AEC — Acoustic Echo Cancellation
DSP algorithm that removes room reflections and far-end voice echo from microphone signals to enable full-duplex conferencing.
ARC and eARC — Audio Return Channel
ARC and eARC carry audio from a display back to an audio device over the HDMI cable — eliminating a separate audio cable from the display to the DSP or amplifier.
Beamforming — Steered Microphone Arrays
Beamforming uses an array of microphone capsules with DSP spatial filtering to steer a directional pickup pattern toward active speakers, rejecting off-axis noise — the technology behind MXA, Parlé, TeamConnect, and Stem ceiling microphones.
DSP — Digital Signal Processing
Real-time digital manipulation of audio signals using algorithms running on dedicated processor hardware, enabling mixing, routing, EQ, dynamics, and conferencing functions in AV systems.
Gain Structure — Setting Levels Through the Signal Chain
Gain structure is the systematic setting of amplification and attenuation at every stage in an audio signal chain to maximize signal-to-noise ratio while maintaining adequate headroom before clipping.
LPCM — Linear Pulse Code Modulation and Audio Formats
LPCM is the uncompressed digital audio standard carried over HDMI and AES3 — understanding LPCM vs. compressed formats (Dolby Digital, DTS, Atmos) determines what a system can de-embed, process, and distribute.
SNR — Signal-to-Noise Ratio
SNR quantifies how much stronger the desired signal is than the noise floor — a fundamental specification for microphones, preamps, DSPs, and amplifiers that determines how quiet a system can be before background noise becomes audible.
THD — Total Harmonic Distortion
THD measures the nonlinear distortion added by audio equipment — amplifiers, DSPs, and converters — expressed as a percentage or dB below the fundamental, indicating how cleanly the device reproduces a signal.