From the October 1994 issue of HOME THEATER TECHNOLOGY 
If You Like What You See Here, Don't Miss The Real Thing!
Subscribe Today To HOME THEATER TECHNOLOGY Magazine
On Newstands everywhere or 
Call (800) 264-9872 To Subscribe - $23.95 For A Full Year


Just Do It!

Wait! Dont buy that spa! 
Get yourself a home theater!

by John Kellogg

Home theater is not boxes and technology. Its an experience; a wondrous, exhilarating one. The electronics and speakers are just tools to get you there. Home theater is something anyone can easily add to their daily life that will provide value, pleasure, and enjoyment hour after hour, day after day. And its not just another expensive, selfish hobby. Your spouse, your significant other, your kidseveryone will be able to enjoy it together.
Theres just one problem: Wherever you turn, a bitter battle is being fought over the right or wrong way to do a home theater. Should you get a Dolby Surround system, with or without DSP, or a THX system? (A THX system is a Dolby Surround system, by the way. Its Lucasfilms vision of how a great home-theater system ought to be done, and a damn fine one for many.) Should the system be designed for movies, for music, or both? Youd like to buy something, but dont want to get caught in the crossfire. 
The good news is, all the fighting is over nothing; buying a home theater is actually pretty easy. You already know how to shop for it. Just like a car, all you have to do it go out, test drive a few of these babies, find one you really like, buy it, and then enjoy it.
You dont have to be an automotive engineer to buy a car. You intuitively know how a car feels and when one feels good to you. Ask someone why they bought a Toyota over a Nissan, and theyll probably say that it just felt right and they liked it. They might mention how they love having the cup holders right in front of the air conditioning/heater ducts, so pop stays cold in the Summer and coffee warm in the Winter. But thats about as technical as it gets; buying a car is an emotional purchase, not a technical one.
The same goes for a home theater. You dont have to be an electronics engineer to buy this stuff. Just go see and hear a bunch of different systems, and have fun doing it. Take em for a spin. Forget the specs. Forget the technical crap. Forget right or wrong. You dont have to be an audiophile to know when something sounds good to you and you love it.
I have a secret for you. Were all audiophiles. Audiophile-ness is simply the appreciation and enjoyment of good sound. Everyone has that innate ability. There is no accreditation. No audiophile school. No training. All the so-called experts are experts because they say they are. It is a self-anointing process. So I hereby anoint us all!
Be demanding when you shop for a system. Dont feel guilty about asking for a demonstration of what you are interested in. Bring a few of your own favorite movies and CDs, or tell the salesperson what kind of movies and music you like and ask him or her to play them for youat a volume level you are comfortable with. Dont tolerate technobabble. If a salesperson leaves you confused, ask them to un-confuse you. If you are still confused or dont feel sure about what they are telling you, ask to talk to someone elseor leave.
Find a store you like. Find a system you like the feel of, the look of, and the sound of. Find a salesperson you would like to buy from. If you dont find the gear you like or dont care for a stores opinion, thats okay. Walk out the door, and keep going until you find one that you do like. But dont give up.  
There are many different approaches to home theater, and all are right, all are valid. But the one that feels right to you is the one you should buy, and let no oneincluding ustell you otherwise. Dont let dogma and hoodoo prevent you from buying a home-theater system and enjoying it right now. Youll miss too much fun if you do.

 1994 Home Theater Technology Magazine

From the October 1994 issue of HOME THEATER TECHNOLOGY 
If You Like What You See Here, Don't Miss The Real Thing!
Subscribe Today To HOME THEATER TECHNOLOGY Magazine
On Newstands everywhere or 
Call (800) 264-9872 To Subscribe - $23.95 For A Full Year

