Apparatus and methods for the harmonic enhancement of electronic audio signals

An apparatus for enhancing the quality of an input audio signal made up of a plurality of signal components, each signal component having an amplitude and a frequency, and the frequencies of the input audio signal being within a band of frequencies having a low end and a high end, the low end being at one end of the range of normal human hearing and the high end being at the other end of the range of normal human hearing, said apparatus comprising:

• a circuit operatively adapted for distorting the input audio signal, when transmitted therethrough, into an enhanced audio signal such that signal components having frequencies between a reference frequency toward the low end, over at as per decreasing frequencies from the reference frequency toward the low end, over at least a portion of the band of frequencies, without using a magnetic coil audio energy transfer system,
• wherein the enhanced audio signal is recognizable as being the input audio signal enhanced such that audible sound reproduced from the enhanced audio signal exhibits a perceptively improved harmonic quality and sound source separation compared to audible sound reproduced from the undistorted input audio signal;
• and
• wherein said circuit further distorts the input audio signal, when transmitted therethrough, such that the signal components having frequencies between the reference frequency and the low end increase in amplitude up to an amplitude peak and there is up to a total of only two amplitude peaks between the low end and the high end.

A method of enhancing the quality of an electronic audio signal, comprising:

• providing an input audio signal made up of a plurality of signal components, each signal component having an amplitude and a frequency, and the frequencies of the input audio signal being within a band of frequencies having a low end and a high end, the low end being at one end of the range of normal human hearing and the high end being at the other end of the range of normal human hearing;
• and
• distorting the input audio signal into an enhanced audio signal such that signal components having frequencies between a reference frequency and the high end increase in amplitude as per increasing frequencies from the reference frequency toward the high end, over at least a portion of the band of frequencies, without using a magnetic coil audio energy transfer system and such that the enhanced audio signal is recognizable as being the input audio signal enhanced such that audible sound reproduced from the enhanced audio signal exhibits a perceptively improved harmonic quality and sound source separation compared to audible sound reproduced from the undistorted input audio signal;
• and
• wherein said step of distorting includes further distorting the input audio signal such that the signal components having frequencies between the reference frequency and the high end increase in amplitude up to an amplitude peak and there is up to a total of only two amplitude peaks between the low end and the high end.

A method of enhancing the quality of an electronic audio signal, comprising the steps of:

• providing an input audio signal made up of a plurality of signal components, each signal component having an amplitude and a frequency, and the frequencies of the input audio signal being within a band of frequencies having a low end and a high end, the low end being at one end of the range of normal human hearing and the high end being at the other end of the range of normal human hearing;
• and
• distorting the input audio signal into an enhanced audio signal such that signal components having frequencies between a reference frequency and the low end increase in amplitude as per decreasing frequencies from the reference frequency toward the low end, over at least a portion of the band of frequencies, with out using a magnetic coil audio energy transfer system and such that the enhanced audio signal is recognizable as being the input audio signal enhanced such that audible sound reproduced from the enhanced audio signal exhibits a perceptively improved harmonic quality and sound source separation compared to audible sound reproduced from the undistorted input audio signal;
• and
• wherein said step of distorting includes further distorting the input signal such that the signal components having frequencies between the reference frequency and the low end increase in amplitude up to an amplitude peak and there is up to a total of only two amplitude peaks between the low end and the high end.