THX Certification

What is it and why do we want it.

THX is an acronym for “Tomlinson Holman’s eXperiment.” Holman created THX while he was working with Lucasfilm studio to devise a new standard for audio reproduction to ensure quality and uniformity across all theatre systems that would play the company’s audio.

THX certifies that an audio system follows strict rules for ultra high-quality digital sound playback. These systems can be professional theatre or cinema sound systems, surround sound setups, simple home theatre systems, or a surround sound system just for your PC.

THX Certification establishes a rigorous set of industry standards for audio reproduction. The certification means that the sound coming out of your 5.1surround sound system or any other speaker is exactly as the audio engineer intended while he was recording and mixing it.

Purpose of THX Certification

To own a THX Certified sound system is to be positive that you are hearing the best sound possible, particularly if the DVD or video game you’re playing is also THX Certified—though that isn’t a requirement for THX to make a big difference in your multimedia experience. When a manufacturer achieves THX Certification, its customers know that their speaker systems will reproduce professional-quality sound exactly as the audio engineer intended for the film or video game.

Impact on Home Theatre Systems

Many films and video games carry the THX brand and logo to prove their worth as high-quality audio or video sources. However, THX Certification is most important for the actual speaker system that produces the sound, because THX source audio only matters when it is played on a system capable of reproducing it. This is why a THX Certified surround sound system is thought of as the Holy Grail for home theatre enthusiasts.

Recording Format Compatibility

THX Certified sound reproduction does not require that audio is recorded in any particular format, whether it is Dolby Digital sound or otherwise. Rather, THX is most important at the moment that the sound is played by a speaker system. THX Certified surround sound systems such as 5.1 or even 2.1 multimedia surround sound home theatre systems play THX certified sound from computers, televisions, and video game systems.

THX Certification Isn’t Free

Manufacturers of speaker systems must pay to be evaluated for THX Certification. Because the certification is expensive, usually only high-end products are tested for certification. Some companies—even ones with high-end products—may not choose to pay for the certification evaluation. As a result, although THX sounds systems are extremely high-quality speakers, there may be others on the market without the certification that are just as good.