Speakers & Sound
Sound often matters more than picture for movies. Soundbars, AV receivers, speakers and subwoofers range from one simple box under the TV to a full Dolby Atmos system.
Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars: Budget to Premium Picks
Seven Dolby Atmos soundbars compared by channel count, subwoofer, eARC and price, from compact TCL bars to the Sonos Arc Ultra, to fit your TV room.
Best Soundbars
The best soundbars for home theaters. Get room-filling, cinematic sound in a compact form that upgrades your TV without a full speaker setup.
Best AV Receivers
Compare the best AV receivers for home theaters. Power your speakers, switch HDMI sources, and unlock surround sound and Dolby Atmos.
Best Bookshelf Speakers
The best bookshelf speakers for home theaters. Compact, detailed sound for front, surround, or stereo duty in apartments and media rooms.
Best Subwoofers
Compare the best subwoofers for home theaters. Add deep, physical bass that brings movies and music to life in apartments and dedicated rooms.
Best Surround Sound Systems
The best surround sound systems for home theaters. Get immersive multi-speaker audio that puts you inside the movie in any room size.
Best In-Ceiling Speakers
Compare the best in-ceiling speakers for home theaters. Discreet, flush-mounted sound for Atmos height channels and whole-room audio.
Best Center Channel Speakers
The best center channel speakers for home theaters. Anchor clear, intelligible dialogue at the heart of your surround sound system.
Best Tower Speakers
Compare the best tower speakers for home theaters. Full-range floorstanding sound with deep bass and big dynamics for front-channel duty.
Best In-Wall Speakers
Find the best in-wall speakers for a clean, flush home theater install, with strong sound quality, pivoting tweeters and easy fit for surrounds or fronts.
Best Dolby Atmos Speakers
Best Atmos speakers for adding height channels without cutting into the ceiling: SVS Prime Elevation and Klipsch RP-500SA II, RP-500SA and RP-140SA compared.
Best Speaker Stands
Find the best speaker stands for home theater, with sturdy build, cable management and the right height to place bookshelf speakers at ear level.
Best Soundbar Wall Mounts
Soundbar mounts for the wall or the back of your TV, compared on weight limit (10, 15 and 22 lbs), slim-bar depth and fit for Samsung, Sony, LG, Vizio and Bose.
Best Subwoofer Isolation Pads
Find the best subwoofer isolation pads to tighten bass, cut floor vibration and stop rumble reaching neighbors while keeping low-end impact clean.
Best AV Equipment Racks
AV racks split into tiered media stands and 12U 19-inch frames: what rack units mean, depth for deep receivers, 300 to 550 lb capacity, airflow and casters.
How to choose
- Prioritise clear dialogue from the centre speaker or soundbar.
- Choose a soundbar for simplicity and a receiver system for flexibility.
- Add a subwoofer for low bass that small speakers cannot reach.
- Place speakers at ear height and angle them toward the main seat.
Common questions
Soundbar or surround sound system?
A good soundbar suits most living rooms and apartments. Separate speakers with an AV receiver give real surround and more headroom in dedicated rooms.
Where should a subwoofer go?
Front corners often give the most bass, but rooms vary. Place the sub at your seat, play bass-heavy content and crawl the room to find where it sounds best, then put the sub there.