Source components play a large part in determining how your system sounds; the old adage 'garbage in, garbage out' definitely applies, whether you're considering a compact disc player or DVD player. Most DVD players typically fall far behind even modest CD players when it comes to playing music, so unless you're getting a fairly serious DVD model, you may want to consider a dedicated CD player as well. The very best digital playback today will likely come from one of the new Linn DS digital stream players, or a computer full of music that's connected to a high quality DAC; both offer the added convenience of storing all of your music in one place, with quick and easy access via touchscreen or computer. In fact, we can show you many ways to enjoy a computer music library through your audio or home theater system or throughout your home.

Have an older compact disc player? You might be surprised at the improvements that are possible. The relatively affordable Rega Apollo-R ($1095) easily betters many multi-thousand dollar machines from the past. You can also simply add an affordable DAC (digital to analog converter) to bring your source component's performance up to date.