Buying speakers is kind of like shopping for a pet. Since what you choose is going to be with you for a long time, it's a good idea to put serious time and thought into finding something that's right for your lifestyle. Magazine reviews, online forums, and the like are solid resources to tap when you start your speaker-shopping quest, but unless you plan to buy sight unseen (and unheard) from an online dealer, you'll need to walk through the doors of an A/V store at some point. If that sounds scary, relax. This guide will give you tips on navigating the experience, as well as pointers on what to listen for when you're auditioning speakers.

Finding the Right Store While your ultimate goal is to decide on which speakers to buy, you first need to figure out where to buy them. There are two main options: big-box electronics stores and specialty A/V retailers. Some big electronics stores have a good selection of speakers, and chances are you'll be able to pick them up for an excellent price. (You'll also be able to score an iPod, Wi-Fi router, replacement printer cartridge, and possibly a Pez dispenser while you're there, but that's beside the point.)

The downside to such stores — and it's a deadly one — is that you won't be able to audition speakers in a noise-free room. Your typical mega-electronics mall has several loud demos going on simultaneously — everything from Xbox games to car audio systems. Add to that sonic sludge the piped-in music from the ceiling and you have an environment even a PS3-addicted 9-year-old would find distracting. For these reasons and more, you'll have a much better experience if you visit a specialty retailer that focuses exclusively on audio and video products. You might end up paying a bit more, but you should be able to listen to a wide range of speakers in a quiet, relaxed environment.

But before you even enter a store, take a moment to nail down your precise needs. Are you looking for a complete six-speaker surround sound system, or a simple stereo pair? Is your room big enough to accommodate tower models, or will a compact system that uses small satellites and a subwoofer be a better fit? Do you want regular freestanding speakers or on-wall, in-wall, or even ceiling models? If you can supply a list of specific information to the salesman at the outset, the transaction is likely to go down a lot smoother.

SPEAKER TYPES

DIRECT-RADIATING Any speaker that's not a dipole, bipole, or Omnipolar. Until dipole surround speakers came along, almost all speakers were direct-radiating. BIPOLAR A speaker that radiates sound equally and in phase in opposite directions. DIPOLAR A speaker that radiates sound equally in opposite directions but with opposite phase or polarity (see bipolar). Dipolar speakers are sometimes used for the surround channels in home theater systems because they create a diffuse sound field in that application. OMNIPOLAR A speaker that radiates sound equally in all directions, a.k.a. omnidirectional. ("Omnipolar" is a trademark of Mirage Speakers.) ELECTROSTATIC A speaker with a large plastic-film diaphragm that, when excited by the electrical output from an amplifier, moves back and forth between positively and negatively charged perforated-metal panels to produce sound. HYBRID ELECTROSTATIC Since small electrostatic speakers can have trouble producing bass, hybrid models have a cone woofer at the bottom of the cabinet to handle the lowest frequencies. PLANAR-MAGNETIC These speakers have a metallic ribbon or a long looping wire embedded in a plastic-film diaphragm that vibrates between arrays of permanent magnets when excited by an amplifier's electrical output.

Sales guys in high-end A/V shops often get a bad rap — sometimes deservedly so. In my own experiences in New York City, I've encountered two kinds I'd prefer to avoid. The first is the hard-sell type, who starts by asking if you plan to buy any equipment today or unwaveringly steers you toward a specific brand of gear. The second is the passive seller. Instead of asking exactly what you're looking for, he flips in a CD and lounges back on the listening-room couch, smiling, hoping you'll interpret his bliss as an indication that the speakers sound awesome. If you encounter either of these guys, beat a hasty retreat and don't look back.

You want a salesman who listens carefully to your needs, then offers specific product recommendations that address them. Once again, I'd steer you toward specialty A/V stores. Bad salesman-types aside, you're more likely to find honest, informed help there — people who have actually been bitten by the home theater or audiophile bug, as opposed to someone who transferred from the PC peripherals department last week.

Auditioning Speakers We've already established that the best place for auditioning speakers is a quiet, dedicated listening room with an attentive, informed salesman at your side. But what else should you look for? You'll probably want to compare several brands, and possibly speakers that use different technical approaches to creating sound. Direct-radiating types are the most common, but you might find that you prefer the sound of bipolar, dipolar, or Omnipolar (omnidirectional) models. Also, while almost all speakers still use tried-and-true cone or dome drivers, you might want to listen to some more unusual technologies, such as flat-panel electrostatic or planar-magnetic models. (See "Speaker Types," above.)

So you can hear a variety of speaker brands and types and compare their performance, any room you audition in should have a switcher. This is basically a set of buttons that either you or the salesman can press to perform on-the-fly A/B comparisons of the same music. The switching setups in stores are rarely ideal — for a truly accurate comparison, the speakers need to be level-matched, since a louder-sounding speaker will often sound better just because of that — but for comparison purposes, imperfect switching is better than none at all.

Also, most stores let you compare only stereo tower or bookshelf speakers. To hear a range of 5.1-channel speaker rigs, you'll probably need to shuttle between a few rooms with semi-permanent home theater systems installed. To execute a spot comparison of various stereo speaker packages in the same room, you might have to request a special demo that goes beyond the store's normal procedures. They might be reluctant, but don't be shy about asking. It's your money, after all.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

TONAL BALANCE The speaker's overall character — the clarity and smoothness of its midrange, fullness of its bass, and relative sharpness or softness of its high frequencies. Listening to acoustic folk or jazz CDs is a good starting point in determining these qualities. DYNAMICS A speaker's ability to respond quickly and easily to rapid changes in loudness. Good rock CDs are recommended for this test. IMAGING The sense of three-dimensional space a speaker pair projects, and their ability to localize voices and instruments accurately between them. Classical orchestral or live jazz CDs are your best bets here, although well-recorded rock or pop can also work. SPACIOUSNESS The overall depth a speaker can convey, as well as its ability to create a sense of sound happening in a real space. Basically, any genre of music is fodder for this test, although CDs of live performances can cue you in more quickly. • If you're buying a surround sound system to use in a home theater, you'll also want to listen for these qualities: CENTER-CHANNEL CLARITY Pay close attention to the performance of the center speaker, which conveys most of the information in a movie's soundtrack. Dialogue coming from it should sound natural and crisp, and it should remain that way when heard from both center-screen and off-center seats. SURROUND-CHANNEL AMBIENCE When auditioning surround speakers, the rear-channel effects in a movie soundtrack should blend smoothly with the front channels and deliver a realistic sense of envelopment in the scene. Avoid surround speakers that sound unbalanced and thin compared to the front speakers, or that consistently call attention to their location in the room.

You probably won't puke if forced to listen to Diana Krall or watch Eric Clapton play a medley of his classic hits "unplugged" during a demo, but if the music isn't something you listen to regularly, it won't give you a good idea of what the speakers sound like. So bring along CDs and DVDs you're intimately familiar with, and insist that you get a chance to spin a few of them. If you're not quite sure what qualities you should be concentrating on during the audition, check out "What to Listen For" (at right).

Other Considerations If you're buying speakers to go with a bigscreen flat-panel TV, you might want to check out the store's on-wall speaker options. Many speaker companies have come out with high-quality on-wall systems that rival the performance of their freestanding models. You might also want to check out the in-wall and ceiling speakers. These usually require professional installation and typically don't sound as good as freestanding or on-wall models, but they'll blend in with your home's décor much better than traditional speakers.

Some stores have a "try before you buy" policy for regular customers — you can bring the speakers home and check them out before you fork over any money. If your local A/V emporium is cool enough to let you do this, then you're in luck. If not, inquire about the store's return and exchange policies. Any speakers you buy should sound as good in your home as they did in the store. If they don't, you should be able to return them or exchange them for a different set.

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