So, you've got a budget system. You want to improve the sound but can't afford to change your components, what do you do? In this first instalment, Hi-Fi World passes on its top tips for getting the best sound for the least dosh.

CABLES - MYTH AND REALITY

Some of the best budget cable comes from SonicLink, who run the whole gamut of prices from virtually zero to astronomical. Their entry level interconnect, for example, named the Whisper is a steal at £20. 

Another out and out bargain comes in the form of van den Hul's The Storm hybrid, a cable that uses the company's excellent carbon technology for just £30 (the most worth spending with a budget system totalling say, £1,000 or less). 

With both of these you'll basically notice better focus of instruments throughout the picture and added detail to both the top end and midrange, plus bass with increased reaction and speed. More subtle differences are there but - as much as some would like to tell you otherwise - at this price they are minimal.

Loudspeaker cable is another matter, as very few 'speaker systems include a run of cable. Chose wisely here, as spending a little more than the absolute rock bottom can reap bargain rewards. There's some that think that 'bell wire' you can pick up for next to nothing will suffice. In some cases it will but not if you crave hi-fi traits such as detail and speed. 

This will cost you more than the interconnects, so choose with care and always try to get a listen to as many different cables as possible. If you canít tell any difference (thereís nothing wrong with this) forget what the dealer tells you, be sensible and go for the cheapest! The average run is 3 metres per side with banana plug terminals. 

Bi-wiring is worthwhile when an option (depending on whether your 'speakers have two sets of binding posts or not). It usually costs twice the price of single wire, so if budget is tight, go for a single wire set - you can always buy another to bi-wire when you can afford it, as long as you have two pairs of speaker outputs on your amp, that is. 

If you don't and you want to bi-wire, many manufacturers will make up a pair with single wire terminals at the amp end and bi-wire at the 'speaker end. Good cheap options are Chord Company's Carnival at £2.99 per metre (single wire), Cable Talk's 3.1 at £2.50 per metre (single wire) and SonicLink's SonicLink AST-150 for £4.00 per metre or £48.00 for a terminated 3 metre pair.

Another thing you'll need to do to get the best sound from your system is to make sure the 'speakers are working to the best of their ability. A lot of this has to do with how and where you place them. For standmount 'speakers you'll ideally need a decent pair of stands. These will need to be solidly built and at a height which raises the tweeter to roughly ear height (when sitting, of course).

Some stands will need to be filled with baked sand (available from DIY stores) to stop vibration and a ringing which will occur with hollow metallic tubes. Spikes can be added to the base to further stabilise the 'speakers and tighten up the bass. If stands are a later purchase or domestically out of the question, then the next best thing is a sturdy bookshelf. Be careful how far to the rear wall you can place them, though.

Front ported 'speakers can be placed nearer than those with a rear port - a 'speaker too close to a rear wall will cause boom and distorted bass. Corners for budget 'speakers are a no no - the same 'room boom' will occur. If the only option is the floor or up in the corners you'll miss out on a few things, namely imaging and soundstage and ragged bass. You'll hear music, of course, but the intricate subtleties that define good hi-fi will be, to a certain extent, lost.

Many opt for floorstanding designs because of the above problems that can occur with standmount placement but these, too, have to be tinkered with. Many budget floorstanders have a chamber in the bottom which is intended for sand filling.

This stabilises the cabinet and results in a much tighter bass with increased focus of imaging and instruments. Using the 'speaker with the chamber loaded is well worth the ever-so pain in the ass job of filling it with sand.