If you've complained about the poor sound coming from your computer, but haven't gotten around to doing anything about it -- there's no time like the present and you won't have to take out a loan to hear a vast improvement.

I have an extensive music collection stored on my computer -- about 30 gigs -- and up until a few months ago, I had no good way to listen to it. My current computer speakers are super old and sound pretty awful. In fact, one speaker will occasionally stop working all together.

A few months back, I finally did something about it. I bought an inexpensive, elderly HP music streamer. It was easy to set up -- I plugged the streamer into my wired home network, fiddled with the settings (similar to adding another computer to your home network), and within a few minutes, I was able to listen to my computer music on my home theater system. I love the on-screen display -- I can scroll through and select music from my comfy couch. Plus, there's a huge difference in sound quality. My music has depth and clarity again, and best of all, the sound fills my room without crackling, popping or making other noises usually reserved for breakfast cereal.

A wide range of streamers exist, from my inexpensive version to multi-room streaming systems. I've tried out Escient's FP-1, which has an iPod dock and can stream music from your computer. It works with Escient's other products and downloads album art from the Internet. And one of my co-workers set up a Sonos system in his office. The Sonos controller is really cool -- it has a built-in LCD and one controller can select music for any and all Sonos players in your house. It's a great system for anyone who wants music in multiple rooms and doesn't have to worry about a budget too much -- the intro package starts at $999.99.

But if you're like me, and you don't want to spend a lot of money, there are solutions that give you better sounding music from your computer. Here are my suggestions for finding the right gear:

1. Compatibility: Different streamers have different compatibility with different types of files. If you've purchased a number of AAC files from the iTunes music store, then make sure that the streamer you select can play protected AAC files.
2. Display: How will you select your songs? Streamers come with any number of different displays, from built-in displays on remote controls, to displays on the streamer itself, to an on-screen display (typically on your TV). For me, on-screen display is the way to go.
3. Listening areas: How many different places in your home do you want to listen to music? I went with a simple music streamer because I only wanted to listen to music in my living room. For folks who want more of a multi-room solution, check out an expandable Sonos system or other similar products.