Home Theater Review – Buying Guides and In-Depth Reviews

home theater review

Home theater systems are becoming increasingly popular, with TVs growing larger and cheaper while first-run movies and streamed content become more common. But even the biggest screen and best microwave popcorn can’t make up for one vital element: great sound. That’s where home cinema components – including floorstanding speakers, surround sound gizmos and the latest soundbars – come into play. Our buying guides and in-depth reviews have everything you need to know about setting up a high-quality home entertainment setup, with the right speaker configuration and equipment, for better viewing and listening experience.

The basic home cinema setup consists of a large screen TV, a Blu-ray player or other source for movie playback, and speakers. A separate home theater audio amplifier, known as an AV receiver (or A/V receiver), supplies power to all the speakers, handling both the visual and the audio side of things. AV receivers can be purchased separately, but many are sold as a complete system with speakers and a Blu-ray player or other source bundled in. This is known as a home-theater-in-a-box or HTIB, and it’s the easiest way to get a good home theater system up and running.

A big advantage of this type of system is that the speakers don’t require any additional wiring or installation, as all the audio signals are fed to them via the HDMI inputs on the AV receiver. That’s in stark contrast to most conventional stereo system setups, which need cables to connect the speakers and the stereo amp.

The AV receiver also provides spaces for connecting various auxiliary devices, like gaming consoles or media streaming devices. This allows you to play music from these sources in addition to video and film playback. This is an important feature for many users, who want to be able to switch between different sources and enjoy a variety of home entertainment options.

If you’re looking for a home-theater-in-a-box solution that will work with your existing TV, look no further than the Enclave Audio CineHome Pro. This 5.1 surround sound system uses dedicated class D amplifiers for the front speakers, which means it doesn’t require a powerful soundbar to pump out sound. It also includes a clever piece of tech that creates its own Wi-Fi network, which may be an advantage if you’re concerned about adding another device to your home Wi-Fi.

It’s a tough call to recommend this system, however, since it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos despite the fact that the front speakers are wireless. It’s not impossible to add Atmos support by installing a firmware update, but it would certainly take the luster off this excellent and affordable system.

Monoprice is both incredibly impressive and infuriating at the same time, but their home theater gear definitely gets top marks for its incredible value. The Monoprice 133832, for example, is a 5.1.4 system that features height speakers and costs under $300. That’s an absolutely remarkable price for a Dolby Atmos-ready system, especially when you consider that there isn’t huge amount of Atmos-encoded content to begin with.