Home Audio System buying guide: Review of various speaker systems, including sophisticated ones that offer either multi-room audio, voice control, or both.
Come holiday season, and suddenly there are so many things that you wish to buy. One of them is the Home Audio System.
Although most families don’t listen to music as much as they used to (its only the youngsters who listen to music on their phones), on certain occasions you do wish that you had a music system.
In recent years, all-in-one music systems have become popular; these can be used to play music from phones or computers via Bluetooth.
And in the years to come, connected systems that can stream music to every room in your home, will gain popularity.
Popular brands offering sophisticated home audio systems include Sonos, Google and Amazon. Surprisingly, they’re reasonably priced, making them quite attractive buys for pre or post-Christmas holidays.
Multi-Room Systems vs Bluetooth
For streaming music in one room, a simple Bluetooth speaker or system should be fine (Bluetooth works fine over short distances). However, because Bluetooth creates a direct link to the audio output of your device, you will also hear email alerts or notification sounds over the system.
- Multi-room systems such as Sonos or Google Home, on the other hand, are much more sophisticated. A single app can play different music in different rooms or have the same track play in all rooms.
- They play only music through your speakers, not any other notification sounds.
- Multi-room systems require several speakers and a decent Wi-Fi network. .
Useful Links
Voice Control Feature
The latest development in home audio is voice control. Gadgets like iPhone, Mac, Siri can be controlled by voice; you tell it what to play.
Although not many users have shown interest in it as of now, companies like Amazon and Google are excited about the feature and are developing their own voice control systems.
Remember, there’s also the privacy issue: Amazon and Google’s voice control systems are always on and listening.
Buying a Home Audio System
Now that you’re aware of the various features available on Home audio systems, its easy to buy one that fits your needs. Do listen to various devices in a store though.
In case, you already own an expensive hi-fi system, you can add wireless streaming capabilities to it (you will need to buy a small device/dongle).
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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