For most people, having a functioning sound system and some good tunes is enough to satisfy their music listening experience. For audiophiles and music fanatics, the basics just won’t cut it. Someone who is passionate about music and sound quality, will not settle for anything less than the absolute best. If you’ve recently discovered you’re an audiophile with a sub-par sound system, you’re probably going to want to give it a revamp.
Your home is where you spend most of your time, which makes it a great place to start with your improvements. If you’re not sure how to go about improving your home stereo system, this list has got you covered. Follow this simple guide to take your home stereo system from drab to fab in no time.
Do the research
Whether you’re a novice or more experienced audiophile, deciding to improve your stereo system can be hard. Before you get into any kind of upgrades, it’s important to do a little research first. A good idea is to look up recommendations, or inspiration from proven sources. Researching home stereo ideas from Speaker Champion is a good start. In order to have a rough idea of what you want and don’t want, you need to know what’s out there first. Get familiar with the price ranges of all the items you may need. Check out if the newest equipment is all it’s cracked up to be and if you should invest in it. A little research goes a long way when improving your home stereo system.
Forget the surround sound and soundbar
A common mistake that people make is mixing up their sound genres. A theatre experience is not the same as a music studio experience when it comes to sound. Both sound genres require and amplify different aspects of your sound experience. Things like a soundbar or a surround sound system, are more suited for a movie-going experience than a music listening one. Surround sound speakers are unnecessary because you do not need to split the music into that many channels to get a fuller sound. Soundbars are great for watching movies and voice recognition, but they don’t do much for music.
Triangulate your seating
If you want to get the most out of your sound system at home, you need to know the basics of acoustics. In every room, there is an acoustic “sweet spot” that has the best sound. Whether the room in question is your living room, a concert hall, or your bathroom, you need to find that spot. The acoustic “sweet spot” is the part of the room where the listener can enjoy the best and most direct sound from audio sources. The easiest way to get to this spot is to create an equilateral triangle with your speakers and seating placement. Set your left and right channel speakers at an equal distance from each other and your seating in between. This type of feng shui will give you the best sound for your buck.
Get creative with soundproofing
The next crucial rule of acoustics that you will need to know is to do with soundproofing. As sound waves travel through a room, they tend to bounce off hard surfaces. Once they hit a hard surface, they will continue to travel around the room until they eventually get absorbed into a soft surface. This constant bouncing around makes for a very messy listening experience. If you want to have the cleanest sound when listening to J.Cole’s new song, try covering as many hard surfaces in the room as you can. The easiest surfaces to cover are glass ones like windows, tabletops, and picture frames. Carpets, curtains, and towels work great to cover up hard surfaces and reduce noise.
Angle your speakers
This one might seem a bit obvious, but you need to cover all the bases. A simple yet effective way to improve the quality of your listening experience is to angle the speakers towards you. Although sound travels and radiates in the form of waves, most speakers send them out in a straight line. By directing all your normal speakers towards a specific spot, you reduce the amount of sound reflection. This reduces noise and makes for a better listening experience. When it comes to subwoofers, they need to be treated differently. With subwoofers it is much less about the angle you place them in and more about where you place them. Subwoofer speakers need to be placed in the room where the bass sounds the best. Don’t be afraid to do a little experimenting with different positions to get the best results.
Consider switching to vinyl
The debate about whether or not digital or analog music is better has been going on for a while. While digital music is more convenient and crisp, analog options offer a more authentic and fuller sound. Music connoisseurs and extreme audiophiles will tell you that there’s no sound like vinyl and that records are the only true way to listen to music. Many agree that vinyl sounds better than digital. Once you start listening to music on records, it’s hard to go back to CDs and Spotify. At the end of the day, it’s all up to what you personally prefer. If you’re looking to improve or change your experience with music, try going retro for a change!
Check the settings again
Last but not least, is to check the settings. A lot of the time, the simplest things give us the most grief. When using an app, a cellphone, or a digital sound system, there is a lot of personalization that you can do when listening to music. Depending on your device, fiddle around with the settings as much as you can until you’re happy with the sound. When using streaming services like Spotify or iTunes, the general rule is the more data you use, the better the sound. So if you’re unsatisfied with the quality of your sound, consider moving up a data plan or getting a better connection.
Wanting to have the perfect home stereo system is the dream for many. It might take a little time and money, but with the proper knowledge, creativity, and ingenuity, that dream can become a reality. As someone who is passionate about music and sound, you deserve only the best listening experience possible!
