Okay, so you are, basically, wondering about pairing together speakers and amplifiers - good question! Let me start with the short and quick answer that may annoy you – 95% of consumer-grade/home speakers out there will work and perform admirably with 95% of consumer-grade amplifiers out there and you probably don’t need to worry excessively about it, particularly if you’re spending less than $500 on your equipment. Will “X” amplifier work with “Y” set of speakers? Or, alternatively, I have “Y” speakers… what amplifier do I need? What is the difference between an active speaker and an active studio monitor? what is the absolute cheapest/bare bones system that you recommend?ĭo I need really high bitrate/lossless audio? Will it make a difference? Why do you almost always recommend a passive system over an active setup?

What are passive versus active speakers? What are the pros/cons of each? Will 'X' amplifier work with 'Y' set of speakers? Or, alternatively, I have 'X' speakers - what amplifier do I need to buy? If you have any questions about the terms being used here, or need definitions for them, I've put together a glossary of sorts at the end that you may want to skim over first. At some point in the future, there will be a more formal wiki.

Our users are quite happy to answer your questions and inquires, but we have our own busy lives and it will help us get you an answer much more quickly and efficiently if you follow the advice offered by u/ctfrommn!įinally, the intent of this is to simply be, more or less, a quick and dirty guide - advanced users may also have differing answers to some of these questions, but this contains the answers that are the general consensus of this subreddit. However, if you don’t know very much, consider reading the remainder of this guide to understand the basics and get answers to frequently asked questions – your question may already be answered! If you’ve already read through this guide, and your question isn’t answered, please consider checking out ctfrommn’s PSA/guide on how to ask for advice here. Don’t be afraid to ask your questions the only stupid question is the one that is isn’t asked! You have a whole community of people here who are happy to answer your questions and help you out if you’re ready to grow out of boom-boxes, portable Bluetooth speakers, and common, all-in-one, PC audio solutions. Welcome to the BudgetAudiophile Subreddit!

The wirecutter budget sub