THX Home Audio Buyer Guide

12/5/2015 THX
Home Audio Buyer Guide « THX.com
Newsletter
THX Store
Blog
Professional Extranet
Consumer
Movies
Home Entertainment
Automotive
THX Technology
Professional
Home Theater Installer
Sound Engineer
Cinema Certification
Encoder Certification
Training Events
Search THX.com Search
Home Entertainment
Movies
Home Entertainment
Automotive
THX Technology
THX Home Audio Buyer Guide
More In: Speakers & Receivers
Share on Facebook
Tweet This
Curtir 99 pessoas curtiram isso. Seja o primeiro entre seus amigos.
http://www.thx.com/consumer/homeentertainment/hometheater/thxhomeaudiobuyerguide/ 1/6
12/5/2015 THX Home Audio Buyer Guide « THX.com
How big should my system be?
The size of your living room or home theater plays a big part in what kind of system you should
consider purchasing. A good surround sound system needs to be powerful enough to fill your room
with crisp, clear sound. If you get one that doesn’t have enough horsepower, it can distort when
playing at higher volumes.    
THX has created “room size categories” to help you find the right products
to accurately reproduce movies, music and video games in your home. THX Select and Select2
Certified loudspeakers are designed for medium sized rooms 2,000 cubic feet in size, with a 1012
foot viewing distance from the screen. THX Ultra2 Certified loudspeakers bring the cinematic
experience to large home theaters, 3,000 cubic feet with a 12 foot or greater viewing distance from the
screen.
Think before you buy
Before choosing an audio system for your home, ask yourself one basic question: “What am I going to
listen to?” Are you looking for an audio system to connect with your iPod® or digital music library?
Is it for multichannel movies or just improving how your TV sounds? If you want to watch movies,
TV or play games in surround sound, then you should consider a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system. If
you are looking to improve how your iPod sounds in your bedroom or desktop, consider a 2.1 or 5.1
multimedia system.
What is 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound?
You have probably heard the terms 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound before. But, what do these numbers
actually mean? The numbers 5 and 7 correlate to the number of audio channels used to mix the film,
music or video game. They also refer to the number of speakers in the home theater system. For
example, a 5.1 surround sound system typically has 5 speakers and 1 subwoofer, and a 7.1 system has
7 speakers and 1 subwoofer.
Click here to find out where each speaker should be placed in your room.
HTiB or separates?
If you prefer to buy all of your home theater components in one stop, then you should consider an
Integrated System or “Home Theater in a Box” (HTiB). These “allinone” packages include speakers,
subwoofer and an AV receiver. Some even come equipped with a DVD or Bluray player. The
benefit? Everything is included in an HTiB, even the cables. And set up is easy.
The downside? Many HTiB systems lack the power and performance to really bring your home
theater to life. THX recently teamed with Onkyo to launch the Onkyo HTS9100THX, an allinone
speaker/receiver package that delivers the best of both worlds—great THX performance at an
affordable price.
What is an AV receiver, and why should I care?
You will need an AV receiver to experience surround sound—there is no denying this. The AV
receiver is the hub of your home audio system. Receivers accept all audio and video sources,
including satellite and cable TV, DVRs, DVD and Bluray players, as well as gaming consoles. It then
distributes the sound from these sources to your surround system, accurately powering all of your
speakers.
THX Certified receivers range in price from $500 to $9000. The price difference is often defined by
product features and technologies. Highend receivers feature a number of listening modes, calibration
technologies and video processing. Higher priced receivers may also be upgradeable via firmware
updates in case a new technology appears on the market.
When deciding on the right AV receiver for your system, start by making sure there is enough
amplifier power to drive the speakers for your particular room size. Then, evaluate the various
processing modes. If you play video games or enjoy movies in surround sound, THX Listening
modes and THX Loudness Plus will greatly improve the experience. In addition, you should try to
pick a receiver with enough inputs (HDMI, component, etc.) for your home entertainment system.
Check out AV receivers, amplifiers and preamps from Onkyo, Integra, Pioneer, Denon,
Marantz, Yamaha, Lexicon, Meridian, Anthem, ADA, Halcro, JBL Synthesis, NAD and
Parasound for more details.
What about speakers?
Speakers can be purchased as a package (5.1 and 7.1) or separately. And there are a lot of brands to
choose from, each with its own unique sonic signature. Depending on the aesthetics of your home
theater or living room, you can pick between traditional box speakers that are visible to viewers, or
choose inwall and inceiling speakers that disappear into the ceiling and walls. If you choose the
latter, some drilling, cutting and running speaker cable is required. Not to fear though, if you are not
the DIY type, a
THX Certified Professional can help with speaker installation.
Today, there is a number of great THX Certified inwall and inceiling speakers that deliver the same,
solid performance as THX Certified box speakers. Companies such as Sonance, Klipsch, Polk Audio
and Atlantic Technology, have raised the bar for inwall/inceiling performance.
What about onwall speakers?
Onwall speakers are box speakers that are mounted on the wall. However, you need to make sure that
the box speakers you purchase are actually designed for wall mounting. Why? A wall creates an
acoustic boundary that reflects low frequencies (bass). If you mount traditional box speakers (not
designed for wall mounting) the result could be a very bass heavy sound. THX recommends onwall
speakers from Teufel and Jamo.
Do larger speakers perform better?
The size of your speakers does make a difference in the way they perform. While many well known
speaker brands push smaller speaker concepts, THX recommends resisting the temptation to go too
small. The smaller the speaker, the more you may compromise in terms of output and low frequency
performance. Try to find a balance between the size you desire and the sound quality you expect.
THX Certified speaker brands, such as Sonance and Atlantic Technology, are renowned for their
design aesthetic, creating high performing speakers that blend with any décor.
Do I need a subwoofer?
Yes you do! Don’t even think about getting a home theater system without a subwoofer. Subwoofers
provide the low frequency bass that creates the rumbles of the jet engine in Iron Man or freeway
bridges collapsing in Die Hard 4. THX recommends getting the biggest subwoofer that your living
space and budget will allow. In the world of THX Certified speaker systems, a 12inch or 2×10inch
subwoofers is a minimum requirement.
Can you mix and match speakers?
Yes, mixing and matching speaker brands and styles is fine. In fact, the whole concept of THX
certification is based on the idea of being able to mix and match components from different
manufacturers. The THX certification process standardizes all electrical and output parameters, so that
all THX Certified speakers and receivers work together.
You can potentially have box speakers for the Front and inwall or inceiling speakers for the
Surrounds. However, THX recommends that you keep groups of speakers similar. This means, the
Front speakers should be from the same manufacturer and designed to work together. And, the
Surround Left and Right speakers should also be identical to each other, as should the Surround Back
speakers.
Discover the latest products from Teufel, Snell, Polk Audio, M&K, Crystal Acoustics, Sonance, Logitech, Klipsch,
Creative Labs, Razer, BG, Atlantic Technology, JBL Synthesis, Jamo, Velodyne, and other partners to come off the
THX Test Bench.
Latest from the THX Blog
THX tuneup™– your Super Bowl Game Plan for Improved Picture Quality
THX and Sontia: Partnering to Bring Big (Quality) Audio to Small Devices
When does 4K Matter?
THX Home Theater Made Easy – Modern Challenges
Take the THX Fan Survey for a Chance to Win!
Social Networks
Follow us on Twitter
Become a Fan on Facebook
Connect on LinkedIn
THX ConsumerHome EntertainmentHome TheaterTHX Home Audio Buyer Guide
Email Subscribe to the THX Newsletter
Consumer
Movies
Find a THX Certified Cinema
THX Trailers
Home Entertainment
Audio
Find a THX Certified Installer
Home Theater Guide
Partners
THX Certified AVRs
THX Certified Displays
THX Certified Products
THX Certified Releases
THX Certified Speakers
THX Optimizer
Video
Automotive
2013 Lincoln MKS
2013 Lincoln MKT
2013 Lincoln MKX
2013 Lincoln MKZ
2013 Lincoln Navigator
Raves and Reviews
THX Car Audio
THX Technology
THX AV Receiver Features
THX Balanced Bassline
THX Loudness Plus
THX Reference Level
THX Slot Speaker
THX Surround Sound Modes
THX TruStudio PC
Professional
Home Theater Installer
Advanced Video Systems Calibration
Home Theater Design and Tuning
Introduction to THX and Home Theater
Introduction to Video Calibration
The THX Advantage
What the Pros are Saying
Sound Engineer
pm3 Studio Certification
Screening Rooms
Specifications
Studio Certification
THX Approved Equipment
Cinema Certification
Auditorium Isolation
Onsite Installation & Integration
Pro Equipment
Projected Image
Reverberation Control
Screen Placement
Speaker Layout & Baffle Wall
TASA Certification
THX Cinema Certification
THX Reps
Training Events
Training Schedule
THX Test Bench Blog
About Us | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Press Releases | Careers | Sitemap
©2015 THX Ltd.

THX Home Audio Buyer Guide

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THX Home Audio Buyer Guide

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

THX Home Audio Buyer Guide

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

12/5/2015 THX

You might also like