An experiment conducted by a high-end hi-fi manufacturer, at a high-end audio show, has shown that proper installation is more important than the price of the components for re-playing music. He showed that moderately priced components when installed properly are capable of playing music better than (his) expensive components not installed properly. This study, or fact, has confirmed that care, patience and a little knowledge is most important when installing your equipment in order to achieve great music, rather than a noise, during playback.

Herewith are a few tips to remember when installing your equipment:

• Safety First: Make sure all equipment is switched off and unplugged before connecting or disconnecting  any equipment
• Use a separate shelf to isolate your components from each other including vibration-absorbing materials, like Audioquest® Sorbo Gel Feet, under each component
• Use separate wall plugs per component
• Use quality speaker cables, interconnects and power cables as they reduce radio frequency interference (RFI) and other nasties from contaminating your music. Run and house power cables separately from speaker and interconnects cables
• Experiment with speaker positioning; use the spikes supplied with your speakers to decouple them from the ground and quality speaker stands for your book-shelf or stand-mount speakers

When matching speakers to amplifiers remember that the more efficient (measured in decibels rather than watts) your speakers are the lower your amplifier’s power need be and vice versa. There are 3 things to remember when installing speakers:

• Whatever you do to one speaker, do the same to the other. For example keep both speakers equidistant from the rear wall, at the same height and use the same cable lengths for both.  For instance; if 3m of cable is required for 1 speaker and 1m for the other, use 3m of the same cable for both. These things will ensure that your speakers perform equally & coherently
• Use quality cables and the least amount of it in order to install your speakers properly
• Place them on a firm foundation away from corners and far apart from each other. Try and form an equilateral triangle with your speakers and your listening seat. Experiment with corner positioning, you may find that your speakers perform much better out of corners than in the corners

Please see our installation videos, on the video page, as a guide when connecting your components together. We are also training and working with 0800handyman, [0800 426 396, www.0800handyman.co.uk] a soon to be national franchise, which you may call upon (charges apply) for physical help when connecting your equipment together.  Remember that we are only an email info@istereos.co.uk away and happy to answer any questions you may have.