Stop Drooling Over Stereo Speakers

I've been looking at Amazon.com every day drooling over speakers that I've never heard.  Surely, they'll sound better than my current combination of thrift store and old Bose Acoustimass 5 speakers.  The perfect stereo is only $59 to $399 away.  If I just pull together a little cash, I can buy some speakers that are perfect.  I have a one way ticket to utopia in my wallet.


Of course, there is an easier way.  I could simply set up all of my current speakers correctly.  The Bose Acoustimass 5 manual is out there on the internet for all to see.  It clearly states that I need to attach my Bose speakers to the subwoofer and then to the little speakers.  Otherwise, I could damage my speakers.  (I had been connecting the small speakers directly to the stereo and leaving the subwoofer disconnected.  But, I suspect that only low music volumes have spared them thus far.)  Before I buy anything, I need to give my current speakers a fair shot at greatness.

Next, I could arrange my speakers properly.  The Bose speakers should be positioned so that the top speaker in each pair aims at me where I sit and the bottom aims away to bounce sound off of the walls.  The sub can be positioned elsewhere--anywhere--in the living room as long as I don't cover up the output hole.  Then I need to switch my attentions to my big old school speakers.

Then, I need to refoam one of my Cerwin-Vega VS100 speakers.  Once they are in the best condition that they can be in.  I need to disconnect the Bose and crank those big floorstanders up and give them a fair test.  Then I have to decide whether I want to go old school or new technology when it comes to speakers.


Instead of buying anything new, I just have to sit down and really listen to my system.  If I already have a combination that sounds good, then I don't need to buy anything.  Not buying anything keeps money in the bank.