When shopping for an audio system, it's important to remember that
speakers are your most important component. A well-designed set of
speakers can transport you from your living room couch to a concert
hall, a jazz club, or a Broadway show. The most technologically advanced
stereo components will not be able to work this sort of magic if they
are coupled with a low quality speaker system.
Your speakers are the only components in your system responsible for
sound reproduction. They create the sound waves that travel through the
air and into your ears. For this reason, the quality of your speakers,
as well as their placement in your home, is crucial to your experience
as a listener. Choosing a high quality brand, such as Klipsch speakers,
Infinity spekers, or JBL speakers is important.
When setting up your speaker system, you want to create the sensation
of three-dimensional sound. Each speaker has its own sonic signature,
which is commonly referred to as its "voice." Just as a choir singer's
voice will sound different in a large cathedral and a small church, the
placement of your speakers will have a profound influence on the musical
sound. Some parts of your room will have what is known as bass
cancellation. In these sections, your speaker's lower frequency
output will be less apparent.
Other sections of the room will have bass reinforcement, where
the sound of the bass will be augmented. In some rooms, the bass
cancellation and bass reinforcement areas are actually pretty close
together. Under these circumstances, even moving speakers an extra foot
away from each other will make a huge difference in sound quality. if
you are experimenting with different speaker placements, some people use
masking tape to mark a speaker's position. That way, you can return to
that position if it created a better sound quality than a placement used
in a subsequent trial.