Best Speaker Brands for Home Theater

There are many name brand speakers of various prices that are considered high quality audiophile speakers. The list of notable loudspeakers is more than a 120 names long. Even a list of those that are highly rated and well-known is quite long. To my mind finding a top ten of that list would be quite daunting. I am familiar with many of the names on the list of 120. As a general rule, I do not recommend mixing and matching different brands of speakers in a surround sound system. Many manufacturers now make surround sound systems both 5.1 and 7.1 and like speakers can be added to that for a 9.1 or 11.1 surround system. There are also complete surround sound systems in a box which include a receiver. The good thing about systems is that you know they are perfectly matched.

What is a Soundbar For?

A sound bar is essentially a small speaker system that sits below your screen that provides an immersive audio experience. A soundbar works by bouncing sound waves off of a rooms walls creating a virtual sound experience. If your room is of an odd shape or size the waves of sound will have no wall to bounce off of where a wall is expected to be. In an odd shaped room this will cause dead zones defeating the viability of a sound bar.

Although a good choice that may fit your budget or room size a sound bar is not a replacement for a good surround system with a receiver and speakers. A soundbar with a sub woofer is also a better choice if you want good bass in your entertainment system. Many speaker makers now make sound bars and over time their quality and popularity have increased. Major manufacturers who make quality sound bars are Bose, Polk Audio, Klipsch, JBL, Samsung, Sony, Sonos, Vizio and Hisense to name a few.

What’s the Best Speaker for Home Theater?

Finding the best speaker for your home theater system can be a daunting task and a lot of fun if you like to listen to speakers as I do. It is important to remember that the list of speaker makers is over 120. Some I consider the best are listed here. Acoustic Research or AR made the AR-3 a very good speaker in its time. Advent Corporation made the Large Advent and the Small Advent both are excellent choices. The Large Advent rivaled the sound of the then top-line AR Model, but only cost about half as much. B&O (Bang & Olufson) develops and markets loudspeakers. Its flagship speaker, the BeoLab 5, uses digital signal processing to adjust its frequency response to the room and location in which it is placed. Bose Corporation primarily manufactures home audio systems and speakers and soundbars. Founded in 1979, Boston Acoustics is a world-renowned manufacturer of innovative home entertainment solutions and high performance loudspeakers. Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) pictured below is the B&W Nautilus

Loudspeaker, not only expensive and very high end it is also a work of art. Cerwin-Vega Inc. is a brand name used on products for professional audio components, as well as home audio speakers, and car audio components. Harman/Kardon designed and produced some of the first high fidelity audio products in the 1950s. Infinity Systems is an American manufacturer of loudspeakers by employing innovative materials such as neodymium magnets, Mylar diaphragms, and polypropylene cones. The JBL 4320 series studio monitor used by Capitol Records and EMI was followed up by the D130 used by rock and roll bands on tour in the late 1960s. KLH surround will immerse your home in incredibly abundant and sumptuous sound. In 2020, KEF introduced the use of Metamaterial Absorption Technology (aka MAT) in speaker design. The technology has been awarded the “Innovation of the Year”, KEF speakers are very expensive. Since its inception, Klipsch has promoted the use of horn-loaded speakers as part of its goal to produce speakers featuring: high efficiency, low distortion, wide dynamic range, controlled directivity and flat frequency response. One of my favorites, I can’t tell you how many times I have spent time at a Best Buy listening to Klipsch speakers. Legacy Audio speakers have been used in producing for artists Sheryl Crow, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mariah Carey, and Usher. Martin Logan produces conventional subwoofer speakers as well as floor-standing, wall-mounted, and in-wall hybrid speakers using electrostatic loudspeaker and planar magnetic thin film loudspeaker technology. McIntosh Laboratory is an American manufacturer of handcrafted, expensive, high-end audio equipment. They are especially known for their high power receivers and amplifiers. Polk Audio is an American manufacturer of audio products best known for its home and automobile speakers. I personally have always liked Polk speakers, I have a set of their small bookshelf speakers that I am using for my rear surrounds. They produce speakers in a variety of prices and sizes. Wharfedale is able to build a complete vision – to engineer every single component from scratch to achieve a harmony in performance and balance.

Best Budget Home Theater Speakers.

When it comes to budget home theater there are some pretty good systems all available for under $500. The Logitech Z906 home theater speaker system has been designed to produce a superior depth of bass with its down-firing subwoofer. It also has multiple connections and is also a 5.1 system. The Bose Cinemate 15 is a soundbar and subwoofer setup, though not as good as a 5.1 system if your room size or budget is not able to accomadate a 5.1 system. The Harman Kardon HKTS 16BQ is a 5.1 home theater speaker package. The LuguLake T180 speaker features a 2.0 channel surroundbar sound system. The Onkyo SKS-HT540 home theater speaker system has a power output of 130 watts. This 7.1 system has a 250 watt woofer. The LG Electronics theater system’s speakers and subwoofer produce 5.1 surround sound with a power output of 500 watts. The Acoustic Audio home theater speaker system consists of five rectangular speakers and two round speakers, all 6.5 inches and designed for in-wall and ceiling installation.

Conclusion:

No matter what your budget or room size if possible go to a high quality speaker store with a listening room and listen to some of the better speakers that are on the market. Attune your ears to know the sound of revealing clarity by listening to familiar music for every single note, beat and detail. Secondly listen for accurate imaging and soundstage where the music appears to be coming from all around you, not just 2 boxes in front of you. Thirdly is neutrality and refinement, do the voices sound like actual voices, is the sound of the musical instruments real. Does the speaker transport you onstage or to the middle of the movie scene. Lastly, broad dynamic range is how well does the speaker discern the contrast between the quietest and loudest moments in your content. Know what a high end speaker sounds like and look for these qualities in the speaker choice that fits your budget. If not possible to go listen to the speakers you are considering read as many reviews as you can find on each speaker brand you are considering. I wish you the best of luck at finding and buying the best possible speaker for you. I’m excited to have you as part of the community! I look forward to bringing you more exciting content in the future. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions or comments.  Here at Audio Video Adventures is where you can get all the latest in Projectors, Receivers, Speakers, and accessories as well as everything else you need for the ideal home theater experience.