Bigger Isn't Always Better. Review on Choosing a Sound System

A couple of years ago, when I was making over eight bucks an hour with guaranteed overtime, I decided to buy a new stereo system for my bedroom. With that in mind, I went to a pawn shop with cash in hand and started looking around. My original intention was simply to get an idea of what exactly it was that I wanted, so that I could then go on the Internet and shop at other stores until I found The Ultimate System. However, I ended up purchasing at the first pawn shop I entered because I Fell In Love With A Sharp Mini-System.(Hey, the things that I capitalize could be either romance novel titles or alternate names for this review, now that I look at them - cool!)

Anyway, I found a Sharp mini-system for less than$150.00 U.S. - a pretty good deal considering that:

It had two 50-watt speakers as well as two 10-watts for wall hanging. This creates a surround sound effect, and gives my music a slightly ’’richer’’ quality when all four speakers are hooked up and arranged throughout the bedroom.

This stereo system featured a three-disc CD changer as well as a dual tape deck(one for recording, one for playback). The digital tuner gave me rich, crystal-clear radio connections, and the multiple presets were a godsend. There was no remote with this system, though when it was new it DID have one. Oh, well. My stereo was placed just a few feet from my bed anyway, so I really didn’t need another remote control to keep track of.

All of the buttons were hardened plastic - the CD player buttons doubled as tape deck controls depending on which Mode button you pushed(CD, Auxillary, Tape, or Tuner). There were several equalizer and balance presets, including X-Bass(for rap music and other heavy-hitting tunes), Soft(for ballads and folk music) and even Vocal(great for things such as folk music or spoken word).

The stereo itself was less than two feet tall, two feet wide, and two feet deep - a perfect fit on top of my tiny little table. It had a removable power cord, extra-long stereo speaker wire, and wall mounts on the back of the speakers for simplified installation. The main component was hardened plastic, but had been chromed out to give it a very sleek, high-tech look.

All in all, this was the perfect system for me. I bought it and hooked it up as soon as I brought it home, and have been thoroughly pleased with it since.

So, when you’re shopping for a stereo system, you need to ask yourself some or all of the following questions - along with any others that come to mind:

1. How large of a system do I need? Let’s face it - 500 watts of bass-laden power won’t do you any good if you live in a college dormitory or other place that enforces volume level rules. However, if you live in your very own place and enjoy loud music played at high volume, you might as well invest in a larger system.

   
   




2. How much am I willing to pay? If you don’t want to spend eight hundred dollars on a deluxe home entertainment system, 200-CD jukebox, et cetera, then you can always look at smaller bookshelf models. You’d be surprised at the volume level and sound quality that some of these tiny little systems are capable of!

   
   




3. How long do I plan on owning this thing? If you currently live in a place that enforces volume level restrictions, but will be leaving soon, you might want to wait a few months before making your investment. For example, if you’re graduating from college and moving out of the cramped dormitory this fall, you might just stick with your portable CD player and wait until you’re back in your own house(or Mom and Dad’s) so that you can easily justify getting a bigger, better system.

   
   




4. Does this brand have a reputation? If so, what kind? If you want the top of the line, the best of the best, the ultimate stereo.go with Aiwa sound. They cost about fifty percent more than all other brands and models that compare to the one you’re looking at, but there’s a good reason for that. Aiwa is generally the most advanced technologically, and provide many years of enjoyment to users.

   
   

However, other brands are less expensive, and are also very reliable, not to mention current technology-wise. I personally enjoy Sony, Alpine, JVC, and Pioneer. I hate GPX and Philips-Magnavox.and sometimes I enjoy Sharp(the stereo I bought from them is great, but a lot of their other products just don’t appeal to me). Your preferences will obviously differ from mine, so do your own investigating. Ask other users, search the Internet for information, and read about the various products on sites like this one.

Basically, you’re investing in something that will(hopefully) provide many years of enjoyment. Think before you whip out your wallet or MasterCard, and enjoy your purchase!