In putting together your whole home audio system that will give justice to your giant TV screen or projection system, you would have to run through a short list of items you need to decide on before your purchase. While it may be tempting to just buy the boxed systems from the store, you may end up not using its full capacity due to certain restrictions like the size of your room. In this case, opting for the best models does not necessarily equate to having the best listening experience. The size and acoustics of your room will have to dictate the horsepower that you need.
Some homeowners are content with the sound quality of their TV’s speakers but for those who are not, they may have to consider getting a surround sound system. Depending on the number of sound channels they want, they have to decide between the 5.1 and the 7.1, which indicates the number of speakers plus the subwoofer. To tie your surround sound system together, you will need to get the AV Receiver. Its function is to receive all of the audio and video signals from the different devices and then send out the sounds to your speakers so you will experience in that room the true surround sound quality.
Speakers come next in your list and the mind-boggling choices in the market could have you running back to those packaged sets again. You would not need to, however, if you know the exact function and style that you want. There are ways to discreetly incorporate your speakers into your room’s décor, but you ought to remember that scrimping on the size too much may compromise their sound quality. As for your subwoofer, you need not debate on whether you need to get one or not because this will spring on you that added sound dimension that you hear in movie theaters. There is no harm in purchasing your speakers and subwoofer as a bundled group, but most sound experts would agree that you are not limited to this option. In fact, creating your own mix of goodies from the different brands is the most common practice of home theater aficionados. As long as you assign one brand for each function, such as to serve as your back speakers, then you can be assured of that cohesive sound quality that you want.
Source: http://www.thx.com/consumer/home-entertainment/home-theater/thx-home-audio-buyer-guide/