Easy Guide to Setting Up 2-Channel Audio at Home

There are many ways to enjoy music in your house. For background listening, a wireless speaker or two will do the trick. If you’re watching a movie, surround sound is the best way to create that immersive theater feeling. But to treat your ears with your favorite songs at the best quality, there’s no beating 2-channel audio.

Setting up 2-channel requires more than just a set of speakers, however. Achieving optimal sound quality involves your speakers, your amplifier and the cables that link everything together. If you’re a little confused, there’s no need to fret; we’re the experts. Today we’ll walk you through everything you need to know and all the components you’ll need to build a 2-channel audio system for your New York City home.

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SYSTEM COMPONENTS

Music recorded in stereo includes two channels to give you sound in multiple dimensions. A 2-channel system aims to replicate the way the sound was recorded both with how the speakers are placed – at either side of the listener – and how the sound is played back. The basic components of your system are two speakers, an amplifier and your source components.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed trying to understand the amplifier and speaker spec sheets. We can help you find what will work best according to your needs and budget. Here are some pointers when it comes to choosing gear for your home audio system:

Your speakers: You want speakers with low distortion, high-power handling and balanced sound. With the right wide-dispersion speakers, you can move around the room without hearing a change in volume or quality.

Your amp: When you’re choosing an amplifier, you want one with a high power-rating and dedicated stereo settings. The right amp will let you play music at a high volume without getting distorted sound, especially the high notes.

Your cables: Each component in a 2-channel audio system needs to be the highest quality possible, including the cables that connect everything. You want the signal from your source components to be as clean as possible all the way to your speakers.

WHERE TO SET UP YOUR SYSTEM

The best way to enjoy 2-channel audio is in a dedicated listening room. In a space designed for specifically for listening to music, you’ll sit equidistant between your speakers so the sound from each device hits you simultaneously. There are also practical concerns when it comes to a listening room’s construction. You’ll want the room to have a carpet but no windows; these features help keep the sound waves from bouncing around the space. We can also install acoustic treatments to absorb or redirect sound to optimize your listening experience.

YOUR CONTROL AND SOURCE DEVICES

A 2-channel audio system can be linked to many different devices. You can go old-school and hook the system up to your turntable, if you have one, for an analog system that blows away many digital equivalents. If you’d prefer something a little more high-tech, many high-end amplifiers and loudspeakers now include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, letting you connect your audio system to your streaming music service of choice.

One point to note: Digital music files like MP3 often compress the sound data of the recording, so you don’t hear as much of the sound. If you’re using digital files with your system, you’ll want to use high-resolution, uncompressed file formats like FLAC or ALAC to get better sound quality.

Ready to transform the way you listen to music? Call us today at (201) 620-2929 or fill out our contact form online.