Budget shopping tips: Home audioPerformance vs. valueRemember, don't overpay for sound quality you can't hear. Prices for speakers, receivers, and home theater systems can easily spiral into four figures or more. What's the difference between a S$500 (US$368.13) audio system and one that costs S$5,000 (US$3,681.26)? For the so-called "golden eared" set, the sonic improvement they'd get from the latter configuration is well worth the premium. For many others, that difference may well be negligible. Even the most experienced audiophiles will struggle to hear the difference between Blu-ray's Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks versus their standard DVD counterparts. A good rule of thumb: If you can't hear the difference between MP3 (or other digital music files) and CDs, then you're not a particularly discriminating listener; mass-market budget audio gear will be fine for you. If you're a stickler for sound quality--you prefer vinyl LPs, Super Audio CDs, uncompressed Blu-ray soundtracks, and the like--you're going to want to go for the higher end of the spectrum.That latter crowd should definitely consider going modular for their home audio purchases. That means leaving the HTIBs to the MP3 crowd and going with full components. For the mainstream, that means an A/V receiver paired with a dedicated speaker system (be it surround, stereo, or whatever you prefer). It's pricier, to be sure, but it need not require taking out a second mortgage. There are some excellent receivers available for less than S$1,000 (US$736.25), and they can be paired with similarly priced speaker systems for a sub-S$2,000 (US$1,472.50) audio system that'll blow away nearly any HTIB. And this modular approach means you can then upgrade the speakers and/or receiver a few years down the road, if you're so inclined. To that end, remember that the key to home audio is investing for the long term. You may be used to upgrading your cell phone or laptop every few years, but a good speaker system can reasonably be expected to last for a decade, if not longer. Paying more upfront for a quality system could actually save you money down the road. So don't be surprised if your new speakers outlive your flat-screen TV, even if they cost the same amount. A last bit of advice: We've found that the digital, analog, and speaker cables available at most megastores deliver identical performance as brand name cables, but at a fraction of the price. The original story first appeared in CNET.comTags: TV, Home Audio, Speaker, cable, video
|
- Talkback
-
There are currently no comments for this story.
To post comments, you need to become a member. It's FREE.
