Finding the right balance between high-end audio and home theater.

Both multichannel audio and home theater can be high-end. The question is, can they be in the same room? This is a debate in the audio community.

Home theater is more about dialog, explosions, dynamic range and diffuse sound fields, while audio is more about subtlety, precise instrument location, and ultimately, emotional satisfaction.

The general consensus in the high-end audio community is that most of the time, designing a system for both home theater and music doesn't make it as effective for the music listening. But I've been in hundreds of demo rooms and theaters around the world, and I'm here to tell you that movies and music can coexist in the same room.

The key to a high-end audio system, whether music-based or a hybrid system designed to do double duty with movies, is having great loudspeakers—ones that have been specially designed from the ground up to re-create music. Start with great loudspeakers that you love, and build upon that with good musical-sounding components like amps and preamps.

Another myth is that you need to spend a fortune on high-end audio. I've heard really terrific-sounding systems for as little as three to five grand that can image well, create proper sound staging and have a high degree of tonal accuracy. But for the real deal, expect to pay at least $10,000.

Shopping for a System

It is always best to work with a local audio dealer, probably one with a small boutique shop, to help you build your high-end two-channel, multichannel or hybrid home theater and audio system. Look for one that stocks brands you've never heard of: the more exotic-sounding the brand, the better.

Then do what I do when I enter one of these stores. Ask them to show you the best system they have on display. If they give you any hint of an attitude, go to another dealer. If some talk whole new lingo, ask them to speak in plain English.

If you are on a budget and know what you are looking for, you can get deals on closeouts, demo gear, or discontinued models, and even find reputable dealers on the Internet. If you go the Internet route, it's essential to look for local feedback—the good, bad and ugly—from other customers. Just remember this about high-end audio: The goal is maximizing the emotional satisfaction that only great music can deliver. This is accomplished by giving you years' or even decades' worth of goose bumps.

Good listening!

John Caldwell is president and founding partner of CEBIZ, a marketing development and consulting agency for manufacturers, dealers and reps. www.cebiz.net.

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