What could be better than enjoying a cinema atmosphere while staying at home? You can perfectly have the sound quality of a room by equipping yourself with a home cinema system that reproduces a spatialized sound. Of course, the choice depends on the room where you are going to create your little relaxation space. This guide will help you find the best home theater or surround sound equipment.
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Our selection
"Watch your favorite movies and videos like you're in a movie theater with sound from the Elipson Planet M 5.1 Mercury Ice."
"The Yamaha NS-P41BL is a home theater speaker package that will enhance the sound of your favorite movies and videos. The package is offered at…"
"This home theater package confirms the know-how of the American brand Bose. This 5.1 system with its refined design is a must for a totally…"
"This Advance Acoustic MAV 502 home theater package is more than adequate in quality and delivers super powerful sound. A good alternative for moviegoers looking…"
"Are you looking for a high-performance and affordable home theater package? The Focal Sib Evo 5.1 Black will fully satisfy you with its high quality…"
Watch your favorite movies and videos like you're in a movie theater with sound from the Elipson Planet M 5.1 Mercury Ice.
1 359 £ on Son-videoThe Elipson Planet M 5.1 Mercury Ice consists of an Elipson Planet Sub White and Elipson Planet M Mercury Ice satellite speakers. The ensemble provides immersive sound with exceptional precision. The coaxial loading of the subwoofer allows it to eliminate unpleasant resonances and spread the sound evenly. The fabric domes of the tweeters help produce a silky, neutral sound for authenticity.
With this exceptional sound quality, the Elipson Planet M 5.1 Mercury Ice will accompany you to your home theater, DVD or streaming sessions. You can also enjoy great sound while listening to your favorite songs. The Elipson Planet M 5.1 Mercury Ice will also help decorate your home. The rounded, curved designs keep the clutter to a minimum while adding a unique aesthetic touch.
The Yamaha NS-P41BL is a home theater speaker package that will enhance the sound of your favorite movies and videos. The package is offered at a particularly attractive price.
256 £ on Boulanger.comYamaha offers movie lovers the NS-P41BL. This home theater speaker package includes four satellite speakers, a center speaker and a subwoofer. Each satellite speaker and the center speaker are composed of a speaker with a power of 30 W RMS for an efficiency of 83 dB. The active subwoofer adopts the Bass Reflex load type and is rated at 50W RMS.
The Yamaha NS-P41BL is designed to provide clear, faithful and above all accurate sound. While watching your favorite movies, you'll get that great movie theater sound experience. Of course, this speaker package is also for anyone who wants to improve the sound in their home. With its slim design and sober colors, the Yamaha NS-P41BL is discreet and elegant. The NS-P41BL is a great addition to any home decor and will enhance the sound quality of your home for the enjoyment of moviegoers and music lovers.
This home theater package confirms the know-how of the American brand Bose. This 5.1 system with its refined design is a must for a totally immersive sound experience.
2 952 £ on FnacSit back and enjoy your movie night with the Bose Lifestyle 650. It's more powerful than ever, and it's got class and sound. The four Omnijewel speakers are more discreet than ever, and can be positioned as you like. The center channel speaker and subwoofer deliver deep surround sound.
For this 5.1 home theater, Bose went all-in with a host of connection options such as HDMI, Bluetooth, NFC, RCA... SoundTouch technology, meanwhile, ensures a quick and easy connection with your mobile devices. This home theater handles all types of sound from Dolby True HD, to Dolby Digital and DTS.
This Advance Acoustic MAV 502 home theater package is more than adequate in quality and delivers super powerful sound. A good alternative for moviegoers looking for a reliable audio system at a low price.
399 £ on BoulangerAdvance Acoustic designed this 5.1 home theater system to bring a beautiful ambiance to your movie nights. With a 130W center speaker, a subwoofer, two rear speakers and two front speakers, the MAV 502 offers enough power for a great surround experience. The baffles will be even more powerful when placed in the right places.
Easy to deploy, this home theater features an automatic power-on system and a volume control that adjusts the subwoofer. Combined with the adjustable function that can go up to 180°, the sound rendering will be even more enveloping. This two-way satellite speaker has an output of 89 dB.
Are you looking for a high-performance and affordable home theater package? The Focal Sib Evo 5.1 Black will fully satisfy you with its high quality sound and affordable price.
559 £ on Son-videoAlready have the perfect TV screen? Complete your home cinema with the Focal Sib Evo 5.1 Black speaker pack. By buying this pack, you will get five satellite speakers and a subwoofer with a 21 cm diameter speaker. This subwoofer produces a nominal power of 200 W. Backed by Focal's compact Bb Evo speakers, it produces a smooth, accurate and faithful sound that will amaze your eardrums. The experience of watching movies on DVD or streaming and listening to your music will be much more immersive.
The Focal Sib Evo 5.1 Black has a classic design. The touch of sobriety and elegance is brought by a hairline finish and a dark and discreet color. These speakers will find a prominent place on your video library and around your TV screen. Investing in the Focal Sib Evo 5.1 Black will also allow you to benefit from a very attractive quality/price ratio.
Any specific needs?
The best entry-level home theater
The best high-end home theater
A compact home theater that's worth a look
Your guide :
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| TOP OF THE TOP | NOT EXPENSIVE | TOP OF THE RANGE | EXCELLENT | Very good | |
In accordance with our commitment, this buying guide does not contain any sponsored products. |
9/10 |
7/10 |
7/10 |
8/10 |
8/10 |
| OUR SELECTION |
Elipson Planet M 5.1 Mercury Ice
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Yamaha NS-P41BL
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Bose Lifestyle 650
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Advance Acoustic MAV 502
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Focal Bb Evo 5.1 Black
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Watch your favorite movies and videos like you're in a movie theater with sound from the Elipson Planet M 5.1 Mercury Ice.
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The Yamaha NS-P41BL is a home theater speaker package that will enhance the sound of your favorite movies and videos. The package is offered at a particularly attractive price.
|
This home theater package confirms the know-how of the American brand Bose. This 5.1 system with its refined design is a must for a totally immersive sound experience.
|
This Advance Acoustic MAV 502 home theater package is more than adequate in quality and delivers super powerful sound. A good alternative for moviegoers looking for a reliable audio system at a low price.
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Are you looking for a high-performance and affordable home theater package? The Focal Sib Evo 5.1 Black will fully satisfy you with its high quality sound and affordable price.
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Power
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200 W
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Speakers: 30 W, subwoofer: 50 to 100 W
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N/C
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Speaker : 110 W, Cabinet : 130 W
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25 - 200 W
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Impedance
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8 Ohms
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6 Ohms
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8 Ohms
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8 Ohms
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6 Ohms
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Connectics and connections
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Single-wire wiring
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N/C
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1 HDMI output (with ARC - Audio Return Channel technology), 6 HDMI inputs (one front), 2 digital optical audio connections, 2 coaxial optical audio connections2 analog D/G audio inputs, 1 3.5mm jack port for Acoustimass module, 1 data port, 1 IR repeater port1 Ethernet port, 1 USB port (for software updates only), 1 3.5mm jack for ADAPTiQ system and headphones (front)
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N/C
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RCA, On/Autopower (0.5 W)
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System
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5.1
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5.1
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5.1
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5.1
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5.1
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Specifics
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Bass Reflex, 0-180° phase adjustment, Class D amplifier
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Range 83 dB, bass-reflex load, full-range drivers
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Bose Omni Jewel speakers, Bose SoundTouch technology, Bose subwoofer, Acoustimass 300, Universal remote control
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Phase function adjustable between 0 and 180°, 2 pots to adjust volume and frequency
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Bass-reflex load, articulating base, 0°/180° phase reverser
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As we have just explained,this is an important criterion when choosing a home theater. Each type of home theater has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on the room you install it in. For example, the most popular home theater systems, 5.1-channel systems, are best suited for rooms of 15 to 35 square meters. 2.1 home theater systems, which take up less space than 5.1 systems, are not suitable for large rooms. It is better to install them in rooms of 10 to 20 m². The 6.1 and 11.2 systems, the most expensive and bulky, are made for very large rooms such as a large living room or a reception room.
Whether it is THX, Dolby, HQ, DTS or other, the essential requirement for a home cinema is that it offers a sound that meets our expectations. Therefore, sound quality is paramount beyond any financial considerations. Voices, effects and details must be as clear as possible. For a total immersion during a movie or to listen to good music, the home cinema must have a powerful subwoofer. The midrange and treble must offer a natural listening experience. The presence of a remote control is ideal for fine-tuning the sound settings.
In principle, the most expensive home cinemas do not have an integrated amplifier and thus require an adapted amplifier that must be adjusted. The same is not true for consumer home theaters. An integrated amplifier inevitably saves time. Brands like Samsung, Bose or Philips often use an integrated amplifier. The adjustment loses in precision but gains in ease. The sound quality does not really suffer, unless you are very fussy. The power and weight of the amplifier are important: the heavier the amp, the more powerful it will be.
For
home theater systems with multi-channel speakers (5.1, 6.1, 7.1 or 11.2), the performance of all the speakers is to be watched, especially the center speaker. Indeed, the center speaker broadcasts 70% of the audio data of a home theater. To put it simply, it's the one that sends out the sound. Consequently, it is better to opt for a central speaker with a diameter at least identical to that of the satellite speakers. Ideally, the diameter should be larger than that of the front left and front right speakers, because they have the same sensitivity.
If your kids are video game fans, you'll want to choose a speaker with an HDMI port to allow them to be fully immersed in 5.1 sound during their video game play. To fully enjoy your home theater while watching a DVD or TV show, an optical input is necessary to connect the satellite or TNT decoder. Some models even have RJ45 ports to allow you to enjoy online services such as VOD.
Simply put, a home theater is a device or a set of audio devices for home use that provides a sound quality close to a movie theater. It will be accompanied by a high resolution image accompanied by a realistic and immersive sound.
Three elements make up a home cinema system:
There are three types of home cinema, namely:
The 2.1 system is the simplest multichannel system. It has 2 speakers and a subwoofer placed on the floor. The speakers allow a perfect reproduction of a stereo sound, guaranteeing a precise acoustic. This type of home theater is ideal if you are used to watching old movies, musicals or TV movies. For this, only 2 stereo channels are used. There's no point in getting a whole bunch of speakers. Their low price makes 2.1 systems very attractive. But their lack of sound effects means that they are now being supplanted by more complete systems like 5.1.
Benefits:
Disadvantages:
A
5.1 is composed of a bass breaker placed on the floor and 5 speakers. The amplifier can thus manage 6 channels. The placement of the speakers follows a strict code. The main speaker must be placed in front of the television set because it transmits the dialogues. Two other speakers are placed in front of the listeners. And the last two on either side slightly behind them. The 5.1 systems offer a total immersion in a movie or a song.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
This
type of system sets the bar really high. Apart from the usual 5.1 components, i.e. the speakers and the subwoofer, the 7.1 also has 2 rear centers. It thus offers an incomparable sound comfort. You will experience each scene of a movie as if you were there. However, this type of system is rare because of its complex installation and high price. It is only suitable for very spacious rooms or a specially dedicated room.
Advantages :
Disadvantages:
A home theater is equipped with amplifiers that boost the sound to get the surround effect, even with powerful side speakers. They are designed to support various formats and play multichannel signals from a Blu-Ray or DVD. And of course, they have a lot of connections. The only drawback is the loss of connection to different devices and sometimes there can be noise or feedback.
A hi-fi amp has a natural sound quality as they do not saturate, even with increased volume. Moreover, they are cheaper and there are many models. They are also powerful and very robust. These hifi amplifiers, by its design are heavy, and require a relatively long heating before use. These devices also need a specific maintenance by changing regularly the lamp.
If you like to listen to high fidelity music, without more, a Hifi amplifier can do the trick. But if you're looking for 360-degree sound, and want a more immersive experience, a home theater package would be the best choice.
A home theater is the perfect equipment to entertain, enhance your decor and party. Here are the reasons why you should definitely get one:
At its core, this is the main reason why the home theater was created. With the digital age and the widespread use of downloads and streaming, people are going to the movies less and less. The big names in electronics then had the idea of recreating the atmosphere of a movie theater at home.
The quality of the sound and the realism of the sound effects are such that home theaters now offer a unique and immersive experience when watching a movie. If you have a Blu-ray player in addition to your TV, all you need is a home theater to have the complete movie-going experience.
Since home cinema faithfully reproduces audio tracks, it's only natural that users start listening to music with this type of equipment. What's more, technological developments in home theater have made it particularly intelligent.
It is now possible to connect a computer, a tablet and especially a smartphone. You can then broadcast your favorite songs throughout the house from your terminal via an HDMI cable, a USB cable and why not via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Music lovers will be delighted with a home cinema audio system. Moreover, there is something for every performance and budget.
Are you a gamer? Do you have a child or a spouse who loves video games? A powerful gaming console is of course the assurance of ultra-realistic gaming moments. But the realism of a console is nothing without the sound that goes with it. That's why it's essential to have a home theater to fully enjoy the sound effects and sound effects generated by a video game. The ultra-complete connectivity of home theater systems allows them to be connected to several devices. After the TV, computer and stereo, there's still room to plug in the console.
Why buy a home cinema, a noisy device par excellence, if it is to plug in headphones? Indeed, we use a home cinema to create a good atmosphere and thus to celebrate. Your birthdays, your end-of-year parties, your evenings with friends, your receptions and other small parties will not fail to attract people if you have a home cinema set. For a party, you'll have the hot atmosphere of a nightclub in your home. Your guests will not forget this moment shared in your company!
In principle, the purchase of a TV set implies the purchase of a TV table as well as a sofa or a couch to watch it. To watch a DVD, you will need to buy a DVD or Blu-ray player. And to have a TV corner worthy of the name, the only thing missing is a home cinema system. Some models have wall-mounted speakers, others have floor-standing speakers, and still others have speakers that lie on the TV table. The home cinema has become a decorative object with a refined, sober and much sought-after design to enhance a living room or a TV corner. Be in the air of time, offer yourself a home cinema!
In our opinion, the best brands of home cinema in 2022 are :
Yamaha was the pioneer in the production of western musical instruments in Japan. Best known with the car-motorcycle brand, Yamaha is also seen in various products such as home cinema, musical instruments and others. Even if the activity of the brand is totally diversified, its quality remains faithful to the image of the brand. Yamaha is considered as one of the most reliable brands in the world.
The Advance Acoustic brand, created in 1995, is owned by Advance Paris. Since its creation, Advance Acoustic has been developing, designing and perfecting its entire range in its laboratory near Paris. This to ensure a flawless product quality. This brand has its potential.
This brand is undoubtedly the best in terms of manufacturing home cinema speakers. It has imposed itself as a reference thanks to its devices that give off a very realistic bass. The brand is considered the pioneer of high-end home theater.
Pioneer, is a Japanese multinational company based in Tokyo, Japan, specialized in digital entertainment products. Founded in in 1938, the brand is of very good quality, its stereo system from good engineering and good sound is a testimony to this. This brand is also featured on various items such as in-dash CD players and A/V receivers.
If in its early days, LG made a name for itself with its rugged high-end smartphones, the brand has also made a name for itself in the audio-visual field. Its home theaters with their classy design and meticulous finish affirm this notoriety.
The diagram below will help you to get an idea of the typical prices for each price range (entry-level, mid-range and high-end).
However, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.
We therefore advise you to always consult our ranking before deciding, rather than blindly relying on price ranges.
Place the center speaker directly above or below your TV
The placement of your speaker is important if you want to hear the dialogue as if it were coming from the actors' own mouths. If the speaker is too far away from ear level, the sound will sound out of sync.
Amplify the center channel audio
If
you have trouble hearing dialogue in movies, increase the audio level of the center channel relative to the front, right, and left channel speakers
.
Rear speakers
The
rear speakers should never be in front of your head. Place them slightly behind and above ear level, and point them toward the seating area.
The key is calibration
To
get the best sound output from your home theater surround sound system, you must properly calibrate the speaker system output levels. It is especially important to consider the size of the room where you will be installing your speakers when calibrating your surround system.
Use for movies and TV shows
When
you choose movies and TV shows that are produced in a surround sound format, you can enjoy your speakers and set them up the way they are intended to be enjoyed. But using your surround system to watch the news may seem odd.
The best home theater depends on your needs and budget. Read our buying guide for the best products out there.
Yes, you can listen to music on your home theater if you have an active HD speaker for easy connection. A home theater has several ports, HDMI, USB that allow you to connect other mobile devices. Some models offer Bluetooth or Wifi connection.
Avoidplacing the cabinet on a piece of furniture, as it causes an annoying vibration. It would be best to install it on the floor. It should be located at the front, in a slanted position. Make sure to leave a 50 cm space on each side.
As a general rule, the power should be lower than the amplifier. This ensures better sound reproduction and doesn't risk off-center your speaker or tearing the diaphragm.
It's a matter of taste. A home theater can be installed just about anywhere in the house: living room, bedroom, attic, etc. The only requirement is that the room must be larger than 15 square meters.
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