What is hi-fi and how do you choose the best hi-fi system?

Femke25 NOVEMBER 2025

Content

A world of options: choose the ideal music system
The crucial role of the amplifier
How do you choose the right speakers for your hi-fi system?
Are you adding a record player to your hi-fi system?
Do you want to use a CD player?
A stereo system as a solid basis for your hi-fi set-up
Why a subwoofer is also a great addition to a hi-fi system
Make sure you use the right, high-quality cables

A black, rectangular speaker sits on a weathered log. The backdrop shows a mix of dry leaves and soil.

Hi-fi stands for “high fidelity”, which means high accuracy or true to the original. The exact definition of hi-fi can differ, but it always stands for a pure music experience without interruptions or distortion – listening to music in a quality that comes very close to how it sounded when it was recorded. Read more about what hi-fi actually means and get advice on how to bring a hi-fi system into your home.

A world of options: choose the ideal music system

A wooden speaker sits on a white furry surface with a phone, a black mug, and a pine cone nearby.

A hi-fi system consists of several components. The most important part is usually the amplifier, but speakers, a record player, cables and a CD player can also be part of your hi-fi set-up. As you can imagine, you need to make quite a few choices before you have a complete hi-fi system at home. Once everything is set up to your liking, however, you can enjoy your favourite music in one of the best ways possible. We’ll help you get started with hi-fi advice for the devices that may become part of your hi-fi installation.

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The crucial role of the amplifier

Every part of your hi-fi system is important, but the amplifier plays a crucial role. The sound always travels from the source (such as a record player or CD player) to the amplifier, which then passes it on to the speakers with as little loss of quality as possible. The right amplifier for you depends, among other things, on its power and on the devices you connect to the system. The power of an amplifier is expressed in watts. The larger the room, the more watts you’ll need to keep the sound clear and audible. Think carefully in advance about which devices you want to connect. For record players, for example, you’ll often need a special phono input, which is not standard on every amplifier.

How do you choose the right speakers for your hi-fi system?

A brown wooden speaker sits on a white surface. A black speaker is visible in the background.

Good speakers are also essential in a hi-fi system. But how do you know which speakers suit you best? First of all, you choose between wired speakers, Wi‑Fi speakers or Bluetooth speakers. The sound from wired speakers is usually the purest, but you do need to make sure these speakers can handle the power of your amplifier. Wi‑Fi speakers offer the best wireless sound, provided your Wi‑Fi network is strong and stable. You can also create a multi-room system with Wi‑Fi speakers, letting you play music through several speakers around your home. Bluetooth speakers are easy to set up, but they don’t offer the same top-tier sound quality as wired speakers. Also consider where in your home you want to place the speaker, as this affects the power you need. A large living room calls for speakers with more power than a small study or bedroom.

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Are you adding a record player to your hi-fi system?

A black record player sits on a wood grain surface with a vinyl record, headphones, and a stack of records.

Record players may seem old-fashioned, but they are becoming increasingly popular again. Do you still have a stack of vinyl records you’d like to listen to? Then make sure you include a suitable record player in your hi-fi system. A good record player has a quality tonearm, as this is the part that comes into direct contact with the record. The arm must rest stably above the record without damaging it. That’s why we recommend a tonearm made of carbon fibre: it’s not too heavy but still very stable.

More information about record players

Do you want to use a CD player?

Two silver audio components are stacked on a dark brown surface. The top unit has knobs and buttons. The bottom unit has a blue digital display.

Just like the record player, the ‘old-fashioned’ CD player is also making a comeback. Many music lovers use a CD player as the main source in their hi-fi system. The most important thing to look out for when buying a CD player is the Digital-to-Audio Converter (DAC). This technology converts the sound from digital CDs into an analogue signal, which is needed to send music to the speakers. The better and more modern the DAC technology in a CD player, the purer and more beautiful the sound.

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A stereo system as a solid basis for your hi-fi set-up

A living room features a large TV above a wooden console, flanked by tall speakers and potted plants on a herringbone floor.

If you’re just starting to build your hi-fi system, or if you don’t have a lot of space at home for multiple devices and speakers, a stereo system is a great solution. A good stereo set consists of speakers and a base unit with a built-in amplifier, although you can also buy separate stereo amplifiers. In short, a stereo system brings most of the key components of a hi-fi set-up into your home in one go. It’s the closest you’ll get to an all-in-one package. In many cases you can connect several devices to a stereo system, so you can gradually expand your hi-fi installation with, for example, extra speakers.

What is the best stereo system?

Why a subwoofer is also a great addition to a hi-fi system

A black speaker with silver trim sits on a light wood surface against a textured teal wall.

Subwoofers are often used by film fans. With a subwoofer, thundering waterfalls and spectacular explosions sound much more intense. Subwoofers are speakers that can produce sound down to around 50 hertz and mainly add low frequencies to your room. This is great for movie lovers, but a subwoofer can also be very valuable for music fans. Tracks with deep bass tones sound even more impressive through these speakers, which makes subwoofers a very good addition to your hi-fi system as well.

How to choose a subwoofer

Make sure you use the right, high-quality cables

Cables might not be the most exciting part of a hi-fi system, but they are very important for signal transmission and sound quality. So, make sure you research which cable is needed for each device in your hi-fi set-up and don’t be afraid to invest in good-quality cables. Try to use cables that are as short as possible. The longer an analogue cable, the higher the chance of losing sound quality.