9 Features of a Good Home Theater System

Don't you think it will be wise to find out the basic elements a Home Theater System should have before you go shopping? There are numerous products on the market.

A Home Theater may appear to be a quality product but it may end up not working after 6 months. Don’t be deceived by the lights, shiny packaging, and big speakers. Some products can also offer even better sound and quality viewing without appearing to be so polished.

Let’s take you through the basic elements of a Best Home Theater Systems

Size

In those days, the best audio systems were very big. The bigger the speakers, the louder the sound or the quality of the system. Times have changed and technology has improved. There some Home theater systems that are portable but produce quality sounds. In other words, the best home theater systems are not often the biggest.

The size of the home theater should not be the prerequisite of getting one. Instead, the size of your sitting room or wherever you want to install it should be a major consideration.

Sound

So many elements are put together to produce the sound produced by the speakers. The materials used in manufacturing your speakers are just one side of the puzzle. The assembling plays a major role in the out. This situation can be liked to giving 5 chefs the same ingredients to prepare a particular dish. One dish will be more delicious than others. The same thing happens with Home Theater systems.

Always look out for home theaters that is designed with a moderate enclosure. The danger in buying a home theater with a speaker that has a wide enclosure is that the sound may end up reverberating inside. The output will be very poor.

Below are basic features that a good home theater should have in respect of sound;

Surround sound

An average home theater should have a 5.1 surround system. Some have to surround sound quality as high as 7.1 or 9.1 while others are lower. Your budget will likely determine what you will get in this case. This quality also affects the price of the product. A home theater with a 5.1 surround sound will do the magic.

Equalizers

Equalizers will help you fine-tune the sound to suit your environment. Although you can buy an external equalizer for this purpose, some home theater systems have inbuilt equalizers.

Amplified speakers

Not all the home theater speakers have amplified speakers. It will be an added advantage if you get a home theater with amplified speakers.

Subwoofer

A subwoofer helps to balance the entire sound output produced by the speakers. It produces a low pitch frequency. In other words, the subwoofers produce the bass sound.

Design

The design is more or less the overall outlook of the Home Theater. This includes the size, shape, lighting system, materials, etc. Some of these elements have been discussed here already while others will also be looked at. The design should also be taken into consideration before making a purchase. Does it affect the quality or output the system produces? Not really in some cases.

Take a holistic look at the outlook and the output of the system to determine what will suit you.

Materials

The materials used in manufacturing your home theater will determine how long it may last. Usually, the central control of a home theater is made from aluminum while some are manufactured with fiber. Meanwhile, the external frame of the speakers is manufactured with either polished wood or plastic. Speakers made from polished wood are durable compared to those made from plastics.

However, you can also find home theater speakers with an external covering made from good plastics. If you have the resources, go for wooden speakers. Although they may be more expensive, they last for years.

Perfect Lighting knobs

Aside from beautifying the system, lighting knobs create the perfect ambiance and also increase safety. The lighting system of a home theater not just adds radiance, it embellishes the entire system. You will enjoy this feature when all the lights are turned off. For instance, some products have lighting systems that work with the sound produced. You will not appreciate the importance of lighting knobs until the whole place is so dark you may not be able to see your shadow.

Connectivity

In this modern era where everything is becoming wireless, it will be out of place to go for a complete wired product. Go for a product that supports wireless and wired connectivity. This will ensure that you connect more devices to your system. Some products support Bluetooth, USB, software (for iOS and Android devices) and so on. This feature will enable flexibility.

Audio/video format

This aspect is also crucial because technology is evolving daily. Try as much as you can to go for a system that supports popular audio and video formats. For instance, a good home theater should support WMA, MP4, FLAC, etc. The regular video formats such as HMDI, 3D, HDR, are so on should be available.

This feature will let you listen or watch any type of audio or video format.

Remote control

The remote control makes it easier to operate your home theater system. You can sit or stand at any position to operate your system. With a click of a button, you will either increase or reduce the volume, change channels, and so on.

Receiver

This feature is also important. It makes your home theater work better. You can go for home theaters that come with a receiver or buy one as an upgrade. Depending on your budget, some home theater receivers are quite expensive. However, it is best to purchase a home theater that comes with a receiver to avoid the stress of looking for a quality product.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.