Audiophile Alert

High-level (All-In-One vs Components)

There are 2 avenues:

· All-In-One 5.1 / 7.1 package ($500 - $2,000, but not going to sound even remotely as good)

· Systems made of individually selected components ($2,500 - $∞ (yes, infinity dollars, and this minimum assumes entry-level stereo (2 channel) sound only))

If you’re not that keen on creating a ‘better than cinema’ experience, and aren’t going to be consciously sitting and listening to music, an All-In-One system might be for you.

If you’re uncertain, consider:

· Do you enjoy music? If not, a regular All-In-One system from JB HI Fi or similar could be the way to go.

· Do you know what format the audio in your movies or music is?

· Is any of your existing music collection stored in a lossless format?

· Have you heard the terms ‘Dolby’ or ‘DTS’ or ‘FLAC’?

If you answered no to any or all of the above, anticipate that there’s potentially going to be additional costs:

· Storing music in lossless formats typically takes up roughly 5 times more disk space than MP3’s

· 5.1 Audio tracks require more powerful / capable Media Players to stream correctly

· Movies or TV shows lacking a 5.1 track will come out in ‘surround’ - if the receiver supports ‘stereo up-scaling’ - however, this isn’t comparable to genuine 5.1.

One last thing I’ll say on the All-In-One vs Component matter is: If / When you do decide you want to take the next step, the All-In-One system you have will be of no use, so instead of having your foot in the metaphorical door, you’ll find yourself starting (also metaphorically) from square one.

Hopefully you’re on board, but if not, stop reading here, as I’m not elaborating on how to choose an All-In-One system. Furthermore, if you are looking for movie playback as part of this setup, I trust you have an existing media centre, because I’m not covering off anything in relation to that.

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