Ignite FB Tracking PixelHow to Choose a Home Audio System - Kimberly Jokela
RE/MAX Hallmark Realty
Kimberly Jokela, RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Phone: (239) 595-8270
Email: kim@SellingNaplesRE.com

How to Choose a Home Audio System

by Kimberly Jokela 05/27/2018

Technologies for home theater audio are rapidly changing. At one time if you wanted a good listening experience in your living room you have to spend hundreds on surround sound speakers, subwoofers, and receivers. Then, you had to run wires throughout the room and try programming your remote to make it all work.

While surround sound speakers are still a good option, there are other ways to experience quality audio in your home. In this article, we’re giving you a guide to choosing a home audio system that fits your needs and, more importantly, your budget.

Sound bars 

The latest addition to home theater audio is the sound bar. These are slim, sleek speakers that usually come with a small subwoofer.

Sound bars come in several varieties. Some are plug-and-play, meaning you don’t need to worry about purchasing amplifiers or devices, you just plug them into your television via an HDMI cable or connect to your TV through Bluetooth and you’re done.

Other sound bars are more like bases that your TV sits on top of. Sound bases aren’t as popular as they once were, so there are limited options. Furthermore, they typically don’t include a separate subwoofer so they can lack deep bass.

The other benefit of sound bars is just how simple they are to use. Even the cheapest sound bars often come with Bluetooth, so you only have to worry about one outlet spot for the power cord.

For most homeowners who want sound quality far better than their television’s internal speakers can provide, sound bars are an easy way to vastly improve your audio experience without breaking your wallet.

Before buying a sound bar, try them out at a local electronics store to gauge what quality you need. You also might want to measure your television to find one that matches its width.

Surround sound

The classic home theater experience is a bit more complicated. However, you can often buy a “home theater in a box” which includes everything you need for an audio system.

Most commonly, you’ll find 5.1-channel surround sound. This means there are five speakers and one subwoofer included in the box. These systems have one central speaker, two speakers that are placed to the left and right side of the television, and two rear speakers. However, you can also find 7.1-channel systems which include two extra speakers.

Many “home theater in a box” packages include an audio receiver. However, if you already have one, your money will be better spent on buying a higher quality speaker system than replacing your receiver.

The downfall of buying a speaker/receiver package is that their quality is often only marginally better than a (much simpler and easier to set up) sound bar. To get the optimal experience out of a surround sound system, you’ll need to spend more and do your research.

So, if you have a high budget and want a dynamic, high-quality surround sound system, your best bet is to buy a quality receiver (usually somewhere in the $600 range) and then spend the bulk of your budget on speakers.

About the Author
Author

Kimberly Jokela

Meet Kimberly Jokela:

With a genuine passion in people Kimberly loves helping her clients make their real estate dreams or needs come to life! Specializing in Luxury, Vacation, Retirement or Investment properties.

Born and raised in the midwest in a family with a strong work ethic, filled with creativity & dedication.

Her determination lead her to attend college at the "Philadelphia Performing Arts" where she had the opportunity to follow her passion in the Arts & to travel. Living in California with her husband Rick for 15 years together they built a successful business. After the birth of her beautiful daughter Brittany, seeking a "small town” coastal lifestyle, they took a trip to Naples Florida & fell in love with all it has to offer and made the jump!

With now over 17 years experience as a licensed Realtor serving Naples, Bonita Springs, Marco Island, Estero & Fort Myers.

A great listener, negotiator & connector, Kimberly is dedicated to helping her clients looking to BUY their ideal Florida property! 

Her warm & friendly personality is present in everything she does on her clients behalf!

Kimberly’s creativity & "out of the box" thinking gives her clients the extra leverage they need when SELLING a property.

Her well organized marketing includes professionally produced photography, video, drone imagery, media presentation in print, numerous online websites & social media!