SolveYourProblem
Home Theater Article Series
I
Want a Fantastic Home Theater Setup
High
End Home Theaters: Worth It or Not?
Are
you familiar with the idea of the law of diminishing returns? Basically, it states that at some point
along a continuum, the amount of effort required to produce
a noticeable improvement becomes so great as to render it unjustifiable.
This is certainly the case with home theater systems, particularly
high-end options.
Is
there an appreciable difference between a bargain basement
system that retails for under $200 and an entry level set of
components that will cost $500? Yes. There is a distinguishable
difference in quality and function. One may or may not think
the difference in price warrants the purchase based on their
assessment of the differences, but there is a pronounced difference.
There
is a probably an even more pronounced difference between
a $500 system and a $1,000 system. The sound will be better;
the number of features will be greater. One will be able to
tell what that extra $500 is buying.
Now, however, we
may begin to see the law of diminishing returns really take hold. How much of a difference is there between
a $1,000 unit and a $2,000 unit? Well, there are differences,
undoubtedly, and they may even be somewhat noticeable. However,
the more expensive system is unlikely to set itself apart from
the cheaper version to the same extent we have noticed in previous
comparisons.Once we enter the realm of very expensive high
end, technology this becomes increasingly apparent. There is,
in all reality, very little if any discernible difference for
most people between a $8,000 and $12,000 system. They may have
different specifications and the more expensive rig may offer
more, but the actual apparent difference for most of us will
be negligible.
On
higher end products, only those obsessed with video or
true audiophiles will be able to discern any truly important
difference in quality. In essence, the cost for better technology
becomes greater even though the edge that technology has over
the next cheapest alternative is minimal.
This study of the law of diminishing returns has some real
utility for those considering the purchase of a home theater
system. It teaches us, in essence, that investment in very
high-end equipment is probably a very poor idea for most of
us. We simply will not get a real bang for our buck on higher
end goods unless we are sufficiently expert to recognize and
appreciate very fine nuances.
For
most of us, a good middle-of-the-road system will suffice. We will be able to sense the improved quality of our viewing
and listening experience, but will not feel as if we overspent
in order to create a good home theater.
There are, certainly, those who want the very best regardless
of cost. This crowd includes those whose life, in large measure,
revolves around the home theater industry and those for whom
money simply is not an object. The rest of us fall somewhere
between the bargain hunter looking for anything he can hook
up for a few hundred bucks and the millionaire who is seeking
an audio/visual toy simply to own the very best that exists.
When
you are buying home theater components, consider the law
of diminishing returns when selecting equipment. As you
work your way up the quality and price ladder, check carefully
to see if you can sense the kind of quality difference necessary
to justify the more expensive purchase. At the point the prices
are growing faster than the quality increases, it may be time
to consider stopping right there.
Home theater purchases come in a variety of sizes. From cheap
throwaway boxed sets to awesome reproductions of the full cinema
experience that may cost tens of thousands of dollars. Most
of us fall somewhere in the middle, seeking a system that will
provide us with impressive entertainment but that will not
become our largest investment. By thinking about the law of
diminishing returns as it applies to home theater equipment,
we can meet our needs without significantly overspending or
settling for less than what we need to be happy.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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