wht is the main difference between a hifi system and home theater system?

Question

can one substitute the other??if not which one is prefered?

Answer 1

Hi-Fi has nothing to do with how many speakers or channels an audio system has. A Hi-Fi system is often mono (one channel) many dance clubs play music in mono because stereo imagining & surround sound imaging has what's known as a sweet point. On a large crowded dance floor most people will hear one speaker louder than other speakers, even if they are speaker arrays suspended from the ceiling. (The speaker closest to them will sound louder than the other speakers).

Hi-Fi is short for High Fidelity.
High fidelity equipment has very low distortion & has an accurate frequency response as defined in 1973 by the "German Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) standard DIN 45500."

The reason most Hi-Fi systems are stereo instead of surround sound is two fold.
1. Economics.
It's cheaper to build a Hi-Fi stereo system than a Hi-Fi surround sound system.
2. Power requirement.
To accurately reproduce bass to sound as close to live as possible usually requires a powerful amplifier to push the woofer.

The PA system I use for large events uses six QSC PLX3602 amplifiers & one QSC RMX 4050HD amplifier.

Each QSC PLX3602 amplifier puts out 725 Watts stereo @ 8 Ohms.
The electricity they use to power 8 Ohm speakers is 25 Amps @ 120 Volts

The RMX 4050HD amplifier puts out 800 Watts stereo @ 8 Oms.
The electricity it uses to power 8 Ohm speakers is 12.5 Amps @ 120 Volts

That's over 160 Amps @ 120 Volts just to power my amplifiers & that doesn't even include my DJ equipment & my lighting.

Obviously I can't just plug that into a standard electrical wall outlet. An electrician hooks my power distro box (Metal cabinet the size of a small dorm refrigerator that supplies electricity to my PA system.) directly into the building's electric panel.

You can effectively power two full size High Fidelity speakers in a home & still plug your stereo system into a standard wall outlet, trying to effectively power 5 or 7 full size High Fidelity speakers in a home & you're probably going to run into problems.

Hi-Fi systems should not be confused with audiophile systems. Audiophile systems are all Hi-Fi, but not all Hi-Fi systems are audiophile systems.

Home Theater System is just a marketing term for an A/V system. A home treater can be as low-fi a 13" TV with a Bose sound system, or as Hi-Fi as a huge high definition TV with a $100,000 state of the art sound system.

BTW
XenonAudio there's a good reason so many people advise against companies like Behringer, Bose, Gemini, Gemsound, Pyle, Pyramid & Technical HiFi.

If you're going to use a pro-audio amplifier you should use a QSC or Crown. They are much more reliable & sound a lot better. You can pick up a used one pretty cheaply on eBay or Craig's List.

QSC RMX 850
http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/product/buy_qsc_rmx_850_power_amp?full_sku=100713940

Crown XLS 202D
http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/product/buy_crown_xls_202d_power_amplifier?full_sku=103635520

Answer 2

An ordinary HiFi or stereo system has only 2 channels to connect speakers to. Some have connections for " main speakers" &" remote-
speakers" . You can run the main only, the remote only, or all 4, so you have the sound extended further out each way. Then came 4-channel stereo, where you put a speaker in each of 4 corners. That was really nice, but the different levels and variety of sounds can't compare with digital 5 :1 surround sound, in which there are different things coming from all 5 speakers + the sub-woofer. It just seems to go around you and over you and every where. Thus the name " surround sound". This attempts to replicate what you hear in the theater.

Answer 3

in general the diffence is HiFi is for music (2 ch) and home theater has at least 5.1 and as much as 7.1 channels. you can certainly use a theater reciever for hifi. and some would argue that you could use a hifi for a theater. others would disagree. see the train of thought is that a "soundstage" for music can be accurately dipicted in 2 channels (a live concert usually takes place only in front of you) for a theatrical experience the thought is to surround you with each speaker getting its own unique signal, so if a bird is behind you to the left, thats where you'd hear it chirp. Although, this is the most common train of thought, be aware in the horizon, (been comming for a while) is 5.1 audio. since theater systems became more popular, more and more audio recordings are being made for a surround system, effectively not puting you in the audiance, but actually on stage. (musically speaking). Another thing to think about. speakers are undisputably the most important part of any system. and to buy 5, 6 or seven speakers is more costly than just 2. I have heard some hi dollar 2 channel systems that gave a better effect and engolfed me in a movie far better than 5 cheap speakers ever could. so... more channels is not always better either.

Now for my honest opinion, for any system under
under 1000. (hifi or home theater) i would buy a good 2 channel reciever and a good pair of speakers, spending most the money on the speakers.

Answer 4

"HiFi" is short for "High Fidelity" which is a marketing term from the 70's and 80's. It does not really mean anything. What you are really asking is: "what is the difference between a Home Theater and a Music system?" I asked this about speakers in a store and a rather good salesman gave me this answer: "Music is about Accuracy. Home Theater is about Impact". Music lovers want concert-hall volume with lots and lots of detail in the music. Audiophile grade speakers start at about $600/pair and go up to thousands of dollars ... for 2 speakers. This does not include the electronics. Home Theater surrounds 1-3 chairs with an array of less-accurate, less-expensive speakers and uses a compressed source like a HDTV, DVD or BluRay. The sound is very ... sparse compared to music and very artifical. This means you can get away with fairly in-accurate speakers and lower end amps but still have a good movie experience. The one secret is a good subwoofer in the corner to give you the 'impact'. Audiophile purists want 2 channels of music with zero DSP or other effects. But a lot of people like how their 5.1 receiver sends 2 channel sound to all 6 speakers. This makes the sound more filling, solves problems with room acoustics and makes their crappy MP3's sound better. My friends who are into this stuff often have a older-but-beloved 2 channel system in the Den or bedroom, and a inexpensive 5.1 system in the living room for family movies. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

In a basic sense, a home theater involves surround sound (i.e. including 5 or more speakers + a powered subwoofer). A surround sound receiver is needed to process the surround formats and power the front and rear speakers as well as provide a signal for a powered subwoofer.

A hi-fi system is basically a 2-channel stereo system, meaning an amplifier and two full-range (or near full-range) speakers. Sometimes a pair of bookshelf speakers with a powered subwoofer (or two).

Both systems may be used for movies (ideal in a home theater system) and music (ideal as a 2-channel system), and the better the system, the more competent the system is to be able to do both well.

I prefer a 2-channel system over a 5.1, 6.1 or even a 7.1 surround sound system. A good 2-channel system will provide a very satisfying performance in sound and surround in either application.

My current sound system set-up?

Silverline Audio Minuet (speakers)
http://www.silverlineaudio.com

Hsu Research VTF-2 Mk 3 (powered subwoofer x 2)
http://www.hsuresearch.com

Behringer A500 Reference (power amplifier x 2)
http://www.behringer.com

Oppo DV-981HD (universal DVD player)
http://www.oppodigital.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/home_theater
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/high-fidelity

Xe♫

Answer 6

Hi-fi stands for high fidelity. A true hi-fi system with have only two speakers! these are usually towers with passive bass woofers. That said most of us can not afford a $200,000 stand alone hi-fi stereo. Most higher end and some medium manufactures understand this and they make receivers and preamp/processors capable of rendering good quality sound for both.

Some pre-amps have source programmable EQs/ and cutoffs that depending on the source will set the EQ accordingly. With the right preamp the right speakers and interconnects you can be confident that the sound is being reproduced as it was intended. A really good system will do justice to your music and theater experience. Remember you are the one who is paying for it all, don't try to impress. If you like it than that is what really counts.

Answer 7

A HI. FI .system uses high quality components to reproduce a musical experience as close as possible to a live event.

A home theater system is an audio video devise with a large TV or projector and screen and 5 or more loudspeakers placed around the room to try to create a cinema experience.

The loudspeakers in a home theater set up should be of similar quality to the speakers in a HI. FI. system.

Answer 8

typically 'hi-fi' systems are two channel only - with dedicated components , cd player, turntable, 2 speakers, possibly a pre-amp and seperate amplifier or integrated amp. - made for listening to music through.

Home Theatre systems are geared towards watching movies and have complex internal components to decipher 5.1 surround info, multiple internal amplifiers etc

Answer 9

Define Hi Fi

Answer 10

Just the number of speakers. A typical HiFi system just has a left and right speaker and is designed for listening to music. A home theatre system adds a centre speaker for dialouge, and typically two rear speakers for surround effects. Then you usually have a subwoofer for producing the intense bass soundtracks designed to shake the room, to enhace visuals such as explosions,etc