Surround Sound System in a Box: Good or Bad?
By: Charlie Schmuck
March 24, 2010 

Everyone probably wants to have a surround sound system in their home. Let’s be honest, it’s cool to hear cars going by and feeling explosions all around you as the house shakes. You can’t achieve that sound quality with the factory speakers in your TV. Millions think the answer is drive to Best Buy and charge $500.00 on a credit card for a home-theater-in-a-box. Sadly, most expect it is going to sound exactly like it did in the theater. However, the truth is- it is not even close.

The first thing to address is your expectations. If you want a true theater experience in your home- it is going to be harder than it appears. You are going to have to build a room that is de-coupled from the rest of the house for sound dampening and perfect acoustics. Next, is the expensive investment in hardware: projector, screen, A/V receiver, and a host of really expensive speakers. If that’s what you want, you will need deep pockets- and the support of a local theater design company.

Okay, you decided the Best Buy route is your option (it is cheaper), and better than the factory speakers on your set. A basic home-theater-in-a-box will provide you some of the surround effects, and even a little bass- which is better than just front firing sound from your TV. Just beware there are a few problems with these systems:

• No video switching. The vast majority of these all-in-one systems do not have video switching. That’s fine if you only want to use the surround sound system for movies. That’s not so fine if you want to watch your old VHS tape, or anything from your cable or satellite box. Even if the unit does happen to have video switching, it probably won’t be HDMI. If you are lucky, it will have component, which will not pass 1080p. With one of these units, you will have to run the video wire to the TV, then the audio wire to the surround unit. You have now added more wires and frustration to your system.
• Audio inputs. A lot of these units will let you plug the cable box or VCR audio cables into the receiver. A lot of them have no inputs at all. And don’t ask the salesman at the store, he will just say yes. You need to look at the back before you buy it, and don’t just look for more than one set of red/white RCA jacks. Many of these units have an “Audio Out” but no “Audio In.” Audio In is what you need to connect that cable box into it. Even then, most of these units only have one audio input. So, now you have to decide- watch the game in surround sound, or do I hook up my 5-disc CD changer to it for when I have parties?
• “Universal” remote control. The remote control isn’t as universal as they say it is. Many of these remotes only have the basic commands provided by the manufacturers when it was designed. Sometimes the remotes are several years old, which means you won’t have some of the commands for the DVR cable or Ruko boxes, among many others.
• That’s not a subwoofer. Seriously, that 6” acoustically-challenged speaker isn’t a subwoofer, it’s a woofer. Aside from the fact that it is low wattage, it only provides the same bass as that little speaker in your stock car stereo system. A good subwoofer will not just pump out bass, it will also shake your couch a little. It’s called a ‘sub’ woofer for a reason; it will produce the in-audible frequencies that make your chest feel a little funny, and makes your neighbor freak out when their plates start to rattle. The overwhelming majority of those woofers included just don’t make the cut.
• Speaking of speakers. The speakers included are small monitor speakers. They are not a true center channel speaker, or surround speakers. About 80% of the sound in your surround sound system comes from the center channel- mostly in dialogue. A surround speaker is just a neat little effect speaker that you hear every now and then, when a car drives by, or something happens ‘behind’ you in the scene. You really should have some good speakers that can produce all the mid and higher frequencies. Those cute little cube speakers just don’t produce good enough sound to really give you that theater experience. Oh, and by the way, the drivers in that little cube probably cost less than a dollar to make. Yeah, the change you find under the cushions in your couch.

The real answer is to put together a quality component-based system. Yes it’s more expensive. But the difference is night and day. An all-in-one system is like eating fast food, it does the job, but leaves you feeling a little queasy. A component based system is like sitting down at a good restaurant. More expensive, but the service is better and the food is great.

A component based system will consist of at least a receiver, subwoofer, and 5 (or 7) speakers. Then you add your sources- Blu-ray player, cable box, CD changer, and your PS3. So why are these systems so much better?

• Longevity. If you break down and buy a really good receiver, it will serve you as long as the technology doesn’t go through a major change. We have systems we installed ten years ago with the same receiver pumping away. With the advent of HDMI, we have been changing out more of these systems, but the receivers still work amazingly well. In these cases, we will often use these receivers to power audio systems or secondary rooms.
• Upgradability. What happened to all those people who bought HD (not Blu-ray) based all-in-one systems? Well, you have to buy a new system now. With a component system you can upgrade or replace items one at a time as new technologies come out. That also means if you are strapped for cash, you can buy the receiver now, and add a new Blu-ray player later.
• More inputs. A quality A/V receiver will have several inputs, and different inputs, to accommodate different sources. With an actual receiver, you can connect your Blu-ray player, XBox, Wii, and CD changer. You cannot do that with most all-in-one systems on the market.
• Now that's bass! With a component based system, you choose your own subwoofer. Yes, it’s more expensive, but the quality is much higher. Subwoofers range from the “not-so-expensive”, to the “OMG” range. With subs, you get what you pay for, but the cheapest one is probably a lot better than the woofer you get in the all-in-one systems.
• Speakers. Again, there is more cost involved in buying your own speakers. But, you can get much higher quality speakers, and you can match them to your room. You can buy free standing left and right speakers, on-wall speakers, and even in-wall or in-ceiling speakers. If you want to match the speakers to your room, it’s best to consult someone who has designed these systems.

So, what does all this mean? If you want a quick dirty system, go ahead and buy one of those all-in-one systems. But keep in mind, there are drawbacks, and in the long run, a component based system will serve you better and give you the theater performance you seek. 

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