Home cinema systems: How we test home cinema systems
This is how Which? tests home cinema systems.
Stereo sound
Testing bass from the subwoofer
Our panel of five experts listen to rock and pop tracks, from Michael Jackson to ZZ Top, chosen to see how they handle the range of audio frequencies from a range of music including complex dance tracks and those with heavy bass.
We also play them classical and orchestral music by Bruckner and Handel to check which home cinema systems deliver good stereo sound.
In total we play 23 pieces of music on each system. Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick in the Wall' is a stern test for all the systems.
Surround quality
We then step up the testing. Our experts see how the home cinema systems handle surround sound by watching clips from films that are rich in surround-sound effects and stretch the systems' abilities, including The Matrix and Jumanji.
They also listen to live concert footage to see how they cope with real-life surround sound.
We're looking for all the elements to work well – bass from the subwoofer, treble, voices – and for none to be overpowering or unduly weak.
Surround effect
Finally we use the same film clips from the test for surround-sound quality to assess the surround-sound effect.
We listen carefully for sound effects coming from different parts of the room to see whether the sound is realistic and you feel as if you are in the middle of the action.
Some systems are more fiddly than others
Ease of use
Our extensive usability tests sort the intuitive setups from the plain irritating.
Setting up
Some systems feature colour-coded jacks and sockets on all the speakers, making connecting everything together straightforward.
Long rear speaker cables are helpful if you’re kitting out a large room. Extra marks are awarded for home cinema systems that feature auto-setup.
Using the DVD
You shouldn't need a degree to understand the instruction manual
We assess the basic functions of the DVD player, like playback and chapter selection, plus any features such as bookmarking.
Most players are fairly mediocre, as most functions can be controlled only via the on-screen display on the TV – fine when playing DVDs but not so helpful if you want to listen to an audio CD without the TV on.
Using the tuner
We also assess the tuner, the ease of tuning, selecting presets and the usefulness of RDS.
Instructions
Instruction manuals are rated for their contents, structure, readability and diagrams.
Total test score and Best Buys
Once we have all our test results in, we evaluate the data to determine the total test score for each home cinema system. This is based on the following:
- Picture/sound 65%
- Ease of use 20%
- Features 10%
- Power use 5%
Those models that score 68% or over are awarded Best Buy status
