 
by Maurice Lewis
Browsing through the stereo receiver section of your local store, you may be surprised to find out how expensive some of these receivers can be. Why, you may ask yourself, would this essentially invisible component be so expensive? It can be so expensive because those who know their systems know how important this component is. So, spend some time researching the receiver you buy, for it will be the brain center of your system.
A receiver is a processor, an amplifier, an audio/visual source, all built into one unit (usually they also include an AM/FM tuner, although this is not necessarily the case). The receivers you are going to want to purchase are Dolby Digital ready. Dolby Digital, commonly referred to as Dolby AC-3, is the 5.1 channel home theater surround-sound system.
When I speak of channels, I am speaking of the speaker outputs the receiver has. So, using 5.1 channels means you will be using 5 speakers, two front, two rear, and one center speaker, plus a subwoofer. The receiver is able to decode the sound and process it properly to use these 5 speakers and the subwoofer. Every receiver nowadays is compatible with Dolby Pro-Logic, but you would be well advised to get one that is Dolby Digital ready, since that is the best way to take advantage of the sound from your DVD player.
When you are at the retail store, the salesman might try to sell you on something called DTS (Digital Theater System). A Digital Theater System IS the system that is used in movie theaters. It employs 8-channels to surround sound effect, and the sound is played on CDs. Some receivers have a DTS processor to re-create this sound at home using a 5.1 channel format. Again, this is something worth considering if you have the bucks to spend and the enthusiasm for the sound format. Keep in mind that many DVD players cannot take advantage of the DTS format on DTS DVDs anyway, so you would be wasting your money unless both your receiver AND your DVD player were compatible with this format.
You might also be intrigued by the THX sign on certain receivers (most likely the extremely expensive ones). You probably recognize that THX symbol from many movie theaters you've been to. Well, THX is not a sound format at all, but a standard established by George Lucas to measure different equipment. (Lucas' first student and full-feature film was named "THX-1138"). When it comes to receivers, being THX-approved means that the receiver has some technical advancements, not found in all receivers, particularly the ability to "re-equalize" part of the soundtrack to make it sound more like a movie theater in your home. But, don't worry, just because you don't see a THX symbol on a receiver doesn't mean you won't get high quality sound (also, keep in mind that Lucas forces companies to pay royalties to THX in order to become approved, so some high quality machines bypass the approval process).
A good solid receiver that will meet all your needs will probably run about $300, and they can go well into the thousands if you are that picky. But be careful when it comes to buying receivers, since the well-known brands for televisions and other electronic equipment don't always apply here. For instance, Sony and Panasonic are not necessarily the best brands for receivers (this applies to speakers as well). You would be better served with a Denon or Harman-Kardon, or even more obscure brands.
One thing I would recommend is to buy your speakers and receiver at the same time, that way you can make sure they are compatible. What has to be compatible you're asking? Well read on to the speaker section and find out... |
