On the cover

To deliver a convincing concert-hall experience in your living room, some designers of high-end audio systems are focused on developing equipment that preserves the microsecond temporal structure of sounds. In the human auditory system, such timing details convey a sound’s tonal quality and spatial information; they are thus critical for distinguishing instruments and perceiving the fine acoustic details in a musical performance. See the Quick Study by Milind Kunchur to learn about how the ears’ temporal and information-resolving capabilities pose an extreme technical challenge for audio-system designers. (Photo courtesy of Milind Kunchur.)