Anatomy of a Home Sound System

Are you hunting for a premium home audio-playback system? Or do you want to upgrade your TV’s subpar built-in speakers to an immersive Dolby Atmos setup? No matter what type of home sound system you’re searching for, there’s a ton of variables to consider. In this article, we’ll explore the common building blocks you need to put together a high-quality home sound system.

Amplifier

An amplifier is the powerhouse of your home sound system; your entire setup is built around it. The primary function of any amplifier is to boost the power of an audio signal. In other words, it takes quiet sounds and makes them louder. There are four types of amplifiers used in home sound systems: preamplifiers, power amplifiers, integrated amplifiers, and receivers.

Preamplifier

A preamplifier provides the initial stage of audio enhancement. It prepares audio signals for further processing and amplification. It enables you to adjust your system’s volume and tone settings and to select different audio sources. Your preamplifier is where you’ll connect your audio and video sources, such as your turntable, CD player, music and video streaming devices, gaming console, and television.

Power Amplifier

A power amplifier receives signals from a preamplifier and boosts them so that they’re powerful enough to drive your speakers. The number of channels available on your power amplifier is what determines how many speakers you can integrate into your system — a requirement for configuring multichannel surround-sound and Dolby Atmos setups. Additionally, your power amplifier’s wattage determines your system’s overall output capabilities.

Integrated Amplifier

An integrated amplifier is a single unit that houses both a preamplifier and a power amplifier, and it can be used in place of separate components. Many high-end audio aficionados prefer separate components. That said, there are negligible sonic compromises when using a modern integrated unit. Ultimately, whether you build your system around an integrated amplifier or separate components is up to your personal preference.

Receiver

At its most basic, a receiver is an integrated amplifier with a built-in radio. As such, a receiver contains a preamplifier, a power amplifier, and an AM/FM radio tuner. Your receiver acts as the central hub that all your audio, video, and internet streaming sources connect to. It’s also what directs audio from your sources to your speakers.

Modern A/V receivers come equipped with the full gamut of audio and video input and output options, arming you with HDMI, optical, and RCA inputs as well as speaker terminal, HDMI, and subwoofer outputs. Moreover, receivers are responsible for decoding proprietary audio formats, such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and routing audio signals to their proper speakers in your multichannel surround-sound setup for an immersive movie-watching experience.

While many high-end audio consumers prefer separate components, it’s hard to surpass the all-in-one convenience and state-of-the-art functionality of a modern A/V receiver. This is why the vast majority of today’s home sound systems are built around a receiver rather than a dedicated preamplifier, power amplifier, tuner, and — if you want full home-theater capabilities — a standalone audio-format decoder.

Speakers

Speakers are the sole sonic conduit between your home audio system and your ears. As such, regardless of the quality of your receiver or turntable, your setup will only sound as good as your speakers — it’s the true limiting factor. But, with so many options available, where do you start? What type of speakers will work best? How many do you need?

Floor-standing Speakers

Aptly named, floor-standing speakers are designed to be placed on the floor. They are sometimes referred to as tower speakers and typically stand three to four feet high. Floor-standing speakers can be quite loud, and they typically produce a generous amount of bass. Because of their size and potential volume, floor-standing speakers are best suited for larger rooms. Indeed, they can overpower a smaller space, leading to cramped and muddy sound.

Tower speakers deliver a terrific, full-range sound, oftentimes containing dedicated (and sometimes multiple) woofers and midrange drivers along with a tweeter. A single pair of them may be all you need for stereo listening. Beyond that, they also make fine front left and right speakers for surround-sound systems.

Bookshelf Speakers

Got a smaller space? If so, then you might want to look into bookshelf speakers. These speakers are an excellent, smaller alternative to floor-standing speakers. Most bookshelf speakers are equipped with a single woofer or midrange driver along with a single tweeter. That said, some bookshelf speakers can incorporate a dedicated woofer, midrange driver, and tweeter.

At the end of the day, you’ll find that most bookshelf speakers deliver less bass than most floor-standing speakers. Nonetheless, they’re still capable of yielding a well-rounded sound. Like floor-standing speakers, bookshelf speakers work well for stereo listening and for front left and right speakers in a surround-sound setup.

Keep in mind that bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. Because larger, refrigerator-size speakers deliver more output, you’ll likely end up overpowering your room once you crank them up to full volume. In the end, you’d be better off with a set of reasonably sized speakers.

While you can literally place bookshelf speakers on bookshelves, they’ll offer the best sound if you position them on tailor-made speaker stands.

Subwoofer

If you’re listening on a smaller set of speakers, then you may find yourself desiring more bass, especially if you listen to high-energy rock, metal, and hip-hop or if you want to enjoy contemporary action movies at room-shaking volumes. That’s where a subwoofer comes in. These mighty boxes are designed to augment your system, providing you with lower bass extension than your speakers are capable of.

Aside from bolstering your stereo listening, a subwoofer is an essential component of any multichannel home-theater setup. Most subwoofers need to be connected to your amplifier or receiver with a dedicated cable. That said, some subwoofer models offer wireless functionality to make placement easier. It should be noted, however, that since most subwoofers are powered, you’ll still need to position them near a power outlet.

Center-channel Speaker

Most vinyl and CD listeners will be satisfied with a stereo setup using a pair of floor-standing speakers or a pair of bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer. Movie aficionados, however, will likely want to build a complete multi-speaker surround-sound or Dolby Atmos setup. To do this, you’ll need to expand your speaker configuration.

Among the most important elements of a multichannel home-theater setup is a center-channel speaker. Designed to be placed equidistant between your front left and right speakers, either above or below your television screen, the center channel is a midrange-focused speaker responsible for reproducing most of the dialogue when you’re watching shows and movies. Since dialogue is arguably the most important audio component of a motion picture, you definitely don’t want to skimp on your center-channel speaker.

Surround-sound Speakers

One of the most ear-grabbing characteristics of a well-designed home theater is its dimensionality. Designed to sit behind, beside, or above your listening area, surround-sound speakers, which are sometimes referred to as satellite speakers, are the main component that achieves these types of spatial effects. Surround-sound speakers typically have a narrower frequency range than a bookshelf speaker, as they’re designed to complement your front left and right speakers. Because of this, they often offer subpar sound quality if you try to use them as bookshelf speakers.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to route cables from your amplifier or receiver to your surround-sound speakers. If your listening room is open with multiple entryways, then you may find trying to hide the speaker cables to be frustrating. Luckily, there are wireless surround-sound options that enable you to place the speakers anywhere without concerning yourself with unsightly cables. Similarly, up-firing speakers make for a suitable alternative to installing surround-sound speakers on your ceiling. It should be noted that since satellite speakers aren’t connected to an amplifier, they’ll need to be plugged into a power outlet. However, not all satellite speakers are self-powered; many are passive and are designed to be driven by a multichannel receiver.

Soundbar

To achieve a balanced sound with proper imaging, you’ll want to set up your home sound system symmetrically around a central listening position. This is especially important if you want to build a surround-sound or Dolby Atmos setup, as these entail precise speaker placement. Therefore, installing systems in oddly shaped rooms, or in those with peripheral seating, can make positioning multiple speakers difficult. And few things are more jarring to a discerning listener than a multichannel surround-sound or immersive-audio system with haphazardly placed speakers — especially if you’re trying to watch a movie.

If your listening room is unable to accommodate a multi-speaker setup, then you may find a soundbar to be a suitable alternative. Most soundbars are self-powered, all-in-one solutions designed to replace your amplifier, stereo speakers, center-channel speaker, and surround-sound speakers. The soundbar installs directly above or below your television screen, much like a center-channel speaker, and since there’s only one centrally located speaker, you won’t need to worry about symmetrical placement. Plus, there are no unsightly cables to hide.

Moreover, many powered soundbars include surprisingly good surround-sound or Dolby Atmos simulations, even if they don’t include extra satellite speakers; and many include or support a powered subwoofer, so you can enjoy your favorite action movie in all its sofa-quaking glory. A soundbar may not be a perfect, one-to-one replacement for a full-fledged multi-speaker home theater system, but for movie lovers that are tired of the subpar sound of their television’s built-in speakers, it can be a more-than-worthy compromise.

Turntable

Those of us who listened to vinyl in the 1970s had to spend a pretty penny to get a high-performance turntable. This is no longer the case, however. In the new millennium, a reasonably small amount of coin will get you a record player with a high-precision motor and outstanding speed stability on par with the high-end models of yesteryear.

When selecting a turntable for your home sound system, you’ll want to ensure that your amplifier or receiver includes a built-in phono stage. If not, then you’ll either want to choose a turntable with an onboard preamp or need to buy a standalone phono preamp. A phono stage or preamp is essential for playing vinyl records; it not only boosts your turntable’s audio signal to an appropriate level to connect to your setup, but it also applies the RIAA equalization curve to your signal to ensure the proper frequency response on playback.

Music Streamer

Music listeners who prefer streaming to physical media will likely want to add a music streamer to their home audio system. A music streamer, which is sometimes called a network player, allows you to play music from Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, and other music services directly from your setup. You’ll also be able to stream high-resolution music files stored on your home network. Sure, you could play music from your smartphone via Bluetooth if your system supports doing so, but by doing this, you’ll monopolize your phone and achieve notably inferior sound quality.

Headphones

Apartment dwellers or listeners with children may be limited in how loud their system can get. If this describes you, then you might want to consider a setup that doesn’t include a subwoofer. Because low frequencies travel much further than high frequencies, subwoofer-less setups will enable you to achieve enjoyable volume levels without irritating your neighbors or waking the baby.

If you really need to keep things quiet, then you could also consider a headphone-oriented setup. For this, you’ll need a high-quality set of headphones along with a headphone amplifier. Headphone amplifiers offer a serious sonic upgrade from the built-in headphone output on most amplifiers or receivers, and many include an integrated DAC — a digital-to-analog converter — that you can connect to a digital output on your setup for even better sound.

For a more immersive listening experience with headphones, Dolby Atmos supports binaural sound, which creates a 3D audio effect that simulates a live environment. Best of all, no matter your method, a headphone-oriented configuration enables you to enjoy topflight sound while remaining dead silent to the outside world.

Sweetwater Is Your Source for Home Sound Systems

Whether you’re searching for a modest upgrade from your television’s built-in speakers or an audiophile-quality music-playback system, Sweetwater offers a wide range of home audio and electronics. Give our Sales Engineers a call at (800) 222-4700, and we’ll be happy to explore which options are best for you.
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