Post #639256 by Bonj on Mon, Jun 4, 2012 7:48 PM

On 2012-06-04 19:26, LoriLovesTiki wrote:
Can anyone recommend a website where I can learn more about equipment in general? I'd like to set up a stereo system with different zones for volume and maybe MAYBE do something with 2 types of sounds like described above but I don't know what any of the equipment mentioned like an amp vs. a receiver, etc actually does or what I'll need.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Lori,

An amp is an amplifier, which just makes a signal (your music) louder. They come with single to multiple channels. Stereo is 2 channels, one for each side. Surround sound is minimally 4 channels: front left, front right, rear left, rear right. A subwoofer is generally not referred to as a channel because they usually have their own amplifier and only amplify the low frequency bass sounds... sound you can feel :)

An amplifier can optionally have a pre-amplifier which boosts the signal from devices like vinyl turntables, but can also be used on other sources. Pre-amps usually have bass, mid-tone and treble control so you can adjust the tone of the signal to your personal liking.

Some pre-amps also contain mixers, but mixers can also be found by themselves. Mixers allow multiple sources to be mixed into a single signal, to be amplified all at once. This is one way to do the constant ambient noises.

Some amplifiers, as said by someone earlier, can have multiple zones. This is where you can sent the sound to multiple sets of speakers, usually with their own volume controls. Really, this is just more channels, so you can do this with either a multi-zone amp, or multiple individual amps.

Some amps do their own virtual surround from a stereo source by doing some funky phase shifting and stuff on the audio waves (delaying, inverting, etc) to make it sound like it is surround sound, when the source is not. Dolby Surround is, I believe, one such method. DTS 5.1 (and higher) and Dolby Digital 5.1 are not. These are digital streams that contain multiple channels. These streams require a decoder to decode them. Most Receivers these days contain the digital decoders. A Receiver is historically just a radio receiver, but has become a multi-use device, containing digital decoders, mixers, pre-amps, multiple zones, amplifiers, video switches, HDMI (a digital Audio-Visual (AV) system), splitters, ipod docks etc. The features are largely determined by the price range you're looking at.

I hope that goes some way to helping you understand the parts. I will see if I can find a website that explains it in a clear and concise manner for you.