Speaker Systems

Many people buy speakers individually, so they can customize their audio system to their home theater. However, consumers who are not so savvy about electronics, those who don't have the budget for customized audio or those who just don't want the hassles have an alternative--speaker systems.

If you want a great home theater system, you need to plan it. A 10-foot x 10-foot room doesn't need the same stereo system as a 15-foot x 20-foot room. How much do you want to spend? Where are the electrical outlets and cable hook-ups? Will this be audio or audio-video? Once you know which home speakers you need, visit Overstock.com to get a great discount on a speaker system that will meet those needs.

These new audio equipment kits pretty much guarantee two things: the stereo amplifier will put out enough power to run all the speakers (without blowing them up) and the impedance will match. Most amplifiers and speakers are rated at 4, 8 or 16 Ohms of impedance; they work best when those numbers match. Mismatched speakers and amplifiers can give you bad sound or damage each other, so to this we pay attention.

Speaker systems are sometimes called multi-channel systems because they are identified by the number of channels or speakers: 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 are common. The ".1" is the subwoofer and the other number tells you how many other speakers are in the set. For example, a 5.1-channel system has a center channel speaker, left and right speakers and left and right surround sound speakers.

These can be large floor standing speakers, small bookshelf speakers, versatile outdoor speakers, even wireless speakers for those who don't want audio cables strung all over the room. Whatever your choice in speaker technology, Overstock.com has something for you--well, two things, if you count the really low prices.