7.1 surround sound, on speakers that you wouldnt be able to tell the difference bettween 7 channels and 3. Not to mention that there are about 4 movies that have 7 channel audio, and that their is absolutely NO benifit for people unless they have a very large room.
I can tell you the system sucks cause A) the cost B) the number of speakers C) the manufacturer.
I cant express this enough, I wish it was a DAMN sticky... Wait, some of it already is...
First... DONT BUY SPEAKERS FROM ELECTRONIC MANUFACTURERS!
Second... DONT BUY SATALIGHTS
Third.... DONT BUY 7.1 SPEAKER SYSTEMS (unless you are spending a ton of money with a very big area)
Fourth... If your spending less then $1000, dont buy a surround sound system, instead buy a pair of speakers and a subwoofer.
Fifth... Dont buy your Speakers at any large Electronic Gaming TV Appliance Combo store (aka best buy, circuit sh.city, compusa). Only go to stores that SPECIALIZE in only video and Audio. If you buy speakers at walmart send me a PM with your address, so that I may come over to your house and put a bullet in your head. At the very least DONT have children, for your genetics should not continue to exist.
Sixth... We can ONLY recommend certain brands, and warn you against others, the performance of the speakers rely on many factors. These factors include personal opinion and feeling, speaker placement, speaker volume, amplification, sound source, sound style, application requirements and the personal characteristics of the room. If possible bring the speakers home and test them for yourself, in your own space. Remember that my personal favorite speakers are NOT liked by some people, and are actually said to be of low quality by others. Yet, I have listened to tons of speakers for many days worth of time, and they are still my favorites. Its not that I am wrong or that he is wrong. Its that we are both right, and that we are both wrong.
Seventh... Always bring your OWN music to listen too. Bring stuff that your so tired of listening to that it almost causes you to pull your hair out. This is the music that you should recognize every note off, and is the best for triing things out. Also bring music that is exciting to you, make sure the system lifts the hair on the back of your kneck. Always use the same music on all auditions. Music with distortion petals have distortion. Classic Albums are converted from old analog recordings and can have a low pitch hissing, and as such are lower quality recordings with defects. Live recordings have distortion because they use microphones that pick up external sound, such as croud noise and reverberation of other instruments. Try to play DVD's with DTS, for they have a higher Bitrate and are better sound quality. Dont avoid the above music selections if thats what you like, but also include music outside these catagories.
I recommend playing the 1812 Overture with real cannons. This recording contains extreme ranges in sound volume and extreme peaks of certain audio ranges. I also recommend Tom Petty, he is a great singer, and his music is accustical.
Eigth... Speaker Placement, Speaker Volume, and Component (sound source) Quality makes a difference in sound quality. Make sure you keep everything as equal as possible. Dont bring a I-POD or MP3 player as your music listening device. CD's/DVD's only. Though in reality DVD's audio formate are infact MP3.
Ninth... FIRST, listen to the music at LOW volume, then Meduim volume, then Turn up the music, and listen for distortion. Distortion is caused by the cone loosing control, a sign of poor, loose design. No Distortion presents itself as a feeling that the music isnt getting much more louder. Make sure you use discretion, and work with the sales man when testing high volumes. Let him turn it up. If he wont turn it to a volume level that suits you, then assume the speaker cant handle the volume you want. When listening to music, listen for the vibration of the different instruments, and make sure you can hear the singer taking a breath.
Tenth... Pay attention to Ohmz. If the speaker system (5.1 or 2 channel) are less then $2000; then be carefull of anything under eight Ohmz. Learn more about about this and you can adjust the above value dependent on your personal preferences. In systems under 8 Ohmz you must buy an amplifier, or a AV receiver that has a labeled value inside the manual of the item for that resistance.
Eleven... If you dont know what something is, ASK. I still make stupid comments, because I dont understand everything. (doh, made a stupid comment about digital amps a few weeks ago, too a sales man! He didnt correct me, though I wish he did.)
Twelve... Dont mix components from different brands and/or different serries when selecting a surround sound channel. The only exception to this rule is the subwoofer.
