Principles of Digital Audio

This book really deserves to be called 'The Ultimate Digital Audio Bible'. It has anything and everything. From basic DSP to video, it's not limited to audio topics. When I read the reviews, I would not hope to read the book from the start, just use it as a reference to explain specific standard highlights. But this book is very readable. I loved it. If you are a computer eng. major who wants to dwell in DSP in any field, this book is great. I don't agree with the prejudice that the book is not very readable. There are sections that are more difficult, but the author explains things in very good analogies and examples. I must mention that I'm a comp. eng. a few months away from MS, so I may not be doing justice to the average reader. But I would never expect to find myself reading through that 700+ book with pleasure. Don't think, buy it. Then try and conceal this secret gem from others.

Mr. Pohlmann's book is the most encompassing treatise on Digital Audio that is available today. As an employee at Dolby, I can tell you that you won't find an engineer at Dolby who does not own a copy of Digital Audio. The book can be used in many different ways. Whether you are an expert or a novice, this book will come in handy. I would equate this book to drinking directly from the source of a mountain spring. Don't think about it, just buy it.

This book is a must have for anybody in the audio engineering field. The book is both highly technical and easy to read at the same time. If you ever wanted to know about everything related to digital audio buy this book!

Though this may not be a book to read for a entertainment, it is probably the most valuable reference book on my shelf. At the Digital Media Division and Microsoft, you can't walk past a single office without seeing a copy of this book up there. Sure, there are some parts that are kind of like wading through mud, but those are there for reference. If you want to know what the 8th bit in a SPDIF stream is, it's in there. And as far as the DSP comment goes, this isn't a book about DSP. It is a catch all book, and the best one at that. It covers all topics in as much detail as is feasable without making it 10,000 pages. If you are serious in your field, this book is a necessity to get you started, and to keep you going.

This book is an excellent primer for current technology in digital audio systems. He keeps the obscure mathematics to a minimum, and introduces you to the great amount of technique available in the field today. I found this book, 1st edition, in the library -- and soon after bought the latest edition. An excellent value for the money, and useful to anyone trying to keep up with the digital techniques.