of capacitance. A capacitor has a capacitance of 1F when a charge of 1 Volt across the capacitor produces a current of 1 Ampere through it. Named after Michael Faraday.

Fast-Fourier Transform (FFT): A method by which a system is described using an impulse response. Both frequency and time data can be extracted, with room reflections removed, providing an extremely accurate analysis. Mat . . . View Full Definition

Fb: The tuned frequency of a Vented Enclosure, measured in Hertz. A combination of the resonance frequency of the air in a Port and the resilient pressure of the air in a Ported System. Below th . . . View Full Definition

Feedback: See acoustic feedback.

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