| Editorial August 2005
Performance Isn't Everything
"Performance isn’t everything? Blasphemy!"
I hear you saying. I recently had a conversation with a serious home-theater enthusiast.
He was complaining about the lack of truly worthy performance from some of the
home-theater components his friends and family owned or were planning to buy. Basically,
he thought what they were considering stank. His position was that the on-wall and in-wall
speaker systems and flat-screen televisions so popular today are designed more for
convenience and décor than for ultimate performance. How could folks buy these products
when the same money could be spent on a large CRT television and freestanding
loudspeakers, which would perform better and therefore provide more enjoyment?
I couldn’t argue the point with regard to ultimate
performance. There’s no question that when you don’t care about inconvenience,
better performance can be had for the same cost. I can, however, argue the point about
enjoyment.
The mistake this gentleman made was to assume that ultimate
enjoyment is always in lockstep with ultimate performance. This might be
true for the hardcore home-theater enthusiast, but for everyday folk it simply is not.
When my parents recently purchased bicycles, they didn’t go for Italian racing bikes
or expensive Treks, such as the ones Lance Armstrong rides in the Tour de France. No, they
bought easy-to-ride, cruiser-style bikes that fit their intended use while being
comfortable, affordable, and easy to maintain. I’m glad no one tried to
"upsale" them to a fancy-schmancy model that would have cost a lot more while
not meeting their real needs. For my mom and dad to use these bikes regularly, get some
occasional exercise, and enjoy some time outdoors, the preferred option was something
simple and convenient.
Most people buy electronics with similar basic principles
in mind. Sure, anyone who spends their hard-earned money on a home-theater system wants
good performance and an enjoyable experience, but they also want the system to look good
in their room, be easy to operate, and fit their budget. And guess what -- there’s
nothing wrong with that. So my advice to the fellow HT enthusiast I was discussing this
with was that he not discourage his friends and family. A small percentage of these buyers
will gravitate to better gear, and that will grow the enthusiast end of our hobby.
You’ll always have people who, once involved in even a limited way with an experience
like home theater, will get the bug and be hooked for life, and it’s these folks who
will build the dedicated theater rooms and buy the expensive gear. But for every one of
them there will be 20 or so who will be satisfied with basic surround sound, a DVD player,
and a TV on the wall.
We at Home Theater & Sound can point out to the
average consumer the systems that might fit his or her idea of a good-looking home theater
at a good price that performs reasonably well. We can also go after the systems that set
aside convenience and price in search of the ultimate sonic and visual performance. Both
types of product reviews are equally valid because both serve real consumers with specific
needs and wants. We take both sorts of product reviews seriously because we recognize that
all segments of the market are important to the industry’s health. That’s
exactly what a good audio/video publication should do, and that’s what you can
continue to expect from us, month after month.
...Jeff Fritz
editor@hometheatersound.com |
