Home Theater Speakers Review
Why Buy Home Theater Speakers?
You don’t go to the theater because you like the sticky floors, pricey concessions or the awkward argument unfolding two rows back and three chairs to the left. You go to the theater because you love the way that the silver screen and surround sound work together to swallow you whole. When you watch a drama about a shipwrecked crew on a deserted island, you want to walk out of the theater a little bit sun burnt, dizzy and heart-struck. With home theater speakers, you can enjoy that same jaw-clenching immersion without wondering how many ancient Diet Coke spills you are sitting on.
Finding the home theater speakers that are right for you might feel like a game of roulette with too many options to consider. If you are a casual listener, almost any of the top-notch speaker systems we investigated will serve you well. For the discerning audio lover, however, the difference between these speakers may seem like sand and sea, because each produces a unique sound. Therefore, the question is not “which speaker system is the best,” but rather, “which speaker system is right for me?” If possible, do an audition test of your own to see which system you prefer. For excellent balance between sound quality and affordability, we recommend the Blackstone TL1600, Mirage Nanosat or Energy Take Classic. Check out our learning center for more articles on home theater speakers.
Home Theater Speakers: What to Look For
Performance
Do you crave deep bass and clear highs? Human hearing spans frequencies as low as 20 Hz and as high as 20,000 Hz. For the most immersive home theater experience, choose a speaker system that spans this range as much as possible. Most individual speakers cannot adequately cover the high and low frequencies at once, so systems are typically composed of four speaker classes: tweeters for the highs, mid-range speakers for sounds like human speech, woofers for lows and subwoofers to rattle the windows with heart-pounding bass. The best home theater speakers cover these four ranges without losing any detail, but you'll want to make sure there are no frequency gaps between the surround speakers and the subwoofer.
Features & Design
Select a magnetically shielded speaker system; this will protect your television from potential damage from speaker magnets. The best speakers will also come with a sturdy enclosure. If you pick it up and it feels cheap, it probably is. Manufacturers like to add features like passive radiators (which resemble additional speakers but do not produce actual sound) to increase visual appeal. Although passive radiators can improve sound quality, don't mistake them for actual speaker drivers.
Sound Quality
Nobody wants to dump a hefty wad of cash into a surround sound system that sounds unrealistic. The best home theater speakers are crisp, clear and well balanced. They fill a room and reproduce the original sound stage as much as possible. When that tyrannosaurus comes thundering up from behind, you should know. If you get a chance, do audition tests with your speakers before you make them a part of your family. Everybody has a slightly different ear.
Ease of Installation
When you are finally ready to bust out your new home theater speakers, you won't want to waste time sifting through a massive setup process. Look at the connecters when you are making your decision. Five-way binding posts are the best; they admit bare wire, banana plugs and pin connectors. If you want to mount your speakers on the wall, look for keyhole sockets or other wall braces.
Warranty
Although speaker systems generally enjoy a long lifespan relative to other electronics, make certain your speakers come with a warranty. Most home theater speaker systems come with a five-year warranty on labor and parts. This generally does not cover the subwoofer unless stated explicitly.
You might brave the ticket line again one day, if only to reminisce. Until then, let us help you choose home theater speakers that will bring you so close to the action that you’ll be scratching desert sand from your hair for weeks to come. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™