Best Home Theater System 2021 (Whatever Your Budget)

What should you look for when purchasing a wireless sound bar and Speakers

There are a number of factors to consider when looking for the ideal wireless sound bar or sound system for you. We've rounded up some the most important ones below.

Connectivityfirst, find out which TVs your TV is compatible with and then think about the other devices you'll need to connect to, for example, gaming consoles. The ports are essential and that's why having multiple inputs come in handy. While it is nice to have, they can be a significant distinction in sound quality based on what you use to connect.

Optical as well as HDMI are the most common options, but HDMI Arc is able to transmit audio in both directions, so you'll be able to connect your devices to your TV and still have the sound streamed through your audio system.

Audio Format: It's also crucial to make sure all your devices support similar audio format before you plug in. Dolby Atmos, and DTSX are the two most commonly used high-res formats available today. Although HDMI Arc can't transmit high-res signals similar to Dolby Atmos and DTSX (yet) but there's a brand new format that's started showing up that can. It's called "eArc," and it's becoming increasingly more popular with newer models. It's dependent on your system and the sound bar you have, these high-end formats can play back information encoded by movies and games, immersing you in authentic surround sound even using just an audio bar.

WiFi: To reduce the number of cables, the majority of systems have wireless options such as Bluetooth and WiFi (or the two). It's not just about eliminating messy cables or drilling holes into walls to install speakers. Connectivity to WiFi can also be used to sync up with services like voice control Airplay, Chromecast, and of the course, adding additional speakers. Syncing up with the rest of your smart home can be easy too since some devices can link up with Amazon Alexa.

Extras are nice, but it's best to keep your eyes, and your ears, at the goal: sound quality. We've picked these five different sets to give everyone a an opportunity to improve their sound.

1. JBL Bar 5.1 4K Ultra HD Sound Bar

JBL Bar 5. 1 JBL Bar 5. 1 was introduced in 2016. While it doesn't have the newest features, it offers great value at 200 dollars. The Bar 5.1 comes with four full-range driversthat can be used in any space and an additional subwoofer for an extra bass. There are no fancy extras however if you're looking for something basic it could do the right thing.

2. Nakamichi 9.2.4 Channel Sound Bar

This beast of a system comprises 9.2.4 channels, including the sound bar, four surround sound speakers and, not one but two 10-inch wireless subwoofers.

The bar itself is 45 inches in width, and has eight speaker drivers (including the two tweeters that fire from side to side), and can be connected to Dolby Atmos as well as DTSX when streaming through apps like Netflix. Three advanced audio processing engines boost the surround effect, allowing you to discover the distinct details in any audio mix.

This is a total house shaker of a system that lets you connect six devices and comes with a 52-button wireless remote to give you complete control of almost everything.

Amazon Buy: Nakamichi 9.2.4 Channel Sound Bar for $1,399.99

3. Sony The HT-G700 Sound Bar

At 38.6 inches wide, the Sony is compact enough to fit into smaller spaces. The bar can handle the mids and highs while the included subwoofer bumps out the bass to a full and satisfying level.

Sony's "Vertical Sound Engine" surround sound is built-in and does an excellent job of simulating audio from all directions, making it sound more powerful as it splits from the channels better than a single sound bar normally would.

The remote's capabilities cover the basics, but also offer the ability to choose different sound settings based on the content you're watching for example, sports, news, and cinema. Additionally, there's a Night mode, which compresses the dynamic range of a Dolby digital signal to give higher quality sound at lower volumes.

Amazon Buy: Sony HT-G700 Sound Bar at $598.00

4. Snos Beam Sound Bar Smart TV

Sonos has been producing great sound bars for years, and their latest model is no exception. The Beam is made to be compatible with all TVs that has built-in sound bars. It is connected via Wi-Fi and comes with four speakers that connect to the front of the TV. The TV also comes with a subwoofer. You can adjust volume levels through the remote and it will automatically sync with your Sonos speaker system.

The Beam is compatible alongside Sonos its own music streaming service, offering access to more than 50 million music tracks.

The installation is as easy as connecting the beam to your television, and the app instructions will take care of the rest. It's light enough to move around in the room, and can even be mounted on the wall.

Amazon Purchase: Sonos Beam Smart TV Sound Bar for $469.99

5. Samsung HW-T650 Sound Bar

To provide the best immersive sound bar experiences Samsung's sound bar utilizes Dolby Audio as well as DTS Virtual:X to turn your living room into a stage. Sound quality that is powerful and 3D surround and a central channel for high-quality dialogue make you feel like you're inside the theater.

Connect to your TV using Bluetooth to go completely wireless, and with multi-connection, it's easy to switch between devices. We are awestruck by the intelligent sound of this device, so no matter if you're watching an intense sports event or a quiet drama, it'll automatically adjust the sound settings. Gamers will appreciate the optimized, directional sound from the dedicated "Game Mode".

This 38.6-inch speaker will give you all the bass you want thanks to its wireless subwoofer. with no HDMI cables required.

Amazon Purchase: Samsung HW-T650 Sound Bar at $279.00

1 tracks. The bass is fast, accurate, and dynamic. That additional subwoofer really makes a distinction and improves the realism. We were not impressed by height results but, to be honest, we didn't truly anticipate them to be extremely immersive or precise. best home theater system 2021. After all, the soundbar only mimics height effects.

Its combined power output is 1,000 W - best wireless home theater system 2021. The system is priced under $1,300 which is not cheap however can be considered quite budget-friendly considering the efficiency and the quantity of realism it offers. This is, without a doubt, the most amazing cordless surround sound system at this cost point. Since Ultra 9.

Wireless Klipsch 7.2 Surround Sound Utah - Home Theater ...

15 Best Wireless Surround Sound Systems (2021)

2.4, these 2 systems have the same inputs, the same functions, and they support the same surround sound formats. We are just going to list all the functions and focus our attention on the distinctions. If you want to learn more about the features, read our evaluation about Elite 7 (best home theater system 2021).

The installation is nearly the very same. The calibration tool does not exist, however there're recommended speaker designs for different space sizes in the user manual. You have 2 additional speakers (rear surround speakers) and you are supposed to connect them to the left and ideal subwoofer. best wireless home theater system 2021. The list of supported DSP sound modes is likewise the same.

Best Wireless Home Theater Systems 2021: Sound Bar And ...

Ultra 9. 2.4 also has Night mode with minimized bass and Clear Voice mode for better intelligibility. The list of supported surround sound formats is also the exact same. Ultra 9. 2.4 can decode any Dolby Digital or DTS surround audio track, including object-based DTS: X and Dolby Atmos. The remote has some small changes when it comes to button design but all the buttons are still there and the remote is still among the biggest highlights.

Best Dolby Atmos Speakers And Soundbars - Techradar

Types of Wireless Surround Sound Systems

Surround sound surround systems that are wireless are categorized into two main types based on the way they are able to receive the information they need: Bluetooth and WiFi.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth wireless surround sound speakers were among the very first in their class to come on the market. However, since Bluetooth must compress audio data prior to transmitting it, the quality of this technology is limited.

While they aren't the best in the quality category, Bluetooth systems are easier to install, cheaper and are more widespread, allowing the wireless surround-sound systems work with nearly every electronic device.

WiFi

WiFi wireless surround sound systems are newer to the market than Bluetooth technology, and there are some issues to be aware of when connecting devices that don't come with WiFi connectivity. However, the majority of Bluetooth-capable devices have their own apps that you can access through WiFi. This is a more complex method of pairing your device, however the benefits of WiFi might make it worthwhile.

WiFi surround sound systems that are wireless cost more than Bluetooth However, they're superior in most ways. Sound quality can be definitely better when using WiFi since the information does not need to be compressed before transmission, as well. WiFi connections are more robust than Bluetooth. WiFi surround sound systems that are wireless also offer a better range than Bluetooth systems, making the ideal choice for spaces with a lot of space.

Audio Quality

The quality of sound for wireless surround sound systems is based on a variety of technical specifications, such as frequency response and rated output power. RMS, signal to noise ratio and Total Harmonic Distortion that combine to form a unique sound experience. If you don't spend long hours studying the audio industry, most of these numbers are difficult to comprehend or completely meaningless.

To make it easier to understand, audio quality can be split between Bluetooth and WiFi.

Bluetooth Wireless surround systems offer lower quality of sound due to the fact that Bluetooth technology requires audio data to be compressed prior to it being able to be sent. This data compression decreases the audio quality, so even if your speakers use are capable of producing excellent sound quality but the way they transmit sound can reduce their performance overall.

Wireless surround sound systems that are wireless don't restrict their transmissions, allowing audio data to be transmitted in its original form and size, preserving its quality.

With all wireless surround systems the sound quality is based on the perception of your ears.

This system entirely deserves our suggestion. Well, we can just repeat the same things we've spoken about in the Elite 7. 2.4 evaluation. There's no auto-calibration tool. There are some suggested speaker layouts in the user manual and you should attempt to follow them. Likewise, there's the space size button on the remote that will allow you to choose in between small, medium, and big space.

Home Theater Systems - Home Audio - The Home Depot

The remote is truly fantastic and gives you so much control over the system however it wouldn't harm to have a backup choice. Sonos is among the leaders in the wireless audio industry (best home theater system 2021). This is one of the first business that came up with the idea of cordless (wi-fi) audio equipment and brought that concept to reality.

They made a soundbar called PLAYBAR initially and, after that, they chose to pair it with a few of their other products. There is a lot of possible mixes you can integrate one PLAYBAR (or PLAYBASE, which is SONOS cordless noise base) with SONOS subwoofer (just called SUB) and 2 speakers (either PLAY:1, PLAY:2, or PLAY:3) and make your own 5.

Best Wireless Surround Sound Systems - Crutchfield

FAQs on Wireless Sound Systems

Q. Are surround sound systems that are wireless as good as wired?

The wireless surround systems are comparable to the high-quality wired systems and offer the freedom to place your speakers without connecting back into the central system. If you decide to purchase a cheap Wireless surround system there's the possibility that microwaves, smartphones and other technologies at home can create interference and reduce the sound quality.

Source: bobvila.com

Q. How do Wireless Home Theater Speakers work?

Klipsch Director of Innovation and Technology Matt Spitznagle states that the difference between wired and wireless is fairly straightforward. "You no longer need to run wires from a receiver or amplifier to your speakers," he declares. "We installed the amplifiers into the speaker, and this reduced the number of components needed for a system to function.

Source: klipsch.com

Q. Can I make use of Bluetooth for surround sound?

Unfortunately, this isn't feasible at the moment. Surround speakers form a particular part of a film or TV show's soundtrack and Bluetooth doesn't have enough bandwidth to handle the extra information. They can be used to enhance stereo sound, but that's about it.

Source: crutchfield.com

Q. How do connect my television to an audio system that is wireless?

Surround sound wireless systems have to be connected to compatible audio outputs of your television. Most systems can connect through HDMI Audio Return Channel (HDMI ARC). HDMI Audio Return Channel (HDMI ARC). It's also possible to connect via either an optical TOSLINK connection or coaxial connection if that is not available. But, you can't connect the system with the analog audio output on your TV, as it is not compatible with surround sound capabilities.

Source: bobvila.com

Q. Are They Worth the Price?

According to us, the main reason to buy a wireless surround-sound system is convenience. If you aren't sure how to install your system, and how to hide the cables that are longest, then buying wireless systems is a viable option.

However, be aware that you will need to spend more. The cheapest systems (those that cost less than $500) offer pretty good sound quality, but they generally consist of just one sound bar and a wireless subwoofer which will only reproduce surround sound. They don't really offer that immersive cinema-like surround sound experience.

The higher-end models, in particular those with two additional wireless surround systems, offer a much better surround sound experience.

The quality of the cables and whether they are worth the price or not will depend on two factors - your preparedness to handle cables as well as your budget.

If you don't want to spend long hours (or maybe even several days) installing wiring in your house and you can afford to pay $500+ for a wireless system, there are some amazing surround sound systems that wirelessly connect (JBL Bar 5.1, Nakamichi Shockwafe, Enclave Audio, SONOS, Harman Kardon Citation, etc. ).

If so then audio systems with wireless surround are certainly worth the money.

The very best thing is that you do not have to buy all these speakers at the same time and splash more than $1,500. You can begin with the PLAYBAR (which is the main unit and the one that connects wirelessly to other speakers) and then make upgrades. We have decided to present to you the combination PLAYBAR + SUB + 2x, PLAY:1 but you can make your own combination (buy PLAYBASE rather of PLAYBAR, PLAY:3 or PLAY:5 rather of PLAY1).