So, you’ve decided you’re ready to graduate from lifeless ear buds and tinny laptop speakers to the big leagues with a real set of speakers! But where to start?

Today’s music, streaming TV and movies deserves audio gear that unleashes all of the energy and excitement without sacrificing the details and artistry. This means highlighting the nuanced vocals as well as the bombastic action scenes that we all love so much with power and accuracy. If you’re not sure where to start, we’re here with some tips on choosing the best speakers for your needs.

Consider the size of the room carefully before buying speakers. In other words: don’t be the home audio equivalent of that band that shows up to the tiny dive bar give with a full stack of Marshalls!

If it’s a small room, a pair of bookshelf speakers are fine, especially if you sit relatively close to them. As their name implies, you can place bookshelf speakers on a bookshelf or other nook, but beware that most such speakers sound best if they aren’t packed into a tight space – give them some room to breath.

If it’s a larger room, floorstanding tower speakers might be best. These are generally much taller and bigger than bookshelf speakers which allows for a bigger, more complete sound, including deeper bass.

High-quality floorstanding speakers generally start at around $500 each, while full-range bookshelf speakers start around $250 each, and mini-bookshelf models (aka satellite speakers) start around $150 each.

These prices are for passive speakers that will still require an AV receiver or amplifier to provide power. There is also the option of powered speakers that have the added benefit of being “all-in-one” solutions that don’t require separate electronics. The prices can vary widely and many include wireless streaming directly from your phone. It’s best to look beyond the Bluetooth-only options to speakers that can also stream via WiFi for the best sound quality possible.

If you opt for bookshelf or satellite speakers, you won’t get the deep bass that most action movie or hip-hop/EDM music fans crave. In that case, consider springing for a subwoofer to augment the main speakers. Subwoofers are special speakers that solely focus on creating low frequencies (aka bass). A subwoofer will set you back at least $500, but believe us, when you hear that thump of the bass drum hit you in the solar plexus, it’ll be worth it!

Once you’ve established your budget and the type of speakers you’ll get, the next step is finding speakers with superb sound quality. Hopefully, you will have an opportunity to audition several different makes and models; if so, bring along some tracks you are very familiar with.

Clarity: Are you hearing the details you know so well cleanly and clearly? Better yet, are you noticing sounds or layers you have never heard before? These are the tell-tale signs of speakers with great clarity. On the flipside, if the details sound muffled or muddy and the sound is not as expressive as you remember, the speakers’ clarity is lacking, and you should consider other options.

Imaging and Soundstage: A good pair of speakers can create the illusion of a three-dimensional soundfield that extends beyond the two boxes themselves. The apparent locations of the lead singer, guitarist, bass player, and drummer should be distinct and separate, like you’re sitting in a room with the band watching them perform. If the speakers you’re listening to sound like everything is directly from the speakers themselves, it’s time to move on to another set.

Neutrality: Do the speakers sound realistic? Do vocals sound natural? Do the drums, guitars, and bass sound like they do at a concert? If so, the speakers are accurately reproducing the sounds they are given, which is a good thing. If not, put them on the reject list.

Volume: What’s the point of having great speakers if you can’t play as loud as you like? A good set of speakers won’t distort the sound when playing at high volumes. They should retain their clarity and neutrality at any and all volume levels. Floorstanding speakers can generally pump out more volume than bookshelf models.

Dynamic Range: A good set of speakers can reproduce soft passages with as much clarity, imaging, and neutrality as it does at headbanging levels. This may not sound that important but when watching a suspenseful movie, you want speakers that rise to the occasion when called upon, but that can also play softly while still producing clear, natural sound.

Bass: This probably goes without saying, but deep bass is just as important to audio playback as dynamics and clarity. Floorstanding speakers can generally reach lower frequencies than bookshelf models, but to really get down there, you need a good subwoofer.