Bringing Theater Quality Sound Home
If you are one of the many people around the world who loves the sound quality of watching movies in theaters but hates the hassles (crying babies, people talking, cell phones ringing, etc) of actually going then I hope you are seriously contemplating the value that a home theater or surround sound system could bring to your movie enjoyment. In fact, a good surround sound system cannot only improve your overall enjoyment of blockbuster hits but also your favorite music and video games as well. Surround sound is far more than a tool for watching movies at home, it is an entirely new way to look at and listen to your television in general.
You do not have to begin your home theater or surround sound experience with a top of the line piece of equipment. It is quite possible to start small with a surround sound system and build a better system as you go. In fact, I seriously recommend that people invest heavily in speakers from the beginning and sacrifice the number of speakers in favor of better quality speakers. In addition to this there are many box kits out there that are designed for almost any budget on the market. You can find box kits for everything from basic surround sound systems to home theater in a box. If you are seriously considering the enjoyment this can bring into your home there is no time like the present to start checking out your options.
I never recommend simply walking into the store and purchasing the first kit you find though you are certainly welcome to do just that. I feel that you might walk away from the experience a little jaded however and highly suggest that you go to a local retail center that has sound rooms set up in order to listen to the many options that are currently on the market and compare the sound and the quality of the sound within those items in your price range. I suggest that you start on the low side and work your way up rather than starting at the high end and working your way down.
When you find the quality of sound you are most comfortable with, this is the system I recommend you go home and research. Compare prices online to see if you can find any major values and bargains. The Internet is usually full of good deals for consumers that are willing to sort through many companies that market online. While the Internet is the land of opportunity for some, I also recommend that you take the lowest price you find online to your local retail store and see if they can match it or throw in a few perks to sweeten the deal. You could find some interesting deals by doing this and it costs nothing to try and could save you money in the long run.
The point is to get the best system your money can buy (without sending you to the ‘poor house’ in the process). Once you have decided on the system you want all bets are off when it comes to finding the best price. We live in a consumer driven marketplace and as a consumer you do have control over where your money is spent and whether or not you are willing to pay the price of spending your money elsewhere.
You know the quality you expect, as you’ve listened and compared in the stores, and you know the price that you are willing to pay for that quality. Most consumers are learning this fact and willing to make concessions in order to compete with those companies that operate online. See what your local retailers can offer you and if they can’t match what you’ve found online you should be willing to go with the online service. This is a great way for you as a consumer to know what you are getting and feel as though you’ve gotten a good deal in the process. More importantly you get to bring the theatrical experience you love so much into your very own living room. Now the only kids crying over your movie will be your own.
Haste Makes Wastes of Time and Money
It’s a jungle out there, especially when it comes to the wonderful world of electronics and electronics components. The competition is fierce among industry leaders and there are wide gaps in prices and quality from which to choose. Even among the private sector there are such variances in price and quality that it is difficult for most to make truly informed decisions when purchasing a surround sound system or a home theater.
One of the best things you can do for your search is grab a few sound intensive movies, a favorite CD or two and head out to your local retail sales center for electronics. Best Buy may not always be the best place from which to buy but they generally have a good selection of surround sound systems and home theaters that you are able to test out and compare with one another. It’s always a good idea to try before you buy and taking an afternoon or a Saturday to browse through your options is good investment of a day if you ask me.
By listening to the different systems you can get a feel for the features that you prefer, those you don’t care much for one way or another, and those you would rather do without. This list will be extremely valuable when it comes time to narrow down the systems you would like to further investigate from those that simply aren’t best suited for your music and sound requirements. There is nothing wrong with identifying what you want and making efforts to get it. In fact, it’s a savvy decision on your part if you ask me.
Once you have a list of the systems you like and a few reasons why you like each system it’s time to begin comparing prices. The Internet is probably the best way to do this. You can use prices that compare prices among major competitors and see what others are charging for these items in comparison with what your local stores are charging. If you are feeling up to bargaining you can try to arrange for your local store to match the online price. This works with some stores and not with others. It’s a toss up even with the larger chain stores as to whether or not they will acknowledge prices received online as a ‘competitors’ price in order to meet it. It’s worth a shot if you prefer the convenience of shopping locally; otherwise if the best price is online (even after shipping and insurance) then your best bet is to make the purchase online.
There is no magic formula when it comes to purchasing home theater and surround sound equipment other than to make sure you are pleased with the quality of the merchandise. If you listened and made notations about your likes and dislikes, chances are that you have just purchased a sound system that you like, which means you should be thrilled with the fantastic sounds coming out of your brand new speakers for quite a while to come. Taking your time in the beginning in order to make sure you get the system you really want and will be happy with is well worth the wait when compared to the price you pay for haste and purchasing a system with an inferior quality of sound.
Surround Sound Speakers
When you are building a home theater or surround sound system for your home there are many things that must be considered in order to create the best possible system and solution for the space you have in which to create it. We live in a world where floor space and real estate are premiums and we only give them up begrudgingly. It is very true that the best speakers on the market (even today) are generally stand speakers and they occupy a tremendous amount of prime real estate within your media room or home theater.
For this reason we are seeing technological emphasis placed on improving speaker design and making them smaller more now than at any other time in the history of speakers. This is good news for you as a consumer since it means that there is both emerging technology in these smaller speakers and that you will see lower price in the race to create the best small speakers on the market. For many consumers this offers a win-win situation that is too tempting to pass when shopping. It is important however that you remember to see, or in this case hear, for yourself the quality of these smaller speakers before you make the rather sizeable investment that a good set of surround sound speakers will require.
The good news for those of you are experiencing a little bit of sticker shock over the price tag is that speakers should be the largest investment you make in your total surround sound system by far. They are the most vital components to the overall sound and your entire investment will be wasted in your other equipment if you do not have superior quality speakers in your system.
While the number of speakers will increase the quality and depth of the sound and the overall surround experience, good quality is more important than greater numbers, you can always add more speakers to your collection later. I do urge you to purchase the entire set together if possible however, if you can only purchase (remember there’s a subwoofer involved as well) rather than at first, then I recommend that you do that rather than going with inferior quality in order to get two more speakers.
If you do not purchase your speakers as a complete set you need to make sure that the speakers you purchase later are compatible with the speakers in your surround sound system. In most cases this isn’t a problem if you purchase the same brand and style however if there has been a significant passage of time or shift in technology it could prove problematic.
A typical set of speakers for a . channel surround sound system will include two channel speakers (front left and right), one front center channel speaker, two rear channel speakers (rear left and right) and a subwoofer. A . channel surround sound system adds one more speaker in the center rear and moves the rear left and right speakers of a . system to the side left and right respectively. A . channel surround sound system will add an additional rear speaker and have one on each side rather than one in the center.
The sound is the most important feature of any surround sound system and there are many things that go into creating the perfect sound. When it comes to home theaters and surround sound systems the only way to know for sure that you will be getting what you want for your space is to listen to the sound. You may find that what sounded like sound nirvana in the sound room doesn’t ring so true in your living room. Make sure that the store or website from which you are purchasing has a liberal return policy on components and speakers-especially speakers as they are the most costly components of your surround sound system and the most expensive to replace.
Surround Sound Basics
The importance of surround sound is often overlooked when it comes to building and creating home theater systems. You should never underestimate that power that sound holds over all of our television, movie, and sporting event watching experiences. Movie sound tracks are often used in order to create drama, heighten suspense, and even to enhance moods or themes within the movie. Surround sound is for more than mere movies and television however. This great type of sound also serves to bring great depth to our favorite music
Surround sound gets its name from the fact that you are literally surrounded with the sound. This is a vast improvement over the typical two speaker systems in the days of old (oddly enough not all that long ago). Surround sound works to imitate the ambient noises that we often hear during the course of the day. This is often done for the purpose of art imitating life. By hearing the roll of thunder from every side rather than merely the left or the right we are experiencing the real beauty of surround sound and enjoying the more realistic effects it lends itself to.
When you are looking into surround sound systems for your home or home theater you will come across some terminology that may seem foreign and unfamiliar. Surround Sound 5.1 indicates a system that uses five speakers and one subwoofer in order to deliver the sounds. This sound is often referred to as Dolby Digital. A new term that has been cropping up more and more often in movie circles is THX. This is known as surround sound 6.1, which involves the use of 6 speakers and a subwoofer. The center speaker in this system should be located in the center behind the listener in order to add yet another layer to the sound. Surround sound 7.1 adds yet another speaker to the mix in order to create an even more authentic sound. The more speakers in your surround sound system, the more realistic the sound will be and the better able you will be as an audience member to find your place within the action.
In order to get surround sound you need more than a set of speakers. You will first need a receiver in order to ‘receive’ and process the information and send the digital signals and sounds in the direction they should go. If you are building a home theater you will want to make a good receiver a key investment in your overall system. This is an important component as sound is vital to a true ‘movie going’ experience, which is what a good home theater is meant to imitate.
A good receiver is essential not only for a good home theater but also any surround sound system that you wish to install (many people use these exclusively for gaming as well and they are quite effective for this particular purpose). When it comes to gaming, surround sound can identify your location in the action of the game. This works much like it does when watching movies. The more speakers you have in your system the better able you will be to identify from which direction actions, sounds, and such are being made. In games this can provide important clues that those with lesser sound systems will miss out on. Talk about an edge?
While the main purpose of surround sound is to simply enhance the entertainment experience I can think of very few better things to invest in when it comes to either a home theater or the ultimate gaming computer. Do your homework on the systems that are available and remember that good quality speakers are essential in carrying out the sound properly and you should plan to make a sizeable investment in both the speakers and the receiver or other sound components (if you decide to go that route for even better quality sound). Whatever you are using it for be sure that you play around with the sounds to find the best level for your personal enjoyment of your surround sound system.
Budget Friendly Surround Sound
A good home theater and surround sound system for your movie enjoying pleasure is a rather large investment for the common movie buff-at least if you are purchasing a really high quality system for your home theater or media room. This isn’t to say that you cannot find decent surround sound systems for small spaces that come with much lower price tags than you will ordinarily find on the market. In fact, there are many ways in which you can buy a decent surround sound system for a small room even if you are limited by budget constraints.
Second Hand Systems
Buying second hand from Ebay carries some degree of risk but a reputable seller is often a good place to start. There are some people who simply can’t stand to have technology that is months or even days for some matters, old. Their loss is your gain as you can score a really nice surround sound system, speakers included at amazingly low prices if the bidding works in your favor and you know a little about brands and quality. Pawnshops and electronics consignment stores are other good places to find bargains on this particular sort of equipment.
Buy Boxed Sets
I’m typically opposed to box sets when it comes to electronics as there have been many instances in the past where these were merely a method of pawning off inferior goods on an unsuspecting public. However, big names such as Bose have gone over to the dark side so to speak and are beginning to offer box sets of surround sound speakers at surprisingly and amazingly reasonable price tags. There are cheaper brands than Bose, don’t get me wrong, I use them as an indication of the wide variety and standards you will find in surround sound speaker systems that come in box sets today. The good news is that you can get really good prices on speaker systems such as this if you are willing to shop around.
Compare Prices
It really does pay in this day and age to do just that. Even if you have a favorite retailer chances are that you could get a better price through them by doing a simple search online and looking for a lower advertised price. If not, it might be worth your while to go with the Internet provider this time and save your money for DVDs and music with which to enjoy your new surround sound system. I also recommend seeing what local competition has to offer; you’ll be amazed at some of the wonderful bargains you can find by walking into a store on any given day. I know that stores like Circuit City have great bargains on featured items during the week in order to boost sales. You never know when one of those items might be an outstanding surround sound systems or a phenomenal set of speakers.
Wait it out
If you have your heart set on one surround sound system and nothing else will do, then it may be in your best interest to wait until the price drops. In electronics terms that often means waiting about months or until the next consumer expo event (this is when all the new technology is introduced, which makes all the existing technology drop its prices in order to seem more appealing). Both of these options may seem unappealing but can mean very real and very significant savings on your part if you are willing to wait in order to get what you really want. Not only does this give you time for the prices to decrease but also for the size of your savings to increase.
While shopping on a budget isn’t always the preferred method it is very possible to get a decent home theater or surround sound system for your home even if you are working within the limits of a seriously impaired budget.
How much is Too Much?
The question that many consumers or would be consumers of home theater or surround sound systems must ask themselves is how much should I spend on a home theater system. The problem with that question is that there isn’t an answer that is appropriate for every potential buyer. While there are many who honestly and firmly believe that if you are making the investment in your home and the entertainment value within your home you should really consider how much time you spend there and how much value a system such as this will actually add to your perception of the time you spend in your home. I did tell you that there really isn’t a simple answer.
The long and short of it is that you only need to find a system that you believe will enhance your perceived value of your movie viewing, television viewing, music listening, or game playing experience. I say start at the low end of the spectrum and listen to the various systems and devices on the market until you find one that you feel will be a vast improvement over your current situation and that should be the system that satisfies you. Do not move up in price range once you’ve found a system you like or you will wind up spending more money than you could have spent and been just as content.
I was once a true believe in the philosophy that everyone should buy the high-end equipment and that name brands were important. The truth of the matter is that there is a level of quality that is often paid for but it is noticeable to me only if I have heard better than what I am hearing. This means that I am perfectly content with the system I choose as long as I do not encounter something better. I guess it’s kind of like dessert. I’m content with my chocolate cake until I see someone walking by with chocolate truffle cake with raspberry sauce and ice cream on the side. It made my chocolate cake look a little less fulfilling if you know what I mean.
We often experience this problem with electronics. There is always going to be some fantastic system just beyond our reach. I say make the investments where it matters (in surround sound systems this would be the speakers) and find contentment with the knowledge that the sound you are purchasing is a vast improvement over the sound you had before. On the other hand if only the best of the best will do for you, you can easily pay well in excess of $, for a very high end home theater and surround system in your home (plus the price of installation of course).
There will always be those who are willing to spend more and those who haven’t enough to spare. We live in a world of the haves and have not’s the good news is that even if you aren’t one of the few privileged ‘haves’ there is probably a decent surround sound system in your price range if you are willing to take the time to really look for one and make the effort to save your pennies, nickels, and dimes in order to get one once you’ve found it. Those things in life that are really worth having are those that are worth making sacrifices in order to receive. How much is too much? More than you are willing to pay.
Demystifying Surround Sound Terminology
Just in case you’ve been reading around and researching the many terms and topics that concern surround sound and the many surround sound systems on the market today, I thought it might be a good idea to explain some of the terminology that is floating around. First of all there are many initials names and numbers floating around when it comes to surround sound technology and equipment, it’s no wonder that many of us mere mortal consumers are more than a little confused by it all. Hopefully the information you find below will prove helpful as you weave through the wired jungles of modern sound technology.
The first and probably most common thing you will see in these circles is Dolby Digital. While there are many complicated definitions of this term the one that will matter most to you, as a consumer is that right now it is the leading format on the market when it comes to processing the digital data that your system will need to process. There are better brands such as DTS when it comes to musical sound for this function but the vast majority of television broadcasts and DVDs are optimized for Dolby.
Speaking of DTS, at the moment they are Dolby’s primary competition. While most items you find on the market such as DVDs are viewable in both DTS and Dolby you need to make sure that they system you purchase whether Dolby or DTS can read both formats for those times when your favorite flick just might not be enhanced for both.
Now perhaps the most confusing of terms when it comes to surround sound systems would be 5.1. It looks so innocent just sitting there but most people are ready to pull out their hair when they realize that it really stands for a system that includes 6 speakers rather than five. The “.1″ in the name refers to the frequency of the subwoofer (or Low Frequency Effects-LFE), which is .1. Despite the existence of ‘better’ systems on the market today, most movies are optimized for this particular set up so this will be of the most value to you with the current products on the market rather than spending more for systems that the DVD makes haven’t yet caught up with.
DTS ES refers to a format commonly referred to as 6.1. In this format there is one additional speaker moved to the center rear of the configuration and the two-rear left and right speakers are moved forward. And THX EX 7.1 is what happens when you add yet another speaker. There aren’t too many films at the moment that use this particular format some notable exceptions would be the Star Wars movies. This means that movies haven’t really caught up to the technology of either of these systems but they are on the market and some people simply must have them. I recommend going with a superior 5.1 channel surround sound system for the time being and adding speakers when there are more reasons to do so.
This list is by no means exhaustive but will give you a basic overview of the information that is relevant to you as you look into the various surround sound systems on the market today. You shouldn’t have to weed through volumes of confusing terminology in order to find out that the system you are interested in actually has 6 speakers rather than 5. My hope is that you can go in armed with basic knowledge that will help you make an informed buying decision.
Playing the Name Game
When it comes to speakers for your surround sound system there happen to be all kinds of models, makes, and brands on the market. You will find vast variations in quality and price among the multitudes. With so many from which to choose it is often difficult to know which brands are reputable, which represent good quality, and which are merely treading water when it comes to the wave of home theater and surround sound quality on the market today. We all have budget constraints however and for that reason some of us find that it is preferable to have a better quality of sound than merely watching the television or listening to the flat radio tunes coming from our existing home stereos.
There happen to be some decent brands and makers of speakers in all price ranges. The quality will be distinctly different in lower price ranges than in the high end. I have a preference for Bose speakers. I find the sound created by these speakers is superior to other similar products and am perfectly willing to pay the price that comes along with this sort of quality. That being said, I have had the occasion to find some excellent bargains on Bose surround sound systems in the past quite by accident. If I can find those bargains (some as low as $ for the set, which is a bargain when you consider the fact that some of their sets begin at $,) when not actively searching for a bargain, it is quite possible to get an excellent price when you are seeking just that.
Everyone is different and tastes will vary greatly from one person to another. There are many other wonderful makers when it comes to surround sound systems that offer products that are ideal and provide excellent sound quality in small places. These are great for small budgets that happen to live in small apartments or have small media rooms in their homes. Logitech has some excellent surround sound systems that actually sell for less than $. They also have systems that sell for considerably more. The best thing you can do is listen to systems in stores, then compare prices on the Internet for bargains among the brands you feel are within your budget and your tastes.
Panasonic actually has a good . channel surround sound home theater that is very reasonably priced at around $ (depending on where you are purchasing of course). It makes for a good basic home theater for the average family and that is what most of us require. Other great brands of surround sound speakers for an average sized room will include: JBL, which offers some basic speaker sets; Yamaha, which offers basic to mid-range quality speaker systems; KLH, which offers very basic budget friendly surround sound systems, and Athena Technologies, which has a pretty nice mid range surround sound system on the market at the moment. This of course is by no means an exhaustive list of choices on the market but a good place for budget aware shoppers to begin searching for their perfect surround sound set of speakers.
While I mentioned some specific brand names in this article, it is important that you do not get caught up in the hype of the ‘name game’. There is much that can be said about having a good name in an industry but consumers often pay the price that is associated with that name when in the checkout line. I am a huge fan of Bose and realize that a large part of the sticker price I pay is for the brand of the name. This does not mean that there aren’t some excellent quality speakers on the market that will cost less and be made by manufacturers I’ve never heard of. Check for warranties and take a risk if you like the sound of a little known speaker company. You could have just discovered the company that will topple Bose from its comfortable spot at the top of my personal speaker-buying list.