When considering the best possible sound for your living room, a surround system may well be the best thing you can get. A lively sound field puts you in the middle of the action when watching your favorite movies. Or, when listening to music, surround sound can make you feel like you're sitting in a concert hall, a Broadway show or a smoke-filled blues tavern. When shopping for speaker systems, it is good to learn some of the jargon and determine exactly what effect you want; otherwise, you might spend hundreds on a system that doesn't bring you to the edge of your seat. The best three systems we found are the ELAC Debut 5.1; Pioneer SP-PK52FS, and Definitive Technology ProCinema 800. Read on to learn more about these top-rated options.
A virtual surround sound offers low cost and easy setup, but does not offer the best sound quality. A home theater in a box, or all in one, is similar and has everything you need in one box. It is great for small spaces, but not so good for large rooms. A custom mix offers the best possible quality, but the cost is high and can get confusing.
It offers great components and sound for the price. It is a bit expensive, but still offers quality of even higher cost systems. It comes with a C5 center speaker, two floor standing speakers, two bookshelf speakers and a S10EQ subwoofer. This system delivers big bold and accurate sound, great balance and smooth midrange. A good mix for theater or music.
This system keeps coming up on best of lists, and it is at a much lower cost than many of those highly rated systems. This one is primarily for music lovers, but does well with movies too. It starts with a bookshelf loudspeaker, a 100-watt powered subwoofer, two floor standing speakers and one center channel speaker. It has excellent base and clear treble. With five speakers, you can mix and match to make the best sound in the room where you listen to music. The excellent bass is the biggest drawing card, and the price as well.
This system is the best for movie lovers. While it does fine with music, this system makes movies come to life just like you were in the best theater in the world. This system has four satellite speakers, a 300-watt subwoofer with an eight inch woofer, a center channel speaker and a subwoofer. This system is specifically designed for movies, and creates a nice spacious soundstage.
If you are a music lover, you know sound quality matters. Objects in a room can absorb sound, bounce sound, and do other things to distort what your system is trying to deliver. A room that is nearly empty, with no pictures or not much furniture, will create echoes and give your system a tinny sound. It is important then to consider what else is in the room.
It is important to check the connections on your media players, TV, DVD and blu-ray player. This can be fairly easily addressed, but you need to know the types of connections you have to make sure they will work with your new sound system.
It is important to do your research, but not get too bogged down in details. Learn the jargon, read reviews, and talk to people at electronics stores. If you are going to spend significant money, it will pay off to do research to find the best system for your needs.
Yes. They look nice, but they also have a function. Speaker stands that are sturdy will make your system sound even better. Speakers on a stand will not have distortion because they will reduce vibration you might hear if you left them on a floor or a shelf. Speaker stands also allow you to adjust the height, which can make movies even more enjoyable.