Assembling the right equipment for a home stereo system

Many people like watching movies and listening to music while at home. A good home stereo system can add to your enjoyment in both endeavors, and assembling one does not have to be a technically difficult or expensive experience.

The first step is to analyze what you want to use the system for once you have completed it. For a given fixed budget, different choices must be made as to where to allocate funds when purchasing components. If you will be watching movies more than listening to music, you may wish to allocate funds for a good stereo (left and right channel audio) VCR and/or DVD player as well as to the other, audio-only components, or perhaps even for a new TV if you are unhappy with the size or quality of your current television. Conversely, if you have no interest in video, you may choose to spend more on the components that deal solely with sound reproduction.

To choose wisely, the first motto you should keep in mind is that in most cases decentralization is good, in that it allows you to upgrade on the component level rather than on the system level. As an example, most radio tuners are now part of the amplifier, which is fine, as AM/FM technology has not changed significantly in the past several decades, but if your amplifier, CD player, and speakers are part of one of those all-in-one cabinet systems, you have little choice if you want new speakers or a new amplifier but to swap out the whole system.

The following setup would be more then adequate for a beginner's needs, and would be sufficiently decentralized that they would be able to evolve relatively painlessly as time progressed and their usage patterns changed: a good amplifier, which is the heart of the system, with an integrated radio tuner (sound clarity should be emphasized over raw wattage), a 5 or 6 disc CD player (a single would do but the cost differential is typically not great), speakers (here again sound quality should be emphasized over raw power as distortion is bad for your hearing as well as your esthetic sensibilities; whether you should get 2 or more speakers and what particular specializations you should get (sub-woofers for bass, centers / surrounds for video surround sound) depends on your usage plan), and optionally a method of video playback. One often overlooked piece of equipment would be floor cable minders (the rubber or plastic devices that hold cables in place and keep people from tripping over them), which would be available at any office supply store.
Having described generally what you should look for, now you should begin looking for the specific items you plan to purchase. Going to chain electronic stores can be a very good way to comparison shop between brands (I personally have had good luck with Best Buy), but don't neglect the web or local pawn shops as other potential sources of good equipment deals. Going to specialized home audio / video stores may also be worthwhile, as the sales staff tends to be much more knowledgible, but you do run the risk of paying more money, as they typically do not stock the less expensive mass market brands.

I will include a few general suggestions of brands to look at in each category that I or close friends have had positive experiences with in the broad categories I've mentioned so far, but these should not be treated as gospel, just potential starting points in the wide field of choices:

1) amplifier / receiver: Sony amps tend to be pretty good, and are widely available. I personally like Onkyo amps (another Japanese brand that is less well known, but they tend to make exceptionally good amplifiers with high clarity and prices not much more than those of more commonly available brands).

2) speakers: I use a brand called KLH for my two main speakers, and JBLs for my smaller (center and surround) speakers. Both companies have good product lines and are widely available. Cerwin Vega's are also moderately easy speakers to find, and provide excellent quality. Infinity speakers are quite nice, but tend to be the priciest speakers in most electronics stores.

3) cd player: Again, in my honest opinion, most any one would do. I have a Sony 6-disc player, which has worked well during the time I've owned it.

The issue of price is bound to arise. Unfortunately in the home A/V world, it is possible to spend exponentially more money for each marginal increment of additional enjoyment you derive from the equipment. (Personally I find that a CD player sounds about the same as any other, for example, but that spending an extra few hundred dollars on a good set of speakers and on a clearer-than-average amplifier makes a very large difference.) As a rule of thumb, your first system should probably cost no more than $1500, unless you are sure that you want to go further. $600 of that will probably be for your amp, and $400 for your speakers, with the remainder being for a CD player, possible video playback equipment (DVD players really are worth the extra money), and the miscellaneous other audiophile paraphernalia like cables you'll need.

Having purchased all of your components, take the time to browse through any manuals for them before you begin assembling everything, which sounds self-obvious but the urge to dive in will be strong. Having a knowledgible friend present if one exists also helps during the assembly process. After putting the system together for the first time, turn it on and put in a favorite piece of music or a favorite movie, and allocate time to relax while simply enjoying the fruit of your labor.

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