Customer Reviews
Great, highly-informative introduction to high-end audio 
2008-08-18
I wish I had read this book a few years ago when I started seriously attempting to have good sound at home. I have been reading lots of audio magazines and on-line sources, and if I had read this book earlier I would have gotten much more out of the time I spent. It makes me want to go back and re-read many articles.
Robert Harley not only covers high-end audio very well, but goes above and beyond by the excellent appendices which include a great introduction to the audio electronics physics principles. I read the book cover to cover and could barely put it down.
I cannot believe the negative reviews that some have posted--Mr. Harley clearly knows this area and it comes across throughout the book. One reviewer mentions "high-end silliness" regarding digital dither--well this is an area I do know well and there is nothing silly about it. I am a software engineer and have been using dither in image processing and sound processing for decades, and completely understand it. Mr. Harley did a good job pointing out the high-level idea, while referencing another book for the details (which the reviewer clearly did not find time to check out). Regarding speaker cables and interconnects--I just replaced my speaker cables recently and the difference in sound was dramatic. Anyone could hear that. In fact the (tube) amplifier bias needle on some of the output tubes, which had been fluctuating with the amp output before, is now stable. It seems clear that there is an objective difference here as well as the obvious subjective difference.
I am so happy to have a new understanding of the science (and art) of audio.
The only single source I have found for this info. 2008-02-06
I can't put this book down! A funny thing is I almost didn't buy it because of some of the points made in the negative reviews here. I'm sure glad I did.
I've looked all over the internet for primers on things things high-end audio and couldn't find enough. Online posts and archives tend to assume a base of knowledge that I just don't have. This book delivers it and then some. If it has any faults, they are not apparent to me and would be vastly outweighed by the valuable information presented in an understandable yet pleasingly challenging way. It's jaw-droppingly comprehensive.
I'd be wary of some of the negative reviews here. Seems like the old argument that says "since I cannot hear a difference, there isn't one, and you cannot hear it either (you fool)"
If you are certain that there is no perceptible difference between two different power cords for instance, or two different sets of interconnects, than this book is not for you. (And please, there is no need to get angry about it.)
If, on the other hand, you wish to know how to listen critically and make your own decisions based on your own opinions within a common context, then you will benefit from this volume.
This is a fascinating read for anyone bit by the hifi bug. Especially important to have the info within before you buy your first expensive system.
a must 2008-01-02
I wish I have had this book when I first started i9n the hobby.
Robert Harley has given a comprihensive review on this very tought subject,dissecting the complicated and making it absurdly easy.
Even if you are a veteran in the field , I am sure you would be pleasantly surprised .The fact that the author is an engineer,involved in the recording industry an audiophile give a real creadibility to him
Highly recomended
Couldn't put it down! 2007-08-22
I love this book. I'm an audio/videophile going on over thirty years now and though I don't agree with alot of what's perpetuated in high-end audio especially concerning cables, I did enjoy this read. You can tell that the author really loves audio and video and is doing his best to describe his passion. It's a good book for the novice as well as the seasoned veteran who thinks he knows it all. He covers the gamut from A to Z. You may or may not agree with everything in this book, but it's well worth the price.
Great guide to understanding high-end audio 2007-05-14
I found this book to be quite useful. It goes into detail on all components starting from the wire to the final output. Highly recommended!
indispensable 2007-05-14
This newly revised directory brings readers up to speed on the latest in cutting-edge audio equipment. Included are updates on multichannel music reproduction, surround sound, DVD-Audio, and Super Audio CD. Extensive tips on how to listen critically and judge audio-equipment quality, how to optimize the performance of an existing system, and how to best allocate an audio budget are included. Practical techniques for improving the acoustics of existing stereos and listening rooms are also featured.
Robert Harley Responds 2007-03-27
The negative "reviews" of my book The Complete Guide to High-End Audio are a cleverly disguised attempt to discredit an entire field of audio with which the book's "reviewers" fundamentally disagree. Specifically, a vocal minority of audio hobbyists believes that all competently designed amplifiers or CD players, for examples, sound identical, and that high-end audio is an organized consumer rip-off. They also reject critical listening in the belief that measurements can completely define audio-component performance. The posted "reviews" are an attempt to discredit not just my book, but also the entire field of observation-based evaluation of audio products. Moreover, the "reviewers" resent the fact that I have a large and dedicated following through my books and as Editor-in-Chief of The Absolute Sound magazine. They also don't want you to read Appendix D of The Complete Guide to High-End Audio, an update of the highly controversial paper I presented at the 1991 Audio Engineering Society convention that makes perhaps the most compelling argument to date for the observational-listening approach to audio.
The main line of attack is that the book is filled with technical errors and that I am technically incompetent. First, I have a degree in audio engineering and have taught a college degree program in that field. Second, I have been Technical Editor (or de facto Technical Editor) of the two leading English-language audio magazines (Stereophile or The Absolute Sound) since 1989. Third, I sent each chapter before publication to experts in specific areas of audio for technical review. For example, a world-class acoustician and physicist reviewed the acoustics chapter; a designer of reference-quality digital products reviewed the digital chapter; and so on. Fourth, The Complete Guide to High-End Audio has sold more than 100,000 copies and has been translated into three other languages. Fifth, the book has received rave reviews from highly technical audio experts around the world (excerpts are posted on my website).
I invite readers to see through the agenda of those posting "reviews" and to form their own opinions of The Complete Guide to High-End Audio.
Something 4 Everyone 2007-03-27
I'm one of those guys that need to study hard to get onto new concepts. So when I set out to fill in the spaces between what I knew, thought I knew, & didn't know about "high end audio" this book looked to be a godsend! I'm not the worlds most voracious reader but I found myself engrossed in this lengthy & comprehensive explanation of all things audio. Frankly tho there is so much info you may find yourself in "skim mode" here & there. I've read other reviews prior to getting this book that suggest that some of the authors science is askew but if that is the case it was over my head anyway. I think most audio hobbiests will find plenty of useful & interesting info. One note, I pre-ordered Harleys' newest book but since it was to take a couple of months to arrive I got this one first. It is far more thorough but the latest book cuts all his passing on of knowledge closer to the bare bones & much of it is a direct copy from the latter. So the choice is the full or condensed version. Enjoy!
Back Dated Copy "The Third Edition " is available. 
2006-04-17
The Third edition has been out since 2004 so there isn't any need to still purchase the second edition unless you can get it cheaper!
High Quality Guide 2006-03-07
Jarrett's Complete Guide to High-End Audio is a comprehensive treatment of the components of a high end system, delivered with humor and realism. He offers tips for putting together a system for several price ranges rather than simply the high cost system. Instead of discussing brand names the author provides a description of the qualities that make amplifiers, speakers, turntables and the like high-end, i.e. capable of delivering high quality sound.
