 
by Maurice Lewis
Here comes the hard part. You've got your television and your DVD player. Without sound, however, these components are useless. Good sound can make all the difference for your home theater system. Allow me to tell you a story.
About three years ago I was attending the Consumer Electronics Convention in Las Vegas, a convention which is essentially a heaven on Earth for home theater enthusiasts. Every major manufacturer featured their latest products in rooms set up to maximize the home theater experience. One demonstration in particular was especially eye opening.
In order to illustrate the importance of sound in a home theater, one manufacturer played "Twister" for us on a projection screen television while the sound boomed over an incredibly loud and excellent surround-sound system. A switch was then thrown and the large screen was moved out of the way to reveal a normal, 27" TV, which seemed ridiculously small coming after that screen. Keep in mind, however, that the sound was still blasting through the system. After having a minute to adjust, the audience realized that, even with a smaller screen, we were still getting a compelling home theater experience because the sound was so forceful. It was at this point that I realized the importance of sound to every home theater system.
Your sound system will be comprised of two components: the receiver/amplifier and the speaker system. The receiver is the brain child which will take sounds from your television, DVD player, CD player, decode them and send the proper signals to your speakers, which in turn are there to receive the right range of signals and give you a convincing home theater experience.
True sound enthusiasts have a vast knowledge of technical information about their receivers or speakers. If you are just getting started with your first home theater system, there is only a small amount of information you really should know. I am sure that many sound and home theater enthusiasts would disagree. But if you are at the spending level and discrimination level where you feel you need that much knowledge, you should consult another source. However, is you are seeking introductory level knowledge sufficient for a decent home theater system, this modicum of knowledge should suffice.
Read on to get the basic info on perhaps the most important component of your system, the receiver... |
