The HTiB Options of the Modern Home Theatre Market
In the movie “The Wedding Singer,” Drew Barrymore’s fiance comes home with his latest purchase, a CD player. He’s very happy with his accomplishment because, being the materialistic kind of guy that he is, he’s proud of thee fact that it cost about $700. Of course, the joke is on him and the entire audience knows it, because the average price of a CD player today is only a couple of hundred dollars. Still, in 1985, the year in which this movie is set, I’m sure that $700 for a CD player was a good deal.
All electronics, from computers to alarm clocks, are prohibitively expensive when the first come on the market, but they become more affordable as time goes on. Home theatre audio systems have been no different. What was once a luxury item that only people like Donald Trump could afford is now something that tens of thousands of Americans have in their homes. The market has been, and continues to be, flooded with new and cheaper audio systems, especially those of the HTiB, or Home Theatre in a Box, variety. But again, as with all electronics, you get what you pay for, and not all of these systems are created equal. When selecting a home theatre audio system, there are several factors that need to be balanced, including quality, price, and size.