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Expert advice on choosing, buying and setting up your home audio or home theater system.
Home Audio Articles
Before You Buy a Home Theater System
- Speaker Types
The pros and cons of the different kinds (not brands) of speakers available. - The Truth About Power Ratings
There are games being played with amplifier power ratings, so you better watch out, you better not cry. - Surround Formats
Pro Logic, Dolby Digital, DTS, THX and DSP - What does all this gibberish mean? - Choosing Electronics
What to look for when shopping for electronics. - Home Theater System Overview
All the parts you'll need to assemble a system. - How to Use Product Reviews, Part I.
Make a More Powerful Buying Decision. - How to Use Product Reviews, Part II.
Exploring a relatively new, Internet fueled issue: the role and value of consumer written reviews and review sites. - Bigger is Not Always Better
Advantages of multiple small drivers over fewer large drivers - Speaker Wire & Connectors
Recommendation on speaker wire length and various connectors - 5-Way Binding Posts
More Contact Equals Better Sound - Choosing Home Audio Speakers
General advice on what to look for when shopping for speakers.
Setting Up a Home Theater System
- General Home Theater Setup
This Is System Setup 101 - Home Audio Speaker Placement
OK, now that you have all these boxes, where ya gonna put them? - Optimizing the Sound of Your Room
A few simple techniques will make your room, and your equipment, sound much better. - Surround Processor/Receiver Set-Up
Dolby Digital surround processors have adjustments you may not be familiar with - Bass Management & Subwoofer Connections
A further examination of some of the topics covered above. - Subwoofer Positioning & Adjustment
Tips on how to get the best bass performance. - Polk's World Class Customer Service
Personal Help When You Need It: Polk's World Class Customer Service - Bi-Amping
The two sets of binding posts, on the rear of your speakers, enable the Bi-Amplfication of your speakers. - Bi-Wiring
The two pairs of 5-way binding posts enable bi-wiring the speaker system. - Troubleshooting Simple Audio/Video Problems
You have a friend in the audio industry. Troubleshooting Simple Audio/Video Problems.
Using a Home Audio System is Fun!
- How to Read a DVD & BR Label
Know what you're getting before you buy DVDs & Blu-Rays. Secrets revealed! - How Do I Prevent Damaging My Speakers Again?
There are many reasons why speakers malfunction. - Troubleshooting Simple Audio/Video Problems
You have a friend in the audio industry. Troubleshooting Simple Audio/Video Problems. - How Polk Builds Superior Audio Products
Forty Years of Quality Assurance: How Polk Builds Superior Audio Products
Car Audio Articles
Car Audio Basics
- Choosing the Right Woofer/Enclosure System
Choosing the Right Woofer/Enclosure System - To Install or Not to Install
DIY or go with a pro? - Power Up!
How much power do you really need? - Car Audio Glossary
How to talk like a 12V pro. What all that jargon means. - Little-known Secrets of the Soundroom
How to listen smart when buying car audio speakers. - The Basics of Car Audio
The basic parts of a system, what they do and why you need them. - More Toys
More in-depth explanations about all kinds of important stuff. - A Crossover is not a Puzzle. Well, sort of.
But they're vital to creating great sound. Here are some basics. - Some Mistakes to Avoid
Lot's of people make them when choosing speakers. Read this first. - How Car Speakers Work
How they work, the different types and how to choose.
Setting Up a Car Audio System
- Polk's World Class Customer Service
Personal Help When You Need It: Polk's World Class Customer Service - Quick Guide for Sub Box Construction
Quick Guide for Sub Box Construction
Car Speaker Maintenance
- Tips on Cleaning Your Car's Sound System
Some simple, though very important, things to do when you clean up your act. - The Care & Feeding of Tweeters
Give tweeters the respect they deserve. - How Not to Wax Your Speakers
Sometimes what you don't do makes your speakers live longer. - Dealing with Noise
Defeating distortion and stifling hum in your system. - How Car Speakers Work
How they work, the different types and how to choose. - How Polk Builds Superior Audio Products
Forty Years of Quality Assurance: How Polk Builds Superior Audio Products - Interpreting Subwoofer Technical Data
Interpreting Subwoofer Technical Data