When most people walk into a home electronics store, the big screens are usually what initially grab their attention. Yet for most of the history of home electronics, music was the focus, and that focus was played through two speakers.

Talk to people over a certain age (I won’t say what age), and they’ll wax nostalgic over their first stereo system—usually purchased in college, or shortly after when they landed that first post-college job. So why has music taken a back seat to video? Is music no longer important? The answer clearly is that music still is important, but our hectic lifestyles have pulled us away from one of the greatest pleasures technology can provide. In fact, Nielson Sound-Scan—the company that tracks what people listen to—released a report in July revealing that in the first half of this year, album sales have risen for the first time since 2004. And we’re talking actual, physical media, not digital sales (which are also up, by the way). Music clearly is still important.

In this report:

• Sound systems for every budget
• How to turn an average audio system into something amazing
• Fine-tuning your listening room
• Celebrity Q&A with Earth, Wind & Fire’s Ralf Johnson

Download this Special Report on Audio to learn more.