There is a huge variety of home audio products available; you can wire your whole home with state of the art high-quality audio, build a surround sound media room, or just buy a simple stereo and digital music player, depending on your needs, enthusiasm, and budget. However, no matter what sort of audio solution you are looking for, there are two primary concerns you should pay attention to that can help narrow down the field of potential products you should research; your purpose, and the physical nature of the space itself. Let’s take a deeper look at these concerns and what they mean regarding the purchase of your home speakers:
• Purpose – The purpose to which you intend to put the speakers is the first, and most important concern a consumer should have when it comes to purchasing home speakers. What do you plan on using them for? Are they primarily intended to supplement video or television content, or do you primarily listen to music instead? Are you a passive listener, or do you prefer a more engaged and interactive listening experience that can involve other media types? These sorts of questions can drastically affect which products will best fit your needs. For example, passive listeners primarily focused on music can often get away with a single set of dual-purpose speakers, which can supplement their television or video experience as well. Active listeners who are film buffs need to look at surround sound solutions instead, as a single set of speakersjust won’t suffice.
• Space – The second most important concern regarding your home speaker purchase is the space in which they will be used. This includes the gross physical dimensions of the room (the smaller the room in overall space, the smaller and less powerful your speakers need to be) as well as other characteristics that can affect acoustics. Do you have a lot of large furniture pieces in the room? If so, you may want to consider wall-mounted speakers so the furniture doesn’t interfere with the audio. Walls, floors, and other décor can also affect how sound behaves in any given environment as well, so make sure you select the right solution given the actual physical area the speakers will be placed in.
Doing a little bit of research before you head to the store or start browsing online for home speaker products can save you a lot of hassle down the road. To make the best selection, consider both the purpose the speakers are intended to serve, as well as the physical location they will be located within.
