My name is John Zimmer. I'm the owner of Sound Representation, which specializes in the sale of high-end audio equipment. I really learned everything that I know about high-end audio from working at this store that we're sitting in right now, Stereo Exchange. I'm going to teach you what to look for when you want to shop for a stereo.

The perfect speaker would be one that plays classical music just as well as rock, or jazz, or hip-hop. A speaker has to produce a trumpet sound just as well as a female vocal. And that is a tall order for any speaker designer. Some speakers are voiced to enhance specific genres of music. And it is important that you make sure that the type of speakers you buy suit your listening habits. The best thing to do is ask someone at your local stereo shop to guide you. These Mom and Pop stores are harder to find these days, but the knowledge of their staff is invaluable. If you don't have a local stereo store, the worldwide web is an amazing resource. Good places to start would be stereophile.com, as well as computeraudiophile.com. The most important tip when choosing loudspeakers is to try before you buy.