I want to have home theater sound system but I'm new to sound.?

Question

I'm new to sound system stuff. I was looking for sound system for my 52" LCD TV that I bought recently to make home theater set up. Someone offer me sound system that is with like YAMAHA Receiver with speakers for 300$ but when I went to Walmart I saw 1000w speaker system with controller for 200$. Why is set up with receiver thing more expensive and have less power when walmart sony set up is cheaper and has more power? Is there more to system than just power? Does having receiver with amp make sound quality better or something eventho it has less power?

Answer 1

I'd just get a dvd player with 5.1 speakers package. They work great and are easier for noobs.

Answer 2

Never buy audio equipment based on price - buy it based on sound. If you like the way something sounds and you like the price, get it. You'll be happier than if you buy something without listening to it, just because it's cheaper, and it turns out you don't like the way it sounds.

That said, there are all kinds of tricks manufacturers use to fudge their specifications. I got a Yamaha 5.1 surround sound receiver that puts out 70 watts per channel and it works great with my Klipsch speaker system. Of course, that output is an RMS value (a kind of average wattage output rating, not a peak rating). A peak rating would be more like 110 watts per channel.

Also, the 1000-watt receiver you're looking at is the combination of all of the channels added together, not the per-channel rating. It could also be that they rated it at a 4-ohm impedance, which would be double the wattage rating when hooked up to an 8-ohm impedance. And, depending on the quality of the electronics (particularly the final amplification stage that generates the wattage output), a lower-wattage amplifier can be far superior to a higher-wattage amplifier.

Bottom line, however, is to listen to the systems you're considering and choose the system that sounds best to you for what you're willing to pay for it.