Home stereo systems come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  They can be as small as a personal CD player to as large as a system for a nightclub.  For these reasons, as well as a variety of others, you should consider what you want from a home stereo system and what needs of yours that it should be suited for.  From amplifying your taste in music to just decorating and furnishing a particular room of your abode, you will have numerous decisions to make before making that purchase.

The basic home stereo system normally comes with the following components:

• amplifier
• CD player
• equalizer
• a receiver
• stereo speakers

The type of room that you put the home stereo system in combined with your personal preferences will normally determine the type of components that you purchase.  The following are the three aspects that you need to consider when purchasing a home stereo system:

1. affordability
2. appearance
3. the sound capturing quality 

The size and appearance of the system can have an effect on the overall sound quality and your budget will obviously determine the affordability factor.  Just remember that the better quality home stereo systems will be expensive so do your research and be careful when making your purchase.

One of the best ways to educate oneself as to the different types of home stereo systems and the quality of them is to read reviews in audio and electronics publications.  It’s also a good way to compare prices.  If you’re looking for a bargain basement price then it is recommended that you visit a club warehouse or a similar business entity.  However, if you’re after quality, then your best bet is to visit a specialty shop.

Home stereo systems cannot be discussed without covering the topic of surround sound.  Prior to the onset of surround sound, everything was played in monaural (or mono) meaning that everything was played on a single audio track through a single speaker.  With technology advancements, monaural sound was split into two tracks --- left and right channels --- and became what we commonly called stereophonic (or stereo) sound.  When stereophonic sound was taken one step further and was split into 5.1 channels, the concept of surround sound became a reality.

The five channels are the center, front left, front right, rear left, and rear right.  The .1 refers to a subwoofer which handles the lower frequencies of every audio channel.  Moving the sound from one speaker to the next makes it appear to be moving around or surrounding the listener.  Surround sound initially gave people who went to the movie theater a more exciting and enjoyable experience.  Now that surround sound is a large part of home theater stereo systems, you can have the same experiences in your own den or family room as what you do in a theater.  Enjoying your own home theater system with family and friends is a great experience and is becoming more popular every day in the American household.