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Your new home theater just may be the smartest purchase you ever make. And we're here to help you get it right.

Nothing brings a family together like a great movie, TV show, or playoff game in a cozy home theater. Suddenly, your house is the cool house, and a rainy Saturday night at home is everyone’s first choice.

The good news? There are countless variations – from high-end home theaters worthy of an A-list Hollywood film director to very affordable variations that can fit in a spare bedroom but still knock your socks off. Add all the connectivity options, and your home theater becomes an investment in happiness. And WAY more so than a boat or pool.

In this guide, you'll learn the ins and outs of home theaters. And if you still have questions at the end of it, we're here to help. So without further ado, let's dig in.

Home Theater Systems Buying Guide Cheat Sheet
The TV. If you don’t already have a TV to build your home theater around, you’ll need one. If you do already have a TV and it’s not a 4K HDR TV, consider getting a new one because they are extraordinary. Plus, given all the connectivity options built-in, you’ll be set for the future. Today’s new smart TVs are way easier to connect to everything else, whether components, streaming audio, or video, thanks to Wi-Fi built-in, Bluetooth, and so on.
Your room. Some home theater systems have big speakers, some have small ones. The point: Given your room’s size, design, and style preferences, think about what size speakers you want from a decor perspective, which will also drive your receiver selection.

Streaming devices. An awesome side benefit of getting a home theater? The right home theater receiver can double as a multi-talented hub for streaming just about anything – audio from your computer, phone, or tablet… and from online apps like TIDAL, Qobuz, and Spotify. What’s more, if you have wireless speakers in the house, your home theater receiver can tap into those as well, so you can play your music all around the house.
Ease of set up. If “easy” is your most important criterion, with respect to setting up, go with a home-theater-in-a-box. The upside: a home-theater-in-a-box is a no-brainer – everything’s included and easy to put together. The downside: a home-theater-in-a-box is a little like a TV dinner: it’s all there — turkey, potatoes, gravy, and green beans — zap 5 minutes, and dinner is ready. But if you have the time, nothing beats carefully planned and well-prepared home cooking.

Building your home theater system.
The TV or projector and screen.
A beautiful picture is key to great home theater, and we can’t say it enough: bigger is better. Bottom line: We strongly recommend going with a 4K HDR TV, and if you can afford OLED, even better.

If you’re dedicating a particular room to a home theater alone, that’s not only really exciting, it means you can go really big with a projector and screen that measures 8 feet or more across for true theater-like imagery. Today’s best 4K projectors are razor sharp and whisper quiet. Typically, the projector is installed in the ceiling at the rear of the room, and the screen remains stationary or is made to hide away like a motorized window shade.

Video sources.
Your favorite shows and movies can come from any number of devices in addition to your set-top box. Blu-ray players and 4K media players give you a gorgeous viewing experience and extremely rich home theater sound, and the same is true with devices like Apple TV and Roku, which connect to the Internet and stream content from an ever-growing list of providers (e.g., Netflix, HBO GO, Hulu). Also, unlike some older TVs, devices like Apple TV and Roku automatically update themselves whenever new apps, games, and/or shows become available.

Home theater speakers.
When it comes to audio, it makes sense to choose your speakers first, because your speaker choice helps determine your receiver choice. Big speakers need big power, little speakers need less power, that sort of thing. Also, more speakers means you'll need more channels on your receiver.

How many speakers will you need?
That depends. Again, more is always better when it comes to sound, and there are literally dozens of speaker combinations that can create true home theater sound. The traditional home theater includes 5 speakers: a center speaker, a left and a right speaker, two rear left and right speakers, and, of course, a subwoofer. A typical setup looks like this:

The center speaker, which is where most dialog comes from, should be centered just below the TV. The left speaker goes to the left, and the right to the right. The two rear speakers are placed or installed at the rear of the room, behind the viewing audience. Typically, the left and right forward speakers are bigger than the left and right rear speakers.

Big speakers or little speakers?
Ten to 20 years ago, most of our home theater customers were buying smaller speakers. These days, it’s all about audio quality – big, authentic cinema sound by way of big floorstanding speakers, as opposed to bookshelf or in-wall speakers. Typically we say bigger is better, but either way, it’s all about your personal preferences and room decor.

Caveat: The two front left and right speakers are the most important. They provide the bulk of the "punch" that comes from music and sound effects. Also, it's important, but not crucial, that all of the speakers match tonally. Going with the same manufacturer and series usually covers this.

The most basic speaker setup.
It all starts with a pair of speakers: a left and a right, on either side of the TV. This is a 2.0 system, or a 2-channel setup; what we all call "stereo". This is the music-listening standard for years. These can be bookshelf speakers, floorstanders, or in-wall and in-ceiling speakers depending on the space available and the level of effort you want to put into the installation.

Add a center channel speaker.
When you add a center channel speaker, you get a 3.0 set-up. Center speakers go between the left and right speakers, ideally just below or above the TV, and the addition of a center speaker means you’re on your way to a home theater setup. What’s more, dialog is much easier to hear and understand when you add a center channel speaker.

Where do sound bars fit in?
If you’re really tight for space, a sound bar is a super easy way to upgrade your home theater audio with very little effort. It comes with the left, right, and center speaker already inside, providing a neat, easy-to-fit 3.0 solution. And depending on your budget and room size, you can always add surround speakers from there.
The subwoofer, part 1: goosebumps.
The subwoofer is the middle linebacker in a home theater… and it's how you feel — as in literally feel — the action. How heavy is that rumbling boulder in "Indiana Jones"? Turn the subwoofer on and you won’t just hear it coming, you’ll feel it coming via the shaking in your chest. And no — two subs or more is not overkill!

A good subwoofer not only does the lion’s share of rounding out bass, it clarifies and amplifies low-end frequencies — and some so low, we humans can’t hear them. But we can feel them, and that’s where goosebumps come from.

Home theater receivers.
The Audio/Visual (AV) receiver not only powers the whole system, it’s the brains behind the whole system. The receiver’s job is to receive, interpret, and then process the TV audio signal (via the cable or dish box) coming into the house before sending it along to its ultimate destination: your TV and speakers. You will need a home theater AV receiver with no less than five channels and one subwoofer output to operate your home theater. We highly recommend getting an AV receiver with Dolby Atmos onboard and seven channels at a minimum, but only if your room can support it and you plan to keep your audio system for a while. Not only will this allow you to future-proof your system, you'll also guarantee a theater-like audio experience at home.

A good home theater AV receiver can perform many functions, such as:
Correctly interpret all audio data and assign a channel to each speaker.
Send the above to any and all additional wired and wireless speakers throughout the house. If it's wireless, it will be able to stream anything from anywhere. Your music library, your favorite streaming music stations, and so on.

Allow your Blu-ray player to shine with stellar sound.
Switch among multiple “sound” modes, from Dolby Cinema Surround Sound to Live Cafe to Stereo, and other modes.

Though less expensive receivers may have all the features and functions you want, they typically don't have the muscle required to do things well. Think scooters vs. motorcycles. Though both have two wheels and an engine, and both will get you across town, only one does it in breathtaking, exhilarating, hold-on-tight style.

Another option? Go with a preamp and amp.
If you have the budget and really want to get serious, go with separate processing components. With both an amp and a preamp, you’re not relying on one unit to do both signal distribution and amplification. Instead, you have a unit that is designed to do distribution and a unit that is designed to amplify.

Want something better? Add more dedicated amps! Simply said, the more power they have, the less they have to work to make it sound really good.

Information overload? Time out. Stop.
We thought this was a good place to stop for a sec and remind you: we can make all of this way easy. We’ve been doing home theaters since home theaters first became a thing… so if you prefer: just email us a few photos of your room, give us a budget to work with, tell us anything else you think we should know (about your decor, your taste in movies, what you want in a home theater, etc.), and we’ll show you everything you need to get the job done, beautifully. If you're local, stop by one of our showrooms to experience the magic of home theater sound in person.

What kind of home theater systems are there?
No matter your room size or budget, there’s a home theater solution that will work for you. But as you consider what to get, think about the size of your room and decor. For example, say you live in a rental property or in a stone house with 12” stone walls… so you can’t leave wires exposed or go around drilling holes to hide wires. What to do? Go for a wireless system. Do you have a big room? Then get big speakers — and more of them. If it's a small room, consider a low-profile sound bar and subwoofer combo for a 3.1 speaker setup

The different types of home theater systems include:
Sound bars.
While not technically a “system,” sound bars are good alternatives — especially when budget and space are limited. They already have the center, left, and right speakers built-in, so all you have to add is a subwoofer and two rear speakers. That combination will take up less space, but still give you true home theater surround sound.

Pre-packaged home theater systems
Pre-built home theater systems will always be the least expensive choice and the easiest to set up, though not necessarily best audio quality. Everything you need, all made by the same manufacturer, in a box. Just “add TV.” The home-theater-in-a-box comes with mounting hardware, color-coded cables, and easy-to-follow instructions. But of course, even if you don’t have the time (or the desire) to install everything yourself, consider giving the job to proven, award-winning home theater professionals.

Home theater systems consisted of separates.
You can spend a lot on every individual speaker, subwoofer, etc., or you can spend a little, or anything in between. The nice thing about going with separate speakers: you can better customize your home theater to your room and your taste. Yes, this also requires more work to set up, but if you have a bigger room and want a bigger sound, it's totally worth it. For best all-around results, we encourage customers to explore the “separate speaker” way of making a home theater. Unless, of course, you can do a custom designed home theater installed by home-theater professionals.

Wireless home theaters.

Wireless home speakers are now available. But if you can, wired is generally more reliable and for the very serious, a necessity.
The benefits of a wireless system? No drilling holes in walls and floors, and no running wires through walls or in attics — which, in the end, also means a much easier installation. Further, with wireless you can move components anywhere you want, at any time, without having to rewire. And this is huge: wireless components mean everything's on your home network, so you can stream from pretty much anywhere (e.g., your digital library, your favorite online radio stations) to pretty much anywhere. And you can control it all with an easy-to-use app on your smartphone or tablet.

Custom designed and installed home theaters.
Think speakers hidden behind soundproof walls, cozy theater-seating arranged cinema style, black ceilings and multiplex atmospheric touches throughout, and, of course, sound that comes at you from everywhere – sometimes even the seat itself. Even a real movie theater popcorn machine.

A custom designed and installed home theater is what you might call the “whole shootin’ match,” and they’re not just for Steven Spielberg’s house, or J.J Abrams, or Ron Howard’s house. We design and build them all year long… in suburbia, in city apartment lofts — even the occasional farm. A custom theater is indeed pricey, but no more so than the average pool.


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