How to Pick a Surround Sound System

Purchasing electronics equipment can be nerve-wracking. Nobody wants to spend upward of $600 to $1,000 on something only to find out in six months that it has become obsolete. Picking out a surround sound system is no different. Not all systems are created equal, and you need to be aware of this when shopping for one. Remember that just because you have only a DVD player right now doesn't mean you won't have a BluRay player in the future. Be mindful of your system's potential, not just what you'll be using it for right at the moment.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Pick a surround sound system that enables you to add speakers as time passes. DVDs use only five speakers and a subwoofer. You could buy a surround sound system that uses a maximum of five speakers, but when you upgrade to a BluRay player in the future it will be useless, as most high-definition media supports at least seven speakers and a subwoofer.

2. Pick one that can decode a wide variety of audio tracks. Most surround sound systems come standard with the ability to decode Dolby Digital audio tracks (and Dolby TrueHD if you buy a HD setup). However, by spending a little more money you can get a player that can also decode things such as DTS 5.1 and DTS 7.1 mixes, which aren't as common but are looked at as far superior by audiophiles. You don't want to sink money into a surround sound system, buy a DVD and then find out you can't listen to the best audio track on the disc.

3. Pick a surround sound system with as many inputs as possible. At the moment you may only want to hook it up to your DVD or BluRay player, but in the future, who knows how many devices you are going to own that need to be plugged into it? As video game systems and even computers begin to support surround sound it would be irritating to have a system into which you can plug only one device at a time.