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Intro
Hi all, as I have been recently learning about ‘what to look for’ in home theatre parts, and subsequently purchasing some, I’ve decided to consolidate and share what I learned, to ease your future considerations in selecting your own parts. The end result represents a start-to-finish guide on listening, buying, installing, tweaking and enjoying your system.
Bookmark this site for when the time comes…
I’ll preface this information by saying I’m no expert, if you are an expert, and want to send me feedback, I’d appreciate it.
Understanding the 'language' of the home theatre space is key, and since this guide is essentially written-as-I-went, it should serve as a handy guide for those first exploring this area, and if you have any feedback at all, I welcome it.
Here's a quick breakdown of what we'll cover
High-Level (All-In-One vs Components)
Hot Tips
Budget Overview
Parts Guide
Budget Breakdown
Medium-Level (Acoustics vs Efficiency)
Low-Level (Component Specifications)
What to do once it's all at your house
F.A.Q
I know you're excited, and just wanna go burn some cash and blow women's clothes off with your new speakers - but I strongly suggest you read everything up to and including 'Medium Level' - as this will get you 'store-ready'.
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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