237-239 Princess St.
Kingston, ON.
K7L 1B3
Telephone: 613-549-0044
Fax: 613-549-0048
Choosing A Theatre System
OK. You're visiting our site because you know you want a home theatre that sounds better than what the Big box department store sells for $300.00. Let's explore why.
The most common misconception I hear is that home theatre is too expensive to do properly. Not true! Home theatre systems vary in cost from, yes the $300.00 HTIB (home theatre in a box) to well....the sky's the limit. It's ok to fall somewhere in between the two. First, you need to decide on a budget. Once you have, we'll work together to build the best system we can and stay within your budget.
We'll start with the heart and brains of the whole operation: ME! No, I'm kidding. The receiver is the heart and brains of the entire home theatre system. In my opinion, the receiver should make up 1/3 of your allotted budget. So, if you're planning on investing $3000.00, your receiver will run around $1000.00. It doesn't have to, this is just an example. We have receivers from Yamaha, NAD, Arcam, Pioneer Elite and Sony. Other home theatre component manufacturers that we sell are Linn, Bryston, and others.
Now that the budget has been decided, we need to decide if you're a "turn it on and it makes sound" household. Or, are you a "tinkering and tweaking" household. Most likely it's a combination of the two. Finding the receiver for you shouldn't take too long at all. First when deciding on a receiver, don't purchase anything less than a "5.1" receiver. Most receivers now are "6.1" and "7.1". Some are even "9.1", or more. For the beginner, I'll detail how to discern between them. The most common are 6.1 and 7.1 but, 5.1 will suffice if you just don't have the space for the extra speakers.
5.1 : In a 5.1 system you have 5 speakers and a subwoofer. The subwoofer is the ".1" because it is not a full range speaker and usually has a built in amplifier. It only makes low bass below 150 hz. The other 5 speakers are as follows: Front Left, Centre, Front Right, Rear Right and Rear Left. Thus, 5.1.
6.1 : In a 6.1 system all the speakers are the same as a 5.1 system save one. We have added a "rear centre channel". In Dolby Digital EX, the rear centre uses "matrixed" information from the rear left and rear right speakers and combines it within the rear centre. With DTS ES Discrete, the rear centre channel information is dedicated to the rear centre.
7.1 : In a 7.1 system the speaker layout changes somewhat. I'll make a simple diagram below to explain. We still have the 3 speakers across the front plane, and the subwoofer. They do not change location. The rear speakers however, have moved to the sides, and the 2 extra speakers are now in the rear.
Here's what a 7.1 system will look like: The "X" is your seating position
FL= Front Left C= Centre FR= Front Right SL= Surround Left SR= Surround Right SBL= Surround Back Left SBR= Surround Back Right
FL C FR
Subwoofer
SL SR
X
SBL SBL
So, now that you have some idea of what you can expect to see when you're shopping for a new receiver, all you have to do is decide which is right for you. Most receivers now are 6.1 and 7.1. Many "low end" receivers have a built in DVD or Blu Ray player. To be quite candid; these are bad news. The receiver will LONG outlive the Blu Ray player. Then, you're without your entire system while the Blu Ray is being repaired, or replaced. Separates are the way to go! The HTIB, or all in one systems are fine as a secondary thing or a system for the kids, but let's be real here. You've worked hard and deserve better than that!
Back to "turn it on and it works" or "tinkering and tweaking". Myself, I tend to tinker a bit with the sound to get it perfect for the movie I'm watching. For music it's 2 speakers and the subwoofer. Many receivers offer different surround sound programs or modes as they're often called. From Concert Halls to Movie Theatres, these surround modes are certainly fun to play with. Are they useful? That's for you to decide. The best thing you can do is to try 2 or 3 different receivers and buy what you like the sound of. Not what your brother in law tells you is good! Everyone has a certain tone that they like to hear. Whether it's big, fat bottom end, or clean neutral tone. Decide for yourself. Don't rely on anyone else to tell you what sounds good. Some speakers sound very different when hooked up to different amplifiers. It's best to try different combinations of equipment to get the sound you like. Another factor to consider is that just because it was a top brand 25 or 30 years ago, doesn't necessarily mean it is today. Do some research! Ultimately though, the decision is yours and don't rely completely on the Internet, magazines or what other people tell you. Rely on what your ears tell you.
Many systems sound good for movies, but not so good for music. The next factor to consider is application. Will this be a movie system? Music system? Or both? How important is music over movies or vice versa? For the most part, if a system sounds good for music it will sound good for movies. NOT vice versa though! Many systems sound ok for movies and TERRIBLE for music. Be careful. Have the sales associate play music first, then a movie clip. If he/she is hesitant to play music, chances are it's not a very good system and the salesperson knows it! Or he/she is just too lazy to change the disc! So, rule #1 in shopping for a new system is "MUSIC FIRST!"
Another factor to consider when shopping for a receiver is this. How many other components will you be hooking up to the receiver? Blu Ray, VCR, Satellite, DVD recorder, CD player, Tape Deck, Game System....the list goes on. If you only have one or 2 components to be attached, then you won't need a higher end receiver, as the mid range receivers will have enough inputs and a couple of extras for future use. Most mid range receivers offer everything you'll need now, and in the future. The sales associate should ask questions so he/she can guide you and help you choose the receiver that's exactly what you need. Incidentally, we offer a 60 day trade up of any receiver, just in case you decide the one you took home initially isn't quite what you wanted. You can always trade it up to the next model, or a different brand! You can't lose or make a mistake.
What type of warranty does the company offer? Most receiver manufacturers offer at least 2 years on receivers. We at Just HiFi offer a FREE EXTENDED WARRANTY on ALL RECEIVERS. We have technicians in Kingston and Brockville that service everything we sell. Our techs are factory trained and authorised for most of the products we sell.
The final factor, and for some people the most crucial....the remote control. Many, many remotes are poorly designed and tend to be very confusing. Always ask to see the remote. Hold it in your hand, press buttons...you can't break it by pushing buttons! Remember, the remote is the thing that you have to deal with every day. Don't be intimidated though. Many remotes are very smartly designed. A good sales associate will show you what the remote is capable of and how easy it is to understand.
Summing up the deciding factors in purchasing a new home theatre receiver:
1. Budget - Decide on a budget and the receiver should use about 1/3 of it. Give or take.
2. Ease of use - Are you a tinkering and tweaking family or a turn it on and it makes sound family?
3. Size of the room will determine whether you should go 5.1, 6.1 or even 7.1.
4. Use your ears to decide. Listen to music. If it sounds good for music, it will sound good for movies.
5. Versatility down the road. How many inputs does it have? Will you be adding more components later on?
6. Warranty? How long? Parts and labour? Local service?
7. How's the remote? Easy? Too small? Too big? Have the salesperson show you what's what.
8. The only dumb question is the one you didn't ask. Don't be afraid to ask questions! Your sales person is a trained professional and will have the answers.
