Best store for stereo equipment

So you want a kick-ass stereo, but don't know what a tweeter is? No problem. Cambridge SoundWorks makes buying a high-performance stereo a simple and painless experience for the electronically clueless. There's no need to do any research: Henry Kloss, founder of CSW (as well as industry heavyweights KLH and Advent), has already done it for you. And with speaker-component packages for everything from bookshelf to floor-standing models, CSW has options for all room and wallet sizes.

Say what you want about national chain stores, it's nice to have a lot of choices, especially when it comes to buying a home stereo. So flickering fluorescent lights be damned.

Best Buy's aisles are stocked with systems from brand-name manufacturers such as Sony, Bose, Panasonic, Samsung, Phillips, and Yamaha. Feeling overwhelmed? Check out Best Buy's online research guides to personal CD players, boom boxes, speakers, the secrets of the audio elite, and more.

Cambridge SoundWorks, various locations; www.cambridgesoundworks.com. Best Buy, various locations; www.bestbuy.com.