The type of speakers you should choose depends on your primary use. For example, bookshelf and floor-standing speakers can provide rich sound for music, while soundbars and home theater systems are good for movies because of their surround sound. You can also combine speakers with an AV receiver for a versatile setup.

For optimal listening, you should sit in an equilateral triangle with the speakers. This means that the distance between the speakers should be the same as the distance between one speaker and your ear.

You can improve sound quality by adjusting the system for balanced sound, addressing the acoustic of the space, and strategically positioning the speakers.

Stereo provides a listening experience where sounds are placed across two channels to create a stage.

Music mixing places some sounds to the left and others to the right of a primary listening position. Sounds placed in both the left and right channels (such as vocals) come from a phantom centre channel between the left and right speakers. In short, it creates an audio illusion of sound coming from different directions.

A home audio stereo system can be pre-packaged or assembled from separate components with the following core features:

• Stereo amplifier or receiver: Serves as a hub to connect and control content sources and speakers.
• Speakers: Stereo systems require two speakers, one for the left channel and another for the right.
• Sources: Sources provide access to music content. You must plug in external sources on systems with an integrated amplifier. If the system has a receiver, it will have a built-in tuner and, in some cases, Bluetooth or internet streaming. Other sources need to be connected.

If you’re a casual listener, have a small room, or are on a limited budget, a compact pre-packaged system may be the optimal choice. It provides everything you need (including an amplifier, radio tuner, receiver, and speakers) to listen to music.

Depending on the system, additional features can include a built-in CD player, extra inputs for connecting one or more external sources, and Bluetooth to stream music wirelessly. However, one downside of this is that these systems might not have adequate power or good-enough speakers to provide high-quality sound for a larger room.

You can assemble a system using a separate receiver or integrated amplifier, speakers, and source devices. This type of system provides flexibility for your preferences and budget, as you can choose the individual components and speakers you want.

This increased flexibility may result in your system taking up more space than a pre-packaged system and adding to your expenses as you customize and upgrade.

A stereo receiver has these features:

• Amplifier: Supports a two-channel (stereo) speaker setup.
• AM/FM tuner: For listening to local radio stations.
• Analog audio inputs: For connecting compatible source devices.

Determine if you need more amplification as a starting point. I would suggest picking an Atmos receiver model that has pre-amp outputs in case you do want to add external amplification in the future. Even just adding a nice meaty two-channel amp will certainly take the load of the AV receiver from powering up to 9 speakers at once. Properly using bass management also helps significantly as well by dumping the power-hungry bass frequencies into a dedicated subwoofer(s) that is usually better equipped to handle the bass than your main speaker system.