THE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS OF ACOUSTICS - H. H. Arnold ...

References 583has undergone MP3, AAC, or Apple Lossless compression programs. One versionweighs less than 160 g and it is available with a choice of 20 GB or 40 GB storage,resulting in a capability of storing as many as 10,000 songs. Even more compactversions with less storage and other models with more storage are emerging fromApple, and competitive units are being issued by other manufacturers. The iPod canalso be used to record meetings, enter voice memos, and its speed can be adjustedto accommodate audio books. Synchronization with a home computer for downoruploading data can be achieved via FireWire r○ or USB 2.0 cables. The iPod canalso be used as a portable hard drive, which would allow the user to carry computerfiles from one place to another. It can even used to store photographs, function asan organizer with contact listings, calendars, and to-do lists; and, with the use ofadapters, can be played through home and auto sound systems.19.6 The Future of Sound ReproductionThere is no question that nanotechnology, still in its infancy, will result in morecompact recording media, more powerful electronic processing units, and morerealistic audiovisual imaging. Digitization of acoustic information will be refinedto an even greater extent.Loudspeakers have been the weak link in the audiophile chain of playback ofrecorded sound. Amplifiers and preamplifiers have reached the point of diminishingreturns with respect to low distortions and noise. The principal deviation from theideal sound reproduction occurs in transducers, hence it is the loudspeaker that isthe component that needs the most improvement. It is apparent that new technologywill be needed to develop new types of transducers, most likely resulting from acollaboration of the best minds in the fields of acoustics, materials science, solidstate physics, electronic and mechanical sciences, and even nanotechnology. Notonly loudspeaker distortion would be reduced to theoretical minimum (Raichel,1979), but also the sound sourcing would be considerably more sharply focused toenhance the listener’s feeling of actually “being there” at the concert venue wherethe music was recorded.ReferencesBallou, Glenn (ed.). 2005. The Handbook For Sound Engineers, 3rd ed. New York: FocalPress. (A comprehensive work on sound engineering. Includes coverage of MIDI, cinemasound, consoles, and other topics.)Borwick, John (ed.). 2001. Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook, 3rd ed. New York:Focal Press.Cooke, Raymond E. (ed.). 1980 (Vol. 1), 1984 (Vol. 2), 1992 (Vol. 3). Loudspeakers, Vols.1–3. New York: Audio Engineering Society. (A treasure trove of technical papers writtenduring 1980–1992 on the design, construction, and operation of loudspeakers.)Crowhurst, Norman, 1960. The Stereo High Fidelity Handbook. New York: Crown Publishers.(A succinct text by one of the top writers in the field of stereo reproduction.)