The best home theater speakers are crucial parts of any home theater system. The largest screens in the world will still come off as unsatisfying if the movie sounds like it’s being played through an empty can. You need the best surround sound system that you can afford.
However, the problem usually comes from the fact that there are different types of speakers. When you start shopping around for the kind of sound system you need, you get bombarded with different standards and technologies that all seem great:
- 5.1
- Dolby
- THX
- 7.1
- 9.1
- Wisa
If all of the above seem like a bunch of alien jargon to you, then you need a little bit of guide on buying the best home theater speakers. First things first, a bit of a warning:
The TV Will Never Have the Best Home Theater Speakers
It’s true. It doesn’t matter how expensive or high-end your TV is. The speakers that come with it can never compete with even a budget surround sound system. And no, there’s no conspiracy between TV and speaker manufacturers. If TV manufacturers can have their way, they’d add the best home theater speakers on their TVs and drive the speaker manufacturers out of business. But they can’t, because it’s a matter of logistics and space.
TVs these days are designed to provide as large of a viewing area as possible, while taking up the least amount of space. The modern TVs out on the market are intentionally designed to be as thin as possible to achieve this goal. This means there’s not much room left for speakers. Manufacturers try their best with what’s available, but there’s only so much they can do within the space constraints. If you really want the best surround sound, you need an external speaker setup.
Different Types of Home Theater Speakers
The good news is that getting the best home theater speakers isn’t so difficult. The technology is mature enough that decent choices are available even to the budget market. Your only job at this point is choosing the type that fits your purpose. Ideally, you can hire a professional home theater system installer like Digital Integration and they’ll do the job for you. This is the most recommended option as it is foolproof, but if you’re trying to stubbornly DIY your way out of a home theater setup, then you can choose from one of the few:
Surround Sound Package
For most people, this is the easiest option. It’s not really a specific type of speaker, but a package that has all the speakers you need in one go. You don’t have to worry about speaker placement or choosing types because it’s an all in one solution. The downside is exactly what you would expect from an AIO – it can be a tad expensive and it might be overkill for your needs.
Soundbar
A soundbar might not qualify to be the top choice in the list of best home theater speakers, at least in terms of quality. But they provide a nice uprade over your TV’s built in speakers and won’t cost as much as a surround sound package. And another benefit is that it doesn’t take up much space. This makes it a great choice for people who are trying to work in a home theater setup on a small room.
Floor Standing Speakers
If you want the best positional audio and have both room and budget to spare, then you can go with floorstanding speakers. They get their name from the fact that they stand on the floor. This gives them a very solid base, allowing for larger speakers that produce very low bass frequencies and crystal clear mid and high frequencies. The one downside, other than the space and budget concerns mentioned above, is installation. They can be fiddly to install, and you have to mess with positioning to get the best experience.
Hire a Professional Home Theater Installer
With all of that being said, your best option is still to let the professionals handle the design, procurement, installation, and setup of your speaker systems. You will get the most bang for your buck, and there will never be any mistakes. You can also get a better warranty on service compared to just buying everything on your own. Contact Digital Integration today and we will give you a free consultation.