7 Steps to Make Sure You're Getting the Right Audio System
With the massive range of audio systems on the market, it's easy to get overwhelmed when deciding what suits you and your needs the best.
To keep things simple, there are a few steps we usually run customers through in the shop to make sure they're on the right path. These are factors that should be considered by anyone in the market!
1. What the system will be used for. Whether you need to cater for multiple rooms or not, as an example, is a common question you may be asked in a Hi-Fi shop now, due to the available wireless technologies. If you're after a home theater / media room setup, the products we may recommend will certainly differ from those suitable as a desktop radio system. Having an idea of what the system will need to do now and potentially in the future is a massive help when selecting out the right gear.
2. Visual aesthetics. Differing between customers massively, the aesthetic requirements of a sound system can impact what will and wont work in your living spaces. Some specifically need concealed audio equipment, completely out of sight, while some have no issue in making a statement with their Hi-Fi equipment. A fair selection of products come in a range of colour options, if you're trying to suit a certain decor. Consider what you do or don't want to see. A lot can be done while still making a system almost invisible.
3. Technologies. Some systems will allow wireless connections from phones or iPads through Bluetooth, as an example. Some will allow network based streaming. Having an idea of what features you'll be able to make good use of will assist us to point you in the right direction.
4. Size Requirements. If you're looking at fitting out areas of your home, consider where the equipment will need to go. Will it need to fit in certain tight spaces? Electronics may need to fit in a certain cabinet space or cavity, speakers may need to sit between walkways and shelves.
5. Ease of use. Some systems have the ability to condense all control into single remotes, or even app control from tablets or phones. Is this the way you want to operate your electronics? Or are you okay with a remote per device?
6. Sound to suit your ears. An obvious step. Having a listen to a few options that the rest of the checklist so far has given us is important. This is a great way to determine which speakers or products will suit your ears and music genres of preference after figuring out which will suit the visual aspects and all other factors.
7. Your expectation. This is one of the most important factors when deciding on equipment. It's easy to have a perceived idea of what a certain system can do, or what a product is capable of. What you expect out of a system can give us a healthy idea of how much you'll need to spend to ultimately achieve what you're trying to do. If you're not sure what is available for what you're trying to do, come and drop in and we can show you around.
After checking off these factors, you're sure to be on the right track to finding what will suit you for a good range of reasons.
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