What are your top tips for hi-fi newcomers? Tell us your best bits of buying advice
Pass your knowledge on to the next generation

Our website is packed full of buying advice and tips and tricks for getting the most out of your hi-fi in whatever form it takes. But this month’s Ask the Reader feature focuses on, well, you, the reader. We want to hear your top tips and share your buying advice for all the budding hi-fi fans out there.
Every hi-fi fan’s journey started somewhere, right? For some, it might be the first time they heard a particular artist on their parents’ hi-fi system, or the first time they put their hands on a cassette tape and slipped it into their Sony Walkman.
Or perhaps it was the first time they headed off to uni with a micro system and a stack of CDs in tow to use in their halls of residence.
Once you’d been bitten by the bug, how did your journey progress? What did you learn along the way, and more importantly, what knowledge would you pass on to the next generation of enthusiasts looking to take their next steps on their path to hi-fi nirvana?
What one piece of buying advice would you give if asked the question? Would it relate to which products to buy, or maybe how much to spend or which accessories to prioritise depending on the type of system you’re thinking of building?
Are there any money-saving tips you would give to someone on a budget or, say, a student looking to get the most bang for their buck as they leave home or head into shared accommodation for the first time?
Are there brands you’d recommend for beginners based on price, the range of products they offer, or their ease of use for beginners?
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Whether it’s basic help or more in-depth advice on tinkering with your system, we are keen to hear what you have to say on the subject.
Like our previous Ask the Reader pieces on whether hi-fi is getting better, and if OLED burn-in is a problem, we’ll take your answers over the next month and collate them into a feature, detailing your thoughts on the topic.
You can post your thoughts in the comments section of this page, on our social media channels or directly on our forums!
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Andy is Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and a consumer electronics journalist with nearly 20 years of experience writing news, reviews and features. Over the years he's also contributed to a number of other outlets, including The Sunday Times, the BBC, Stuff, and BA High Life Magazine. Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he's also keen on car tech and in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the countryside testing the latest set-ups. In his spare time Andy is a keen golfer and gamer.
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