Article updated on October 8, 2024 at 1:00 PM PDT
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Ty Pendlebury Editor
Ty Pendlebury has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
- Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
Best budget surround-sound speaker package
Klipsch Reference Theater Pack 5.1 System
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While a TV screen may be the first thing people notice about your living space, it's sound quality that truly transforms it into a home theater. Whether you want to invest in a high-quality surround system, a Dolby Atmos sound bar or a bookshelf speaker system we've got you covered.
What is the best home theater system overall?
The Klipsch Reference Theater Pack 5.1 System, listed below, is a great starter kit for building out your first home theater system. Pair it with a great AV receiver, like the Onkyo TX-NR6100, and you're sure to bring excellent sound to your home theater. However, the best home theater system truly depends on your individual needs and budget, so keep those things in mind when building your system.
At CNET, we test all kinds of home theater equipment based on our decades of experience testing and reviewing soundbars, speakers and AV receivers. We endeavor to find the best home theater systems by conducting performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs. Whatever route you decide to go with -- soundbars or discrete surround sound -- there should be something here to bring movie theater magic to your living room. We'll update this list periodically as we review new products.
When it comes to bang for buck, it doesn't get much better than the Roku Streambar home theater system. This speaker offers both a dialogue-enhancing soundbar and a built-in 4K streamer in one package. If you want more bass or surround speakers, the system is also upgradable. Read our Roku Streambar review
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If you're looking for a surround set to pair with an AV receiver, then the Klipsch Reference Theater Pack 5.1 System can be yours refurbished for $360. The surround sound system is easy to set up, with five satellites and a wireless subwoofer, and boasts excellent sound quality. You would have to pay over twice this to get equivalent sound quality from a rival system. Read our Klipsch Reference Theater Pack 5.1 System review
If there's one area where we're spoiled for choice, it's affordable stereo speakers, and at just $280, the Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2s offer excellent playback of both movies and music. They offer a transparency that's unlike anything else near the price.
For around the same price as the Sonos Arc, the Vizio Elevate offers everything you'd want from a Dolby Atmos system. With great sound, excellent connectivity and numerous streaming options this soundbar is a sort of hybrid between a receiver-based system and a soundbar. That revolving height driver is also a party conversation starter.
You may not be able to watch 8K video right now, but it's still worth buying an 8K-compatible receiver -- especially if you're a gamer. The TX-NR6100 is a great receiver with excellent sound quality and an unbeatable streaming suite, including Chromecast built-in. Read our Onkyo TX-NR6100 review.
If you demand the best Dolby Atmos performance from a single sound bar, it doesn't get any better than the Sennheiser Ambeo Max audio system. It's not cheap, and it's not small, but if you want the best sound, this is it.
CNET's AV studio where I test audio equipment
Ty Pendlebury/CNETCNET follows a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process for all of its soundbar and AV system testing, from simple stereo system speakers to Dolby Atmos systems. In the CNET AV Lab, I do comparative testing, pitting similar systems against each other side by side.
I evaluate the performance of each system with a number of different types of content, including movies, music, TV shows and games. I use a number of test scenes -- including the opening of Mad Max: Fury Road for playback of the spatial audio standard Dolby Atmos for systems and sound bars that support it. I also use the Thanator Attack scene of Avatar (26.53) to test a product's dynamics and detail retrieval.
When it comes to music, I use a number of CNET test tracks which you can find here in a Tidal or Spotify playlist. Tracks such as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Red Right Hand, with its deep bass and tenor vocals, help determine a system's ability to track male voices in particular, without sounding congested. The song also helps with uncovering hidden details and the relative dynamics a speaker system is capable of. Using both types of content -- movies and music -- I then grade the sound quality of each product. I evaluate characteristics such as speech clarity, dynamics/volume, bass response and musical playback.
CNET's dedicated audio lab in downtown New York includes a selection of televisions (with HDMI eARC), plus Apple TV 4K streamer and Roku Ultra streamers, a Microsoft Xbox Series X and an Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-ray player. I also use Roon music software to stream to individual devices or the Oppo player as needed.
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Soundbars offer a lot of performance in a compact package, and cost much less to get up and running than a speaker system. You can even choose one with advanced features such as Dolby Atmos and Wi-Fi streaming. Some soundbars offer an upgrade path including optional subwoofers and rear speakers which is a great feature.
If you want to truly mix and match speakers, however, an AV receiver is for you. Unlike soundbars, receivers are able to support many more sources including record players and FM radio with six or more HDMI inputs. You can start your system with just a couple of stereo speakers, but given you can get a full 5.1 Klipsch system for under $500 you don't really need to wait.
Home theater systems are notoriously difficult, with several options and technical specifications to choose from. Here are the most important factors to consider.
Channels
An audio channel is a stream of data encoded into its source, like music or a movie soundtrack. Music is often encoded with two channels, left and right, called stereo sound. These two channels play distinct and separate audio signals, giving you wideness or a panning effect in your sound. The newest movies and TV shows will have several channels of audio data encoded into their source material. If you're looking for the full surround-sound experience, you'll need more channels in your speakers or more speakers to support more channels.
Subwoofer integration
Designed to produce low-pitched frequencies, subwoofers add power and dimension to your sound. If you plan on enjoying the full scope of your audio, you'll want a home theater system with subwoofer integration or an option separate connectivity.
Connectivity
You'll want to consider your system's connectivity to make sure all your loose cables are put to use. The most common analog audio connection is a single pair of audio RCAs (the red and white connectors), while a Digital Coaxial (or digital coax) is most common for digital audio. If you're hoping for a wireless experience, many home theater systems come equipped with Bluetooth or wireless connectivity options to minimize wires. HDMI, or High-Definition Multimedia Interface, use cables to simultaneously transmit digital video and audio. Make sure you know which types of connectivity your TV or projector supports before making a purchase.
Dolby Atmos capability
Dolby Atmos is a technology that adds height channels to traditional stereo and mono audio formats to create a three-dimensional audio experience. If you're looking for a more realistic and immersive audio experience, you'll want to make sure your home theater system supports Dolby Atmos.
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Sony STR-AN1000 Receiver: Sony went away for a couple of years, but came back better than ever with the STR-AN1000. This model offers all of the latest features including HDMI 2.1 (4K/120Hz) support. It includes "works with Sonos" certification, but the reason to buy it is that it's a solid performer, especially with video games. To learn more about its latest features, read out full Sony STR-AN1000 review.
Vizio V21 Sounbar: If you're looking to ditch your TV speaker, this is where I suggest you start. The subwoofer may be smaller than usual for the brand, but this audio bar still sounds great with two full-range speakers, as well as offering HDMI connectivity with ARC and a much easier-to-understand input display. Read our Vizio V-Series 2.1 review to see why its the best soundbar value we've have tested in the last few years.
Yamaha RX-A4A Receiver: The Yamaha is great for as home theater receiver but doesn't sound as good with music streaming. Still, as the Onkyo offers balanced performance across both, it's my current favorite. Learn why it might fall short in our full Yamaha RX-A4A review.
Fluance XL8F Tower Speakers: Want the biggest sound? You'll need big speakers. The fit and finish of the large Fluance XL8 towers is unmatched by other speakers at its price. The sound of the XL8F is open and thrilling, but never shrill, and when fed a movie soundtrack these speakers simply zing. They're no slouch with music either. If you truly want the maximum speaker for your money, the huge Fluance XL8F has no equal. Read more about them in our full Fluance XL8F review.
Creative Stage Soundbar: For less than a C-note, the Creative Stage soundbar offers a bunch of previously unheard-of features, including HDMI connectivity with an HDMI ARC port and a subwoofer. What's even more remarkable is that this affordable PC soundbar sounds better than most of its ultra-budget competition; its wired subwoofer fills the room with great bass. The soundbar includes a variety of audio modes, making it quite versatile, and the speaker delivers excellent sound quality for gamers and movie fans alike. Learn more about the budget sound bar in our full Creative Stage Soundbar review.
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Which is the best 5.1 home theater system for movies?
To play movies well, a 5.1 channel system needs to be dynamic -- to literally go from a whisper to a shout (or explosion) at a moment's notice. To best reproduce this you'll need a subwoofer, especially if you're using a soundbar. In addition, dialog needs to be clear and surround effects seamless in their transitions between speakers. When it comes to AV receivers I have found both Onkyo's TX-6100 and TX-Z50 to offer all of these attributes at reasonable prices, especially when paired with a Klipsch surround sound set. On the other hand, the best soundbars I've heard for movies are the higher-end Vizios, the Sonos Arc, Bose Smart Soundbar 900 and the Sennheiser Ambeo Max.
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What is the cost of good home theatre setup?
No matter your budget you should be able to find a system that suits you, though the more you spend, likely the better it will be. If you want a great home theater system, expect to pay at least $500 -- this will buy you the all-in-one Vizio M512a soundbar, for example. Meanwhile, a great AV and speaker combination such as the TX-SR6100 and the Klipsch Reference Theater Pack, will set you back under $900. It's possible to spend a lot more than this, and if you're looking to build a dedicated room (or renovate a basement) you'll easily run up tens of thousands of dollars buying subwoofers, tower speakers, tweeters, and more.
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What is the difference between a home theater system and surround sound?
A home theater system doesn't need to mean a room full of speakers -- a stereo system can easily be a "home theater". But surround sound implies it has a surround sound system with dedicated surround speakers, and it will offer better immersion than a stereo or even-the-best simulated surround systems.
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What is the best home theatre speaker layout?
I would suggest a 5.1.2 surround sound setup is suitable for rooms of any size, even if you have a smaller room. Breaking it down this is a left and right speaker, center, rear surrounds, a subwoofer and two tower speakers (usually in the front). I've seen people layout 5.1-channel speakers in a line under the TV and while this will work, barely, it's best to arrange them around the seating area. Left and right speakers beside the TV (with Dolby heights directly on top), the center below the TV, and surrounds behind and slightly above you. Meanwhile, setting up a subwoofer is an art, and while it can literally go anywhere, you can follow these tips for good subwoofer sound.
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