I'm a big believer in doing things efficiently, no matter how big your budget is for a project. One of my main hobbies is weightlifting, for example, and I don't bother with most supplements -- I find that caffeine, creatine, and whey powder are all I need. Similarly, while I love riding PEVs, I'd rather invest in a rugged and reliable one than something with a lot of frivolous add-ons.
Gold-plated HDMI and audio cables
And some other premium connectors
Once upon a time, back in the analog era, gold-plated audio and video connectors had some value. Gold is a durable, corrosion-resistant metal that conducts electricity reasonably well, making it a good choice for preserving signal quality. The more an analog signal degrades, the more vulnerable it becomes to outside interference. If that signal-to-noise ratio slides too far, the nuances of your media can get drowned out or corrupted.
In the digital era, however, signal quality isn't a question of degrees -- it's all or nothing. All you're doing is transmitting instructions from one device to another. Assuming the data flow isn't interrupted, you'll get perfect image and sound quality every time. In that regard, there's no reason to spend extra on something as expensive as real gold, not when materials like copper will do the trick. Even corrosion is pretty much a non-issue in the 21st century, at least if you're watching indoors.
There's no reason to spend extra on something as expensive as real gold, not when materials like copper will do the trick.
It's far more important that a cable supports the audio or video formats you're interested in. For video, you'll want a cable with HDMI 2.1 or later, which enables things like VRR (variable refresh rates) and eARC audio. HDMI 2.0 is increasingly limiting in a home theater, especially if you're into gaming.
It may be worth investing in perks like braided nylon sheaths, which can prevent fraying and tangles, and "active" HDMI cables if a signal needs to run more than nine feet. Beyond that, though, you might as well buy the cheapest cables you can find. What's more important are the devices connected on either end of them.
Lossless audio
Nice to have, but not a must-have
Speaking of nuances, lossless removes all the compression from digital audio, delivering the best possible representation of content. You'll hear the full frequency range your speakers can handle, with, of course, zero chance of compression artifacts. There are a variety of lossless formats in circulation, among them Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and ALAC (Apple Lossless). Often these are combined with 3D surround-sound formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
With the best compression formats, you'll probably notice little if any difference versus lossless, even on the most expensive gear.
While lossless is de facto on a lot of home theater equipment anyway, you shouldn't go out of your way to pay for the feature. Why? The truth is that with the best compression formats, you'll probably notice little if any difference versus lossless, even on the most expensive gear. The human ear can only register so many frequencies, and many of us have varying degrees of hearing damage on top of that. It's even more pointless with media that was recorded several decades ago -- you can't recreate nuances that were never captured in the first place.
If you're willing to sacrifice lossless, you can potentially save a lot of cash on excellent sound. My own soundbar is a Sonos Ray, which may not be able to handle lossless or 3D, but otherwise sounds amazing, and is hundreds of dollars less than the Atmos/TrueHD-equipped Sonos Beam.
A separate digital-to-analog converter
Rapidly diminishing returns
Superficially, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC for short) might sound like a way of bridging old and new hardware, but it's actually vital to any modern audio system. Without some form of DAC operating, data can't be turned into meaningful signals for the drivers that physically produce your audio.
Any home theater worth owning in 2026 will already have a DAC somewhere in the chain, such as the one integrated into your TV, receiver, or Blu-ray player.
A dedicated DAC can, in theory, ensure maximum fidelity and format compatibility. You might want one if you're trying to push audio as far as it will go, or if you need some sort of pre-amp, since some DACs combine that technology. But the secret is that any home theater worth owning in 2026 will already have a DAC somewhere in the chain, such as the one integrated into your TV, receiver, or Blu-ray player. If a component can handle advanced standards like Atmos, chances are you'll like how any connected speakers sound.
This ties back into the section about lossless. Some people will swear they can hear a difference with a separate DAC, much as they can with lossless -- yet even if there is a difference, it's liable to be so negligible that there are far better things you could be spending your money on.
THX or IMAX Enhanced certification
Theaters should care more than you do
Back in the 1980s and early '90s, THX certification was a huge deal. You knew that if a cinema was equipped for THX, a movie would look and sound the way it was intended. I still have a tinge of nostalgia for hearing the THX Deep Note in a crowded theater.
Over the years, however, the importance of THX has diminished as the general quality of audio and video has risen, and it became more important for theaters to support specific formats such as Atmos, IMAX, and stereoscopic 3D. THX is still certifying some theaters, but a quick check shows no locations in Edmonton, one in Austin, and only 12 within 50 miles of downtown Los Angeles.
THX-certified equipment will certainly meet a high quality standard, but it's unnecessary to achieve it.
That situation carries over to the home space. THX-certified equipment will certainly meet a high quality standard, but it's unnecessary to achieve it. When I'm shopping for a TV or speakers, I'm more concerned about things like bass response or Dolby Vision support.
IMAX Enhanced is both more and less meaningful. A fully-certified system will support IMAX's expanded aspect ratios on your TV, as well as DTS:X audio -- but Atmos is the more dominant 3D audio format, and in North America, Enhanced movies are only available as a subset of Disney+ and Sony Pictures Core. There's not much to watch, in other words.
Things could change sometime down the road. Until it does, however, IMAX Enhanced will remain a nice perk if you happen to pick up the right TV and speakers.