Glossary - MartinLogan The Logos User Manual

Glossary

AC. Abbreviation for alternating AC AC
AC AC
current.
Active crossover. Uses active Active crossover Active crossover
Active crossover Active crossover
devices (transistors, IC's,
tubes) and some form of power
supply to operate.
Amplitude. The extreme range of a Amplitude Amplitude
Amplitude Amplitude
signal. Usually measured from
the average to the extreme.
Arc Arc Arc Arc. The visible sparks generated by Arc
an electrical discharge.
Bass Bass Bass Bass Bass. The lowest frequencies of
sound.
Bi-Amplification Bi-Amplification. Uses an electronic Bi-Amplification Bi-Amplification Bi-Amplification
crossover or line-level passive
crossover and separate power
amplifiers for the high and low
frequency loudspeaker drivers.
Capacitance. That property of a Capacitance Capacitance Capacitance Capacitance
capacitor which determines how
much charge can be stored in it
for a given potential difference
between its terminals, measured
in farads, by the ratio of the
charge stored to the potential
difference.
Capacitor Capacitor
Capacitor Capacitor. A device consisting of two Capacitor
or more conducting plates
separated from one another by
an insulating material and used
for storing an electrical charge.
Sometimes called a condenser.
Clipping. Distortion of a signal by its Clipping Clipping Clipping Clipping
being chopped off. An overload
problem caused by pushing an
amplifier beyond its capabilities.
The flat-topped signal has high
levels of harmonic distortion
which creates heat in a loud-
speaker and is the major cause of
loudspeaker component failure.
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Crossover Crossover. An electrical circuit that Crossover
Crossover Crossover
divides a full bandwidth signal into
the desired frequency bands for
the loudspeaker components.
dB (decibel) dB (decibel)
dB (decibel) dB (decibel) dB (decibel). A numerical expression
of the relative loudness of a
sound. The difference in decibels
between two sounds is ten times
the common logarithm of the ratio
of their power levels.
DC DC DC DC DC. Abbreviation for direct current.
Diffraction Diffraction. The breaking up of a Diffraction
Diffraction Diffraction
sound wave caused by some type
of mechanical interference such
as a cabinet edge, grill frame, or
other similar object.
Diaphragm Diaphragm Diaphragm Diaphragm Diaphragm. A thin flexible membrane
or cone that vibrates in response
to electrical signals to produce
sound waves.
Distortion Distortion Distortion Distortion. Usually referred to in Distortion
terms of total harmonic distortion
(THD) which is the percentage of
unwanted harmonics of the drive
signal present with the wanted
signal. Generally used to mean
any unwanted change introduced
by the device under question.
Driver Driver Driver Driver. See transducer. Driver
Dynamic Range Dynamic Range
Dynamic Range Dynamic Range Dynamic Range. The range between
the quietest and the loudest
sounds a device can handle
(often quoted in dB).
Efficiency Efficiency
Efficiency Efficiency Efficiency. The acoustic power
delivered for a given electrical
input. Often expressed as
decibels/watt/meter (dB/w/m).
ESL ESL
ESL ESL ESL. Abbreviation for electrostatic
loudspeaker.
Headroom Headroom. The difference, in Headroom
Headroom Headroom
decibels, between the peak and
RMS levels in program material.
Hybrid Hybrid Hybrid Hybrid. A product created by the Hybrid
marriage of two different tech-
nologies. Meant here as the
combination of a dynamic woofer
with an electrostatic transducer.
Hz (Hertz) Hz (Hertz)
Hz (Hertz) Hz (Hertz). Unit of frequency equiva- Hz (Hertz)
lent to the number of cycles per
second.
Imaging Imaging Imaging. To make a representation or
Imaging Imaging
imitation of the original sonic
event.
Impedance Impedance Impedance Impedance Impedance. The total opposition
offered by an electric circuit to the
flow of an alternating current of a
single frequency. It is a combina-
tion of resistance and reactance
and is measured in ohms.
Remember that a speaker's
impedance changes with fre-
quency, it is not a constant value.
Inductance Inductance Inductance. The property of an Inductance Inductance
electric circuit by which a varying
current in it produces a varying
magnetic field that introduces
voltages in the same circuit or in
a nearby circuit. It is measured in
henrys.
Inductor Inductor
Inductor Inductor. A device designed primarily Inductor
to introduce inductance into an
electric circuit. Sometimes called
a choke or coil.
Linearity Linearity
Linearity Linearity Linearity. The extent to which any
signal handling process is
accomplished without amplitude
distortion.
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