In 2022, a top home theater system can give you a great audio experience to rival a more complex setup. As a rough guide, if your viewing distance is around 6-12 feet, then any system or soundbar should be suitable. An all-in-one home theater sound system should come with everything you need to get great audio. We all have different views on what sounds good and what is good enough. THX has provided a benchmark for audio and video products for many years. Different budgets. The surround speakers arent the most stylish design. One is the AV receiver and the other is the surround sound speaker system. Then you can add the Sonos Sub to fill out the sound with some real low bass action. And, what you consider to be value-for-money. 
The setup and control of the CineHome PRO system are done in the free Enclave Audio mobile app. Theres no receiver (as such). He has worked as a sound, lighting and audio-visual engineer for around 20 years. All the speakers are wired and the speaker cable is included as part of the package. Theres no right and wrong here. Then use an optical connection direct from the player to the Playbase/Playbar/Beam/Arc. There is also a zone 2 pre-out for sending stereo audio to a different room in your home. I recommended a previous model before. For a larger room, then you might want to buy a more powerful AV receiver and larger bookshelf or floorstanding speakers for the audio. Connect the optical output from your TV into the Sonos unit and you will hear 5.1 Dolby Digital sound in your speakers. The speakers here might be part of the Polk T-Series entry-level home theater speaker lineup, but they will be a cut above most speakers that you get with all-in-one systems. Paul started the Home Cinema Guide to help less-experienced users get the most out of today's audio-visual technology. This is where the subwoofer comes in, which will handle the lower frequencies that the small fronts and surrounds might not do justice to. Plus, it delivers uncompressed high-resolution audio which should satisfy many of the audiophiles out there. You also have an optical audio input and a 3.5mm AUX stereo analog audio input which you can use for connecting other devices. So, its a good option if you are interested in buying an AV receiver system but dont want the extra trouble of pairing it with a set of speakers. Enclave Audio specializes in wireless audio systems using WiSA technology. And, you dont need to be concerned with many of the technical details which confuse many people. They can end up buying a speaker package without realizing that they will need an amplifier to make it all work. Youll need to go higher if you are critical about audio and want the best sound quality. Well, they can! So, connecting multiple devices can get tricky. However, that may be all you need to get movie surround sound from your TV and DVD/Blu-ray player. You will learn that power specs may not be as important as you first thought. So you can send audio from your mobile devices into your speaker system too. This means that you can send audio from your TVs internal apps and back into your speaker system. If this is important to you, decide which speaker layout you want, and buy the model that provides this. First, you can get a compact 3.0 speaker system using one of the four soundbars: If you dont know, a 3.0 speaker system has a front left, front right and center speaker to really bring the audio from movies and TV shows to life. You may still see some budget home theater models around. Previously, a system would often include an amplifier, a DVD player and surround speakers. If you are looking for a discrete soundbar system that you can hide in your room, then this package isnt for you. If you are looking for the best Dolby Atmos soundbar system for your home theater, then the Nakamichi Ultra should be high on your list of options. Systems with a soundbar usually have all the speakers in one box. However, if you are keen to buy one of their systems and you are outside of the US, then they do ship worldwide from the Nakamichi eBay store. I think surround sound is fantastic. It allows you to turn off those terrible TV speakers and get a bigger and more satisfying sound when watching a movie. The home theater speaker package that comes with this system consists of compact black gloss speakers. 5.1 surround sound has five speakers in the room front left, center, front right, surround left and surround right plus a subwoofer. So, if that is all you need, theres no need to break the bank. There are several different types of home theater systems that will suit any living room. There are two main parts to this system. Something like this will be fine: Just make sure you buy enough. You can mix and match these positions for a range of placement options.
Well, thats not quite true. Whatever speaker layout you go for, you should also consider the speaker placement in your room to get the best sound from your system. They are designed to fill an average-size living room. Some are nice to have. Anyway, many people dont know that Sonos wireless speakers can double-up as a 5.1 surround sound system. Connect the Blu-ray player to the TV via HDMI and send both audio and picture to the TV. The Enclave Audio CineHome PRO 5.1 Home Theater System has no wires to connect the speakers to the main unit at all. However, what interests us here, is that Nakamichi began producing a range of high-performance soundbar systems in 2016. HDMI 2.1 support also includes useful features for gamers and movie enthusiasts like: However, be advised that the 4K/120 and 8K/60 support is dependent on a firmware update, so check with your retailer before you buy if this is important. And, if you want to learn more about 3D audio, I have a guide that explains what Dolby Atmos is. The Denon AVR-S960H is one of their mid-range models but that doesnt mean it will give you an average sound. A complete package will usually include all the extras required to get it all up and running. However, the four surround speakers must be wired to the subwoofers two each. If it seems too much like hard work for you, there are plenty of great all-in-one systems on this page! Alternatively, the Sonos Beam and Arc have an HDMI ARC input which you can connect to a suitable HDMI port on your TV. Get a proper speaker system and really enjoy watching that movie. But something like this will be perfect for someone who wants to go up a level or two without breaking the bank. Again, they will work well with the Polk speakers in the front of the room. The downside of doing this is that the soundbars only have a single input. The final speaker in the package is a striking V-shaped 10-inch wireless subwoofer. For soundbars, any soundbar will improve on the sound that you get from your TV speakers. The integrated room calibration software can really make the difference between good and excellent sound in your room so always make sure you run this. This is the recommended way to connect a Sonos soundbar. At the end of the day, buying a speaker package and a separate AV receiver isnt for everyone.
How Much Power Does My Home Theater System Need? If not, the Denon AVR-S960H is a solid choice. The front left, front right and center speakers each contain two 3-inch full-range drivers and a single 1-inch tweeter. This receiver also comes with the outstanding Audyssey MultEQ room calibration software which will do an excellent job of getting a balanced sound in your room. Different rooms.
While I said this article is about all-in-one home theater systems, Im going to suggest a complete surround sound speaker bundle and a separate AV receiver. Well, lets go back to basics and simplify this a little. These would work. Of course, all these extra connections are only a bonus if you need to connect more devices. You dont need to worry about matching the speakers with the amplifier. You can also buy the speakers separately if its easier. Others may have optical or coaxial audio inputs for audio-only. It is the same as the Ultra, except for two slightly smaller 8-inch subwoofers and only two surround speakers. The problem is, there are different ways of doing this. Some people wonder if you can get the same audio quality as with using a good old cable. So, if these systems are the best way for you to get a great audio experience, then go for it. If you wanted to reduce the cost a little more, you could get a slightly cheaper AV receiver. It will probably come as no surprise if the higher-end models sound better than the budget systems. If so, you could also use this for sending audio to the Arc or Beam.
In total the Ultra series has a total of 18 speaker drivers: The speaker system isnt completely wireless. These are systems that include an amplifier and speakers all in the same box. So, to recap, a complete all-in-one system designed for home theaters will combine an amplifier and speakers in the same package. Another great feature of the CineHome PRO is THX certification. The front and center speakers are smaller, The front left and right speakers have a single 3-inch driver, The rear surrounds are a compact bi-pole design, No option to expand to a Dolby Atmos system, No support for Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio, Yamaha makes quality home audio equipment, Full 4K Ultra HD support upgrade available to 4K/120 and 8K/60, HDR10+/HDR10/Dolby Vision/HLG pass-through, Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD Master Audio support plus HDMI eARC, Bluetooth connection for wireless streaming both in and out, Compact speaker package for smaller rooms, Plenty of input connections plus two pre-outs for a second subwoofer, No wireless speakers for 5.1 surround sound although upgrade available using MusicCast Surround, 11.1.4 soundbar system: one soundbar, two wireless surround speakers and one wireless subwoofer, 11 speaker drivers in total: seven in the soundbar and two in each surround speaker, 4 upfiring Dolby Atmos drivers: two in the soundbar and one in each surround speaker, Audio processing: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS:X, DTS 5.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay2 and Alexa voice control, Soundbar dimensions (W x H x D): 48.5 x 2.7 x 5.4, Rear speaker dimensions (W x H x D): 4.9 x 8 x 5.6, Subwoofer dimensions (W x H x D): 8.3 x 15.9 x 15.9, Bose Soundbar 900 with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, Supports Dolby Atmos with built-in upfiring speakers, Works with stereo, 5.1 and Dolby Atmos audio, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus, Integrated Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and AirPlay 2, Buy the soundbar on its own or add the optional wireless bass module and wireless surround speakers, Add the Bose Bass Module 700 wireless subwoofer for more bass, Add the Bose Surround Sound Speakers 700 for additional surround effect, ADAPTiQ audio room calibration for getting the best sound in your room, Control with the Bose Music App or included remote control, 45-inch soundbar with dedicated center speaker, Designed to match the Klipsch Reference Series speakers, Inputs: 1x HDMI ARC / 1x Optical / 1x 3.5mm Analog / Bluetooth, 34-inch soundbar with two 69mm mid-range drivers, two 25mm tweeters and two passive radiators, 1x compact wireless 7-inch (17.8 cm) subwoofer, The system can be bought as a complete 5.1 set, or you can purchase each component separately, Inputs: 1x HDMI ARC, 1x optical, Bluetooth, Includes movie, music and night modes to suit your needs, Alexa built-in and works with Amazon multiroom music, Wall-mountable (wall mount template included), Inputs: 3x 3.5mm surround sound, 1x stereo RCA analog, 2x optical audio and 1x coaxial. You will find all types of products under this category including complete surround sound speaker packages with no amplifier included. Many people get confused about this. Or upgrade later on. It is the same as the Elite system except it only comes with a single 8-inch subwoofer. HDMI ARC allows the TV to send the audio down the HDMI cable into your soundbar. In simple terms, a home theater package makes it easy to improve the audio in your room. No wonder people get confused when trying to research this stuff! If you want to buy a receiver or separate surround sound speakers, then go to the following articles: However, for many people, buying a separate amplifier and speakers is too complicated. Hopefully, the points above will have given you a better idea of what you are looking for. However, I think for most people the tall and thin speakers will give a modern look to any room. The most common layouts are 5.1 and 7.1. Big enough to really pack a punch but not too large to get in the way. When you search for the best home theater equipment to buy you are usually confronted with a long list of AV receivers, soundbars, surround sound speaker packages and all-in-one systems. If sound quality is important to you, then a rule-of-thumb is you get what you pay for. These days, systems dont usually include a DVD or Blu-ray player, and you will need to buy these separately. The final thing that you would need is some speaker wire. The most common speaker layout for home theater is a 5.1 speaker system. However, if you have an older TV, you might not have an HDMI ARC connector. However, some soundbar systems do come with separate wireless rear or side speakers. There are plenty of connections on the rear of the soundbar. This leads us to the current flagship model, the Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 soundbar system. However, some models do offer more input options. The main potential problem is that older TVs may not pass through some surround and high-resolution audio formats and Sonos doesnt support any DTS audio formats. Although this is unlikely to trouble most people, support for composite video connections has been removed from the previous YHT-4950U model. If you want to connect an external Blu-ray player to your Sonos surround sound system you have two main options: So, even though the connection options are fairly limited, for many people this will be all you need to get surround sound in your living room.
This will provide plenty of power for most home theater rooms. All in all, an excellent mid-range 5.1 surround sound speaker package. Perfect for a home theater sound system. Some features are required. And they can also be placed together where they can work as dipole speakers to create a more diffuse sound. The Enclave Audio CineHome PRO 5.1 is another excellent wireless surround sound system from this exciting brand. From this point, you can use the Sonos App to add surrounds to get yourself a 5.1 system. Connect the Blu-ray player to the TV via HDMI for the picture only.
This is an interesting one. They are telling me that I cant rely on their numbers to know how loud their system is. I think you should spend your hard-earned money on something better. Or, if you are using the recommended HDMI ARC connection, then you will be able to use your normal TV remote for basic control if you have HDMI-CEC enabled. The front left and right, center channel and satellite speakers have single 2 full-range cones. Honestly, no.
It may seem like a stupid question, but one of the most difficult things is to pin down exactly what a home theater system is. Even the cheapest models. It is a group of more than 60 brands that are working together to define standards for high-resolution, low-latency, multi-channel wireless audio.
The setup and control of the CineHome PRO system are done in the free Enclave Audio mobile app. Theres no receiver (as such). He has worked as a sound, lighting and audio-visual engineer for around 20 years. All the speakers are wired and the speaker cable is included as part of the package. Theres no right and wrong here. Then use an optical connection direct from the player to the Playbase/Playbar/Beam/Arc. There is also a zone 2 pre-out for sending stereo audio to a different room in your home. I recommended a previous model before. For a larger room, then you might want to buy a more powerful AV receiver and larger bookshelf or floorstanding speakers for the audio. Connect the optical output from your TV into the Sonos unit and you will hear 5.1 Dolby Digital sound in your speakers. The speakers here might be part of the Polk T-Series entry-level home theater speaker lineup, but they will be a cut above most speakers that you get with all-in-one systems. Paul started the Home Cinema Guide to help less-experienced users get the most out of today's audio-visual technology. This is where the subwoofer comes in, which will handle the lower frequencies that the small fronts and surrounds might not do justice to. Plus, it delivers uncompressed high-resolution audio which should satisfy many of the audiophiles out there. You also have an optical audio input and a 3.5mm AUX stereo analog audio input which you can use for connecting other devices. So, its a good option if you are interested in buying an AV receiver system but dont want the extra trouble of pairing it with a set of speakers. Enclave Audio specializes in wireless audio systems using WiSA technology. And, you dont need to be concerned with many of the technical details which confuse many people. They can end up buying a speaker package without realizing that they will need an amplifier to make it all work. Youll need to go higher if you are critical about audio and want the best sound quality. Well, they can! So, connecting multiple devices can get tricky. However, that may be all you need to get movie surround sound from your TV and DVD/Blu-ray player. You will learn that power specs may not be as important as you first thought. So you can send audio from your mobile devices into your speaker system too. This means that you can send audio from your TVs internal apps and back into your speaker system. If this is important to you, decide which speaker layout you want, and buy the model that provides this. First, you can get a compact 3.0 speaker system using one of the four soundbars: If you dont know, a 3.0 speaker system has a front left, front right and center speaker to really bring the audio from movies and TV shows to life. You may still see some budget home theater models around. Previously, a system would often include an amplifier, a DVD player and surround speakers. If you are looking for a discrete soundbar system that you can hide in your room, then this package isnt for you. If you are looking for the best Dolby Atmos soundbar system for your home theater, then the Nakamichi Ultra should be high on your list of options. Systems with a soundbar usually have all the speakers in one box. However, if you are keen to buy one of their systems and you are outside of the US, then they do ship worldwide from the Nakamichi eBay store. I think surround sound is fantastic. It allows you to turn off those terrible TV speakers and get a bigger and more satisfying sound when watching a movie. The home theater speaker package that comes with this system consists of compact black gloss speakers. 5.1 surround sound has five speakers in the room front left, center, front right, surround left and surround right plus a subwoofer. So, if that is all you need, theres no need to break the bank. There are several different types of home theater systems that will suit any living room. There are two main parts to this system. Something like this will be fine: Just make sure you buy enough. You can mix and match these positions for a range of placement options. Well, thats not quite true. Whatever speaker layout you go for, you should also consider the speaker placement in your room to get the best sound from your system. They are designed to fill an average-size living room. Some are nice to have. Anyway, many people dont know that Sonos wireless speakers can double-up as a 5.1 surround sound system. Connect the Blu-ray player to the TV via HDMI and send both audio and picture to the TV. The Enclave Audio CineHome PRO 5.1 Home Theater System has no wires to connect the speakers to the main unit at all. However, what interests us here, is that Nakamichi began producing a range of high-performance soundbar systems in 2016. HDMI 2.1 support also includes useful features for gamers and movie enthusiasts like: However, be advised that the 4K/120 and 8K/60 support is dependent on a firmware update, so check with your retailer before you buy if this is important. And, if you want to learn more about 3D audio, I have a guide that explains what Dolby Atmos is. The Denon AVR-S960H is one of their mid-range models but that doesnt mean it will give you an average sound. A complete package will usually include all the extras required to get it all up and running. However, the four surround speakers must be wired to the subwoofers two each. If it seems too much like hard work for you, there are plenty of great all-in-one systems on this page! Alternatively, the Sonos Beam and Arc have an HDMI ARC input which you can connect to a suitable HDMI port on your TV. Get a proper speaker system and really enjoy watching that movie. But something like this will be perfect for someone who wants to go up a level or two without breaking the bank. Again, they will work well with the Polk speakers in the front of the room. The downside of doing this is that the soundbars only have a single input. The final speaker in the package is a striking V-shaped 10-inch wireless subwoofer. For soundbars, any soundbar will improve on the sound that you get from your TV speakers. The integrated room calibration software can really make the difference between good and excellent sound in your room so always make sure you run this. This is the recommended way to connect a Sonos soundbar. At the end of the day, buying a speaker package and a separate AV receiver isnt for everyone.
How Much Power Does My Home Theater System Need? If not, the Denon AVR-S960H is a solid choice. The front left, front right and center speakers each contain two 3-inch full-range drivers and a single 1-inch tweeter. This receiver also comes with the outstanding Audyssey MultEQ room calibration software which will do an excellent job of getting a balanced sound in your room. Different rooms.
While I said this article is about all-in-one home theater systems, Im going to suggest a complete surround sound speaker bundle and a separate AV receiver. Well, lets go back to basics and simplify this a little. These would work. Of course, all these extra connections are only a bonus if you need to connect more devices. You dont need to worry about matching the speakers with the amplifier. You can also buy the speakers separately if its easier. Others may have optical or coaxial audio inputs for audio-only. It is the same as the Ultra, except for two slightly smaller 8-inch subwoofers and only two surround speakers. The problem is, there are different ways of doing this. Some people wonder if you can get the same audio quality as with using a good old cable. So, if these systems are the best way for you to get a great audio experience, then go for it. If you wanted to reduce the cost a little more, you could get a slightly cheaper AV receiver. It will probably come as no surprise if the higher-end models sound better than the budget systems. If so, you could also use this for sending audio to the Arc or Beam. In total the Ultra series has a total of 18 speaker drivers: The speaker system isnt completely wireless. These are systems that include an amplifier and speakers all in the same box. So, to recap, a complete all-in-one system designed for home theaters will combine an amplifier and speakers in the same package. Another great feature of the CineHome PRO is THX certification. The front and center speakers are smaller, The front left and right speakers have a single 3-inch driver, The rear surrounds are a compact bi-pole design, No option to expand to a Dolby Atmos system, No support for Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio, Yamaha makes quality home audio equipment, Full 4K Ultra HD support upgrade available to 4K/120 and 8K/60, HDR10+/HDR10/Dolby Vision/HLG pass-through, Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD Master Audio support plus HDMI eARC, Bluetooth connection for wireless streaming both in and out, Compact speaker package for smaller rooms, Plenty of input connections plus two pre-outs for a second subwoofer, No wireless speakers for 5.1 surround sound although upgrade available using MusicCast Surround, 11.1.4 soundbar system: one soundbar, two wireless surround speakers and one wireless subwoofer, 11 speaker drivers in total: seven in the soundbar and two in each surround speaker, 4 upfiring Dolby Atmos drivers: two in the soundbar and one in each surround speaker, Audio processing: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS:X, DTS 5.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay2 and Alexa voice control, Soundbar dimensions (W x H x D): 48.5 x 2.7 x 5.4, Rear speaker dimensions (W x H x D): 4.9 x 8 x 5.6, Subwoofer dimensions (W x H x D): 8.3 x 15.9 x 15.9, Bose Soundbar 900 with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, Supports Dolby Atmos with built-in upfiring speakers, Works with stereo, 5.1 and Dolby Atmos audio, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus, Integrated Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and AirPlay 2, Buy the soundbar on its own or add the optional wireless bass module and wireless surround speakers, Add the Bose Bass Module 700 wireless subwoofer for more bass, Add the Bose Surround Sound Speakers 700 for additional surround effect, ADAPTiQ audio room calibration for getting the best sound in your room, Control with the Bose Music App or included remote control, 45-inch soundbar with dedicated center speaker, Designed to match the Klipsch Reference Series speakers, Inputs: 1x HDMI ARC / 1x Optical / 1x 3.5mm Analog / Bluetooth, 34-inch soundbar with two 69mm mid-range drivers, two 25mm tweeters and two passive radiators, 1x compact wireless 7-inch (17.8 cm) subwoofer, The system can be bought as a complete 5.1 set, or you can purchase each component separately, Inputs: 1x HDMI ARC, 1x optical, Bluetooth, Includes movie, music and night modes to suit your needs, Alexa built-in and works with Amazon multiroom music, Wall-mountable (wall mount template included), Inputs: 3x 3.5mm surround sound, 1x stereo RCA analog, 2x optical audio and 1x coaxial. You will find all types of products under this category including complete surround sound speaker packages with no amplifier included. Many people get confused about this. Or upgrade later on. It is the same as the Elite system except it only comes with a single 8-inch subwoofer. HDMI ARC allows the TV to send the audio down the HDMI cable into your soundbar. In simple terms, a home theater package makes it easy to improve the audio in your room. No wonder people get confused when trying to research this stuff! If you want to buy a receiver or separate surround sound speakers, then go to the following articles: However, for many people, buying a separate amplifier and speakers is too complicated. Hopefully, the points above will have given you a better idea of what you are looking for. However, I think for most people the tall and thin speakers will give a modern look to any room. The most common layouts are 5.1 and 7.1. Big enough to really pack a punch but not too large to get in the way. When you search for the best home theater equipment to buy you are usually confronted with a long list of AV receivers, soundbars, surround sound speaker packages and all-in-one systems. If sound quality is important to you, then a rule-of-thumb is you get what you pay for. These days, systems dont usually include a DVD or Blu-ray player, and you will need to buy these separately. The final thing that you would need is some speaker wire. The most common speaker layout for home theater is a 5.1 speaker system. However, if you have an older TV, you might not have an HDMI ARC connector. However, some soundbar systems do come with separate wireless rear or side speakers. There are plenty of connections on the rear of the soundbar. This leads us to the current flagship model, the Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 soundbar system. However, some models do offer more input options. The main potential problem is that older TVs may not pass through some surround and high-resolution audio formats and Sonos doesnt support any DTS audio formats. Although this is unlikely to trouble most people, support for composite video connections has been removed from the previous YHT-4950U model. If you want to connect an external Blu-ray player to your Sonos surround sound system you have two main options: So, even though the connection options are fairly limited, for many people this will be all you need to get surround sound in your living room.
This will provide plenty of power for most home theater rooms. All in all, an excellent mid-range 5.1 surround sound speaker package. Perfect for a home theater sound system. Some features are required. And they can also be placed together where they can work as dipole speakers to create a more diffuse sound. The Enclave Audio CineHome PRO 5.1 is another excellent wireless surround sound system from this exciting brand. From this point, you can use the Sonos App to add surrounds to get yourself a 5.1 system. Connect the Blu-ray player to the TV via HDMI for the picture only.
This is an interesting one. They are telling me that I cant rely on their numbers to know how loud their system is. I think you should spend your hard-earned money on something better. Or, if you are using the recommended HDMI ARC connection, then you will be able to use your normal TV remote for basic control if you have HDMI-CEC enabled. The front left and right, center channel and satellite speakers have single 2 full-range cones. Honestly, no.
It may seem like a stupid question, but one of the most difficult things is to pin down exactly what a home theater system is. Even the cheapest models. It is a group of more than 60 brands that are working together to define standards for high-resolution, low-latency, multi-channel wireless audio.