Pitfall Two: Speakers
The next pitfall is choosing what to change in your gear. Most people look
at the stereo (by which they mean the receiver that makes the sound.) and
assume that's the problem.
It's the complicated part, so it must be the weak link, right?
If you paid $129 for it, it probably is a problem. Nonetheless, avoid the
second pitfall.
Pitfall #2 is going after anything but the speakers at
this point.
Speakers are the weakest link in any system. The electronics in a modern
stereo have gotten pretty decent, even in some low end receivers. They
aren't great unless you spend thousands, but you can get very passable
results with a $250 integrated receiver. In other words, inexpensive
electronics don't always equal really bad sound. But a cheap speaker
always, always, always means bad sound.
Good speakers are simply hard to build. A speaker has a difficult job
-- it has to handle a whole, wide range of volume levels and a range of
frequencies, without playing any favorites. A speaker that plays bass
twice as loud as higher notes gets frustrating quickly.
The rule of thumb in high end audio is to spend 60-75% of your cash on the
speakers, and the rest on the rest of the electronics.
That's how much speakers matter.
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