DIY Audio Books and Manuals
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We get a lot of people asking us for diy audio and loudspeaker book recommendations to get them started in the hobby. There are a lot of books on the topic and naturally we will not be able to go over them all. Below is a short list of the books I have tried out so for. For each book there is a short summary and some general comments as well as the ISBN number and a link to where you can purchase the book.
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Hi-Fi Vacuum Tube Audio Books
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Building Valve Amplifiers - Morgan Jones - ISBN 978-0750656955
As the title suggests, this book is about Building Valve Amplifiers. It does not go into the understanding or design of vacuum tube amplifiers. This is a good beginners book. It gives advice on how to plan layout, hints on metal working and wiring. There is also a comprehensive section on testing and fault finding. Particular attention has been paid to answering questions commonly asked by newcomers to the world of the vacuum tube, whether audio enthusiasts tackling their first build, or more experienced amplifier designers seeking to learn the ropes of working with valves. The practical side of this book is reinforced by numerous clear illustrations. Written by the author of the audiophile cult classic, Valve Amplifiers which is described below. |
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Valve Amplifiers, Third Edition - Morgan Jones - ISBN 978-0750656948
This book is widely recognized as the most complete guide to valve amplifier design, modification, analysis, construction and maintenance written for over 30 years. The book is jam-packed with theory, circuit analysis and DIY basics. It will walk you through all stages of design so that you can create your own wonders. This book is good for beginners and advanced users. Design principles and construction techniques are provided so readers can devise and build from scratch designs that actually work. Morgan Jones takes the reader through each step in the process of design, starting with a brief review of electronic fundamentals relevant to valve amplifiers, simple stages, compound stages, linking stages together, and finally, complete designs. Practical aspects, including safety, are addressed throughout. |
Loudspeaker Design and Testing Books
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Loudspeaker Design Cookbook - Vance Dickason - ISBN 978-1882580477
This is a very comprehensive book on Loudspeaker Theory and Design. The book comes bundled with some software tools to help with loudspeaker design. There are plenty of graphs to show the effects of different design methods. The book also has in-depth look at crossover design. It looks at crossover design both with and without the use of the design software included with the book. This book will teach you proven methods for designing and building great sounding speakers. In addition there are a few examples of ready-to-build loudspeaker systems designed by Vance Dickason. Vance Dickason is one of the more respected loudspeaker designers in the industry. |
Solid State / Operational Amplifier Books
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High-Power Audio Amplifier Construction Manual - Randy Slone - ISBN 978-0071341196
The book goes through the basics of audio power amplifiers and walks the reader through a variety of designs, ranging from old to new, and simple to complex. Much of the information is based on well established research. The book goes on to examine the broad range of amplifier configurations and power capabilities. This includes mirror-image input stages, fully-complementary VA stages, paralleled output stages, and lateral MOSFET designs. The author is highly opinionated, but generally remains objective. This is a reasonable book that is worth the relatively low cost ~$24. Likely best suited for beginners and some intermediate users. |
General Electronics Books
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The Art of Electronics - Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill - ISBN 978-0521370950
This is by far the best book on the subject of electronics in the last decade. It is suitable for beginners as a self-teaching book and also for those familiar with electronics as a reference book. The Art of Electronics adopts a practical approach covering a very wide range of digital and analogue processes. Starting with the transistor, the FET, going on to opamps and their applications, CMOS and TTL logic and circuits. The latter half of the book then covers microprocessors and peripheral devices, PCB design, power supplies and battery types. The book finishes with measurement techniques and signal processors. |