4 Great Ways To Upgrade Your Home Stereo Set Up

Modern home stereos range from simple, all-in-one units to elaborate setups involving multiple units, devices and speakers. While some see the act of listening to music as a serious hobby, others view it as more of a pastime. In either case, there are numerous steps you can take to upgrade your current home stereo setup and experience music as the original artist intended.
Amplification
In many home stereos, the amplifier or receiver serves as the centerpiece of the entire system. As such, this is a great starting point when upgrading your setup. Some home stereos use a receiver that contains a preamplifier, an amplifier and a standard radio tuner. This helps save space and reduce your overall costs, but using separate devices can, in some cases, result in improved sound quality. Unfortunately, the use of separate units might result in issues with compatibility.
Equalization
Proper equalization is another easy way to upgrade your home stereo. These devices generally let you boost or remove specific frequency ranges, like increasing the highs or reducing the lows, thus giving you a cleaner or clearer sound output. While some all-in-one audio receivers include built-in equalization, these usually pale in comparison to the functionality of separate, independent equalizers. Regardless, much of your equalization will come down to personal taste and your perception of sound.
Speakers
Your stereo’s speakers – as well as their positioning – can do a lot for your home stereo. Their optimal positioning depends on the number of individual speakers you have and the design of your listening space, but stereos with only two speakers usually sound good when the speakers are placed at a 60-degree angle apart from one another. Angling them slightly inward can also improve your overall sound performance. If you have a subwoofer connected to your system, it’s generally recommended to place it in a corner as opposed to the direct center of a wall.
High-Res Audio
While audio CDs are generally produced at 16-bit quality with a standard sample rate of 44.1 kHz, there are digital audio formats available at a higher quality. Uncompressed and lossless formats, like WAV, FLAC and ALAC, can play 24-bit audio with sample rates as high as 192 kHz. Often referred to as high-resolution or high-res audio, this form of digital media still requires specialized hardware – like speakers that support 24-bit audio – to provide the full range of benefits.
Now that you have a better idea of the technical aspects of your home stereo, it’s time to start making upgrades wherever possible. Take your time, do your research and don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations from your friends – that’s what they’re there for.