The message is loud and clear

Single-casing units, no matter what the manufacturer says, suffer from serious flaws. The best alternative is to go for separate components. You can buy them one at a time. They are convenient and flexible, can be upgraded or swapped and the resale value is better. Most importantly, the sound is superior, from the low-end bass to the high-end treble. "The difference is the same as between the sound of a crisp wafer and a soggy one," says Priyesh Patel, owner of La-Kozy Electronics on Marine Drive.

A music system consists of three basic units: speakers, amplifiers and the source (your tuner, cassette or CD player). But the heart of a music system remains the amplifier. "Amps are the missing link in any music system," says Jacob Koshy, audio consultant and owner of J&B Sound. Go for one with a flat response and zero distortion over the entire audible range. There are two types of amplifiers — integrated and separated. The separated amp consists of pre- and power-amplification units. These have distinct advantages over integrated amps. Distortion is lower and, no matter how many innovations are introduced, the power-amp is here to stay. "The only thing you may need to upgrade would be your pre-amp," says Patel. Also, in case your pre-amp develops glitches, they do not get passed on to the speakers. A 20-watt rms output amplifier should more than suffice. Good integrated amps range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000. Pre-amps range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 40,000 and power-amps from Rs 12,000 to Rs One lakh.

Second in the line-up are the speakers. They are the most revealing part of your system. There is no standard yardstick when purchasing your pair. "There are hundreds of companies making good speakers catering to different ears. That is what we call subjective listening," says Koshy. One set may give peppy and exciting sound while another may give a very laidback heavy mid-base sound. So selecting the right speakers can be tricky business.

It depends on what you usually listen to. "We have no education in sound and start to like what we hear. Our ears get trained to a particular sound which is coloured and artificial," says Patel. The misconception is that good sound is high in treble, with a lot of zing and screech. "That is not true. The best sound is so bland that you probably won’t be able to digest it," says Koshy. A good speaker aims at the impossible goal of delivering concert hall realism. Make sure your speakers give sound which is soothing and does not lead to ear fatigue. "You should be able to fall off to sleep listening to it," says Patel. The prices for that soporific sound ranges from Rs 12,000 to Rs 3.5 lakh. The next component is your cassette or CD player. Serious audiophiles usually do not go for a CD-changer system. "That is flashy and the sound is inferior," says Patel.

But the good news is that even cheap CD players are almost as good as the expensive ones. "Reliability may vary but they all sound almost the same," says Koshy. That is not the case with cassette players. But if you have a good amplifier and speakers, just connecting your walkman or discman can also give you excellent results.

The other element which can make or break your system is the cabling. "Putting a high-end cable can improve the sound by as much as 30 per cent," says Patel. You may have the best of everything, but the sound is at the mercy of the connections. Interconnects with gold-plated terminals start of at Rs 1,300 per half metre. And with a drain wire (to get rid of magnetic interference), they cost around Rs 1,900 per half metre. Carbon cables, the ultimate in wiring, cost Rs 25,000 per metre. "The general rule is that cables should cost around 10 per cent of your investment in the system," says Patel.

Though the price range of these components looks dramatic, the simple rule is that the most expensive need not be the best. "Beyond a point, the difference in performance ceases to exist and status symbols come in," says Koshy. Just make sure you don’t get taken for an expensive ride. For that, do a lot of window shopping before you do a little bit of purchasing. "It is a matter of hype. For the niche market, one can sell something costing Rs 2,000 for even Rs 40,000," adds Koshy.