![Making a Big Purchase](https://cdn.magzter.com/1392399474/1717499269/articles/mzwW-BrFG1720445798951/MAKING-A-BIG-PURCHASE.jpg)
All that meant that my family needed a new vehicle. But it has been 18 years since I purchased a vehicle, back when we bought an SUV right before Lauryn was born, which we handed down to her. And it's an understatement to say there have been an incredible number of technological improvements since that last purchase. And after attending CES this year, and seeing the proliferation of smart, autonomous vehicles, I'm wondering if my other daughter, Audrey, now eight, will ever drive!
While I deal with people at my custom installation business who are looking to make major technology investments, sometimes exceeding six figures, the roles aren't often reversed, and I'm the one looking to make the spend on something I really don't know much about.
Going through the car buying process, I saw a lot of parallels between my experience as the buyer collaborating with a salesman and trying to understand my options. And it is a similar experience that many of you likely have or will go through on a big tech purchase, especially if it's been a few years since your last upgrade.
I went into this buying process like many people that are looking to make a major home technology investment, be that a home theater, whole-house music system, or some smart home automation. I was semi-informed, had an estimate of my budget, and a decent idea of what I wanted. With that in mind, here's three tips you can apply to prepare for your next major upgrade!
EDUCATE YOURSELF
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June - July 2024-Ausgabe von Sound & Vision.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June - July 2024-Ausgabe von Sound & Vision.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
![The Big Clean](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5602/1789370/YdO2KShqj1724759354581/THE-BIG-CLEAN.jpg)
The Big Clean
Chances are you probably do not think about the state of your electronic devices too often. Oh, you might think about all the upgrades you would like to make; where you would put those new tower speakers, or how a second or third subwoofer would really tame those bass modes in your room, or how much more cinematic a larger screen would be. Sure, you think about that part of your system. But how often do you think about the well-being of your system?
![Planar-Magnetic Attraction](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5602/1789370/vbPJO7sfz1724758916728/PLANARMAGNETIC-ATTRACTION.jpg)
Planar-Magnetic Attraction
THE DIPTYQUE DP 115 speakers are a new model 2-way, ribbon, and planar magnetic driver dipole \"isodynamic\" speaker system designed and built in France.
![Full-Featured 4K](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5602/1789370/29cCbLgZR1724758549463/FULLFEATURED-4K.jpg)
Full-Featured 4K
THE QN95D is one of two televisions we went hands-on with on a recent trip to Samsung's New Jersey QA Lab, the other being the S95D quantum-dot OLED.
![Party Animal](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5602/1789370/Ax3CCE93K1724758230511/PARTY-ANIMAL.jpg)
Party Animal
FOR ANY party, the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus Outdoor Bass Bluetooth Speaker is an essential invite.
![It's the End of the World. How About Popcorn and a Movie?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5602/1789370/JD_AkkKr41724758123169/ITS-THE-END-OF-THE-WORLD-HOW-ABOUT-POPCORN-AND-A-MOVIE.jpg)
It's the End of the World. How About Popcorn and a Movie?
Attention all preppers! Today's column is right up your alley-or, more precisely-your tunnel to your underground bunker.
![Bridging the Analog-Digital Gap on a Recliner](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5602/1789370/r5khuA4Ww1724758011227/BRIDGING-THE-ANALOGDIGITAL-GAP-ON-A-RECLINER.jpg)
Bridging the Analog-Digital Gap on a Recliner
When I shopped for a motorized recliner, I rejected models with their own Internet Protocol address and built-in speakers. No need. I had already placed a smart speaker on an étagère beside the space where I had planned to put the chair. I'd have a smartphone in my hand and the room would be bathed in Wi-Fi.
![BACK TO THE GARDEN](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5602/1789370/5nPRe09Fk1724757292275/BACK-TO-THE-GARDEN.jpg)
BACK TO THE GARDEN
AN AQUARIAN EXPOSITION in WHITE LAKE, N.Y.
![Big Sound, Small Price](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5602/1789370/83g8WSqfK1724756809326/BIG-SOUND-SMALL-PRICE.jpg)
Big Sound, Small Price
DOLBY ATMOS, once a costly premium, is enjoying a surge of popularity across a range of new audio gear.
![Classic Sound with Streaming Smarts](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5602/1789370/7_vtGpnFv1724755150891/CLASSIC-SOUND-WITH-STREAMING-SMARTS.jpg)
Classic Sound with Streaming Smarts
THE TWENTIETH century had its Roaring Twenties; welcome to the twenty-first's Streaming Twenties.
![Stand and Deliver](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5602/1789370/PPnsRoXB61724754760284/STAND-AND-DELIVER.jpg)
Stand and Deliver
IT DOESN'T seem all that long ago that SVS first entered the audio scene.