Home theater system or components?

[Mells]

Hi,

Now that I have a HDTV, I'm ready to take the plunge and set up a home theater! I get stuck on whether to go for a system or to select and buy the components separately.

Part of me likes the thrill of the chase, researching and selecting the best values. The other part of me just wants someone else to do the work for me and hand me a system that will 100% work together.

What do you guys think?

[Jennifer · Accepted solution]

Hey Mells, head and susan have given you a pretty good read on both sides of the question. Me? I'm a components guy. And the most compelling reason is sound quality.

Like susan says, pre-packaged systems are designed to be easy to choose and set up, and can definitely deliver an acceptable surround sound experience. But they just don't hold a candle to the quality of the sound experience you get with a component system.

How to tell if components are for you?

• You want a full surround sound experience and high-quality audio. You can hear the difference and are willing to pay to get it.
• You already have some of the components you'll need. Why buy new gear when you already have speakers or other components you like?
• You have a medium-to-large size viewing room. No point in trying to cram an SUV into a compact parking space. If you don't have the space, you've going to overbuy and won't be happy with the results. You're better off waiting on the big investments until you have room to really enjoy it.
• You prefer to create a customized home theater system. This is the best reason of all -- cause it's fun.
• You are comfortable choosing and setting up separate components. The whole idea is to have a good time choosing, buying, and setting up a primo system. If you're more interested in the results than the process, there are plenty of high quality systems on the market that will deliver an excellent surround sound experience.

And the biggest plus for me is you can upgrade components when the technology changes without having to start over.

[head]

I like the idea of components -- that way I can choose exactly the equipment that sounds the best to me. It takes more research, but, hey, that's half the fun.

[Susan]

I started off thinking the same way, but after weeks of getting more and more confused by all the stuff I read on the 'net, I decided that an integrated system would be easier to choose and install. Everything was guaranteed to work together, which is important when it's being installed by someone who isn't an EE.

[Jennifer · Accepted solution]

Hey Mells, head and susan have given you a pretty good read on both sides of the question. Me? I'm a components guy. And the most compelling reason is sound quality.

Like susan says, pre-packaged systems are designed to be easy to choose and set up, and can definitely deliver an acceptable surround sound experience. But they just don't hold a candle to the quality of the sound experience you get with a component system.

How to tell if components are for you?

• You want a full surround sound experience and high-quality audio. You can hear the difference and are willing to pay to get it.
• You already have some of the components you'll need. Why buy new gear when you already have speakers or other components you like?
• You have a medium-to-large size viewing room. No point in trying to cram an SUV into a compact parking space. If you don't have the space, you've going to overbuy and won't be happy with the results. You're better off waiting on the big investments until you have room to really enjoy it.
• You prefer to create a customized home theater system. This is the best reason of all -- cause it's fun.
• You are comfortable choosing and setting up separate components. The whole idea is to have a good time choosing, buying, and setting up a primo system. If you're more interested in the results than the process, there are plenty of high quality systems on the market that will deliver an excellent surround sound experience.

And the biggest plus for me is you can upgrade components when the technology changes without having to start over.