Gadgets Blog » Stereos

As a pretentious audiophile, I’m picky about the way my music sounds (which is too bad in some respects, because we’ve lately been going through a period where high quality music is hard to come by). I’m not talking about the quality of modern pop music either. There’s an ongoing debate as to what format of music has the highest quality of audio: everything from the “natural” sound of a record player to the “chopped up” sound of a CD.

While only the most trained ears are able to pick up on some of the minute differences, the advent of MP3 players initially dealt a serious blow to audio quality, a period we’re only now coming out of. When these players only have a small amount of available hard drive space, we wind up with lower quality MP3s and thus lower sound quality on the music.

In addition to the importance of having high quality MP3s on your device, the next most important item to making your music sound great are the speakers. By using this guide, you should be able to find a system that is best for your needs and you should be well on your way to great-sounding music!

Know the return policy before you buy! This is an important step, as you’re shopping for a speaker system that fits your listening space and the acoustics it has. Not all living rooms are created equal, and oftentimes, it’s hard to hear exactly how a system sounds while it’s set up in a large department store with lots of background noise. To successfully find a speaker system that’s right for you, you’ll need a fair degree of patience. By purchasing a unit with a solid return policy, you’ll be able to shop with the security in having the freedom to test out a number of units, ultimately settling on one that matches your needs.

Find a system that matches your desired listening power! If you’re intending to blast music for large parties, you’re obviously going to need a system with some oomph. On the other hand, some speakers systems have great sound quality at lower volumes. The difference is up to you, for the most part, and you’ll need to find speakers that correspond. For louder volumes, a set of subwoofers is almost required. A good subwoofer will enable you to play music with strong, punchy bass and low-end frequency. If you’re intent on serious decibels, then you’ll probably want more than one, strategically placed in the room for maximum efficiency of sound. On the other hand, if you’re looking for ambient background music, you’re best off with a pair of bookshelf speakers. These units include good bass frequency built-in but can become clipped and blaring at louder volumes. This is an important decision to make as you shop for a system.