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THX certification important? (1 Viewer)

Steve=B=

Auditioning
Joined
Dec 2, 2003
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1
I was looking at some receivers and I thought 7.1 was THX been then I noticed, some did not say it was THX certified. So is it important for it to be THX certified? Some of the receivers I looked at that did not say it was THX certified. Sony ES STR-DA3000ES , Denon AVR-3803 , HK AVR-7200. I been into car audio for a few years now and just starting to appreciate home audio. Thanks for your help

-Steve
 

Tim K

Second Unit
Joined
Jul 7, 1999
Messages
402
To me, there is no reason to get THX certified anything...but that's up to you whether or not you value that stamp on a package. You can get equipment that is just as good, if not better than those with THX cert. Just because they aren't THX certified, doesn't mean they don't meet THX standards....it just means that company didn't want to pay for THX certs.

Just because THX doesn't certify it, doesn't mean its not a fantastic product. But if those 3 letters gives you peace of mind then go for it.
 

ChrisWiggles

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Joined
Aug 19, 2002
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This has been thoroughly discussed and debated to no end.

My standing is this:

I won't bash THX, because of the guarantee of good real cinema performance. However, in the home, it really only guarantees an "adequate" product in my opinion. The options that it carries with it are now de-facto (re-eq for instance). And there are MANY superior products that are NOT thx certified. I don't have any thx certified components in my setup, and if i tried to spend the same amount of money and get everyhting thx certified, it would be way way inferior. But that does NOT mean that thx is worthless, but just not worth very much. IMO, any benefits it might provide is far outweighed by the design quality behind the component anwyay.
 

John S

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Nov 4, 2003
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I own a THX certified reciever, but that was not a main reason I purchased it.

I truely wanted to make sure, I could do sustained reference levels in a large living room setting.
30x20 with 10' cielings.

Now that I see I have a large margin of headroom at those levels, I think if purchasing today, I would get a Denon 3803 instead of my 4802. Becasue I am sure the 3803 would have met that requirement and saved me a ton of bucks.

I can say, that any Sub that is THX or especially THX2 certified, it has more meaning. On subwoofers, it really would mean something, that it can sustain those sound preasure levels at those ultra low frequencies.

Very few Subs would really be up to the challenge in all honesty. Where as I see many recievers, speakers and amps, that could pull it off, certified or not.


Take the new Iniana Jones Box set, turn up to reference levels and play the opening THX trailer. See how your sub handles this. I understand that the trailer has been produced with THX2 in mind.

Keep in mind, that if you do this, I will not be held responsible for damage to your subwoofer.. lol
 

Lew Crippen

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Joined
May 19, 2002
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12,060
So is it important for it to be THX certified?
Certification is something that manufactures must apply for and it costs money, so many who make very fine products that would meet THX certification choose to spend their money elsewhere.

Depending on your needs, both the Denon 3803 and the HK 7200 are very fine products (I don’t know anything about the Sony, so I can’t comment), for example and if you are otherwise satisfied, I’d not be concerned that they don’t carry a THX certification.

John makes a good point about subs, but as is mentioned in another thread there are subs that are very fine and don’t carry the certification.
 

Geoff S

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jun 1, 2002
Messages
239
Basically THX is a minimal set of standards for all areas of your receiver. Most, if not all good receivers out there should meet and exceed these minimum standards in almost all those areas.

THX was big back in the 80's when it came out, and in the 90s too. It brought attention to the fact that movie theaters needed higher quality reproductions to show the film as the director intended it to be seen and heard. Since then theater and home theater playback has been quite an experience. There isn't much need for the THX tag anymore except for the assurance of quality on the piece of equipment. That's all it is, assurance.

I have a THX receiver, a Denon 4802, which is an amazing machine. The THX really only helps on the software side, such as using the THX Surround EX Algorythem. To me it just makes a better, wider, more precise sound field without modifying a good soundtrack very much. Very awesome IMHO. All depends on what you think is good in the end.
 

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