BUYING A HI-FI SYSTEM
It isn't easy buying a system nowadays is it? You read magazine reviews, visit stores with pushy salespeople telling you what they would buy if they were in your shoes. Special offers rammed down your throat. Then you have the simply enormous variety of products on the market. Mind-boggling.
So what do you do? Let's try to set some misconceptions straight about buying the right gear for the job.
Let's establish what we want to achieve in buying a new hi-fi system. You may be possibly upgrading from an old or broken set of hi-fi components. Perhaps the speakers are starting to wear and tear or you are looking for a better sound perhaps than the inherited $199 micro system can belt out? Regardless of why we are buying a new system, the aim remains the same - we want to buy an affordable system which is extremely satisfying, musically. To do this we have to separate the wheat from the chaff as they say, and find out what's good, and what's, well, crap!
The first thing to start with is where to shop for your proposed new system. There is a reason why specialist A/V stores (like us!) exist - the love of music. Pure and simple. People can be put off by visiting specialists simply for fear of being intimidated or a preconception of expensive-only equipment - in some cases these points are true. But most of the time, specialist stores will be able to convey information in real terms, offer solutions for clients regardless of budget and, surprisingly, be cheaper than similar products found at the typical "supermarket" hi-fi chains. It's not often you see the terms "savings" and "service" in the same sentence!.
Now that you have chosen the place(s) to potentially purchase your gear, now comes the time to audition products which the salesperson has hopefully chosen to suit your requirements. I would stress it's extremely important to bring along a selection of your own music to listen to (and hopefully enjoy in the process). This allows you to pick apart differences between systems/components much easier. Trust your own judgement - a salesperson is simply there to answer your questions, ensure everything is working and at the end of the audition, hopefully look after you price-wise. Your own ears are the best tools for this particular job, so use them!
But it doesn't end yet! Make sure you talk to your salesperson about good quality interconnects and speaker cable - this will allow your system to run at its optimum and provide the best musical experience possible, all within your budget. If you're concerned about spending a good bit of money on cables but find it hard to justify the cost, don't be afraid to ask if you could borrow some on a sale-or-return basis. That way you can try out different cable configurations in the comfort of your own home, at your own leisure.
Your shopping experience should be a good one, and specialist stores are keen to provide that experience. You may even make a friend or two! |
