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Your home theater system when is it time to upgrade

May 19, 2007 by Joe Boyle 

Have You Outgrown Your Home Theater System how do you know when it’s time for an upgrade?

When I first got started in home theater I brought myself a Toshiba TV with integrated dolby logic and stereo and it completely changed how I watched movies for ever. Lets not forget we are talking the forerunner to dolby pro logic this was just enhanced stereo and was I impressed.

I was the first in our street to get stereo TV and this new stuff just blew me away ….My neighbours were all pretty green as well.

Many times, people experiment with a relatively inexpensive home theater system to get a feel for owning one and to determine whether or not home theater is for them and whether it increases their enjoyment of movies and television. 

At the start most people a cyncial and feel that the demo they had in the home theater store or when they listened to a buddy’s system is just going to be the same in their living room or den.

But I can safely say almost without exception NO ONE WOULD GO BACK!

That’s right once savored home theater is a keeper 99 times out of 100 (the other 1% were just beyond help so we on’t worry about them : > )

When you find out how much you enjoy having a home theater system, you then start to look for a new system to replace their old starter system well that’s the case with most home theater fanatic’s

If you feel you have outgrown your existing home theater system, but aren’t sure what to do next, you may want to consider a few of these observations.

First, don’t throw away your old system.Unless like me it becomes so out of date you can’t even give it away…

I still have 6 center speakers, several surround speaker sets an a couple of early pro logic amps cluttering up my garage so when I move I am going to have to have a huge clear out so apply logic before sentiment.

As long as it is still operable, there is no reason to get rid of it with of course the above proviso.

Your old system may be a great way to build a secondary system or to supply some of what you will need for a new system depending on what you had. Or you might want to let a less fortunate friend or the kids have it for their bedroom or their den.

 Additionally, if your old system is still functioning it can serve as a backup just in case you encounter problems with your next home theater system. This is big one my TV packed up a few months ago just before the Superbowl and I had to get out the old Front Projection TV which still delivers a high quality picture but I was glad I had hung on to it.

Second, consider building up the new system with the old components as a foundation. Instead of simply scrapping the old and buying all new stuff , carefully analyze the components of your old system to determine if there are any pieces that remain usable as you grow your system.  In many cases one or more of the components from an older system can still be used as one part of the new.

By building a system this way you not only maximize the return on your original equipment investment, it also serves as a way to cut costs on the new system.You should always consider upgrading piece by piece if the existing components are of anything close to adequate quality. Especially if your love of home theater is bigger than your budget like most of us.

Finally, when it comes time to build your new system, approach the matter with all the caution and care you did with your first.  Do your research properly.Search for bargains this site will help you with that. Do not be in such a hurry to acquire a new home theater that excitement takes over common sense and you buy a bunch of junk you never even listened to.

Home theaters can bring a great deal of fun and entertainment into any home but it is easy to make the wrong upgrading choices and feel the additional investment was not worth the additional improvement. (been there, done that, got the T shirt). Bottom line is don’t pay for features the magazines tell you are important only to find you never use them.

If you feel your current home theater or home cinema system is lacking in some areas , you should take some of the ideas mentioned here to heart before leaving your home to guy buy a new system don’t buy something for the sake of it a few hundred bucks on an unecesssary upgrade will buy a lot of movies!

Make use of what you have, consider alternative uses for your existing system, and approach buying your new home theater system with an eye toward maximum value after conducting adequate research 

Don’t forget your best research tool is your own eye and ears….

Have a great day

 

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