Transform your living room into an immersive viewing experience and you’ll never stream Netflix the same way again.
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.
What makes a good set of home theater speakers?
The answer is more complicated than you might think — and you’re going to have some decisions to make before you invest.
First, you’re going to need to decide if you want stereo sound or surround sound. 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 often 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. Surround sound kits, meanwhile, generally require five to six different speakers to create that immersive experience, though there are soundbars on the market that emulate the surround experience surprisingly well.
Second, you’re going to need to consider the size of your speakers. Home theater speaker sets generally include a mix of bookshelf and/or floor standing speakers, though you can get sets that are all bookshelf or wall-mounted speakers. Floor standing speakers are great if you have a large room — but likely won’t work if you live in a studio apartment.
Be sure to consider the quality of your center channel speaker when you’re setting up a home theater system: They’ll play 50% of the film’s soundtrack and most of the dialogue.
You might also want to consider whether it’s worth investing in wireless speakers. If you live in a home with toddlers or pets, having a bunch of cords might not be the best choice. A good wireless system can help eliminate any risk of getting tangled up.
Finally, be sure to consider what kind of drivers your speakers have. In general, larger drivers are better, but their location and material will also help determine the quality of sound.
To help make your search for the perfect home theater speakers easier, here are some of our favorites.
Sonos Beam 5.1 Surround Set
This wireless surround system is pretty much the best you can get.-
Drivers:
2 force-canceling drivers -
Stereo or Surround:
Surround -
Set Includes:
Beam, Sub, 2 One SL -
Color:
Black or White
In addition, the system is a breeze to set up and, because it’s wireless, you don’t have to worry about running cords around your room. The whole system is also voice-controlled, so you can easily turn the speakers on without having to dig for a remote. The phone app is also incredibly reliable and easy to use. As Amazon reviewer Lydia L. Mann writes, “Trust me when I say, as a person that makes software, it is not easy to make an app that works this well. Not needing to sync up with bluetooth is a God send, and with full Spotify integration I can queue up any music that I want to.”
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
With three drivers, these speakers deliver amazing audio that’s free of distortion or vibration, especially if you’re listening to loud or bass-heavy music. The speaker case features P2P bracing technology, which helps direct the sound towards you while you watch your movie.
Best of all? These speakers are affordable and you can always incorporate them into a surround system later. As Amazon reviewer Ron Mason writes, “These are some of the VERY best sounding speakers you can buy for less than $900/pair.”
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
Save yourself the hassle of building your own surround sound system and get this one: It comes with three satellite speakers, two loudspeakers, and a compact subwoofer to deliver a true cinema surround sound experience. The audio has a deep, punching bass and crystal clear highs.
Even better? You don’t need a ton of space to set it up. The speakers and the subwoofer are surprisingly compact, saving you space without compromising on quality. The speakers are also subtle in their design so they won’t be eyesores in your living room and they can provide a complete surround experience in rooms up to 540 square feet.
ELAC Uni-fi UB5 Bookshelf Speaker
These large speakers are an excellent choice if you’re setting up a home theater.-
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
These speakers are large and heavy, which means they won’t work if space is at a premium in your home. However, that size makes the home theater sound experience even better — just be sure to consider your placement carefully to optimize your listening experience. You’ll need to get an amplifier, though.
These speakers have a modern design and are available in two colors to help match your home’s aesthetic. They are also pretty durable and made out of solid material.
Pioneer SP-PK52FS Andrew Jones 5.0 Home Theater Speaker Package
This is the best home theater surround sound system for the price.-
Drivers:
Three 5.25 inch woofers and 1 inch soft dome tweeter; 4 inch structured surface woofer, 1 inch high efficiency soft dome tweeter -
Stereo or Surround:
Surround -
Set Includes:
2 floor-standing speakers, 2 bookshelf speakers and 1 center-channel speaker -
Color:
Black
The set comes with everything you need, minus a subwoofer, which makes it a great choice as a first surround sound home theater system. The biggest drawback is that these speakers are larger than some of the more expensive ones, so they aren’t easy to hide. You’ll need a room big enough for them. Still, this is a small price to pay for, well, such a small-priced system.
Sennheiser 5.1.4-Channel Soundbar with Dolby Atmos
This soundbar delivers amazing, realistic, emulated surround sound.-
Drivers:
13 high-end drivers on the front, sides and top of unit. Five tweeters and six throw woofers -
Stereo or Surround:
Emulated Surround -
Set Includes:
1 soundbar -
Color:
Black
While definitely expensive, this soundbar is incredibly powerful, delivering some of the best emulated surround sound you can get from a single speaker. It provides a deep bass and allows you to hear crisp, clear dialogue as you watch your movie.
Best Buy reviewer BoomBoom writes “Once set up in your home… the sound is incredible. The bass is plenty for watching movies, the atmos and rear projecting sounds are very good and the voices are clear.”
The speaker is also incredibly easy to set up and connect to your TV, thanks to both HDMI and WiFi connectivity. It also comes with a remote to make it even easier to use.
While the price might be a deterrent, it is not that much more than a full stereo system and the surround sound is so good, you won’t need the other equipment — which saves on space in a small home or apartment.