We would all love to reach into our wallet and have no problem in taking home the latest and the greatest in home theatre. Unfortunately most of us have financial limitations, and our money has a long way to stretch. In reality, you don’t need to take out a second mortgage to have your very own, excellent sounding Home Theatre set up.
The important question is “What should I spend my money on?” You may be tempted to jump straight into a “Home Theatre in a box” set up, but refrain. It’s not a bad idea because it’s cheap, or an unknown brand, but you usually can’t do anything to improve or extend these systems.
AUDIO COMPONENTS
We recommend that you begin with a good receiver. These range in price and quality, however you want to find one with dozens of inputs (also known as jacks) which allow all your various components to be connected, and your system to be extended over time. Read more about receiver inputs
You will find that together with a pair of front speakers, the audio should already sound better than any “boom-box” or “stereo” that you’ve used previously.
The next step, should be to add a front centre speaker. The centre speaker is responsible for reproducing the dialogue in a movie. Without a centre speaker, the dialogue will be sent from your front speakers. As soon as you hear the centre speaker in action, you will notice the unique sounds specific to the centre channel.
Next should be the addition of two rear speakers. Positioned left and right, at the rear of the room, you will now have yourself a surround sound system.
To round off your system, I would be looking at including a subwoofer. The subwoofer is totally different to all your other speakers. Its’ job is to produce those low end bass notes, which really make you “feel” the sound. Now you officially have a 5.1 Surround Sound system! Read more about subwoofers
VISUAL COMPONENTS
Now you have the audio set up, it’s time to look into the visual elements. You will need to decide whether you will be using a big screen television, or aiming for the true Home Theatre experience with a Projector.
Projectors have come such a long way, and are more affordable than ever. Some even come with 3D ability, so you can really get the latest cinema experience. Projectors need to be mounted upside down on the ceiling, to be truly integrated. Projector Ceiling Mounts are inexpensive, and come in a wide range, to suit your room.
Projector screens, add the final touch to a Home Theatre. They are not essential, but once you include one in your room, you will understand the true experience of Home Theatre. Available in fixed, manual pull-down or fully motorised. Check out our blog on projector screens.
Ultimately, the best Home Theatre is the one you can build upon, to slowly tweak into what you really want. Some are more fortunate and can do it all at once, others will accumulate bit by bit. See below a “Wish List” for you to print out, write down the components you will work toward. You can set priorities, and note current prices, so you can plan your budget. You will also find that we have put together some fantastic components into Home Theatre Packages at the Selby website.
Please feel free to contact the Selby Techs if you need any assistance in selecting the correct cables or accessories for your home theatre.