Do not put the volume menu at its loudest. This tends to weaken the sound system of audio-/audio-visual appliances. Surround sound is one of the hottest items in home entertainment. Many integrated amps and receivers have surround sound mainly intended for viewing films, videocassettes and laser discs in Dolby Stereo. Some systems offer a subwoofer output for extended bass, but a subwoofer with its own amp is needed. Patch cords with gold-plated terminals used to connect a VCR to the AN receiver are better than regular ones. However, regular cable connectors can carry signal, and the wires are often made of oxygen-free copper, which is also a high quality conductor but nevertheless, gold is the most excellent conductor of electricity.