Swear to God, it's like audio companies deliberately want to complicate things. We don't how a group of people can produce gear that sounds so heavenly, and yet requires a PhD in physics to understand. Between impedance, sensitivity, power, open-back, closed-back, 5.1, 7.1, 7.1.4, 9.4.2, aptX, voice coils, MOSFET amps, cathodes and 12AX7 New Old Stock tubes, we're surprised the audio world hasn't developed its own language. Well, we say: to hell with that. Audio shouldn't be hard. And with this collection of How-To guides, we'll show you everything you need to know about great sound.

 

 

Headphone How-Tos

4 Ways To Improve Your Headphone Sound

4 Ways To Improve Your Headphone Sound

At The Master Switch, we spend an awful lot of time thinking about audio. More importantly, we spend an awful lot of time thinking about how to improve it. Everything we do is geared towards creating bigger, better sound.
Headphone Specs Explained

Headphone Specs Explained

Everything you need to know about headphone specs. if it doesn’t involve any of the following, you probably don’t need to worry about it. Consider this the ultimate explainer.
DSD Audio Explained

DSD Audio Explained

Spend even a little bit of time in the world of headphones, amps, and speakers, and you’ll come across the term DSD Audio. It can be…confusing. Actually, scratch that: unless you’re prepared to do a lot of reading, DSD can seem virtually impenetrable...
How To Tube Roll

How To Tube Roll

There are three types of audiophiles: those that find tube amplifiers to be the bee’s knees; those that swear only solid-state amps can produce true-to-life audio; and those that haven’t tried tube amps and are simply missing out.

Home Theater How-Tos

Wired Vs Wireless Speakers

Wired Vs Wireless Speakers

Wireless speakers have become the quiet juggernaut of the audio industry. Ever since features like Bluetooth and WiFi became commonplace, manufacturers have been tinkering, slowly freeing us from the chaos of wires and ceiling speakers.
How To Choose The Best Amp

How To Choose The Best Amp

Picking the best amp can be a pretty hairy procedure. What inputs and outputs do I need? Is it right for my speakers? Is it going to give me the best sound? Here at TMS, those are the kind of questions we get a real kick out of answering.
Match Speakers And Amps

How To Match Speakers And Amps

Here at The Master Switch, we don’t like complexity. It’s totally fine in a good whiskey, a doorstop novel, a piece of modern art. It is absolutely not okay when it comes to audio gear. Let's demystify something right now.
Home Theater

How To Get Started With Home Theater

In the world of A/V gear, nothing has caused more heartache, more teeth gnashing and more handwringing than having to set up a home theater system.
5.1 vs 7.1 Home Theater

5.1 Vs 7.1 Home Theater Explained

We get it. Home theater can be crazy confusing, especially if you’re just starting out. In one of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make is whether to go for a basic five-speaker system or a more powerful seven-speaker system.
Soundbars Vs Soundbases

Soundbars Vs Soundbases

If you’re curious about the differences between soundbars and soundbases but still unacquainted, let’s delve into their features, similarities and differences - and give you everything you need to choose between them.
Surround Sound

Surround Sound Explained

When it comes to the home theater experience, bigger is always better: more pixels, more dimensions, more realism. But visuals are only part of the package. Your audio needs to be just as immersive. And that means surround sound.
A/V Receiver

A/V Receiver Setup Explained

Setting up a home theater system can be daunting as hell. Not only do you have to contend with miles and miles of speaker wire, as well as figuring out where exactly you’re going to put the damn things and whether or not you need to drill holes in your...
10 Common Home Theater Problems

10 Common Home Theater Problems

There’s no denying that home theater systems can be complicated. Actually, forget can be; they are complicated. When you’ve got a system with this many wires and settings, it’s surprisingly easy for things to go wrong.
The Ultimate Subwoofer Guide

The Ultimate Subwoofer Guide

Subwoofers can be intimidating, to say the least. Not only are the bass notes they deliver often vastly more powerful than regular home theater speakers, but setting them up and getting reasonable sound can often be an exercise in frustration.