Best Surround Sound Systems - Top Home Theater Audio - Popular Mechanics
Staff
While many people miss the in-theater experience or live game environment, if you’ve come to love staying in and catching a good movie or sporting event from the comfort of home, odds are you’ll want the full surround sound experience. No matter where you’re watching, adding (or simply updating) a surround sound system to round out your home entertainment setup is a no brainer if you really want that immersive experience.
What to Consider
Consider where your home theater is set up and whether or not you want a wired or wireless system. If you live in a small space, you probably don’t need a system with several speakers—a soundbar and subwoofer might be enough. If you have a lot of room in your home theater, consider a six speaker system for maximizing the use of that space. You should also think about what your budgetary restrictions are and whether features like smart device connectivity and Bluetooth are necessities or not.
How We Selected
We scoured several sites to find which surround sound systems were bestsellers and consistently rated well by users. We also made sure we included a range of options from budget-friendly to luxe systems and looked for variety in models to meet individual needs. Finally, we considered design and style to bring you the best performing and good looking surround sound systems.
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Best System Overall
Lifestyle 600
Bosebose.com
$2,999.00
From their over-the-ear headphones to their earbuds and speakers, the brand continues to impress with devices that produce deep, rich sounds. The Lifestyle 600 Home Entertainment System is no different, offering rich sound so you can hear your favorite movies and music like never before.
Bose designed its Jewel Cube speakers with angled drivers to create a simultaneous “direct and reflected sound” that travels evenly through a room. The center channel speaker is compact, which makes it a perfect fit almost anywhere and provides clarity in dialogue for movies and pristine vocals for music. And if you love a rich bass, you’ll love this system thanks to its wireless Acoustimass module featuring a powerful driver. For $3,000, you can have one of the best surround systems on the market. If that’s too steep, read on for some more budget-friendly options.
This Sonos cinematic surround sound systems includes the Arc soundbar, the Sub, and a pair of One SL speakers. The system is easy to setup—simply connect to wifi and control it using the Sonos app, a remote, and even your voice. This system also self-calibrates to match its acoustics with the environment it’s in for optimized sound without distortion. Both the Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant are built right in to help consolidate your smart speakers into one system.
Plus, the futuristic design and look of this system—especially the subwoofer—modernizes any space without overwhelming existing decor and thanks to its compact size, can be tucked into any corner for an unobtrusive but fully immersive sound experience.
For even more rich sound, consider the Sonos One smart speaker with built in voice control or the Sonos Move, a portable indoor/outdoor speaker that’s weatherproof and drop-resistant.
Built-in Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
Best Budget Option
HT-S350 Soundbar & Subwoofer
Sonyamazon.com
$279.99
$198.00 (29% off)
Sony’s soundbar and wireless subwoofer work together to create easy to hear mid and high frequencies and a deep, rumbling bass you can feel. This minimalist system features vocal enhancing technology to make dialogue and songs crystal clear and easily distinguishable from background noise. Plus, the HT-S350 offers Bluetooth connectivity so you can stream your favorite movies, shows, and music from your phone or tablet. While the soundbar is sleek, the subwoofer may not suit all tastes due to its dated look. Still, it doesn’t get much better than this quality at this price point.
Great price and value
Bluetooth not compatible with headphones
For Quality and Clarity
Cinema 600
Klipschamazon.com
$499.00
$449.00 (10% off)
The Cinema 600 surround sound system from Klipsch is a great option for those who don’t want cost to affect quality. This system is minimalist—it features a soundbar, remote, and 8-inch subwoofer for rich bass in a two piece system (remote not withstanding.) Klipsch touts their hi-fidelity soundbar as a game changer that provides “unrivaled clarity” thanks to a center channel nestled between dedicated left and right speakers along its length.
Budget friendly and minimalist
May not be enough for those wanting speakers in every corner of a room
Hard to Beat Sound for Price
Acoustimass 10 Series
Bosebestbuy.com
$999.99
The Bose Acoustimass 10 Series home surround sound system offers uncompromising sound and delivers a super deep bass that’ll really make action scenes and musical crescendos boom through your living room. At $1,000, this system is a bit pricier than some of our budget options, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a similar six-piece system from a powerhouse brand like Bose that’ll provide the same sound quality.
Unrivaled sound quality at this price point
Dated look may not be for everyone
For the Minimal Purist
CineHome II
Enclave Audioamazon.com
$1,098.98
If you’re a purist and only care about sound quality, the CineHome II might be the perfect pick for you. This system is wireless, a nice bonus that lets you tuck each speaker away for a totally immersive experience with you at the very center (depending on where you put the speakers.) The CineHome II comes with six speakers to deliver a theater experience in your living room, and it’s Bluetooth compatible so you can stream from mobile devices and tablets.
Rich, booming, sound from a wireless system
Does not offer smart device compatibility
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