im installing a home theatre system with a plasma tv in a family room/lounge - i dont have a dedicated room in my apartment - so unfortunately its a choice of using what i have or not having a system at all

now im replacing my carpets cos those are around 10 years old and getting shabby - but how much would using tiles affect the acoustics - would it sound terrible - or would it be acceptable since its far easier to just mop tiles to clean them

i know that in an ideal world its far better to use carpet - but would tiles really cause the sound to go totally bad

It all depends on how the rest of the room is treated. If carpet was your only "treated" surface, then yes switching to tile will negatively impact your acoustics.