Home Cinema Systems?

I want to buy a home cinema/theatre system for my husband for his birthday and/or christmas present. I know little about them, can someone advise me what I should be looking for, where to buy one, any ideas on price for something good? Should I be looking at something with a Blu-ray player or would that make it too expensive/complicated?

I had Mongkok was a good place for Electronics should I go there?

There's too many options to list depending on your husband's personal preference and your budget. If he's into a/v equipments, it might be best to just let him know your good intentions and bring him out shopping instead of guessing what system he "might" like. After all, a/v systems can cost a few thousands for a fairly basic set and go sky high for a really high-end type!


Shop around the usual a/v places first like Fortress, Broadway, etc. to get a feel of what type of system your husband wants. Research all the info online if you can't get enough from the salesperson (which is very likely). Have your husband do these since it's going to be his system and being involved will create less stress and arguments in the future. ;)


Normally you would require:

1) Amplifier/receiver - 5channel min. (left, right, center, left rear, right rear & subwoofer). Brand depends on personal choice (Marantz, Onkyo, Pioneer, Sony, etc). You'll need at least 100watts per channel for a fairly good sounding system. And make sure you have at least 1 or 2 HDMI connectors.


2) Speakers - You'll obviously need the five speakers + subwoofer listed above. Get good "matching" speakers for the amp/receiver brand and power output. Wood cabinets are superior to plastic and will usually cost more. Banana-type or screw-in type speaker connectors are superior to spring-clip type and better speakers will always have these. Cheaper speakers always use spring-clip connectors.


3) A/V - Blu ray players are getting cheaper every month. Shop around for a quality brand. HDD DVD recorders are also getting cheaper, get at least a 320GB then you don't need to keep deleting recorded files.


4) HDTV - Again LCDTVs are getting cheaper every month. Some even bundle a bluray player with it or a digital tv decoder box.


Shop around, there's lots of bargains since the economy is so bad now. Do all the research before buying and take your time. The building in Mongkok (forgot what's the name) right outside the MTR exit has many floors full of a/v equipment too. Nice to walk around and spend the day tinkering around with them before buying. Bargain with these salemen if you're getting multiple equipments from one shop, they will also usually throw in free a/v cable connectors which are better than the free ones you get from Fortress or Broadway.


Happy shopping!

We just bought a system from i-Theatre (shops in Times Square and Central). A high-end Onkyo Amp with KEF surround sound speakers. I did quite a bit of research and these were getting high scores in the AV magazines and were the right price range for me (speakers around $13K and amp $11K). Prices were reduced on asking and they deliver and set up the system - the latter is important unless you really know what you're doing. Fortress et al will do a 'system in a box' which is much cheaper and may also be fine for you. Things like room size and design (and the quality of your hearing!) should also influence your choice.