The Woman's Guide To Buying Audio Gear

Me Strong Like TVSnob Woman!
Audio technology dealer Klipsch has an awesome article entitled "Get Turned On: A Woman's Guide To Purchasing Audio Gear". Being the Christmas season, alot of TVSnob men are going to be asking for audio equipment to spiff up their home theater, and it usually falls on the significant other to go out and make the requested purchase. The problem is that alot of women tend to look at electronics as a "man thing" and find the concept of entering a big-box electronics retailer or specialty shop to buy speakers more than a daunting prospect.

Sarah Knight of Klipsch turns this myth on its head by explaining how she went from "audio illiterate" to a virtual technical connoisseur in the span of a few years. Rather than try to impress us with her knowledge, she lays out some excellent tips in laywoman's terms for women expecting to make speaker purchases. I encourage you to head over to Klipsch and read the article, but I'll condense it here into ten of the more relevant points. Before I do that though, I should also point out that this would be a great read for a lot of men looking to make speaker purchases as well.

Ten Tips To Remember When Purchasing Speakers

1. Don't buy into the myth that audio is a "man thing". Quality home theater sound should be enjoyed by everyone.

2. Do not let the box filled with a bunch of wires and plastic parts intimidate you.

3. The environment where the speakers are set up will effect the sound quality. Room dimensions, wall ornaments and furniture placement affect sound. Before going out to search for the perfect speaker system, draw up a diagram of the room you will place them in.

4. Know what the speakers will be used for. If they are to be used solely for listening to music, you'll need a different system than one that'll be used for TV, movies, and video games.

5. Pick up copies of well-known audio magazines such as Sound And Vision and Home Theater to familiarize yourself with brands.

6. Decide on your budget and then decide whether you'll be purchasing your speakers at a big-box retailer, specialty shop, or through a custom installer. The price tends to increase in the order of the three options listed.

7. Bring your favorite CD or movie when shopping for speakers so you can test it on different brands of equipment.

8. Do not buy speakers based on their looks.

9. Don't let a salesperson confuse you with technical jargon. They want the sale, so if you don't know what they're talking about, work with a different salesperson.

10. Once you have your speakers, you will need a receiver to funnel sound through those speakers. The more stuff you have hooked into your home theater system, the bigger the receiver you'll need. Buy a receiver with a little more capacity than you need in case you decide to add another component to your entertainment center at a later date.

December 2, 2007

The Woman's Guide To Buying Audio Gear