White Paper

In the last few decades, home-component and high-end automotive music systems have created a consumer base that expects high-quality stereo sound.

This white paper covers:

• Defining home audio concepts and expectations
• Pre-wiring models and diagrams
• Speaker cable comparisons and recommendations

EXCERPT:

Home Audio Concepts and Owner Expectations

Out with the old…
The idea of distributing sound around the home is almost as old as sound reproduction itself. For many years, high-end homes had intercom systems with a music feature built in. Although this "canned" music, because it was usually reproduced throughout the home on commercial-grade speakers using sources such as radio or audio cassette, did not approach high-fidelity standards, it was sufficient for many consumers; especially as there were few other options available at a reasonable cost.

In with the new…
In the last several decades, things have changed dramatically. Home-component stereo systems and high-end automotive music systems have created a consumer base that is not easily satisfied with "elevator" sound. They expect high-quality stereo sound, and they do not want to have large speakers and amplifiers in every room to get it. The invention of the cheap, mass reproducible digital CD, combined with dramatic reductions in cost of CD players, multi-disc changers and "mega-disc" jukeboxes, has fueled a great demand for high-quality music reproduction. Additional developments including high-quality in-wall versions of name-brand bookshelf and floor-standing speakers, reliable audio controls, and relatively cheap amplifier power have combined to form a residential-installed entertainment industry that is replacing those intercom music systems with high-fidelity foreground music systems.