Comparison Onkyo HT-S9800THX vs Sony BDV-N9200W

Rated output of one front channel of a home theater system. This paragraph indicates the power of the complete front speaker, however, it can also be used to determine the characteristics of the built-in amplifier — its rated power on a particular channel (not necessarily the front one), usually, slightly exceeds the power of the corresponding speaker.

Rated power in this case is the highest average (root mean square, RMS) sound power that the speaker is capable of delivering for an unlimited time, working without failures and overloads. Individual signal jumps can be stronger, but the power of acoustics is determined precisely by RMS.

The higher this indicator(regardless of whether we are talking about front or some other speakers) — the louder the speakers, the better they are suitable for large rooms. At the same time, in a small room, too high power may be unnecessary, because. operating the speaker at full volume will cause discomfort — despite the fact that powerful acoustics also have the appropriate dimensions, weight and price. More detailed recommendations on the optimal power of the speaker components, depending on the characteristics of the situation, can be found in special sources.

Rated output of one home theater rear channel. For more information about the meaning of this parameter, see "Front" above.

Rated power of one centre channel of a home theater. For more information about the meaning of this parameter, see "Front" above.

The total power rating of all home theater speakers, including subwoofers. The value of the rated power is described in detail in paragraph "Front" above.

The range of audio frequencies reproduced by a home theater speaker system. The wider the range — the richer the sound, the less likely it is that the acoustics will “cut off” part of the low or high frequencies. When evaluating this indicator, one should proceed from the fact that the range perceived by the average human ear is from 16 Hz to 20 kHz. However, modern home cinemas for the most part cover this range completely or almost completely.

The sensitivity value determines the volume of the speaker system when an external signal of a certain power is applied to it. With the same signal strength and resistance (impedance), more sensitive acoustics provide greater volume.

Home theater speaker system AC impedance. Impedance matters when connected to an amplifier: if the impedance of the speaker system is less than that of the amplifier, distortion in sound is possible, if it is higher, the acoustics may sound quieter than we would like. Naturally, in the original home theater sets, the speakers and amplifier are selected with the optimal impedance ratio, so in fact you only have to pay attention to this parameter when you need to connect acoustics to a “non-native” amplifier.

The ability to connect speakers to the base via a wireless interface — most often a radio. The main advantage of this connection is the absence of connecting wires, which significantly limit the movement of the speakers and can interfere, getting confused with each other and with other wires. The disadvantages of wireless speakers are often lower sound quality than wired counterparts, as well as high cost.

Subwoofer with its own built-in power amplifier. The presence of such an amplifier allows you to "unload" the main amplifier of the cinema, which has a positive effect on the overall volume and sound quality of the speaker system. In addition, active subwoofers are often equipped with fine-tuning tools that allow you to achieve the desired sound quality without moving the subwoofer around the room.