Several Mistakes to Avoid When Shopping for Home Theater Audio

A home theater audio system is undoubtedly a wise decision. With benefits for both movie watching and listening to music–two important aspects of many people’s lives–it’s definitely not a purchase that will go unused. The biggest drawback of buying a new audio system actually lies with impulse buying. People in general have a tendency to want immediate results and thus opt for either the first unit they find, or the cheapest that they find, or else they allow themselves to be goaded or rushed into making a decision, or are upsold unnecessary features by clever salespeople. All of these things can be avoided if you keep in mind a couple of important pointers pertaining to selecting the best quality and most useful audio system for your particular needs.

Listen to Speakers Thoroughly

The most important test of a speaker’s quality to an individual is invariably a sound test. It’s quite simple: the speakers have to sound good to you, otherwise you’re going to be happy with them. It’s helpful to know what the different specifications and features mean, but in the end if you’re satisfied with the sound produced by a cheaper set of speakers then that’s the best model for you. Make sure you bring along movies or CDs that you listen to frequently when testing speakers, so you can assess the sound quality of a medium that you’re familiar with.

Use Common Sense

If you think you’re going to buy tiny, inconspicuous satellite speakers and have them hold up to full blown home theater action movie sound effects without straining or distorting, I’m afraid to say that you’re living in a dream world. If you want big sound, don’t expect it from compact speakers. Likewise, if you want detail and finesse to the sound quality then don’t expect it from the system that advertises the most thunderous, mind-shattering bass on the market. There’s a lot of subtlety to audio systems, and many ways in which the lows, highs and midranges can be combined and balanced to achieve different effects.

Additionally, the larger the room you intend to set up your speakers in, the more speaker you’ll need to fill all that space. Especially when it comes to surround sound or bass effects, don’t expect to achieve the quality you want with “imitation surround systems” or built-in woofers. You need solid, dedicated units for these kinds of sound systems. Take your time when selecting your audio system, use your head and be prepared to pay for the kind of quality that you want, and you are sure to make a decision that you’re satisfied with for years to come.