Building that perfect Home Theater System relies on two important categories. Audio and Video. Most people don’t realize that Audio plays a very important role in your ultimate home theater experience. High definition video content also brings with it Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. A $3000 50” plasma television will give you an awesome high definition picture, but it won’t be able to give you that 5.1 surround sound that is broadcast along with the picture. So this leaves you to purchase an additional set of components to achieve that digital sound.
When it comes to home theater audio, there are really two different ways you can approach it. First is buying a system that basically comes with everything you’ll need for a basic surround system. This system is called a home theater in a box. In a basic home theater in a box you’ll get five speakers, a subwoofer, and a receiver. Most times the receiver has a built in DVD player with it. Home theater in a box systems start at around $99.99. These systems will give you basic 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound for a low price. While most of the time, these home theater in a box systems will be better than your televisions speakers, they do have their limitations. Some have proprietary cables and connections and the speakers can not be upgraded later on. Some also lack extra inputs for other components such as Cable/Satellite boxes, Gaming systems, and other surround sound cable devices. Home theater in a box systems are great for consumers who are looking for the cheapest way to achieve surround sound.
For the best home theater audio, there are the component systems. These are the systems where every component is sold separately. For example, you’ll have to buy a pair of speakers for the fronts, a center channel, a pair of speakers for the rear, and a subwoofer all separately. You’ll also have to buy the receiver separately as well. Unlike the home theater in a box, this receiver will not come with a built in DVD player. Buying all these component pieces separately will be more expensive than your average home theater in a box. However, a component system will give you the best sound possible between the two. An entry level component system can start at about $999.99 and go up from there. Building your system piece by piece gives you the freedom to do it over time. If you don’t have enough money to buy the whole system at one time, that’s ok. Buying a receiver and just two front speakers of good quality, will give you better sound than most home theater in a box systems. And as you can afford it, you can add the center channel, the rear speakers, and the subwoofer. Another positive for the component system is you can upgrade or replace speakers without having to worry about proprietary issues like you have with some home theaters in a box systems.
Your family’s Home Theater experience will greatly be enhanced with the addition of a surround sound system. As always, I recommend you head to your local Best Buy and have one of their home theater specialists help you determine which audio system meets your lifestyle and budget. They have a wide variety of audio product lines from manufacturers like Klipsch, Yamaha, Sony, Bose, Athena, and JBL. And in Magnolia home theater, located inside select Best Buy’s, there are high end audio products from manufacturers like Martin Logan, Vienna Acoustics, Definitive Technologies, Denon, Pioneer Elite, and Boston Acoustics. Don’t forget to use your Reward Zone Card with your purchase!
