The world of consumer hi-fi can be extremely confusing as there are a lot of options to think about when buying yourself. The main consideration before you start looking for an actual system is to think about the purpose of use. Are you looking for a small system for the kitchen, or something a bit more substantial for a larger lounge or living space? Money is obviously a big consideration, so you have to put a price on your music and decide what sort of money you want to spend.
There are different types of system that use different technology and plenty of manufacturers to choose from. This isn’t a buying guide a such, but some considerations for the perfect system for you.
Input vs. Output
If quality is on your mind then the balance of input and output hardware is extremely important. Some people imagine that a big loud pair of speakers will be the answer to your quality demands but this simply isn’t the case. Generally, the large the woofers or cones, the less responsive they are which can lead to poor performance at lower volume. It is just as important to get the source right as the speakers though. A good system with good wiring and gold connections will transfer the music to your speakers with any loss of quality. Pairing a good input with your speakers will help the quality of the royalty free music lose less integrity on the journey to your ears.
It is also a good point to note that all the digital signals travel through cables to the speakers so good cabling is essential. If you buy cheap cables then there is a ceiling to the quality that can be achieved and if you have invested in a premium setup then you probably want to make sure something that is often overlooked such as the cabling is correctly considered.
Valve vs. Digital
We don’t seen many valve systems these days, but they provide warmth, depth and clarify to sound that cannot be matched by many modern systems. Acoustic valve systems are switched on and left to warm up before the sound comes out right, and this isn’t very efficient, but the technology is still used by audiophiles around the world. You’ll find a good number of guitar amplification stacks with valve technology as for quality it is supreme. Digital systems can still create fantastic sound, but not all of them do!
Micro system vs. Component separates
One of the main things to think about is the composition of your setup, based on your requirements. A micro system is sometimes known as an ‘all-in-one’ system, where the speakers and main body of the system come together. The system may have a build in CD player and radio for example. A component separate system will be comprised by individual units for each purpose, for example an amplifier, CD player, radio unit and anything else you might want. This allows a higher level of customisation for your purpose.
Component separates can be quite expensive, but if money isn’t an option then your music will sound great through a custom built setup for your needs. Brands like Marantz and Denon lead with the way, with brands such as KEF, Jamo, Tannoy and Mission creating beautiful speaker systems that plug into your setup.
CD burn rate
A small consideration that ties in with the input/output is the burn rate of the CDs (or mp3 files) in terms of the quality you write at. If you are burning your own CDs then you can specify the quality of the track you are writing, and this should ideally be above 128kbp/s. Anything lower than this will show on a good system and should be avoided.
Speaker position
Another small think to bear in mind is speaker positioning. It is not advisable to place speaker in the corner of a room as the sound can boom and echo around in that corner losing all the clarity you have worked so hard to achieve. Also don’t just leave them on the floor and definitely don’t obstruct them by putting things in front of them. Give your speakers room to breathe and you will be rewarded with epic sonic clarity. If you are watching TV or having the system running as surround sound for music for video then the speakers must be placed around the room accordingly
