There are many decisions these days one has to contemplate and one of these decisions may be what to get for an HT system. Many brands exist in the real world and each brand offers something different than the others with a different philosophy and overall theory of sound. While we respect these other brands, how does one come to the conclusion to choose one over the other, especially if you have never physically heard the brand(s) you're pondering? We'll offer some inside non-bias advice on where to begin, what to look for and when to run.

First, you need to start with the source; the means to power your system. Many go with a receiver where you have a processor as well as an amplifier built into one to save space in a HT center. The other option would be to go with separates. One unit processes the information, while the other unit does the amplification. Separates enable a better sound quality, but generally cost more than a receiver.

You'll next want to choose the speakers that suit you best or sound the best to you. Once you choose a brand, you'll want to stick with that particular brand and/or same series for all speakers across your HT setup. This will enable a proper timbre-match and assure what you're listening to is the way the recording studio intended it to be. Timbre-matching is also crucial for generating those subtle yet effective sounds, and having a powerful amp will only make these sounds more life-like.

A set of speakers for the front left and right of your TV should be the first set of speakers you invest in. This decision should be based off the fact on whether you're going to be using these speakers for movies, 2-channel music, or both. The size of room you're placing these speakers is also a big factor in terms of choosing between a tower speaker and a bookshelf. Tower are generally recommended for 2-channel music, as then you wouldn't necessarily need a sub to achieve a low end response. Having towers are also beneficial for movies, where a full and more accurate response would be created for movies. If your room is on the smaller side, bookshelves may be the way to go.

Once you've chosen your front mains and wish to incorporate them into a HT setting, the next speaker that's often been depicted as the most important is the center channel. About 60% of the information in a movie (depending on the type) comes through this speaker. Back to the basics of physics; the larger the center channel speaker, the fuller vocals will be in any movie. A large center is crucial, as you won't find yourself playing with the center volume during quiet passages in a movie.

Rear speakers are the next selection for your HT system. If this system is going to be used primarily for movies, dipoles would be the way to go. However, if you want to incorporate SACD and DVD audio into this same system, going with more of a direct bookshelf or smaller tower is often recommended. With dipoles, the phase on one of the tweeter is reversed to enhance the feel of space in your listening environment with movies. Bookshelves or towers will create a fuller response due to the increased excursion present in each driver and larger internal volume of cabinet. These are suggested for rears with SACD and DVD audio to represent that of a live concert.

A subwoofer is needed if your primary choice of movie type is action/adventure films. Without a sub, explosions just won't sound the same. Even better would be the existence of 2 subs; one in each corner of the room. This would provide an equal bass response or pressure, and wouldn't necessarily have to turn up one sub to its threshold, as you would then have 2 subs distributing the bass load. The most common type of sub is the port-hole design. This design allows the internal cabinet pressure generated by the driver to be released through the port hole. This allows the driver to obtain greater depths of excursion and lower frequencies.

Another type of subwoofer is one with no port hole built in or known as a sealed enclosure. This sub will play tight and accurate with the rest of the frequencies, making this sub the most musically sounding and versatile to play with both movies and 2-channel music. The bass response isn't generally as low as that of a ported design, but often sounds cleaner and more refined in the sealed enclosure type due to increased decay.

Another design, not quite as popular as the first two, is the passive radiator type. This design utilizes an active driver with one or more 'fake' drivers on opposite sides of the cabinet that act in a way to increase excursion of the overall subwoofer itself. This provides for an efficient method to achieve a lower frequency yet maintain a proportional cabinet design. These subs are generally used for movie settings, but can also be used for music although a delay may occur as these subs are purposely built to fulfill sub-low frequencies.

Speaker wire will be needed to transfer the electrons from your power source to each channel. The thicker the gauge, the greater the electron transfer potential to each speaker, resulting in a better sound. A good rule to follow is any length over 25 feet should be 12 gauge or thicker. Keep in mind, this is also dependent on the amount of power your amp is generating, with greater power requiring a thicker gauge of wire.