Many of us are looking to bring the movie theater experience home. The good news is if you invest in a good set of speakers (and a bag of popcorn, of course!), you can definitely create your own little home theater.
Before you invest in any type of home speaker, there are some important factors to consider to fit your preferences and needs.
Stereo vs. surround sound
The first thing you’ll notice when shopping for speakers is this distinction. Stereo sound is created with a pair of speakers and is often the best option if space is limited in your home. Stereo is also a good starting point if you’re on a budget because you can always add to your speaker system later to create more of a surround-sound experience. If this is the case, give considerable thought to the quality of your center speaker — it plays about 60% of a film’s dialogue and much of its soundtrack. Read more…
More about Speakers, Home Theater, Mashable Shopping, Tech, and Consumer Tech
IMAGE: Sonos
BEST WIRELESS OPTION
Sonos Beam 5.1 Surround Set
This wireless surround system is pretty much the best you can get.
- Drivers: Two force-canceling drivers, four full-range woofers, and one tweeter
- Stereo or Surround: Surround
- Set includes: One soundbar (beam), two speakers, and one subwoofer
- Color: Black or White
IMAGE: Amazon
BEST STEREO OPTION
Q. Acoustics 3050i
These powerful, floor standing home stereo speakers look great in your living room.
- Drivers: Two 6.5 inch woofers, 0.87 inch tweeter
- Stereo or Surround: Stereo
- Set Includes: 2 speakers
- Color: Black, white, gray, or English Walnut
IMAGE: Amazon
BEST SURROUND SOUND
Focal Sib Evo 5.1.2 System
Small and compact, this speaker system delivers incredible surround sound.
- Drivers: 5” speaker driver and ¾ dome tweeter; 4” driver and subwoofer
- Stereo or Surround: Surround
- Set Includes: 3 satellites, 2 loudspeakers and 1 subwoofer
- Color: Black
IMAGE: Amazon
BEST OVERALL FOR HOME THEATERS
ELAC Uni-fi UB5 Bookshelf Speaker
These large speakers are an excellent choice if you’re setting up an epic entertainment system.
- Drivers: 5 1/4 -inch woofer, 4 inch midrange cone, 1 inch tweeter
- Size: 10.8 x 7.9 x 12.8 inches
- Weight: 35.9 lbs
- Color: Black
IMAGE: Vizio
BEST BUDGET OPTION
VIZIO M-Series™ 5.1 Home Theater Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
The most affordable home theater surround sound system we could find.
- Drivers: Nine total (Three mid-woofers and three tweeters in the soundbar, one midrange driver in each of the satellite speakers, six-inch driver in the subwoofer)
- Stereo or Surround: Surround
- Set includes: One soundbar, two satellite speakers, and one wireless subwoofer
- Color: Charcoal gray
IMAGE: Sennheiser
BEST SOUNDBAR
Sennheiser 5.1.4 AMBEO Soundbar with Dolby Atmos
This soundbar delivers amazing, realistic, emulated surround sound.
- Drivers: Thirteen high-end drivers on the front, sides, and top of the unit (five tweeters, six longthrow woofers, two fullrange top-firing drivers)
- Stereo or Surround: Emulated Surround
- Set Includes: 1 soundbar
- Color: Black
