Well........... Back to THX. When I see an audio product with THX emblazoned on the front panel I wonder what the “Value Added” is? I mean when I see DTS, DolbyEX, Cirrus Logic Extra Surround or the many other “features” that are listed for some products I can see a tangible function. With THX I’m not sure what it has given me other than meeting a list of specifications. Now if it is shown that the THX specifications have forced manufacturers to produce audio equipment to a minimum standard that is higher than would be otherwise, then I think having the certification is good thing. The issue seems to be whether someone wants to PAY additional for this certification that may or may not enhance your HT experience. Can someone tell me how much additional a product costs for the certification? If it’s a buck, who cares, if it’s 50 bucks then it becomes an issue.
In a previous post I wondered about the THX certification on Monsters 14 gauge speaker cable. I never stated it was “crappy” just again wondering what the “Value Added” is? Did Monster use a specific purity of copper, a special twist to the wires or maybe a unique sheath that allowed this wire to meet THX specifications? I’ll bet the spec was pay me money and you can use the THX logo.

http://www.thx.com/mod/techlib/interconnects.html

The question is not whether or not THX has promulgated specs. Obviously, they have. Thanks for quoting them to us.

The question is whether or not, particularly in the are of cables, if these specs measurably contribute to better sound quality or not, and if cables that do NOT have the THX certification, but otherwise have the same basic characteristics, are just as good, and perhaps a better price value.

Keta: The actual costs for THX certification are a closely guarded bit of information, but it likely varies to product category, presumably with an overall licensing fee to "buy in" and whatever the costs are to actually cover the certification testing. The hardest thing to determine would be if anything has changed since the ownership of the THX program was shifted from 100% by Lucasfilm, Ltd. to a jointly held venture that is majority owned by a manufacturer.

Like anything else, a large part of the value add is whether or not seeing the logo gives you a feeling of confidence that the product DOES meet a certain spec, rather than believing any one manufacturers' marketing spin. If it does, it's worth it; if it doesn't so be it.

Remember, that as with many consumer electronics products, there are only a limited number of companies and factories capable of manufacturing interconnects at the spec level required by THX. A factory that OEMs for one brand may make very similar cables for others that WOULD meet the THX specs if submitted, but for a variety of reasons might never be put in for test.

Interesting to note that over time, the "cable and interconnect" category is the one where THX has gotten the least amount of traction. Some of the earlier adherents have dropped off. To be honest, I haven't checked lately, but there is may be only one other company with certified cables, and they are not sold widely, if at all, through retail outlets (installer channel, mostly). The dynamics of the cable market are such that others may simply feel that Monster is, well, such a MONSTER, that getting THX isn't that much of a marketing advantage so they choose to differentiate themselves in different ways than applying for THX cert.

That's the catch - it is not going to be a set price addition to an MSRP. I'm sure THX has some basic pricing structure for products, although I would assume that they put together a specific price to certify each individual product being submitted for review. The most important variables that affect the consumer's pocket book are what type of product it is (a surround processor would be more expensive than a power amp, for example) and how many units the manufacturer expects to be able to sell (which then determines how they divide up that THX fee and add it to the sticker price).

As Iggy aptly puts it, one of the significant "value added" aspects of a THX logo is consumer confidence or comfort. The thing that I give THX the most credit for is helping the industry as a whole by guiding designers and consumers to look at issues like bass management and helping to come up with better solutions. They've even done some simple things like developing a separate color code for multichannel analog audio inputs and outputs (rather than the three or four pairs of red and white jacks), a system that I seem to recall seeing on some non-THX equipment in the last year or so. The point that I feel is probably most important to take away from a discussion of THX is a simple one: the THX logo shows up on some very nice gear, but if you are shopping for a piece of home theater equipment it is important to allow non-THX equipment onto your list as well because there is some very good non-THX gear on the market that should not be overlooked.

Gonk:

The color code for cables was originally put together during the initial round of THX certification for cables, but it has long since be standardized as EIA/CEA-863. Although the color coding is apparently required for cables to be certified, it is not proprietary to THX, and anyone who wants to buy a copy of the standard is free to apply it to cables and/or components. For a variety of reasons, the color coding scheme has been adopted more for receiver and processor rear panels (by the Outlaws and MANY others) than it has been in interconnects other than the obvious L/R and video (yellow for CVBS and GBR for Y/Pr/Pb). It's undoutbedly a matter of inventory for retailers: easy to stock interconnects in pairs, but harder to stock and/or anticipate need for center and surround connectivity applications.

Of course all that will change to some degree when HDMI and similar take over -- but that ain't gonna be for some time with legacy devices still out there for the next century or so.

Have you gotten a home theater for the "Gonk-ette" yet? "My First Outlaw"?

That's where I was thinking of it primarily, PodBoy - rear panels of receivers and processors.

The littlest gonk is still pretty low tech - a cheap CD player her mom picked up at Target and I think just one "talking" toy. Give her time, though...

Im my opinion THX sets standards much the same way UL or IEC does. Getting certified means you have been tested to meet the specifications. If someone doea not get the formal testing, they may still meet the specifications, just an independent body (like UL) has not tested them. So if anything what THX has done is set some standards. As for actually having a label on it has never driven a buying decision for me.