Home Theater Systems
Home theater systems are a great way to enhance your home media experiences. Imagine how Star Wars sounded when you first heard it in theaters; now imagine the last time you watched it on your TV. TV speakers don't do justice to the sound effects, the score, and 3-D surround sound effects that are such an important part of the cinematic experience. To get a true movie theater sound, you need to invest in a home theater audio system.
You have a few choices when it comes to home theater systems. You can spend anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars on your home theater system. Serious audiophiles will want to read on for information about individual components; if you just want an easy to set up system that will give you good surround sound without breaking your budget, think about a HTIB.
Unless you are upgrading your home theater or setting up a theater in a new house, you probably already have some of the components of a home theater system. Most people already own a TV  and DVD player ; if you do and you're satisfied with them, you are off to a good start. Since TVs, DVD players and receivers are all covered in other guides, this guide will focus mainly on speakers and all-in-one kits.
Home Theater Vocab
Whether you decide to spring for a $10,000 custom system or just need a few speakers for your frat's TV room, there are a few technical terms you should know before venturing into the world of home theater systems. This article from Abt Electronics has a fantastic glossary (just scroll down the page a little); the most important terms are listed here. - 5.1 and 7.1 Surround Sound -- refers to the number of outputs; the number after the decimal refers to the number of subwoofer channels. A 5.1 system has 1 center, 2 front (L/R), 2 rear/side (L/R), and one subwoofer. A 7.1 system has 2 front, 2 side, and 2 rear speakers and one subwoofer.
- Watts -- measurement of power; in a receiver this is correlated with how loud the system will sound. Subwoofers are also described in watts; more watts means more bass.
- Decibels -- measure of loudness. Don't base any comparisons on decibels alone, since decibels are not an absolute measure of loudness; they measure loudness at a given distance from a sound.
- Timbre -- the tonal quality of a sound, separate from its amplitude and frequency. If you buy speakers from different manufacturers, they may not have the same timbre; this will be noticeable when a sound moves from one side of the room to the other. If you buy your components separately, be sure to test them together for timbre match.
- Tweeter -- the speaker driver that produce the highest sounds; sometimes included in a speaker along with a midrange, but generally not found in the subwoofer.
- Midrange -- the driver that produces, you guessed it, the sounds in the middle of the audio range.
- Subwoofer -- the driver that produces the lowest sound. Usually found in its own box, and sometimes sold separately from speaker systems. Low-frequency sounds add depth and richness to the audio experience but are difficult to localize, so it doesn't matter much where you put the subwoofer.
Home Theater in a Box
Home theaters-in-a-box (HTIB ) are pre-packaged kits for home entertainment with surround sound capabilities. For the technologically challenged and even those who are just not interested in the hassle of researching all the different components for a custom-built surround sound system, these home-theater bundles are hassle-free and provide decent sound. If you are interested in something even less complicated that also saves space, take a look at the smaller DVD Minisystems.
Generally speaking, a HTIB will include a 5.1 speaker system (5 satellite speakers and a subwoofer) and a DVD player/receiver combined unit.
Top Picks for HTIBs
These systems represent the top picks on CNET. The first two systems do not include a DVD player, so they are good choices if you have a DVD player you like.
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The Onkyo HT-S780 comes in both black and silver and boasts excellent 7.1 channel sound quality. A great compact system if you already have a DVD player. Price ranges from $300 to $450. Also check out the Onkyo HT-S580. |
The Yamaha YHT-160 is another CNET pick for under $500. It features top-notch components at an affordable price, as well as a number of features that would make some more expensive systems jealous. |
The Pioneer HTZ-940DV happens to produce amazingly rich sound out of those ultra flat speakers. Then again, it'll run you about $1100 for 360 watts of 5.1 channel sound. |
Talk about some cool speakers, if you have the space for them: The Panasonic SC-HT930 is definitely not kidding around when it comes to making a statement. Costs about $500. |
Other Top Picks
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Philips HTS 9800W
The Philips HTS9800W is a sleek system that boasts one very impressive feature: it is ready for high-definition television. In addition to the high-def reciever, it includes a number of nice features like wireless speakers and touchscreen controls. It also has video upscaling; this means that your DVD signal will be boosted to 1080i for faux-high-def video. More high-def home theater systems will be available in another year or so, but if you just can't wait this sweet setup will keep your home theater blasting.
Cost: $700 |
HTIB Buying Tips
Speakers - HTIBs are available with speakers in many sizes, although most HTIBs don't have the really big speakers that you can buy as individual components.
- The quality ranges for tolerable to terrific, but you probably won't find a HTIB that will sound as good as a custom-designed speaker system.
- Nonetheless, for the home audio novice or those who aren't as particular about sound quality, HTIBs are a great solution.
- HTIBs are also good for smaller spaces, such as dorm rooms or small TV rooms.
- Keep in mind that size matters: speakers can be as small as a lunch box or as tall as a bookshelf.
- Small speakers can sound terrific, but they may not be able to provide really deep bass. They also don't get as loud as big speakers.
- In most cases, bigger speakers will sound better.
- Because the speakers come as a set, you won't have any problems with compatibility; however, it may be difficult to add components later.
- You may also see speakers advertised as wireless; this is not entirely honest.
- Wireless speakers connect to the receiver via infrared signals; however, they still require a power source. (Battery powered speakers are too wimpy to be worth mentioning.)
- Wireless speakers are capable of good sound, but they don't yet sound as good as regular wired speakers.
- To learn more about what's important in each kind of speaker, read on below.
Receiver - Look For:
- Many connectivity options (in case you want to add more inputs later.)
- Power -- the number of watts -- will indicate just how loud your sound system can get.
- HTIB systems include a receiver; that's why they're HTIBs and not speaker systems.
- Click here to learn more about what to look for in a receiver.
DVD Player - Look For:
- Broad disc compatibiility
- Multi-disc capacity (if this is important to you.)
- Easy-to-use interface.
- Although it is unusual, HTiBs don't always come with a DVD player.
- Most options offer a combined DVD/receiver; most of these can also play burned CDs, and some can even play MP3 CDs.
- Keep in mind that the remote controls for these types of integrated players are slightly more complicated to use and will probably take some getting used to.
- Individual DVD players are relatively cheap these days. You can spend $100+ on a low-end player that you can upgrade down the road if you want, and spend whatever extra money you have on purchasing a better quality home theater system.
- Check out the DVD players available and learn more about them here. Or replace your old VCR with a DVD recorder.
- Another option is a DVD minisystems. They play DVDs, MP3 discs, CDs and tapes.
- The units are smaller than a home theater type setup, but can be great if you are trying to save space.
- Most of the models come with two speakers, but some come with sets of six speakers. See the DVD Minisystems Buying Guide for more information and some products.
- While these can be great space savers, they don't have the powerful sound that comes with a full-sized home theater system.
Choosing Speakers
If you are home theater enthusiast and want to build a customized surround system you will need: - a TV and DVD player
- a receiver with an integrated amplifier and multi-channel capability (5.1or 7.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX),
- a minimum of five speakers (one center, one right, one left and two surround), and
- a subwoofer.
Just be sure that you are ready to deal with the wiring of these different components.
There's a lot to know about buying a receiver; read the AV Receivers guide to learn more. The same goes for TVs and DVD players.
If you decide to build your own home theater system, you'll have to pick out your speakers individually or as a set separate from your receiver and DVD player. This gives you a lot of flexibilty, but you'll have to do a bit more research and possibly some home testing before you make a decision. One important consideration is that your speakers match each other in timbre. If you buy from the same manufacturer and the same line, you should be fine; buying different makes or models is a riskier decision.
Recommendations
If you're looking for a speaker package, here are a few suggestions from CNET. The first two are top compacts, and the second two are top full-sized systems.
Subwoofers
A subwoofer provides that deep bass thump when you play music and the seat shaking rumble during an action film. Subs will greatly improve the richness and fullness of sound quality and surround sound. The only question is, how do you choose the bass unit that is right for you? - You will want a different size and number of subwoofers depending on your tastes and needs. One rule of thumb though, subwoofers increase in power the bigger they get.
- Power comes at a price: sound quality usually suffers slightly as the bass gets deeper and more resonant. For crystal clear sound in your living room, depending on its size, you will want to find a smaller subwoofer for two reasons:
- Nobody wants to look at a bunch of speakers and subwoofers.
- If you don't want to compromise quality for deep bass, multiple subwoofers can be purchased to improve it without distorting sound.
- Advances in technology have made it possible for all home audio subwoofers to come with integrated amplifiers, so there is no need to go and buy separate one.
- Top Subwoofers (from CNET)
Center Speakers
The center speaker is the one that sits -- you got it -- right in the center of the room. A lot of dialogue and other important sounds come from the center speaker, so good quality is of great importance. - If you have large left and right front speakers, get the largest center speaker you can. You want the front of your audio landscape to be in balance accross the room.
- A three-channel speaker is your best bet, so you don't have to rely on the subwoofer for all the bass.
- If you can, you should probably buy the same brand center speakers as your left and right so the timbre will match. If you don't buy the same brand, be sure to try before you commit.
Front Speakers
Your left and right front speakers are important for music as well as movies. If you plan to listen to music more often than you play movies, you might want to spend 30-40% of your home theater budget on the front speakers. (Otherwise, distribute the budget evenly over all your speakers.) - Buy the largest ones you can afford and accomodate. Your front speakers are going to pull a lot of weight in your home theater setup.
- If you are buying individual components, make sure your front speakers match your center speaker in terms of timbre and power.
Surround Speakers
As with other speakers, you should try to match your surrounds to the rest of your setup. Precise timbre match isn't as important for surrounds, however, since they're mostly there to provide sound effects and a three-dimensional feel.
There are two kinds of surround speakers: monopole and dipole/bipole. - Monopole speakers project sound straight ahead in one direction.
- This is the type that looks like a "typical" satellite speaker.
- HTIBs usually use monopole speakers.
- Good for music-oriented setups; also popular for high-end setups.
- Dipole speakers project sound out to the sides in two directions.
- Creates a more diffuse, atmospheric sound environment.
- Best suited to watching movies; not the best choice for listening to music.
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