Good home-cinema sound systems will make your jaw drop

By Rod Easdown

SPECIALIST retailers have noticed an interesting thing in recent times; their customers are getting back into sound quality.
Now that iPods and iPhones have big enough memories to hold large amounts of music in lossless formats and now that Blu-ray discs have made movies capable of delivering seriously good quality, people have remembered just how good sound can be.

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And now that lots of them are into their second and even third home-cinema system, it has finally dawned on them that sound is every bit as important to movies as vision.
But getting great sound takes a bit more work than simply buying a pre-assembled surround sound system that, even if not expensive, sounds markedly better than those horrible little cardboard speakers inside the television.
There are pre-assembled systems that sound really good these days and, while some start for about $700, most are priced into four figures.
Retailers can get you into better systems again by matching an amplifier, five speakers and subwoofer to your Blu-ray player and television - but don't think much below $5000.
It's possible you're now wondering if it's worth it. Ah, this is where the work comes in. You'll never know until you've listened. And listened properly.
Put it like this: the first movie I watched on Blu-ray was Red Cliff and it played on a great sound system. It was so jaw-droppingly good, I sat through all 148 minutes and then let the credits run because it sounded so … stunning.
Thus, before you rule out spending the money, at least become familiar with what's available. If it still seems too expensive then you'll know you can be thoroughly satisfied with a cheaper system. But if you're knocked out by what you hear and excited about getting it into your home, you'll be just like all those other customers beating a path back to proper sound.
Your options in this territory are wide and the first thing you'll discover is every set of speakers sounds different - some markedly so.
The only certainty is that the first speakers you listen to will sound terrific.
Only after you've listened to three or four will you realise you start picking the differences and discovering there are some you don't like.
We all have different ears and what sounds good to a salesperson may sound flat and dull to you. Musical purists are into high-range accuracy and definition; rock fans and movie buffs are into big, generous bass.
By listening around and especially by taking a few of your favourite CDs and movies along, you'll find which speakers sound best to you.
Specialist retailers make comparisons easy by having remotes that can flip between individual speakers at the touch of a button, making instant comparisons possible. They also have quiet listening rooms with much the same acoustic properties as a living room.
Quiet is essential. You need to concentrate on the sound of the speakers alone. If you do your auditioning with movies, it helps to close your eyes so you're not distracted by the vision.
Lately, some importers have been packaging systems with speakers from specialist makers teamed with electronics from specialists in that area.
These frequently offer all the ease and convenience of a pre-packaged system with genuinely good sound.
Retailers have also picked up the idea and offer very attractive deals on systems by sheer dint of having ordered in so many.
One other encouraging point; when you spend this much, many retailers will deliver and install the system free.