Skip to main content
home theater system

Buying a home theater should be a fun experience especially if you love the latest technology and gadgets that are available, yet often the home theater buying experience can be frustrating. Home theater equipment is often expensive and if you are not a technical person it is easy to make mistakes that cost you time, money and effort.

Below we have outlined a few shopping tips that can help you avoid some frustration when shopping for your home theater equipment and help make your shopping experience productive and enjoyable.

1

Budget Accordingly

Buying your home theater can be expensive. All too often customers forget to budget appropriately. Additional fees like taxes, shipping, or installation are often not considered and customers’ expenses exceed their budgets. A good rule of thumb you should practice is to look at the purchase price of the product and add an additional 20-25%. This will more accurately reflect your final register total. Including taxes and additional costs into your budget will help alleviate the frustration of going over budget.
2

Test Equipment Yourself

Bring familiar DVD’s and CD’s with you on your shopping trip. Store CD’s and DVD’s will almost always sound and look great. Test the equipment using DVD’s and CD’s you are familiar with to truly gauge the quality of the equipment.
3

Do Your Research

There is a plethora of articles, testimonials and product reviews available online and in trade magazines for you to review before actually hitting the stores or buying equipment online. There are so many options available that in order to have a productive shopping experience, it pays to narrow down your options through research. Review websites and blogs of other home theater owners who offer tips and product reviews to make your experience easier.
4

Know Your Sizes

Not only are our eyes usually bigger than our budgets, but they are usually bigger than our needs. Experts stress the importance of buying home theater equipment that is appropriate for the size of your home theater. Know the dimensions of your theater room and bring a tape measure when shopping to ensure all of your equipment fits comfortably.
5

Don’t Get Caught Up in the Numbers Game

A thousand watts into crummy speakers will just result in a really loud bad sound, and 20 surround modes is 17 too many if you’re going to use only three of them. Stay focused on good sound and ease of use. Bigger and more is not always better. Be strategic about your purchases. You would be amazed at how much better a home theater will sound when the equipment is aligned to the room.

Your buying experience should be exciting and fun but it can quickly become mundane and frustrating if you are not prepared. By following the above tips you can ensure your shopping experience is fun and constructive.