4 things to consider while setting up a home audio system If you want to enhance your viewing and listening experience, all you need is to have a powerful home audio system. It is an exciting entertainment as it not just restricted to movies, you can play music and you can also connect some systems to your phone or computer. You can have a simple 32-inch TV and an in-box home audio system or a huge projector with and in-wall speakers. There are a lot of factors that come in between and need to be considered before you settle on either of the two options or an in-between. Things to consider while setting up a home audio system:

• Room space: It is important for you to study the room that you will be setting up the home audio system in. The size of the room should ideally determine the size and type of your entire system, if it is a small room you do not need to set up too many speakers as it could be too loud. And, if you lower the volume, it would be an incomplete use of the speaker’s potential. The lighting of the room is important, as ambient lighting can result in screen glare on the TV or a washed-out image of the projector. If the room has a carpet then the output of the sound will be different from the one without a carpet, so you have to consider that as well.
• Audio reproduction: This is a very important factor of your home audio system, you do not want a system that does not satisfy you with the music output. You must choose between a home theatre receiver or a preamp/amp combination. A home theatre receiver usually has three components: A radio turner or in some cases a HD radio, internet radio, or XM. A preamplifier that switches and controls which audio device your TV is connected to, it also selects which speaker the output is supposed to go to. A built-in amplifier that sends the signals and the power to the speakers.
• Loudspeakers: The next most important thing in line for your home audio system are the loudspeakers. Just as the size and type determine the type of video device you need; the loudspeakers are also set up on the same phenomenon. Before you buy the new speakers, get through a thorough research, listen to various speakers and setups. If you are buying a set of speakers, consider buying the same brand for the other parts of the home, this will improve the connectivity and the output. You need a sub woofer, there is no other way around it. A sub woofer is a specialized speaker that only reproduces the extremely low frequencies, this works well for movies.
• Source components: You can stick to old school DVD and cd players, but the main source component you need for your home audio system is internet. An internet connection can get you all the action you are looking for. Once you get a Wi-Fi connection, you can connect your smartphone, computer or any other device with in-built Wi-Fi to your home audio system. A smart TV will also expose you to directly playing things from the internet on your TV, you can access Netflix and watch all your favorite shows on the TV as well. The antenna, cable or satellite is also as important as the internet, because what is a TV without TV channels?

Things you might not know about a home theatre system Whether you like watching TV or not, you would not mind having a good home audio system for your watching experience. A home audio system is becoming exceedingly popular between families and furnishing options. For those who like watching TV, it has become a must and for those who aren’t very fond of watching TV are owning it to enhance the experience for the little time that they will be watching it. With the popularity growing, there is a lot of confusion and hype about which home audio system is good and things that must be bought along with the home audio system. Read along to get rid of some of the misconception that come with owning home audio systems:

• Doesn’t have to be expensive There is a misconception that home audio systems must be expensive if you want good quality movie and audio experience. It is luxury that is being adopted by most of the households, but there is a misconception that it is not for people who have a little financial difficult. A home audio system does not have to be expensive. The best way to set it up at affordable rates, is by getting separate things and then combining them. The basics you need, is a good flat screen TV and a surround sound speaker set. The fancy couch and other sound enhancers can take a backseat if you are running on a low budget.
• An LED TV is not a different type of TV Since the introduction of LED TVs there has been a lot of hype about them, as they are being considered as a new technology as the image chip generates the picture. Some salesmen are using this technology in their sales pitch to lure more customers in buying the LED TV. Buying an LED TV is the right decision, but it works on the same technology as the LCD TV. The light that brings the image to you from the TV is in an LED form which goes easy on the eye.
• An OLED TV is different LED and LCD TVs are the most common TVs around the market and are being bought by most people looking to setup a home thatre system. There is another elite player in the TV market, it is the OLED TV. The OLED TV is different from these two TVs as it does not require a backlit display, this is because each pixel in this screen is self-emissive. This is also the reason OLED TVs can be made thinner than the LCD and LED TVs. The OLED screen works on a technology that allows the display to be absolutely black, thereby making colors look richer. The price for OLED TVs is a lot higher than the LCD and LED TVs, but it has been going down by the year.
• High definition stares from 720p The picture quality in your home theatre system is one of the most important things for you. If you are setting up a home audio system, the picture quality of the TV is the last thing you would want to compromise on. Most consumers are misled to believe that only 1080p is high definition. It is the best quality available in the market, but 720p is where the high definition picture quality starts. Other than 1080p, 1080i is also a high-resolution format of picture quality. While, you might want to opt for the 1080p TV, it might not be harmful to settle for a 720p screen resolution if you are on a tight budget.

Your living room deserves an amazing home audio system. If you have a comfortable couch and a big flat screen TV, the only thing you’re missing is a loud home audio system. It is the one thing that can change your living room into a home theatre or a music hall. If you are having a party, it can hardly be a success without music. But having said all of that, finding a home audio system that fits your room space and your budget is not very easy to find. So, here is a list of the top home audio systems in the market. If you are looking for a high end acoustic HD sound equipment to give you a theatre-like feel or a low budget one, you will find it on this list. Read along:

• Best overall: Nakamichi shockwafe pro 7.1 400W 45” sound bar It is the best home audio system in the market right now, if you are not restricted by a budget. It does not give you any hassle of space as it does not have a full receiver, the sound bar is aesthetically pleasing and has an amazing audio output. It has a massive 7.1 channel 400-Watt output which is ideal for your living room, no matter if you are watching movies or listening to music. It might not blast music into the room, but it definitely gives you a rich sound experience. The bar has five sealed speaker chambers and six DSP chipsets, it creates an acoustic wideness that gives life to your media with DSP EQ modes. It sets up with 11 tuned speaker drivers as well as an included eight-inch wireless subwoofer.
• Second best overall: Bose SoundTech 30 Series III Bose is known all over the world for its amazing sound quality and the enthralling atmosphere it creates around the room. It has the capacity to capture every single music tone, lyric, guitar strum, bass note and pin-drop from the music. This is a one-piece system so setting up is not an issue at all, and its patented technology is engineered to bring deep and robust sound quality to any room, large or small. These speakers are Bluetooth-enabled and can be added to other speakers, making your room a music blast. There is a SoundTouch app that allows you to connect to these speakers through your home Wi-Fi from your smartphone or your computer. And not just that, you also have access to music services like Pandora, Spotify, and SiriusXM in just one touch.
• Best Budget: Sonos Play 1 This speaker is by far the best speaker in its category, it earns the ‘best budget speaker’ title with ease. However, it only has a Wi-Fi support and no other connectivity, but that could also be seen as a blessing in disguise. It loses some marks on the design, but has amazing sound output and is complete value for money product. It is the cylindrical shape, but isn’t designed for portability as it is 4.7 inches wide, 6.4 inches deep and weighs 4.1 pounds. The setup for this product is really simple, you just need to download the Sonos app and follow the basic instructions. Although you might have to stick to the sonos app for the music as it does not support either Airplay or Bluetooth. You can still stream the music through all the music streaming apps. It is tiny, but it can power up an entire room with volume and sound all it requires is a wall outlet connector.
• Best Under $75: Logitech surround speakers Z506 This speaker is the most affordable speaker in the market, given the fact that it is priced below $75. It is a complete package with 6 speakers, wired two-channel sourced 5.1 and a 3D stereo surround sound system. Even if it does not have bluetooth connectivity, this speaker comes with enough sound to fill up a room with music and in some cases, rattle a few windows.

It is that time of the year where you would be getting electronic appliances and deals at the most competitive prices. There is no best thing than being a reader fanatic and a tech geek at the same time. e-Book readers and accessories are one of the electronic devices that are sold out like hot cakes. But before you barge into the Black Friday and big boxing day sales, take a step back and read everything you need to know about eBook readers and accessories. Have a look at the pros and cons of buying eBook readers: Pros

• Portability An ordinary eBook reader weighs anywhere under 10 ounces. You can jam in as many as eBooks you please in one single device rather than carrying around a pile of books in a bag.
• Convenience Consider a scenario where you plan on reading a random book. If you own an eBook reader, you don’t need to go to a bookstore or order one from a website and wait for it to be delivered to your doorstep. All you need to do is download the book on your eBook and start reading it at your convenience anytime, anywhere. When compared with traditional books, newly released books are much cheaper with eBook versions. A wide variety of eBooks (including the classic editions) have entered the public domain and thus are freely available on the online portal of the eBooks.
• Ergonomically convenient One of the best things about using an eBook is its ergonomic convenience. eBook readers and accessories manufacturers, design eBooks in such a way that they can be efficiently held with just one hand. You can turn the page on an eBook reader without having to use the other hand. This comes in handy when you are using a public transportation that is rather crowded. The same is not the case with reading a paperback traditional book. There is always a fear of losing out on turning more than one page if you are not in a comfortable space.
• More than just an eBook eBook readers and accessories manufacturers have grown out and gone ahead with providing features in the eBooks that are more than just for reading. You can listen to music and browse the internet while you read favorite books in your eBook reader. You could do that with a traditional book as well but, you’d need a separate smart device which would be very inconvenient.

Now that we have learned the pros of using an eBook let us move over to the cons of the same that will help decide if it is a good idea to invest in eBooks readers and accessories. Cons

• No “second-hand” option Unlike in traditional books, where you can get a book that you have not read at, second-hand prices. There is no such provision in eBook readers. It is possible that you may end up paying the same price or a lot more for certain books.
• No option of lending out a book Forget buying second-hand books, you cannot lend or borrow a book from a friend like you can with traditional cover books. There are a very few eBooks that let you do that but then you might have to compromise on some or the other factors.
• Not a real book after all While many of you might not completely agree with this disadvantage, if you are a paperback cult reader and like the idea of turning the pages the way they are meant to, you might find reading your favorite book from an eBook reader rather daunting and even disconnecting. Many eBook readers and accessories manufacturers try their best to give their users the same feel of a traditional book but it is an electronic book reader at the end.

5 affordable and portable media players to listen to music on-the-go You can listen to your favorite tunes or watch your favorite movies wherever and whenever you want with a portable audio and video device. Yes, it’s true that you can use your phone as well for these; however, you use your phone for a lot of things apart from listening to music or watching videos. All these additional features will consume substantial storage and battery power from your phone. But with a dedicated portable audio and video player, you do not have to worry about all these. You can store thousands of songs, a few videos, as well as photos on your portable audio and video device. And you do not have to spend much on these devices, especially if you are on a budget. Here are a few portable audio and video players that pack in a lot of features at quite affordable costs.

• AGPtEK M20S: With a price of around $30, this is a portable audio and video player by AGPtEK. The M20S is one of the cheapest models that is quite perfect for people who do not want jazzy features on their portable device. It is quite compact, and its size is about 3x0.3x1.2 inches. Its internal storage is 8 GB, and the storage is expandable to about 64 GB. It supports nearly all audio formats. It has 14 hours of battery life; you can listen to 14 hours of music with a single charge.
• Sony NW-A35 16GB Walkman: The original Walkman was a game-changer; however, it was bulky and could barely fit into your pockets. The Sony NW-A35 is the lighter and sleeker version of the classic Walkman. This portable audio and video device has a high-resolution audio quality that is sans any distortion and noise. It has a 3.1-inch touchscreen interface that is quite intuitive. It has an internal storage of 16 GB. 64 GB models are also available. The memory can be expanded to 192 GB. This affordable portable audio and video player includes a Bluetooth feature as well. The battery life is a solid 45 hours. The price, however, is a bit on the steep side with the approximate cost being $218.
• MYMAHDI MP3/MP4 Music Player: This sturdy portable device from MYMAHDI costs approximately $26. Its internal storage is about 8 GB, which is expandable to 128 GB. The supported audio formats include MP3, WMA, FLAC, APE, AAC, and so on. The device’s weight is relatively more as compared to other portable audio and video devices. This adds to the durability of the device. There is a speaker on the backside of the device; so, this can be used as a voice recorder as well.
• Sony NWE395: This portable player from Sony costs around $68. It can play 35 hours of songs or four hours of video on a one-time recharge of the battery. The internal memory is about 16 GB. The display screen is about 1.77 inches and is suitable for watching short and quick video clips. Typical to Sony, this device is known to have quite good audio quality. The control functions can be operated through buttons.
• AGPTEK A01T 8GB Bluetooth MP3 Player: This is one of the best looking portable devices in the affordable range. It costs around $37 and has slim and compact design with buttons for control functions. The audio quality is good since it is supported by a noise reduction feature. It has a 1.8 TFT display and storage capacity of 8 GB. The memory is expandable to 128 GB. The battery life is 45 hours of audio playing or 16 hours of videos. It takes about 1.5 hours to recharge the battery.