towering system of knobs and components. We'll get to what you really need below, but let's start by getting an understanding of what audiophiles use and why they use it. Speakers: The one thing you need to know about being an audiophile is that the most important gear is the speakers. A good set of speakers can make almost anything sound like the golden voice of an angel. Most audiophiles will tell you that you need to drop big bucks on a set of speakers, but it's possible to get around spending a lot with a few clever hacks we'll detail below. Photo by Joseph Francis . Media Player (CD/DVD/Vinyl): Nearly just as important as the speaker quality is the player quality. Thankfully, most CD and DVD players supply a good sound, but turntables might require a little tinkering if you have an old one. It's an easy and cheap upgrade we'll detail below. Photo by Bygone . Receiver: The receiver is the central hub that the audio flows through. This is the component you connect your media players into that send the sound to the speakers. It's an important facet in connecting everything, but the price point you need to spend depends on what you're running through it. If you want to upgrade your vinyl rig, for instance, the new digital receivers aren't worth the cost because you don't need modern inputs like HDMI. Photo by evilhayama . Preamp: On a fundamental level, a preamp makes sound louder without