Hi-Fi Wiki
Master the language of high-fidelity audio and advanced home cinema. Explore clear, professional definitions of acoustic concepts, AV technology, and audiophile terminology.
EP (Extended Play) Record
A vinyl record format featuring more music than a single but less than an LP, often containing three to five tracks.
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Equalization (EQ)
The process of adjusting the balance between frequency components in an audio signal to shape its tonal character.
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FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec)
A lossless compression format that reduces file size without any loss in audio quality, popular among audiophiles.
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Flanking Transmission
The passage of sound through indirect paths in a building structure, such as through floors, ceilings, or ductwork, bypassing soundproofing measures.
Floating Floor
A floor construction method where the floor surface is isolated from the subfloor using resilient materials to reduce sound transmission.
Floorstanding Speakers
Large, stand-alone speakers offering expansive sound and robust bass for larger spaces and immersive listening.
Frequency Response
The range of frequencies an audio system can accurately reproduce, affecting its tonal balance and clarity.
Gain
The ratio by which an audio stage increases or decreases signal amplitude, commonly expressed in decibels and distinct from final listening volume.
Ground Loop Isolator
Breaks an unwanted conductive ground loop in an audio signal path, commonly using transformer isolation to reduce mains-frequency hum and related interference.
HDMI ARC / eARC
Audio Return Channel sends TV audio back through HDMI to an AVR or soundbar; eARC adds greater bandwidth for advanced lossless surround formats.
HDMI Cable
Cables that transmit high‑definition digital audio (and video) signals through a single connection, commonly used in home theater and modern hi‑fi setups.
Headphone Impedance
The frequency-dependent electrical load presented by headphones to an amplifier, affecting voltage and current requirements rather than directly determining sound quality.
Headphone Sensitivity
Indicates acoustic output for a specified electrical input, commonly expressed as dB SPL per milliwatt or per volt, helping estimate required amplifier level.
Headshell
The tonearm fitting that holds the phono cartridge, either fixed or detachable, providing mechanical mounting and electrical connections to the arm wiring.
Height Speaker
A loudspeaker channel placed overhead, high on a wall, or upward-firing to reproduce vertical spatial information in immersive formats such as Dolby Atmos.
Hertz (Hz)
The unit of frequency in the International System of Units, representing one cycle per second, fundamental to audio signal measurement.
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Hi-Fi (High Fidelity)
Refers to sound reproduction systems engineered to deliver audio with minimal distortion and high accuracy, offering an immersive and lifelike listening experience.
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Hi-Fi Equipment Racks / Cabinets
Furniture designed to support and organize audio components with suitable ventilation, access, load capacity, and often provisions for vibration management.
Hi-Fi Network Bridge
A network audio endpoint that receives streamed music over Ethernet or Wi-Fi and outputs a digital audio signal to an external DAC or compatible component.
High-End Audio
Refers to premium audio equipment designed with strong emphasis on sound quality, engineering, construction, component selection, and refinement rather than basic functionality.
Home Theater Projector
A projector designed for home use to display movies and multimedia on a large screen, emulating a cinema experience.
Horn‑Loaded Speakers
Loudspeakers using acoustic horns to couple drivers more efficiently to the air, increasing sensitivity and controlling dispersion over the horn’s operating range.
Hybrid Amplifiers
Amplifiers that blend tube and solid‑state technologies, aiming to deliver the warm characteristics of tubes with the reliability of modern circuits.
Impedance
The frequency-dependent opposition a circuit presents to alternating current, combining resistance and reactance and expressed in ohms.
