Sound or video more important in home theater?

Question

so im setting up a home theater experience in my room ( tv and surround sound system) and i cant decide if i want to go really nice on the tv and a little above average on the sound or if i want to go a little above average on the tv and a kick a$$ sound system.....what do you think is more important?

Answer 1

As to which is more important audio or video the answer is YES!

The importance of audio or video depends largely on your viewing habits and listening habits. If you watch lots of news then the TV is more important. If you listen to CDs more then its audio. Here is the thing. Take into account who is watching and from what distance. How big the room is and how big the space for the TV is. This will help you determine how big. If you are 15' back then 73" isn't out of the question

If you are 8' back then maybe a 42" or so.



Look closely at different quality TVs on the same image. If you can't tell the difference then save yourself the money because you are not going benefit by spending more.

Choosing an audio system depends largely on what you want to listen to, How big the room is and where you want the speakers.

To save some money, personally, you can't beat the Paradigm Cinema70 system with maybe a Yamaha, Onkyo or Sony receiver.

Answer 2

While the video is important, it is easy to underestimate the importance of good sound in a theater.  Why do you think the best movie theaters install extensive sound systems with multiple surround speakers and powerful subwoofers?  If you are truly getting a home theater (screen of 52" or larger), then $1000 is not too much for a sound system, including A/V receiver (Denon, Onkyo or Yamaha, about $500) and 6 speakers (for Dolby 5.1).  If you want to go to 6.1 or 7.1 (7 or 9 speakers), that would cost more.   Better to have a good 5.1 than a mediocre 6.1 or 7.1.  For TV less than 65", you can dispense with the center speaker and use the "phantom mode" (center speaker sound goes to both front speakers equally).

Answer 3

For me, video is more important.  I don't really listen to music very much mainly using the speakers for games or movies.  So, I spent more on the TV than the sound system.

That said, a good set of speakers should last years, if not decades, so put some time on researching these too.

Answer 4

Whats more important to you - eyes or ears?

The big expense is of course the video display.

I have helped setup $500 HTIB systems that gave a great HT experience to friends and co-workers.  For a variety of reasons, you dont need audiophile grade speakers and amplification for HT.

My Mom's system: 5 scratch-and-dent speakers, a "Home Theater Direct" subwoofer and an old yamaha receiver.  The sound system does not need to be expensive, just properly setup with 5 tone-matched speakers.

Answer 5

I'm not sure what your budget is, but I bought a nice Yamaha receiver and a matched set of Onkyo 7.1 speakers a couple years ago for $600 ($700 shipped), and time has proven that it was the best investment I could have made to my home theater.

Right now is a bad time to spend a lot of money on the TV, because soon the digital broadcasting mandate will kick in and TV prices will fall considerably.  Not to mention, video equipment is advancing in leaps and bounds.  Even though TVs have improved a lot in the past 10 years, and even in the past 2 years, the technology is still in its infancy.  A brand-new TV today will be noticeably inferior to what you could buy in a couple of years or even later.

Speakers, on the other hand, use very mature technology already, and you'll definitely notice the difference between a $700+ sound system and something that costs any less than that.  You can get a full home theater in a box (HTIB) that includes the receiver, DVD player, and surround speakers for $400 or less, but if you're going to spend that kind of money anyway, you might as well spend a little more and get something that's 10x better, with cleaner sound and a dediated receiver with more inputs.  Any good receiver these days will auto-calibrate the delays for all your surround speakers just by setting a microphone at your listening position (couch/chair where you'll be sitting) when you first set it up.  If your budget is even higher, you can get some really nice full-size speakers for your left and right channels for some added definition that will really make your movies come to life.