Meadows wrote:You can fill a room with a fairly decent amount of distortion that way. It's better to at least lower the speakers to a middle level (equally far from the floor and ceiling) if you do insist on walls/corners.
Just to expand: generally if speakers are rear ported (reflex ports that allow equal pressure to be maintained inside the cabinet [improve low frequency efficiency]) they want some breathing space, though when they are that small, having them placed in corners can help reinforce bass. While it's true that if they are too high you will lose some definition, it's better to have them placed high than low - higher frequencies tend to be absorbed too readily by furniture, carpet / rugs etc. Ideally you want the tweeter (the small speaker that reproduces the high frequencies) at ear level when in the listening position.
Ok assuming as you imply that you want to go the separates route:
How many square meters is the room you’ll be placing speakers in? The dimensions will influence the size of the speakers you’ll need to adequately fill the room with sound.
What kind of music do you usually listen to? This can also determine what kind of speakers may work best for you.
As far as speaker cable goes: a quick bit of Google-fu gets me
Belkin PureAV High Performance Speaker Cable, 100ft which looks fine to me at a reasonable price (I have different options over here). It’s in USD but that’s easier for me to relate to, and I imagine you can get that in Canada right? Anyway, don’t go spending too much on cable, around that price should be fine.
That leaves for the 3.5mm to twin phono connector type which you can get from more or less any electrical retail store, this is what it looks like:
Again, don’t spend an obscene amount on it, but I would recommend spending a little as this does make a significant difference. That and the cheap ones have a tendency to break and degrade far too easily.
The amp you’d need has already been discussed (A,B, A+B, impedence ratings) the only other things to point out are that you’re after RMS(root mean square [some say real music sound]) wattage ratings and not PMPO (peak music power).
Anywhere from 30 to 75 watts for bookshelf speakers should be sufficient, but if unsure then just check the ratings on the speakers you are getting or have to get an idea – most if not all competent manufacturers will provide all the information necessary on the back of the speaker, failing that just look them up on ze net. If in doubt about quality (particularly if you intend to buy second-hand) stick to brand names such as Sony or Yamaha etc. It goes without saying that if you can audition any gear before buying then do so.
I’m not a hi-fi expert, an enthusiast maybe. There are a number of guides on the internet though admittedly most are aimed at multi channel setups now. What you propose is a relatively straight forward stereo system, so don’t be deterred, if this is your first go at hi-fi you will be pleasantly surprised!
"Give a man a fire and he's warm for the day. But set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life."
