Audio Buying Guide

What makes up an audio system?

A basic audio system is made up of three key parts: the audio source, such as the CD player, the speakers that create the sound and the receiver that connects everything and powers the speakers.

In some devices, such as a boom-box or portable stereo system, all three of those components are in the same package. And in something like a portable MP3 player or portable CD player, the receiver is really just part of the player itself, and your headphones are typically the only speakers (unless you add a powered speaker set). But once you get into bigger audio systems, such as home theater systems and car audio systems, you're more likely to see these components become separate.

A note about speakers

Your speakers generally have the biggest impact on the quality of the sound from your audio system. There are a few things you can do to get the most out of your speakers.

Two-way versus three-way speakers

Have you ever wondered what two-way and three-way speakers are all about? Most inexpensive speakers are two-way speakers; this means that each speaker has two drivers (meaning two separate speaker cones, each creating sound); a tweeter, which creates the higher frequency sounds, and a woofer that creates the lower frequency sounds. Ideally, the speaker will also include circuitry (called a "crossover") to make sure each driver is only asked to reproduce the range of frequencies that it's best suited for.

Three-way speakers take this one step further by adding a mid-range driver to each speaker. This means that each three-way speaker will include three separate drivers, each reproducing only the frequencies that they're best suited for. This gives you the clearest, most powerful sound from your speakers. This also makes three-way speakers a bit more expensive than similar two-way speakers.

Matched speakers

If you listen to speakers from different manufacturers, you'll start to notice subtle differences in how the different speakers sound. Sometimes you'll even notice this with different models of speakers from the same manufacturer. For the smoothest, most homogenous sound, you'll want to match your speakers -- that is, you'll want to get speakers designed to work together. This will get you the best frequency coverage and therefore the best sound. In fact, you may even way to get speakers and a receiver all from the same manufacturer, as that will often mean that all your pieces are optimized to work in conjunction to create the best possible sound.

Audio for the home theater

For different people, in-home audio can mean different things: Some people want the best possible sound from their televisions and home theaters, some people want great audio from their computers and some just want stand-alone stereo systems for listening to music. Of course, some people want all three!

If you're not content with the sound coming out of your television, consider adding some speakers. Even a simple and inexpensive 2.1 speaker system, which means two speakers plus a subwoofer, can produce much nicer sound than your television's built-in speakers. The downside is that these small systems typically use a headphone jack or similar connector -- so if your television doesn't have a headphone jack, you probably won't be able to take this approach.

If you're looking to enjoy high-quality surround sound from your DVDs, look for an in-home surround sound system with DVD player. These convenient packages include a DVD player with surround sound decoder -- a necessary component for allowing the speakers to accurately reproduce the surround sound effects -- and a set of speakers. This is often the simplest and least expensive way to add surround sound to your home theater; however, if you already have a DVD player, then you may be hesitant to purchase a new one.

For the greatest flexibility in home theater audio, you'll want to put together a complete home theater system. This means that you'll need a home theater receiver with surround sound decoder and a set of surround sound speakers. If you get a receiver with enough inputs, then you can connect your DVD or Blu-ray player, satellite or cable connection, video game consoles and possibly even more audio sources, and you can use the receiver to easily switch between them. You'll then want to add a surround sound speaker system. Any surround sound receiver will support a 5.1 surround sound speaker system, which means you'll have left and right speakers, a center channel speaker, rear left and rear right speakers and a subwoofer. Some receivers will support even more speakers, such as 7.1 speaker systems that add side-left and side-right speakers to create even more depth in the sound. Many receivers also let you plug in the video connections from these devices -- meaning you'll have a single receiver controlling both the audio and video that's being output to your television.

Audio for your computer

Nowadays, it's more popular than ever for your computer to be the musical centerpiece of your home. If you keep most of your music on a portable music player, then you can easily attach it to your computer and listen through there. This means that you'll want the best set of speakers for your computer. Many people also watch DVD and Blu-ray movies on their computers; gamers also want the best possible sound from their computers to create a more immersive gaming experience.

While nearly every computer nowadays includes audio capability, you can always upgrade the sound card in your computer to make sure you have the best possible sound quality. And of course, you'll want to upgrade your speakers. Unlike home theater speakers that receive power from the receiver, computer speaker need to provide their own electricity. Computer speakers can range anywhere from a basic two-speaker set to 7.1 surround sound speaker systems, with 2.1 and 5.1 systems being very common. These speaker systems nearly always come as a matched set.

Portable audio

Portable audio players are more popular than ever, thanks to lightweight and convenient MP3 players and similar audio players. With these devices, it's often about picking the brand and design that you want. But when you're shopping for a portable music player, be sure to consider the accessories that you might want for it.

You might be happy to just have a nice set of headphones to plug into your music player, but you might also want a stand-alone docking station to let you use your portable music player as the heart of a small stereo system. Of course, if you'll be docking your music player at your computer and listening to it there, be sure that your computer has some fantastic sounding speakers.

Audio for your car

The world of car audio is large and varied; while many people will never replace the receiver that comes with the car, other people go to incredible lengths to customize their car audio system. Even if you're planning on leaving your existing car audio system intact, you may want to consider one current trend in car stereos: a connection for your portable music player. Even though many car audio systems still include CD players, many people would much rather just use their own portable music players as the audio source. Look for a receiver with front inputs to make it as simple as possible to connect your portable music player while you're on the go.

Of course, if you're looking to upgrade your car audio system, then there's no shortage of options before you. Sometimes simply installing an aftermarket receiver can boost your car audio system. Or consider adding extra oomph with a subwoofer. Some subwoofers power themselves, but a stand-alone subwoofer also requires a power amplifier -- and make sure they match on RMS wattage and resistance! RMS wattage out on the amplifier and RMS wattage handling on the subwoofer don't have to be exact -- many power amplifiers will let you adjust the output. Regardless, you'll want them to be as close as possible for optimal sound -- and to keep from destroying your subwoofer.