Today, everyone listens to music and more and more regularly. According to a study by SACEM, more than 99% of French people listen to music and 86% of them do so every day or almost.
So, whether your name is Jean-Marc and you are a novice audiophile, or your name is Brigitte and you want to listen to your music with ease; everyone has the right to enjoy their favorite tracks in high resolution .
Unfortunately some audio terms turn out to be quite complex and give the impression that only a certain number of people can access quality products.
Since we are nice and we like Brigittes, we will help you see things more clearly! To do this, we have created a simplified mini-dictionary that demystifies all the complexity of sound-related tools.
The glossary of audiophile terms:
2.1, 5.1 -
Do you often come across these number combinations during your research?
When you cross the numbers "2.1" it translates to: two speakers and a subwoofer .
We proceed in the same way for the "5.1" since it involves five speakers and a subwoofer . We will then place the speakers as in this image, to obtain the most immersive experience possible.
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) -
We can say that the AAC format is the successor of the MP3 format that we all know. Its function is to compress and decompress audio files so that they are of good quality and can be compatible with your devices.
This version is characterized by a very high compression rate and a quality significantly higher than that of MP3. It is a format that combines both audio and video .
Active/Passive (speakers) -
What is the difference between active speakers and passive speakers?
Let's start with active speakers: they have their own built-in amplifier , which allows them to be used directly and without difficulty!
Octavio also has its own active speaker model. Indeed, the Maestro speaker is equipped with " bi-amplification " technology, which allows it to better manage high-pitched and low-pitched sounds .
Conversely, passive speakers are models without an amplifier , so for them to work properly it is essential to use them with a suitable external amplifier.
Airplay -
Airplay technology developed by Apple allows you to stream music and video content from one device to another using centralized controls, whether on your Apple TV, on certain Smart TV models or on your favorite speakers.
If you want to know more about Aiplay 2 technology, we made an article about it right here .
Analog/Digital -
What is the difference between analog signal and digital signal?
Signals are used to carry information from one device to another.
The major difference between analog and digital signals is that analog signal is represented by sine waves while digital signal is represented by square waves, as in this image:
An analog signal is used to represent physical measurements via means such as telephony , radio , etc.
Another example is analog synthesizers , which some musicians use to recreate sounds that imitate traditional instruments.
The digital signal on the other hand uses a binary code (with 1s and 0s) to represent information .
Amplifier -
An audio amplifier is an electronic element that works a bit like a megaphone , it will increase the intensity of an audio signal , so that it can be heard.
There are different types, small, large, rather vintage or on the contrary with modern designs. Here is one of ours to give you a little idea of what is done in the highest quality → Octavio Amp
DAC (Digital Analog Converter) -
The DAC is an essential element for converting digital signals to analog signals. Basically, it is an electronic chip that will be able to translate the signal emitted by your streaming platform (such as Spotify, Deezer, Qobuz, etc.) to analog equipment.
You can see it as a small sound translator .
FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) -
FLAC is a music file format just like MP3, except that it is more powerful.
The principle of these formats is that they compress audio files so that they are more easily exploitable . Thanks to this method, we can apply these compressions to files from CDs or studio files.
Unlike MP3, FLAC applies non-destructive compression, which allows files to be preserved with excellent quality , while saving on data rate and storage .
Gapless -
It is a term that refers to the absence of silence between the tracks you are listening to. If we break the word down; “Gap” = empty/interruption, “less” = without, therefore music without interruption.
Hi-Res (High Resolution) -
The Hi-Res standard refers to an audio quality that comes as close as possible to the music as it was originally recorded.
Monitoring (speakers) -
Monitoring speakers are speakers whose sound is neutral . That is to say, they do not distort the sound. They are often found in production studios and home studios .
Nas (Network Attached Storage) -
To put it simply, a NAS is a kind of hard drive connected to a network and which allows you to have your own “ Private Cloud ”.
Need to know more? No problem, we have put together an article dedicated to NAS, it's here -> Why store music files on a NAS?
RCA/Toslink -
These terms refer to different connectors that allow you to connect your different devices together.
RCA cables allow you to connect all of your devices (CD, Audio DAC, turntable, network player, etc.) to your amplifier .
While optical cables called Toslink allow the transfer of a high-quality digital audio signal to external amplification systems such as a Home Cinema for example.
The digital optical cable is present on the back of almost all recent televisions and home cinema amplifiers.
Streamer -
We often hear the term " streamer " or " network player ", but what does it mean and what is it used for?
It is a small box that allows you to concentrate your digital sources in one place, thanks to wifi or directly connected via ethernet. The advantage of this method compared to bluetooth is the sound quality which will be much better thanks to the streamer.
With this system you can transmit your music hosted by your favorite streaming platforms like Spotify, Deezer, Qobuz or Tidal.
Moreover, our Octavio Stream won the Diapason d'or mention, so if you are looking for a practical , quality audio streamer, Made in France , we can only recommend it!
WAV ( Waveform Audio File Format) -
WAV is one of the oldest digital audio file formats. It played a crucial role in the advent of computer music playback , as well as early portable music players. Although less common today, WAV remains one of the few audio formats that offers lossless quality, without any compression .
Our advice:
Just like you, we believe that it is essential to test a product in order to adopt it , especially when it comes to audio .
That's why at Octavio , when you buy one of our products, we give you a 30-day trial so you can form your own opinion, be either satisfied or get your money back ! Practical, right?
