I was 13 when I bought my first stereo system, and it’s been a joyful challenge of mine to build on the quality of the audio ever since.I love most everything about the pursuit of the elusive perfect audio tone. I love the timbre of a well placed speaker. Discovering the hidden woodiness of a bass line I’ve never truly “heard” before. I even love the smell of a new receiver, fresh from the box.

What I’ve never loved is the wiring.

Wires galore! Wiring is usually the most tedious part of the set-up, and always the least attractive part of the over-all look of a nice sound system. (Is anything less fun than dealing with that mess of dusty wires behind your stereo or TV?)

Dreaming of the day

Which is why, as a kid, I was forever dreaming of the day in the future when I would be grown up, out of my parents house and a) I wouldn’t have anyone yelling at me to “Turn down that music!” and b) there would be no more wires!

I used to groan to my friends, “Ugh…I can’t wait for absolute wirelessness!”

Well, that day has arrived – although now I have a wife who tells me to turn down the music. Wireless technology is almost as miraculous as I’d always imagined it would be. While much of my home is wired inside and out for wireless playback, I still find myself hardwiring a few of my smaller systems, because to my ears, the sound is just slightly better.

Excellent wireless sound options

That said, there are some truly excellent wireless sound options available today. From the not-so-inexpensive Sonos and to Apple’s own JAMBOX, the range of options is growing quickly.

I confess, I’m no expert on explaining how the technical end of how wireless technology works, but working for Trend Micro has made me more aware of the potential for security breaches in traditional wireless networks. This got me thinking of the potential for breach in all of our wireless devices, as we more onward into a wireless world.

How safe is your wireless gear?

I’ve heard (unconfirmed) whispers recently of security breaches of Xbox and PlayStation through wireless headsets, enabling the cyber-crooks access to email addresses and passwords stored within the gaming software. That freaks me out a bit, which is why I tell all my friends and family to always safeguard themselves in wireless situations.

Learn how to protect your system

The Internet is loaded with useful hints on how to protect your system against threats while wireless, and it’s a good idea to read up on some helpful wireless security advice.

We all know there are flaws to every new technology, and wireless sound has come out swinging, in terms of how good it sounds so early in its evolution. But, I think it has a few more years to go before a blind side-by-side comparison test can stump an avid listener.