So I’ve decided to get a new home theatre sound system for my modest apartment. Since about 2006, I have been using a very budget Pioneer sound system that was designed to be used with the Xbox 360. Some of you might know that we’re now two console generations beyond that now. Anyways, this was one of the cheapest 5.1 systems that I could find at the time. It had all the discrete speakers, a subwoofer, and it decoded both Dolby Digital and DTS signals, so it gave me a true surround sound experience for both games and movies, albeit at the most basic level. The speakers were and remain very average in terms of sound quality but it’s been “good enough” for an amazing sixteen years.
I am lucky enough to have the means to get an upgrade though and my experience of getting a new TV last summer really showed me that technology is definitely worth upgrading. I’m going to get an actual A/V receiver and also new speakers, something larger those small grey cubes I’m using right now.
Of course, with most things these days, it’s not as simple as just going online and ordering everything I want. Supply chain issues have impacted A/V receiver availability, mostly from the lack of microchips. My research showed me two receivers that matched both my budget and requirements but one of the choices is completely sold out, so I’m left with one choice really. Actually, the remaining choice doesn’t have any confirmed inventory in the Vancouver area, so I’m left to call individual stores to see if they have any in stock. This is a first-world problem of course and this is just a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things.
My ears can’t wait to hear better gaming and movies in the near future.