How we pick our products
Hello, welcome to ReviewBox Brasil! Today, the idea here is to show you the way to purchase the best sound system for your needs.
Choosing a sound system can be a difficult task, since there are many brands in the market. Therefore, it is necessary to know what you are looking for, what motivates this purchase and which resources will be the most useful.
The sound devices are capable of transforming our hearing experience, whether it is to watch a good movie at home or to provide quality sound at a party with friends, for example.
Therefore, it is important to know their characteristics, understand how they work and be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Are you ready? Then let’s go.
Summary
- We will compare quality and price, present the details of today’s best models and brands, and explain what the different features are for.
- The criteria you need to look out for are basically power and sound quality, types of speakers, connectivity, size and portability.
- These stereos can cost anywhere from Rs 400 to Rs 8,000. This is because the market has devices of small, medium and large power and more advanced features.
The best Stereo: Our Picks
Buying Guide
Everyone likes to listen to good music. And if the sound is coming from a quality device, even better! If you want to renew the sound waves in your home with a quality stereo, read our Buying Guide.
We will give you the necessary information so that you can choose yours without fear of making a mistake.
What is a stereo and what are its advantages?
It is the ideal equipment for those who like to listen to audio recorded in stereo. It has only 2 audio channels, as do most music files nowadays. Therefore, it is the best option to reproduce them.
You must understand that the number of speakers and the number of channels in each one (tweeters and loudspeakers) is different from the number of audio channels in the system.
If you are going to watch your favorite movies and shows, reproduced by the DVD player of a Mini System, you will only be able to listen to two of the six, seven or eight audio channels that exist in the original recording of the media.
The remaining information will not be able to be heard and will simply be discarded by the device. Unlike the Home Theater, which can play all the different audio channels that the recording has.
Mini System or Home Theater?
With the mini system you will not have 3D sound, but if you watch it once in a while, the sound is good and makes the movie more exciting, much better than the TV speakers.
But if what you want is to have a party with your friends, listen to loud music in every room of your house or even outside, your Mini System may be a great ally.
Knowing the purpose and the reason why you want to buy a stereo is very important. There are different types of these devices on the market. And there will always be a specific option that will better meet a certain demand.
For example, to listen to music, the Mini Systems will be the best option. But to watch movies, shows, music and increase your audio and video room, certainly a Home Theater will be the right choice. They are different products, with different purposes.
To make it easier to visualize the different advantages that you can get if you buy these products, check out the main differences between the two in this table:
| Mini system | Home theater | |
|---|---|---|
| Portability | It is portable | It is static |
| Sound quality | Great | Excellent, ambient and even 3D |
| Inputs | Usually, two USB | Has HDMI inputs |
| Bass | May have bass implement (such as subwoofer speakers) | Has subwoofer |
| Laptop input | Audio input for portable devices (P2) | Audio input for portable devices (P2) |
| Microphone | Microphone input with volume | Input for two microphones with volume and echo control |
| DVD playback | Yes | Yes |
| Karaoke function | Yes | Yes |
Another advantage of the Mini System sound devices, compared to other types of products in the same market niche, is that they are generally simple to handle and control.
And these devices can also offer interesting features and tools to the user. Features such as MP3 and iPod connectivity, USB’s, Bluetooth, CD/DVD player, ripping functions, DJ functions, karaoke, equalizers, LED lights etc.
All of these will add to the user experience in some way.
Buying criteria: Factors to compare different sound systems
When looking for a mini sound system it is possible to see that most of them are quite similar to each other. In addition, the prices can vary a lot and end up inducing us to always buy the cheapest one.
But sometimes, what is cheap is very expensive.
To make the best choice, it is necessary to analyze some features in the settings of the device that can make the difference.
Because of that, we have listed the main criteria and important factors that should be taken into account at the time of your purchase, so you can make a good deal:
- RMS Power (W) and Sound Quality
- Subwoofer
- Tweeter
- Types of speakers
- Additional speakers
- USB, MP3, iPod and SD card input
- DVD player
- Size and portability
The details of each item are here:
RMS Power (W) and Sound Quality
The higher the RMS power (measured in Watts, W), the greater the volume that can be reached. But sound quality goes far beyond just volume.
The types of speakers in the equipment will make the difference, so make sure the mini system has a subwoofer and if the speakers have a tweeter.
It is also worth paying attention to whether the power advertised in the product description is for the whole set of speakers or if it is the power of each of the mini system’s channels (speakers).
Subwoofer
The Subwoofer is the speaker designed to reproduce bass or sub bass sounds, in low frequencies (from 20Hz to 200Hz) or bass. There is no doubt that its presence adds value and increases the sound quality of a mini system.
Tweeter
The tweeter is the type of speaker designed to reproduce the highest frequencies, which are higher, finer, from 5000Hz onwards. It helps to ensure the quality and definition of the sound.
Types of speakers
It is important to know which types of speakers your stereo has. There are different models, some with only 2 speakers, others sometimes with more than 5.
For a better listening experience, it is ideal to have at least one tweeter to emit the high frequency sounds. Another speaker for mid frequencies and a subwoofer for the lower frequencies.
Additional speakers
The possibility that you can add speakers or other speakers to your mini-system stereo may end up transforming your experience with the device in the future.
This is a simple feature that doesn’t affect the price range and may go unnoticed at the time of purchase. But in the future, if you want more versatility over the years, this will make all the difference.
USB, MP3, iPod and SD card input
Nowadays, you can’t do without these inputs. The use of CDs and DVDs in people’s daily lives is becoming less and less common. The most modern streaming services can do the job, making it easier to play all kinds of media.
Being able to plug in USB, MP3, iPod and SD card is crucial. It is worth paying attention to this when making your purchase.
DVD player
If you like to watch movies in high quality, having a DVD player in your mini system could be very interesting.
Often, the internet lets us down when it comes to the quality of the media we consume. You will be able to save on the purchase of a DVD player and still have this feature just by connecting the stereo to your TV.
Size and portability
Some mini systems are relatively large and can take up a lot of space. You should analyse the dimensions of the device and the room where you intend to place it before you buy, to avoid fumbling with this later.
If it has good portability, you will be able to take it into other rooms with ease, to connect it to your TV and computer, for example. For your purchase to be satisfactory, you should think about the purpose of using your stereo.
(Featured image source: fernandozhiminaicela / Pixabay)
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