THE GRAMOPHONE WIRE
ELECTRICITY EDITION
RED WIRE... NO, BLUE WIRE?
OR ABSOLUTELY NO WIRES? READ THROUGH TO FIND ESSENTIAL INFORMATION AND GUIDES TO EVERY-DAY WIRED AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY.
INSIDE: LIVING WITHOUT WIRES: A BLUETOOTH PRIMER
HOW LIGHTNING CAN RUIN YOUR GEAR AND YOU WON’T EVEN KNOW IT
WHAT’S THAT CABLE DO AGAIN?
A SIMPLE GUIDE TO ALL THINGS WIRE AND CABLE RELATED
FUN FACTS
On December 31, 1879, Thomas Edison exhibited his newly invented electric lighting in a few houses along a residential neighborhood in Menlo Park, NewJersey. That New Year’s Eve night proved to be not only historical in terms of its significance to American ingenuity and invention, but it also signified the beginnings of residential electrification in the United States. The Greeks, not Ben Franklin, were the first to discover electrical charge. This discovery happened over 2,600 years ago around 600 BC. The Greeks probably did not know they had discovered static electricity, but they observed that rubbing fossilized tree resin, or amber, with animal fur made the resin attract dried grass. Many factors affect the frequency, distribution, strength and physical properties of a "typical" lightning flash in a particular region of the world. These factors include ground elevation, latitude, prevailing wind currents, relative humidity, and proximity to warm and cold bodies of water.
Bluetooth is everywhere, yet many consumers don’t understand its benefits nor its limitations. This article presents the facts in a way everyone can understand.
LIVING WITHOUT WIRES A BLUETOOTH PRIMER BY DARRYL WILKINSON I hate cords, cables, and wires.
Wires and cables collect dust, trip you, are never long enough (or are way too long), and in general make living with electronics a tangled mess. If you’ve ever had headphones wrenched from your ears when the cord got snagged on something, you’ll understand why I have a particularly intense loathing of headphone cords. Fortunately wireless pioneers such as Tesla and Marconi sought to cut our electronic chains. For well over a hundred years, others have amplified their efforts, to the point where new wireless technologies are developed with such frequency that it is tough to keep track of them all. Life without wires doesn’t have to be an endless cycle of confusion, though. In this series, we’ll peek at one wireless technology at a time so you can wave your wire troubles goodbye.
BLUETOOTH: HERE’S WHAT IT IS - AND WHAT IT ISN’T. According to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), “Bluetooth technology is the global wireless standard enabling convenient, secure connectivity for an expanding range of devices… Created by Ericsson in 1994, Bluetooth wireless technology was originally conceived as a wireless alternative to RS-232 data cables. Bluetooth technology exchanges data over short distances using radio transmissions. Bluetooth technology operates in the unlicensed industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band at 2.4 to 2.485 GHz, using a spread spectrum, frequency hopping, full-duplex signal at a nominal rate of 1600 hops/sec. The 2.4 GHz ISM band is available and unlicensed in most countries.” (Aren’t you glad you asked?)
Unless you’re planning on developing products that incorporate Bluetooth technology, there’s not much in the above technical description that you need to remember. You just need to be aware of two main facts about Bluetooth. To begin with: “Bluetooth technology exchanges data over short distances using radio transmissions.” In other words, Bluetooth is primarily about enabling electronic devices to communicate - as long as they’re located relatively close together. Most commonly, that means they need to be within 10 meters (33 feet) of one another. The hitch here, however, is that we’re talking about line-of-sight distance. The range of typical Class 2 Bluetooth device inside your home or office will almost always be less than 10 meters due to walls and other obstructions. Of course, just to confuse things, there are also wimpy Class 3 devices with about 1 meter (3 feet) of range and over-achieving, primarily industrial Class 1 devices that spec out with ranges as far as 100 meters. If you currently have a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, wireless headset, or other such consumer electronics gadget, it’s most likely a Class 2 device. The other thing to bear in mind is that Bluetooth technology uses radio transmissions and “operates in the unlicensed industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band at 2.4 to 2.485 GHz…” Calling it an “unlicensed” band doesn’t imply that Bluetooth operates in a Wild, Wild West of the electromagnetic spectrum; on the other hand, it does mean that Bluetooth uses a frequency range that lots of other electronic gear - handy things, such as some types of cordless phones and routers with Wi-Fi - are designed to use, too. Even though microwave ovens don’t include radio transmitters, they often flood the 2.4 GHz band with waves of static. To get around all this interference, Bluetooth uses a sophisticated technology called adaptive frequency hopping (AFH). But hopping, skipping, and jumping across frequencies can’t perform miracles. The result is that excessive amounts of interference can limit your Bluetooth device’s effective range.
...CALLING IT AN “UNLICENSED” BAND DOESN’T IMPLY THAT BLUETOOTH OPERATES IN A WILD, WILD WEST OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM; ON THE OTHER HAND, IT DOES MEAN THAT BLUETOOTH USES A FREQUENCY RANGE THAT LOTS OF OTHER ELECTRONIC GEAR ARE DESIGNED TO USE. YOU WANT MUSIC WITH THAT? Bluetooth is rapidly becoming ubiquitous in personal and portable electronics, such as powered portable speakers, smartphones, hands-free headsets, and wireless headphones. Since so many people use smartphones and tablets to listen to music, more and more home audio devices - including AV receivers, portable speakers, desktop audio systems, and soundbars - come with Bluetooth built-in. A number of companies now make standalone Bluetooth receivers with stereo audio outputs, which means they can be used with older analog audio components; and a few Bluetooth receivers also include better-sounding digital audio outputs. While using Bluetooth to send music from your smartphone to a separate audio device is incredibly convenient, there are a couple of potential downsides to using a Bluetooth connection for musical entertainment. The first is the limited range of most Bluetooth devices. If you and a couple of friends are sitting in the living room listening to music coming from your smartphone paired with, let’s say, a soundbar, you’ll have a great time until you get up to go to the bathroom. If your phone happens to be in your pocket when you walk out of the room, it won’t be long before the music begins to breakup and, eventually, quit playing altogether as the devices become too far away from one another - or have too many obstructions between them - for the Bluetooth connection to be maintained. The fact that so many devices use Bluetooth technology for audio purposes is rather amazing considering the fact that when Bluetooth was first developed back in 1994, it was intended to be a wireless replacement for computer data cables. Multiple enhancements to the format’s features and specifications over the past 20 years have allowed Bluetooth to be used for a wide variety of applications that
I’m sure its developers never dreamed would be the case. Those changes have led to a bewildering alphabet soup of Bluetooth “profiles”, such as Health Device Profile (HDP), Human Interface Device Profile (HID), Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), and Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), as well as a jam-packed warehouse of others. Don’t despair, though. In terms of multimedia audio - in other words, music - there are only a couple that you’ll want to be aware of. AVRCP gives a Bluetooth device - a pair of wireless headphones, for example limited ability to control some functions (volume and transport controls, in some cases) of the transmitting device, most commonly a smartphone. AVRCP is most often used in conjunction with A2DP, which is what makes listenable multimedia audio via Bluetooth possible. Just because it’s “listenable,” however, doesn’t make it “high fidelity.” In its basic form, A2DP compresses the audio signal using (another acronym you can immediately forget) Low Complexity Subband Coding (SBC). “Low Complexity” is your clue that you’ll hear sound, but it won’t be as good as the original. Fortunately, A2DP allows for the optional use of alternate codecs (the software that compresses and then decompresses the audio signal), such as AAC and aptX. AAC is what Apple uses. Other companies incorporate aptX, which claims to provide near-CD-quality audio. “Optional” is the operative word here. Devices with Bluetooth don’t have to include aptX, for instance; and to get the sonic benefit aptX provides, both the transmitting and the receiving devices have to support aptX. The good news is that Bluetooth-enabled gear with aptX will most likely be prominently labeled as such. So, if audio quality is important, look for the aptX logo.
HERE, THERE, BLUETOOTH IS EVERYWHERE! Bluetooth is definitely the jack-of-all-trades when it comes to wireless technology. Thanks to all of its different profiles, Bluetooth is used in a laundry list of applications that already or will soon include:
AUTOMOTIVE
For hands-free calling and smart interaction with various features of your automobile.
AUDIO / VIDEO
3D glasses, remote controls, soundbars, AV receivers, and speaker systems
COMPUTERS
Interface devices, such as keyboards and mice
PERSONAL HEALTH & WELLBEING
Smart scales, activity trackers, heart rate sensors, and sleep pattern monitors
MEDICAL
Wireless stethoscopes and blood glucose monitors
MOBILE
Bluetooth-enabled “smart watches”
HOME AUTOMATION
Motorized door locks, automated lighting, shading, thermostats and temperature sensors
CONCLUSION Despite a limited range of barely 33 feet in most consumer implementations, Bluetooth technology can be adapted to a nearly limitless number of applications. In the unlikely event that you don’t already own at least one device with Bluetooth capabilities, you will own one in the near future - and most likely, many more than just one device. Like all technologies, Bluetooth has its flaws; but for specific applications and circumstances, Bluetooth may be your best option.
NEED MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT BLUETOOTH OPTIONS WE HAVE FOR YOU? CALL US AT: TIMONIUM: 410.308.1650 COLUMBIA: 410.381.2100 OR EMAIL INFO@GRAMOPHONE.COM.
HOW LIGHTNING CAN RUIN YOUR GEAR,
AND YOU WON'T EVEN KNOW IT by Leon Shaw, founder & chairman of Audio Advice in North Carolina.
NORTH CAROLINA, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU MEASURE IT, is either #2, #3, or #4 for lightning strikes in the United States. [Maryland isn't quite as bad, but we get our fair share!] I would also suspect most of you have dealt with surge damage at some point due to a lightning strike. I have just personally encountered what could be very frustrating for a home owner and wanted to tell my story so you could be better prepared.
As you might guess, I have quite a bit of consumer electronics in my home. I’ve got a whole house audio system, video distribution system with several TV’s, and two home theaters. Everything is as fully surge protected as I can make it. Every single signal path has surge protection on it. I do not have lightning rods on my house. About 3 weeks ago in the late evening some storms passed through and we heard a fairly loud thunder clap. It did not sound like it was a direct hit, nor did it sound like it was right in our yard, just one of those loud bangs that felt like it was maybe a few blocks away. The next morning, my wife complained that she could not select the Tivo she wanted to watch on our video distribution system. I did a quick check and found the video matrix switcher locked up, did a reboot and everything was fine. I thought to myself, that is weird, maybe the strike somehow locked up the switcher as it had worked flawlessly for 5 years. I did not use the theater that day, but that evening my daughter complained she could get no sound in the theater. I rebooted the Classe processor a couple of times, played around with its settings and finally got audio back there. Now, I was starting to worry. Nothing was broken, but this was a bad sign. Boy was it ever. Over the last two weeks things have gone totally downhill. My XM tuner has died. The TV in our bedroom will randomly turn itself on and off. The big multichannel power amp I use for the whole house speakers started going into protection, a reboot would fix it, but last night, it totally died. The audio is dropping out on one of my TIVO units at random times. One of my Cisco cable card convertor boxes keeps rebooting itself randomly. I hate to think what else will go down.
What has happened to me is what can happen to you. Somehow I was hit even though I am fully protected. What has happened to me is what can happen to you. Somehow I was hit even though I am fully protected. The damage was not catastrophic, but appears to be showing up over time most likely due to stressed components. The moral of this story is, if you hear a loud thunder clap, and you have ANY weirdness at all with your consumer electronics afterwards, call your insurance agent and warn them you might need to file a claim.
Gramophone wants you to be prepared before you end up with damaged equipment. Call us today to schedule a visit!
AUDIOQUEST HDMI CABLES
AVAILABLE ON SHOP.GRAMOPHONE.COM
WHAT’S THAT CABLE DO AGAIN? A SIMPLE GUIDE TO ALL THINGS
WIRE AND CABLE RELATED
HDMI CABLE
JUST A SIMPLE LITTLE GUIDE TO WIRES & CABLES... PS3 TO TV
COMPONENT AV CABLE
DVI CABLE
MINI DISPLAY PORT-TO-HDMI ADAPTER
COMPONENT VIDEO CABLE
DIGITAL COAX CABLE
So you love your PlayStation 3, right? Me too. But how do you get the most out of your gaming system? Simple. You just need to use the right cable. First off, you need to know what kind of screen resolution you’re playing in. If your television supports HD, you’ll need an HDMI or component AV cable, which are sold separately from your system. HDMI cables are the only cables that support gaming in 1080p. If you’re gaming on an older television, you can use the AV cable that comes with your PS.
LAPTOP TO TV If you enjoy watching your TV shows on your laptop, why not give yourself the gift of a larger screen by connecting your laptop to your television? HDMI cables currently give the highest quality connection. However, many laptops don’t support the HDMI input, so you may need to buy a DVI cable, as well. Another option is a Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter. The Mini DisplayPort was originally developed by Apple for Mac laptops, but many newer PCs are also equipped with the DisplayPorts. Connect an HDMI cable to the Mini DisplayPort and you can view screen quality in 1080p resolution.
BLU-RAY/HDTV TO TV Blu-ray players and HD-DVDs are the next best thing to the live show. Hook them up to get the best audio and video and you’re set! To watch your Blu-ray discs in HD, you’ll need an HDMI cable or a component video cable. Audio can be a bit more tricky if your receiver doesn’t accept HDMI cables. In this scenario, you’ll have the option between a digital coax cable or an optical toslink digital audio cable. With these cables, you won’t have audio equal to that of HDMI, but you’ll get a resolution up to twice that of a standard DVD!
Happy watching! TOSLINK DIGITAL AUDIO CABLE
THANKS FOR READING! let us know your thoughts at info@gramophone.com. 4 w aylesbury rd timonium, md 21093 410.308.1650 8880 mcgaw rd columbia, md 21045 410.381.2100