What is an audio accessory? An overview and detailed explanation of products
In the current era, music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music are mainstream, and the medium through which many people listen to music is a smartphone.
However, even in the modern digital age, there are “music connoisseurs” who listen to music on analog records.
Music is a harmony between sound and waves.
Digital cuts off the waves, resulting in a sound far from the original harmony.
However, analog can convey the harmony in its original wave.
Why do sound enthusiasts continue to buy various types of audio peripherals?
They want to achieve a more pleasing sound by using not only the main equipment, such as speakers and headphones, but also an assortment of small items.
For those people, we will explain audio accessories in detail.
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What is an audio accessory?
Audio accessories are small, audio-related items that are used to achieve high-quality playback.
Sound is vibration, and it is thought that noise produced by vibrations from the speakers adversely affects the reproduced sound.
From the standpoint of sound quality, vibrations are not good, and suppressing them is important for realizing high-quality playback.
An effective countermeasure is to put small items under equipment such as the speakers (the source of the vibration) or music player (affected by the vibration).
This "small item to go under the speaker" is a typical audio accessory.
Since it’s just a matter of positioning something small, it’s one of the easiest measures to improve sound quality.
In the case of analog record players, the needle also picks up external vibrations, which affects sound quality and makes playing analog music a fight against record noises.
Sound information is recorded on both sides of the analog record disc.
The needle of the cartridge contacts the groove to pick up vibration, which is converted into an electrical signal inside the cartridge.
The vibrations are transmitted through the tonearm, amplified by the phono preamp, sent to the amplifier and the speakers, and the sound is played back.
Noise, however, occurs in any process.
Every type of noise is present, from mechanical to electrical and magnetic.
When sound is amplified, noise is generated which affects the quality of the sound.
There are several ways to reduce this unwanted noise. For example one can:
・suppress vibration of the record
・prevent the cartridge from vibrating
・prevent vibration of the record player
・suppress electrical noise with cables
The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is determined by dividing signal power by noise power.
The higher the SNR, the smaller the effect of noise on data transmission, and the lower the SNR, the greater the effect of noise and the worse the sound.
Ideally, the SNR should be as high as possible, and audio accessories are considered necessary to reduce noise and achieve this.
Differences between digital and analog sound sources
Digital sound sources have a cut frequency band.
Certain frequency bands are cut on the basis that they cannot be heard by human ears. However, nowadays, it is thought that these frequency bands may actually contribute to the depth of sound, creating a stronger impression on the listener.
Therefore, even the digital world has begun to head towards high-quality playback by making the digitization of the original high-resolution sound source more detailed.
In analog records, however, the original sound is faithfully recorded in the first place.
In recent years, many enthusiasts are trying to bring out that sound by using a variety of techniques to recreate the original sound from analog records.
What these enthusiasts are paying attention to are audio accessories.
What audio accessory products are available?
Some of the audio accessory products are as follows:
・Audio insulator
・Phono cartridge spacer
・Disc stabilizer
・Speaker stand
・Audio rack
Audio insulator
Audio insulators are sandwiched between the bottom of the sound equipment and the contact surface.
See:
https://www.ad-na.com/en/orsonic/insulator.htmlPhono cartridge spacer
The Phono cartridge spacer adjusts the total weight and height of the needle tip when mounted on the headshell.
See:
https://www.ad-na.com/en/orsonic/spacer.htmlDisc stabilizer
Disc stabilizers hold the record, preventing slippage and keeping it stable.
See:
https://www.ad-na.com/en/orsonic/stabilizer.htmlSpeaker stand
The speaker stand is a pedestal designed to allow you to enjoy the original sound quality of the speaker.
Using a stand lifts the speaker and reduces the effect of the surroundings on the sound, greatly improving the sound quality.
Audio rack
An audio rack is a dedicated shelf for audio equipment.
Audio-specific racks have a vibration-resistant structure and specialized feet that make wiring easier to route.
As you can see, there are a variety of audio accessories.
ORSONIC audio accessories
Various audio manufacturers in Japan and abroad produce audio accessories. Orbray Co. provides audio accessories under our ORSONIC brand.
At Adamant Namiki, we have designed our audio accessories in a completely new way compared to conventional approaches.
Careful selection of materials
We use sapphire, the next hardest material after diamond, as our material of choice.
Sapphire has a higher specific gravity and is harder and heavier than quartz, which is often used for high-end record players and precision measuring instruments.
Single-crystal sapphire has a corundum-type structure (approximately hexagonal), and is a material with excellent mechanical, thermal, and optical properties, and high chemical stability. For the first time, it has been adopted for audio accessories.
Advanced processing techniques
There is a technique to precisely processing a hard and strong material like sapphire.
Thanks to sophisticated polishing techniques used on their surface, our accessories can be installed so that they stick to the contact surface of the speaker or amplifier.
We finalized the material and shape of our accessories based on listening trials with audio experts. We believe that these gemstone accessories can bring new excitement to everyone in the audio world.
Try it out and hear the difference!
Summary
Audio accessories help realize high-quality sound by thoroughly eliminating unwanted noise.
Our ORSONIC products are perfect for audiophiles trying to achieve this goal.
Find the products that best suit you, and enjoy an enhanced listening experience!
https://www.ad-na.com/en/orsonic/
