WD GOLD Archive CDROM Ref: WDGOLDCD
WD GOLD is an Archive of the DIY Supplements that appeared in Hi-Fi World magazine from 1993 to 2005. This CDROM contains a compendium of supplements that were produced by Hi-Fi World's editorial staff and contributors, all devoted to aspects of DIY hi-fi.

Many of these articles spawned what are now considered classic designs in their own right. And we're not just talking about valve amplifiers. There are speakers, DACs and even single 'chip' IC power amps amongst the gems that spanned the huge variety of self-build kits in the DIY supplements.

Along the way there were plenty of informative 'teach-in' articles too. Like the difference between SE and PP, how to find the best 300B valve, mega test of ribbon tweeters and other aspects of build-your-own components.

Nor did the kits stay still. The best valve amp and preamp kits were returned to, sometimes time and time again, with revisions and upgrade tweaks.

What this all amounts to is a cornucopia of designs, kits, reviews and articles that you can refer to time and time again, or just dip into for some fun reading! But how do you access these supplements?

We have made it easy for you. It was a task of herculean proportions, but we did it. We scanned each article of interest into our server, labelled it, tagged it and then referenced it to a central index. Then we put it on a disc so you can access this store of information any time you like.

All the articles are in pdf format compiled in Adobe Acrobat Professional, so they can be read on any computer and viewed in any browser.

What if you don't want to access these articles via a CDROM? OK, we knew some of you would ask that. So we have also compiled this archive on to a website, again complete with index and tag functions, so you can read, or print out, any article without burdening your CD drive. You can browse through the contents of the WD GOLD ARCHIVE on our site here...

WD GOLD MEMBERSHIP

Order the CDROM now and you will receive all the articles from Issue 2 to Issue 86 which is a massive amount of past information to read through. Alternatively if you want continuous updates the WDGOLD Membership is the way to go. 


Price GBP/Euro:    £14.99 / €21.74 Including  VAT at 17.5%

Valve Amplifiers - Morgan Jones Ref: VAMJ
Morgan Jones' Valve Amplifiers, here in its 3rd Edition, has been widely recognised as the most complete guide to valve amplifier design, modification, analysis, construction and maintenance written for over 30 years. As such it is unique in presenting the essentials of 'hollow-state' electronics and valve amp design for engineers and enthusiasts in the familiar context of current best practice in electronic design, using only currently available components. The author's straightforward approach, using as little maths as possible, and lots of design knowhow, makes this book ideal for those with a limited knowledge of the field as well as being the standard reference text for experts in valve audio and a wider audience of audio engineers facing design challenges involving valves.
FULL DESCRIPTION

The perfect Christmas Present for those who want to know more about Valve Amplifiers and what makes them work. 


Price GBP/Euro:    £29.50 / €42.78

Building Valve Amplifiers - Morgan Jones Ref: BVA
As a superb partner edition to Valve Amplifiers by the same author, Building Valve Amplifiers is a unique hands-on guide for anyone working with valve audio equipment - as an electronics experimenter, audiophile or audio engineer. Particular attention has been paid to answering questions commonly asked by newcomers to the world of the vacuum tube, whether audio enthusiasts tackling their first build, or more experienced amplifier designers seeking to learn the ropes of working with valves. The practical side of this book is reinforced by numerous clear illustrations throughout.
FULL DESCRIPTION

The perfect partner edition to Valve Amplifiers by the same author 


Price GBP/Euro:    £19.50 / €28.28

QUAD: The Closest Approach Ref: QTCA
QUAD: The Closest Approach, is a definitive history of the early and middle years of Peter Walker's Acoustical Manufacturing Company. One of the foremost 'high end' brands of the '50s and '60s, QUAD set standards for innovative products such as the QUAD II valve amplifier, ESL Electrostatic Loudspeakers and 405 Current Dumping Amplifier that kept the brand at the forefront of high fidelity design for more than 50 years.

This book gives the background and design philosophy of the company and its products from the people that were involved at the time. Two previous Managing Directors give their take on the events of the time and industry personalities, from retailers to reviewers, give their personal stories of a relationship with the brand that to many defines high-fidelity.

Technical chapters include a complete description of the theory behind the milestone products. A series of appendices include technical papers from Peter Walker and his senior engineers which highlight the no-nonsense, logical approach they adopted and which set Quad apart from its competitors.

This lavishly produced coffee-table book is not only an utterly informative history of the manufacturer; it is also visually stunning - a feast for bibliophiles and the equal of any art book The book's large format (12" square, to fit perfectly on an LP shelf) allows nearly-full-size reproduction of dozens of advertising pieces and sales brochures, from over the decades and around the world, as well as owner's manuals. QUAD: The Closest Approach is set to become a key element of any audio enthusiast's library.

 


Price GBP/Euro:    £49.00 / €71.05

Valve Radio & Audio Repair Handbook Ref: VRARH
This book is not only an essential read for every professional working with antique radio and gramophone equipment, but also dealers, collectors and valve technology enthusiasts the world over.

The emphasis is firmly on the practicalities of repairing and restoring, so technical content is kept to a minimum, and always explained in a way that can be followed by readers with no background in electronics. Those who have a good grounding in electronics, but wish to learn more about the practical aspects, will benefit from the emphasis given to hands-on repair work, covering mechanical as well as electrical aspects of servicing. Repair techniques are also illustrated throughout.

This book is an expanded and updated version of Chas Miller's classic Practical Handbook of Valve Radio Repair. Full coverage of valve amplifiers will add to its appeal to all audio enthusiasts who appreciate the sound quality of valve equipment.
FULL DESCRIPTION 


Price GBP/Euro:    £22.50 / €32.63

Valve and Transistor Audio Amplifiers Ref: VATAA
by John Linsley Hood.

The audio amplifier is at the heart of audio design. Its performance determines largely the performance of any audio system. John Linsley Hood is widely regarded as the finest audio designer around, and pioneered design in the post-valve era. His mastery of audio technology extends from valves to the latest techniques. This is John Linsley Hood's greatest work yet, describing the milestones that have marked the development of audio amplifiers since the earliest days to the latest systems.

Including classic amps with valves at their heart and exciting new designs using the latest components, this book is the complete world guide to audio amp design.
FULL DESCRIPTION 


Price GBP/Euro:    £24.50 / €35.53

Audio & HiFi Handbook Ref: AAHFH
Written by a team of experts and specialist contributors, this comprehensive guide has proved to be an invaluable resource for professional designers and service engineers.

Each chapter is written by a leading author, including Don Aldous, Nick Beer, John Borwick, Dave Berriman, John Linsley Hood, Geoff Lewis and John Watkinson, which provides as wide a perspective as possible on high-quality sound reproduction as well as a wealth of expertise.

The third edition includes new chapters on servicing, Nicam stereo and digital satellite radio. For the first time in paperback, this revised edition features a completely new chapter on the most recent digital developments, CD-R/RW, HDCD, Internet audio, MP3 players and DAM-CD.

Ian Sinclair has written over 140 books on aspects of electronics and computing and has been a regular contributor to the electronics and computing press
FULL DESCRIPTION 


Price GBP/Euro:    £34.50 / €50.03

Audio Electronics - John Linsley Hood Ref: AEJLH
This book is a unique electronics text in that it focuses on the electronics of audio design and explores the principles and techniques that underly the successful design and usage of analog and digital equipment.

The second edition includes new material on the latest developments in the field: digital radio and television, Nicam 728, and the latest Dolby noise reduction systems.
FULL DESCRIPTION
 


Price GBP/Euro:    £28.50 / €41.33

Self On Audio Ref: SOA
Whether you are a dedicated audiophile who wants to gain a more complete understanding of the design issues behind a truly great amp, or a professional electronic designer seeking to learn more about the art of amplifier design, there can be no better place to start than with the 35 classic magazine articles collected together in this book.

Douglas Self offers a tried and tested method for designing audio amplifiers in a way that improves performance at every point in the circuit where distortion can creep in – without significantly increasing cost. Through the articles in this book, he takes readers through the causes of distortion, measurement techniques, and design solutions to minimise distortion and efficiency. Most of the articles are based round the design of a specific amplifier, making this book especially valuable for anyone considering building a Self amplifier from scratch.
FULL DESCRIPTION


As featured on HI-FI WORLD's Editor's Christmas Present List 


Price GBP/Euro:    £26.50 / €38.43

Practical Audio Amplifier Circuit Projects Ref: PAACP
Practical Audio Amplifier Circuit Projects builds on the introduction to electronic circuits provided in Singmin's innovative and successful first book, Beginning Electronics Through Projects. Both books draw on the author's many years of experience as electronics professional and as hobbyist. As a result, his project descriptions are lively, practical, and very clear.


With this new volume, the reader can build relatively simple systems and achieve useable results quickly. The projects included here allow a hobbyist to build amplifier circuits, test them, and then put them into a system. Progress through a graduated series of learning activities culminates in unique devices that are nevertheless easy to build. Learn the basic building blocks of audio amplifier circuit design and then apply your knowledge to your own audio inventions.
FULL DESCRIPTION 


Price GBP/Euro:    £18.50 / €26.83

Practical Electronics Handbook Ref: PEH
Ian Sinclair's Practical Electronics Handbook combines a wealth useful day-to-day electronics information, concise explanations and practical guidance in this essential companion to anyone involved in electronics design and construction. The compact collection of key data, fundamental principles and circuit design basics provides an ideal reference for a wide range of students, enthusiasts, technicians and practitioners of electronics who have progressed beyond the basics.
The sixth edition is updated throughout with new material on microcontrollers and computer assistance, and a new chapter on digital signal processing

• Invaluable handbook and reference for hobbyists, students and technicians
• Essential day-to-day electronics information, clear explanations and practical guidance in one compact volume
• Assumes some previous electronics knowledge but coverage to interest beginners and professionals alike

FULL DESCRIPTION 


Price GBP/Euro:    £19.50 / €28.28

Electronic Circuits - Fundamentals & Applications Ref: ECFA
Third Edition

Mike Tooley
Former Director of Learning Technology at Brooklands College, Surrey, U.K.

* A comprehensive reference text and practical electronics handbook in one volume – at an affordable price!
* New chapter on PIC microcontrollers – the most popular chip family for use in project work in colleges and universities
* New companion website: spreadsheet design tools to simplify circuit calculations; circuit models and templates to enable virtual simulation; a bank of on-line questions for lecturers to set as assignments, and on-line self-test MCQs per chapter with automatic marking, to enable students to continually monitor their progress and understanding

FULL DESCRIPTION 


Price GBP/Euro:    £19.50 / €28.28

Electronics: A First Course Ref: EAFC
Owen Bishop’s First Course starts with the basics of electricity and component types, and introduces students to practical work almost straightaway. No prior knowledge of electronics is assumed.

This text is ideal for a wide range of introductory courses in electronics, technology, physics and engineering. The coverage has been carefully matched to the latest UK syllabuses including GCSE Electronics, GCSE Design & Technology, Engineering GCSE and City & Guilds competence-based courses such as Level 2 NVQs.
FULL DESCRIPTION 


Price GBP/Euro:    £16.50 / €23.93

Understand Amplifiers Ref: UAOB
Owen Bishop
This is a readable introduction for those with little previous knowledge of the subject. The theme of amplification is central to many branches of electronics. Consequently there is a large and confusing array of amplifier types intended for a wide range of applications. This book describes amplifier types, how they work, their properties, advantages and disadvantages, and applications. Amplifiers are treated with the minimum of mathematics and lots of illustrations.

Owen Bishop is a prolific author of books for those interested in electronics, including experimenters, students and practising engineers.
FULL DESCRIPTION 


Price GBP/Euro:    £19.50 / €28.28

Electronics Made Simple Ref: EMS
Ian Sinclair is a master of describing in easy to understand terms how electronics works. In this paperback he takes you from how electricity works, through basic components, to circuit diagrams, amplifiers, tape recorders and TV and radio.
New in the second edition is a chapter on the Digital Revolution, covering digital TV, digital radio, MP3 players, etc, and a chapter on the Communications Revolution, including mobile phone technology and GPS. Coverage of microprocessors, microcontrollers and integrated circuits has been thoroughly updated and expanded. 


Price GBP/Euro:    £12.99 / €18.84

High Performance Audio Power Amplifiers - Ben Duncan Ref: HPAPA
Power amplifiers and their performance lie at the heart of audio engineering and provide some challenging problems for the engineer. Ben Duncan's experience, as an audio consultant, analog electronics designer and author, give him an unique insight into this difficult but rewarding field.

Linking analog electronics, acoustics, heat and music technology; high-end hi-fi and professional PA and recording studio use; theory, modelling and real-world practice; design and repair; the old and the new, the mainstream and the specialised, this comprehensive guide to power amps is a core reference for anyone in the industry, and any interested onlookers.

Ben Duncan is well known to many users of audio power amplifiers around the world, both professional and domestic, through his articles, reviews and research papers on music technology in the UK and US press, and through his part in creating several notable professional power amplifiers. Since 1977, he has been involved in the design of over 70 innovative, high-end audio products used by recording and broadcast studios, on stages, in clubs and by the most critical domestic listeners - as well as creating bespoke equipment for top musicians. Born in London, he has travelled widely but has lived mainly in Lincolnshire, home of his family for over 150 years. He is twice co-author of the book Rock Hardware in which he has chronicled the history of rock'n'roll PA.

Reprinted with corrections September 1997  


Price GBP/Euro:    £36.99 / €53.64

Audio Power Amplifier Design Handbook Ref: APADH
Douglas Self needs little introduction to those versed in Solid State design. He takes a no nonsense approach to electronics, substantiating every design topology with practical measurements showing the true performance. This book blows the myth that designing power amplifiers is a black art. Whilst Douglas Self has no doubt that there is room for the subjectivist approach, he prefers to back up every subjective experience with objective measurements that analyse what you hear.

This 4th Edition includes classic amp designs for readers to build and adapt and contents include:
Principles of Power amplifiers; the small dignal stages; the Class-B output stage; compensation, slew-rate and stability; power supplies and PSRR; Class-A power amplifiers; Class-D power amplifiers; Class-G power amplifiers; FET output stages; amplifier and speaker protection; grounding and practical matters, testing and safety.

Douglas Self has dedicated himself to demystifying amplifier design and establishing empirical design techniques based on electronic design principles and experimental data. His rigorous and thoroughly practical approach has established him as a leading authority on amplifier design, especially through the pages of Electronics World where he is a regular contributor.  


Price GBP/Euro:    £26.99 / €39.14

Practical Analog Electronics for Technicians Ref: PAEFT
by WA Kimber
Practical Analog Electronics for Technicians' not only provides an accessible introduction to electronics, but also supplies all the problems and practical activities needed to gain hands-on knowledge and experience. This emphasis on practice is surprisingly unusual in electronics texts, and has already gained Will Kimber popularity through the companion volume, 'Practical Digital Electronics for Technicians'.

Written to cover the Advanced GNVQ optional unit in electronics, this book is also ideal for BTEC National, A-level electronics and City & Guilds courses. Together with 'Practical Digital Electronics for Technicians', this text comprises a complete practical electronics course designed for students with little prior knowledge of the subject.  


Price GBP/Euro:    £15.99 / €23.19

The Art and Science of Analog Circuit Design - Jim Williams Ref: TAASOACD
This is a rare Hardback Edition and is part of the EDN Series for Design Engineers. Analog wizard Jim Williams and sixteen of his fellow engineers bring their experiences together in this second collection of essays and anecdotes on the world of analog engineering.

Analog design is more of an intuitive process than a hard science. By presenting divergent methods and philosophies of people who have achieved some measure of success in their field, this collection of essays encourages you to develop your own approach to designing and troubleshooting analog circuits. 


Price GBP/Euro:    £24.50 / €35.53

Music Engineering - Second Edition Ref: MERB
Music Engineering is a hands-on guide to the practical aspects of electric and electronic music. It is both a compelling read and an essential reference guide for anyone using, choosing, designing or studying the technology of modern music. The technology and underpinning science are introduced through the real life demands of playing and recording, and illustrated with references to well known classic recordings to show how a particular effect is obtained thanks to the ingenuity of the engineer as well as the musician. In addition, an accompanying free audio CD contains over 50 specially chosen tracks, provides practical demonstrations of the effects and techniques described in the book.

Written by a music enthusiast and electronic engineer, this book covers the electronics and physics of the subject as well as the more subjective aspects. The second edition includes an updated Digital section including MPEG3 and fact sheets at the end of each chapter to summarise the key electronics and science. AIn addition to instruments and recording technology, this book covers essential kit such as microphones, sequencers, amplifiers and loudspeakers.
FULL DESCRIPTION 


Price GBP/Euro:    £25.50 / €36.98

AUDIO ANTHOLOGY Vol.1 Ref: AA1
Unless your earliest memories of sound reproduction are steeped in the smell of varnished cabinets with chrome-plated bowls filled with steel and cactus needles, as well as a handle on the side that needed cranking often to keep the platter spinning, you will not, perhaps realise how surprising and startling the new world of electronically reproduced records seemed in the late forties. Radio was a matter of large pieces of furniture in the living room which, if they were expensive enough, included short wave and a green eye that looked sleepy when tuned.

A great deal of the basic design work on sound reproduction had begun in the late twenties and early thirties. One need not look further than the papers from Bell Labs or the pages of The Gramophone to find discussions of sound quality, tracking distortion, and directionality. EMI's patents on our current two channel reproduction system, based on Alan Blumlein's work, were obtained in 1932.

The enforced dormancy imposed on audio technology's flowering by the Great Depression and World War II resulted in a rocket-like acceleration in its development afterward. C. G. McProud founded Audio Engineering Magazine in 1947 and thus provided a central clearing house for what designers and enthusiasts were doing to develop the hardware for producing high quality sound. Only three years after the magazine's inception, McProud reprinted a selection of articles, all carefully corrected, from the publication's pages.

Volume One of the series features the following:

* KEY TOPICS
* 6AS7G amplifier design
* Tube-less hifi tuner
* 30Watt 300B push-pull circuit
* Low loss tone control
* Williamson amplifier
* Heater supplies for tubes
* Noise suppressors
* Cathode follower amp
* 2 way speaker deisgn
* Multiple speaker matching
* 3 way speaker system
* 211 amplifier design
* Stepped attenuators
 


Price GBP/Euro:    £14.95 / €21.68

AUDIO ANTHOLOGY Vol.2 Ref: AA2
C. G. McProud's second collection of articles taken from the pages of Audio Engineering magazine published between 1950 and 1952 are in a neat balance of nearly equal quarters. The first segment offers nine power amplifiers followed by nine on power amp characteristics including feedback, loudspeaker damping, cathode followers, mismatch problems, and the mysteries of cathode bias

* KEY TOPICS
* 6L6 UL amplifier design
* 6A5 push-pull amplifier
* 845 push-pull amplifier
* Loudspeaker dampening
* Williamson amplifier discussed
* Pre-amps for magnetic pickps
* Simple pre-amp
* Simple tone control
* Valve mixer and pre-amp
* Phono facts
* Construction practices
* Reflex loudspeakers
* Horn-type loudspeaker
 


Price GBP/Euro:    £14.95 / €21.68

AUDIO ANTHOLOGY Vol.3 Ref: AA3
Volume Three of the series is a collection of 43 articles from Audio Engineering published between 1952-1955. It features a discussion of binaural recording techniques, and designs for seven power amps, 18 preamps and 12 loudspeakers, including four horn types. Heavily illustrated.

* KEY TOPICS
* 6V6 SE phono amplifier
* 6L6 push-pull amplifier
* 6080 transformerless amp.
* 5881 push-pull amplifier
* 6146 push-pull amplifier
* Flexible tone control
* 3 element bass control
* Miniture pre-amplifier
* DC for heaters + bias
* Tuned-pipe enclosure
* Corner mounting speaker
* Vibration reduction
* Pre-amp with presence
 


Price GBP/Euro:    £14.95 / €21.68

AUDIO ANTHOLOGY Vol.4 Ref: AA4
In this fourth collection of 34 articles from Audio magazine from mid-1955 through 1957, C.G. McProud takes a new tack. His emphasis in this collection is an overall view of the home sound system, offering guidance on how to plan a system, how to keep it simple and how to understand and maintain the equipment. This first section features a genuinely definitive article by the late James Moir on amplifier power requirements. Every hi-fi magazine of any note has run several articles (it seems) on this topic, but none ever treated the question with more authority than did Moir.
* KEY TOPICS
* 12 amp and pre-amp circuits
* 6 loudspeaker designs
* How to plan your system
* High quality treble amp.
* Which tube should I use?
* Versatile tone control
* Ported loudspeaker cabinets
* The CW horn
* Time delay suppressor
* Dampening discussed
* A transistor VU meter
* Transistor tips
* System simplicity for audio
 


Price GBP/Euro:    £14.95 / €21.68

AUDIO ANTHOLOGY Vol.5 Ref: AA5
The major theme of this collection of forty-eight articles from Audio magazine, published in 1958-9, is the shift from monophonic to stereo reproduction. Four FM Multiplex adapters are offered by authors Feldman, Day, Coffey and Bernard. The most unusual FM accessory is a commercial eliminator by R.L. Ives. John Rice suggests ways to control radio interference in audio.

Seven power amps are included, with stereo's requirements figuring in many of them. The most interesting are those by C.G. McProud, the magazine's prolific editor, a biamp unit with single-channel 20W and 50W amps on one chassis with a variable crossover built in and a new tube amp phase splitter called the Isodyne.

No less than eleven stereo control amps are featured, including specialized ones for tape facilities, noise reduction, and some early transistor types. Mostly these offer facilities for the new stereo demands, and some have features which we seldom see today which contemporary users might find helpful.

Tape recorders are the interest of three contributors who provide means of controlling two tape machines, a full stereo record/replay amp and a three-channel remote amplifier for location recording. A microphone placement article gives a lot of interesting, and probably erroneous advice on where to put the pickups for recording various instruments.

Five loudspeaker designs are included, the most interesting of which is a comer type stereo speaker in a single comer box, designed by McProud. Another design hangs two unusual boxes for single drivers on a wall. One article deals with passive crossover designs for speakers.

# KEY TOPICS
# EL84 push-pull amplifier
# FM/Multiplex convertor
# FM commercial eliminator
# Active valve crossover
# Universal control center
# Understanding db,dbm and VU
# Transistor tester
# 60 watt EL34 amplifier
# Valve tone control
# Loudness control
# Bass without boom
# Output power measurements
# The decibel 


Price GBP/Euro:    £14.95 / €21.68

AUDIO ANTHOLOGY Vol.6 Ref: AA6
The most popular topic of these early Anthology collections was the power amplifier and this one is no exception. Positive and negative feedback gets a fresh treatment from Charles Boegli, Donald Shirer discusses feedback in low-level circuitry and Arnold Kauder analyzes a universal feedback format for amplifiers. Boegli also offers an anode follower design and R.A. Greiner provides "Another Power Amplifier" design. Voltage regulation for power amps is William Dilley's theme. Related to amplifiers is Alan M. Ferres' article on three alarms when equipment fails. Loudspeakers are represented by a design for a common bass system for stereo, a design chart for bass-reflex enclosures (pre Thiele/Small) and wise words on speaker power issues from Paul Klipsch.

* KEY TOPICS
* 5881 push-pull amplifier
* Valve voltage regulation
* 7189a push-pull amplifier
* 4x6550 parallel-push-pull amp
* Computers in Audio
* In phase or out?
* FM stereo filters
* FM stereo multiplex adaptor
* The anode follower
* A feel for transistors
* Speaker power
* Equipment failure alarms
* Stereo misconceptions
 


Price GBP/Euro:    £14.95 / €21.68