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Sometimes we are right when considering our home theater old, and sometimes we might be wrong. There is a thin line between right and wrong. We will discuss this thin line soon. But what if you are right? Then, how to update your old home theater?
At A Glance: To update/upgrade your old home theater, you can sell the old equipment on Craigslist or social media but if they are very much outdated then you can sell it to recycling companies and buy newer products by adding some more money to the fund you got from this deal.
Keep reading as we will discuss that thin line between right and wrong along with tips to exchange old equipment for store credits or optimize the existing theater system. You will learn something new today from this article that can be implemented right now.
When do you need the update?
Sit down and inhale. Now ask yourself these questions. Does the existing system fulfill my surround sound/Dolby Atmos needs? Does the existing system fulfill my 4K HDR/ Dolby Vision needs?
If the answer is yes then you can go for the update or if the answer is no then save your money.
You need to replace the audio and video options in these questions with your preferred needs.
If the existing system is having basic modern technologies. Like:
- The receiver provides support for HDMI 1.7+ versions
- The receiver has enough inputs and outputs number for your needs
- The receiver or amplifier is powering your speakers correctly
- The Blu-ray player is matching the needs of your audio/video
- The audio/video needs are if the Blu-ray player is capable of Dolby Atmos and 4K HDR.
If these points are satisfied by your system, then you don’t need an update.
Read this guide about the best receivers for home theater. You will know about the newer technology. I have reviewed the top 7 here.
When not to do the update?
If you are thinking of upgrading to 8K or 10K. Because the 8K is not a mainstream thing right now like a 4K is. You can’t find a lot of content in 8K. Right now, you are good to go with 4K.
When you are using a $15 HDMI cable, and it is working fine, and now you saw the advertisement for a $500 HDMI cable, and you want to get that cable. Those cables are not worth it because they are just marketing gimmicks.
Also, the speaker’s technology rarely changes. If there are new speakers with gold-plated internal circuits or something else. You don’t need those speakers because that gold plating can’t help their audio quality. The speaker you bought after 2015 will still work great.
These points are unnecessary to update the home theater for them.
Two approaches I suggest for the update.
Sell it out on the internet
You can sell out your used home theater equipment on Craigslist. You can put an advertisement there with brief details of your products. Many people are already selling their used products there.
If you are good with Facebook. Then there are a lot of buys and sell groups available on Facebook. You can create an advert there. On Facebook, you can get a lot of interesting people.
But if you still need any other options, then you can sell it out to companies that buy used products like Handh or Adorama.
But if your equipment is outdated like it only works with 1080p or doesn’t have HDMI ports, then I think nobody will buy it.
Then the next thing is to exchange it for store credits or sell it to recycling companies.
Sell it to recycling companies or trade it for store credits
Some companies will buy your used products. They buy the products in any condition, but pay less when it is not in working condition.
You can sell your products to them. You will get a few bucks and add some more, and you can get newer products cheaper. These companies are Greenbuyback or Gizmogo etc.
If you want another option, then you can exchange your used products for store credits or credit cards. You can drop off your products at BestBuy, and they will give you store credits in return. You can use this credit to buy newer products for your home theater.
Why is recycling better?
We waste a lot of electronics per year. This electronic waste ends up in the ocean, which is not good for marine life.
Or this waste somehow ends up in Africa. Many poor families there burn these systems to extract gold from them. This toxic smoke is not good for the health of those poor families and also for global warming.
The rest of the burned materials end up under the soil or the ocean. This is deadly for the ecosystem.
You can save the earth by recycling used products.
According to Dosomething organisation. “20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed worldwide every year.”
Dosomething.org
How to update the home theater now?
Now that you have got a few bucks or store credits for your products. You can buy newer products that fulfill your needs.
If you want a projector with less input latency, then you can buy it to enjoy gaming. If you need 4K Ultra HD content, you can buy a projector, receiver, or TV that supports this.
If you want Dolby Atmos, then you can buy in-ceiling speakers for it.
Now, you can go and update your home theater by shopping for your favorite products online or offline.
Other things You can do to update your home theater.
Make theater room acoustics better
No matter how good your speakers or amplifiers are, if the acoustics are not good, then you won’t get the best audio.
That’s why you need top-notch acoustics for your home theater. You need to stop the reverberation of the dialogues and other sounds in the theater room. For that, you need to install soft and dense surface materials in the room and also install acoustics panels.
You need to soundproof the room too. After that, you will get pure audio without the noise coming into the room.
Read this guide on how to optimize home theater audio. I have included 5 steps that include soundproofing and acoustic panel installation.
Subwoofer positioning
If the subwoofer is not placed in the right place or position. You won’t get the perfect bass that you need.
Change the placement of the subwoofer several times all across the room until you get the best bass. The placement of the subwoofer is very vital. The placement can break or make the bass experience for you.
Read this guide to increase home theater bass. I have included 9 steps to perfection in this guide.
Seating position
Place the seating in the right place. You need to place it in the middle of the room and between the in-ceiling speakers.
Don’t place the seating along with the wall. You won’t get better bass and better rear speakers’ sound.
Block the light coming in and reflections
If you are using a projector for your home theater display. Then you need to block out all the light coming into the room.
You need to cover the windows and spaces in the door frames. You need to paint the home theater walls black to stop the light reflections and refine the video content.
Read my this soundproofing home theater guide. It is helpful to block the light along with soundproofing.
These tips are important along with updating the equipment.
Did you get something out of this home theater upgradation guide? Hold On We Have Something Exciting To Share.
[the_ad id=”4771″]FAQs
How often should you replace your home theater speakers?
The speaker technology doesn’t change that much, that’s why you can keep it for 15 years in a row or more. You don’t need to replace them much.
The speakers don’t change that much. The 10 years old speakers in my parents’ home are still going strong. I have never felt any lack of quality.
Do I need to upgrade my AV receiver?
If your receiver doesn’t have the latest HDMI version support, doesn’t have the latest HDCP support, doesn’t have 4K ultra HD and Dolby Atmos support, or doesn’t have enough inputs, then you can upgrade it.
But if it can still satisfy your needs like it has enough inputs, then you don’t need to upgrade it.
Which speaker should I upgrade first?
If you want to upgrade the speakers, then upgrade the center speaker first and then the front speakers thereafter.
The center speaker and the front speakers are the ones that do the most of the heavy lifting. That’s why if you want to upgrade the system, then first upgrade them. You will still feel the pro level of the sound even if you don’t upgrade all other speakers in the surround system.
Will old speakers work with new receivers?
They will work fine with new receivers. The speaker’s technology is not changing rapidly, that’s why the compatibility rules have been kept the same by AV receivers for the speaker for ages.
The technology of the speaker is not changing, that’s why their compatibility rules with the receiver are not changing too. That’s why old speakers will work fine with new receivers.
Helpful Resources For The FAQs To Read More
- This was my opinion, read more about it from the AVsforum discussion thread. (Resource for the fourth answer)
- This was my opinion, know more about it from this youtube video. (Below video Resource for the second answer)
