10 Feb Creating a Great Home Stereo System
Are you the kind of home entertainment consumer who wants it all – a great home theater and a great home stereo? We recently posted a blog about creating a great home theater system, and now I want to share the advice we give customers in northern New Jersey here at PAC-NJ on the performance characteristics you need for a great home audio system.
First, the home stereo system must be capable of reproducing sound in a way that makes you feel like your favorite musicians are performing for you right in your living room. You should be able to close your eyes and imagine they’re putting on a private performance – or imagine that a “live” recording puts you in the front row of a concert hall, or in a mosh pit, if you’re into hardcore or speedmetal.
Secondly, nothing should be added or subtracted from the sound that the artist wanted you to hear. So accuracy and neutrality of the music system is a key to creating the best home stereo; it shouldn’t have a sound that is either bass heavy or overly bright. Most home stereo systems include just two channels – left and right. But some systems also include a subwoofer, which helps reproduce the bass tones the recording artist and producer intended you to hear, but which two channel systems can’t fully capture. Even better than just a home stereo subwoofer, you can also play music thru multi-channel home theater surround sound systems that were primarily designed for movies. These can capture more nuance of the sound, and are also better at filling the room, creating a full-bodied and realistic sound. And beyond the quality of the sound, make sure the system supports all the media commonly used to play music – that includes a home stereo CD player, IPod dock and radio tuner or home stereo receiver. For many audiophiles, a turntable is also a necessity.
Now that we’ve talked about what goes into either a great home theater system, and a great home stereo, our next blog will talk about how to combine these qualities into one super home entertainment system.