No home theatre setup is complete without a set of quality speakers. If you want to do movie audio justice, you'll want to invest in an immersive soundscape.
While home theatre speakers come in many different shapes and sizes, soundbars are a common sight. After all, they are a great way to build up a surround sound setup.
The best speakers for home theatre at a glance:
• Best overall home theatre speaker: Logitech Z906 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System - View on Amazon
• Best Bluetooth home theatre speaker: PreSonus Eris E3.5 BT - View on Amazon
• Best budget home theatre speaker: Hisense HS214 2.1Ch All-In-One Soundbar - View on Amazon
We've taken the strengths and weaknesses of some of our favourite home theatre speakers into account and made a list of the best. From soundbars to bookshelf speakers, you'll want plenty of surface space to accommodate the full home theatre necessities. We've kept that in mind, being sure to include some smaller speakers on our list.
Whatever your budget and preferences are, we're confident that one of these quality home theatre speakers will be perfect for you. Each of them is a dependable piece of kit you can't go wrong with.
The best speakers for home theatre:
All prices are correct at the time of writing. Prices, stock and deals are subject to change without notice.
Best overall home theatre speaker
LogitechThis Logitech Surround Sound Speaker System is a brilliant way to instantly complete your home theatre setup. The various speakers make getting your surround sound just right a simple process, and they all connect together without any issue.
There's no need to have any doubts about the sound quality either. This is a THX certified product, meaning it has been tested and approved for meeting high-quality audio standards.
Pros
- Easy to set up and connect
- Incredible surround sound potential
- THX certified
Cons
- Need a fair bit of surface space to accommodate everything
| Drivers | Unspecified |
| Output power | 1000w (total) |
| Impedance | Unspecified |
| Frequency range | Unspecified |
| Active / Passive | Active |
| Dimensions | 29.2 x 28 x 35 cm (subwoofer) |
| Weight | 8.5kg (subwoofer) |
- Customer review: "The overall quality is high both of the satellite speakers and the subwoofer. They have great weight about them and look very well made, though the look is always subjective. Setting up the speakers was very simple and it was good that the speaker wires were not proprietary but standard speaker wires should you need any extra length though the length is more than adequate for my room setup."
Best Bluetooth home theatre speaker
PreSonusFor those who don't want to deal with the stress of wires, consider the PreSonus Eris E3.5. It has a very reliable and steady Bluetooth connection that, so long as you take into account its range, should always stay connected. For extra convenience, the controls here are straightforward to understand.
We also like the PreSonus Eris for its size. These home theatre speakers won't take up too much room, making them great for those with limited space.
Pros
- Reliable Bluetooth connection
- Great size
- Simple controls
Cons
- Need to be aware of Bluetooth range in larger rooms
| Drivers | 3.5-Inch low-frequency transducer, 1-Inch high-frequency transducer |
| Output power | 50w (total) |
| Impedance | Unspecified |
| Frequency range | 80Hz - 20kHz |
| Active / Passive | Active |
| Dimensions | 16.26 x 14.22 x 21.08 cm |
| Weight | 2.9kg |
- Customer review: "These replaced a more expensive (but bluetooth) pair of speakers. I have them in a fairly narrow home office and I don't crank them loud. My experience is, great sound separation, nice crisp bass (I hate boomy bass) they don't fatigue my ears as quickly as my last pair. All in all I'm pretty amazed for the price. I think maybe for a large room you would want something larger, but for small to medium rooms, low to medium volume, or direct monitoring when you don't need to crank it they are pretty awesome."
Best budget home theatre speaker
HisenseA good home theatre setup doesn't have to put pressure on your wallet, as the Hisense HS214 2.1Ch All-In-One Soundbar proves. Don't mistake its affordability for a lack of quality; this soundbar has no difficulty projecting its sound.
A feature that we really love is its dedicated modes. You can set the soundbar to movie mode to optimise it for films, or to music mode for when you just want to enjoy some tunes in the background.
Pros
- Budget-friendly and affordable
- Dedicated movie and music modes
- Great sound projection
Cons
- Takes a bit of time to fully set up
| Drivers | 3-Inch built-in Subwoofer |
| Output power | 108w |
| Impedance | Unspecified |
| Frequency range | 40Hz – 20kHz |
| Active / Passive | Unspecified |
| Dimensions | 9.5 x 65 x 5.8 cm |
| Weight | 2.7kg |
- Customer review: "It was easy enough to unpack and set up and install. For some reason, I couldn't get the optical connection to work and had to revert back to an HDMI cable which meant disconnecting my Blu-ray player. Which was inconvenient but rarely used. The soundbar takes a while to start and synchronise with the TV. It took some time to get the sound and volume where I wanted it and no doubt I'll adjust it more as I get used to it. The sound is pretty good and way better than just my TV on its own. At the price, it seems reasonable value however."
Best home theatre soundbar speaker
Sonywww.currys.co.uk
If a soundbar is the most important part of a home theatre kit for you, we suggest the Sony HT-A5000 Dolby Atmos Soundbar. It features Dolby Atmos, so you can be assured you'll be getting an excellent surround sound experience. We're also a big fan of its design, which looks modern and stylish without being too bold.
The Sony HT-A5000 pairs very well with other speakers, making slotting it into an already-existing setup easy. That said, we think it really does want to be paired up, as it doesn't stand out volume-wise too much on its own.
Pros
- Syncs well with other speakers
- Subtle yet stylish design
- Sound Field Optimisation
Cons
- Works best with other speakers
| Drivers | Passive Radiators 2 x 1.8 x 4.3-Inch, High-Frequency Drivers 3 x 0.6-Inch / 16 mm Front-Firing Tweeter. Full-Range Drivers 2 x 1.8 x 2.1-Inch / 46 x 54 mm Up-Firing. Dual subwoofer |
| Output power | 450w |
| Impedance | Unspecified |
| Frequency range | Unspecified |
| Active / Passive | Unspecified |
| Dimensions | 6.7 x 121 x 14 cm |
| Weight | 6.1kg |
- Customer review: "Looks good, and quite long so measure your space first. The original TV sound was weak by comparison and now I can hear the dialogue properly and deep bass rumbles for films. This is a new dimension of enjoyment. Takes a little bit of setting up but the software 'wizard' walks you through all this so no dramas."
Best Sony home theatre speaker
SonyThis Sony HT-S40R is perfect for those looking to experiment with speaker placement to optimise their experience. Even the soundbar is smaller than average, making it easy to find room for it. When everything is brought together, you get a pretty powerful soundscape.
The rear speakers are excellent, and an amplifier unit is included for them too. Unfortunately, while this kit boasts that it is wireless, that's not entirely true, as the rear speakers do need to be connected,
Pros
- Brilliant rear speakers
- Freedom to place wherever you like
- Compact soundbar
Cons
- Rear speakers are not completely wireless
| Drivers | Unspecified |
| Output power | 600w |
| Impedance | Unspecified |
| Frequency range | Unspecified |
| Active / Passive | Amplifier included for rear speakers |
| Dimensions | 5.2 x 90 x 7.45 cm (soundbar |
| Weight | 14.02kg (total) |
- Customer review: "Chose this set up as it was Sony and came with wireless rear speakers. The rear speakers are not completely wireless as they still connect using speaker wires to the small rear amp, however you don’t have any wires going from the rear amp to the front speakers which makes the install really clean."
Best custom EQ home theatre speaker
MajorityWhile there are louder speakers out there, this Majority Teton Plus is an absolute delight for those who like to tweak and customise settings. The EQ presets are already brilliant, providing you with well-balanced audio suitable for whatever you want to watch.
This set is also completely wireless, so you don't need to fret over clutter either. Just about any TV will see an improvement when paired with the Majority Teton Plus.
Read our full Major Teton Plus review here.
Pros
- Great EQ presets and adjustable settings
- Well-balanced audio
- Wireless setup keeps clutter to a minimum
Cons
- Outclassed by other speakers in terms of sheer volume
| Drivers | 5.25-Inch subwoofer, dual stereo soundbar |
| Output power | 180w |
| Impedance | Unspecified |
| Frequency range | Unspecified |
| Active / Passive | Unspecified |
| Dimensions | 10.2 x 81.2 x 9.6 cm (Soundbar), 15.0 x 28.0 x 38.2 cm (Subwoofer) |
| Weight | 5.9kg (total) |
- "If you think of the Majority Teton Plus with Wireless Soundbar as a serious upgrade to your TV speakers, you won’t be disappointed. It is aimed at casual watchers who wish they could ditch tinny sound and weak bass, especially when a decent movie comes on. Volume-wise, this will suit most people very well. But anyone who loves their movies loud and detailed via Dolby Atmos and the like should probably look at more expensive soundbars or dedicated home cinema systems." Chris Duffil, Tech Product Writer for What's The Best
Best Bose home theatre speaker
BoseIt's easy to focus on spectacle and sound design, but dialogue is also a crucial part of movies, and the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar hasn't left it behind. Its AI Dialogue Mode balances voices out to make each scene clearer and easier to hear. Control is also effortless here, whether you use the remote or opt for voice commands.
It is worth noting that the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar is quite wide, even by soundbar standards. As such, you'll need to make sure you have enough room for it.
Pros
- Handy AI Dialogue Mode
- Syncs with other speakers and headphones
- Easy to control with remote or voice
Cons
- Quite wide
| Drivers | 2 upfiring transducers |
| Output power | Unspecified |
| Impedance | Unspecified |
| Frequency range | Unspecified |
| Active / Passive | Unspecified |
| Dimensions | 10.7 x 104.5 x 5.82 cm |
| Weight | 5.8kg |
- Customer review: "The sound itself has excellent clarity, and does fill the room although I do think the bass could be a little bit puncher sometimes if it is clarity you are after this soundbar is the one. The soundbar has 9 speakers, 2 of which are upfiring. The sound travels well and Truespace is very good but it is a pity that there is no DTS or DTSX, The star feature is the new AI dialogue feature which can be used to focus on voice, it is very detailed and crisp but does reduce the overall bass."
FAQs
What is a 5.1 soundbar?
You've likely seen that soundbars have a number in front of them, often 5.1 but sometimes 2.1, 5.2 or 7.1. While you might initially think these are version numbers, they're actually something much simpler.
The first number reflects how many speakers are in the soundbar, whereas the second one tells you how many subwoofers it has. As such, a 5.1 soundbar has five speakers and one subwoofer.
A 5.1 soundbar does very well as a TV speaker for small and medium rooms, but if you have a larger living room, you may want to consider a 7.1 soundbar instead.
What is Dolby Atmos?
Some soundbars and speakers boast that they have Dolby Atmos, but what kind of feature is it?
Dolby Atmos is an advanced surround sound technology. Surround sound is simple in concept, just needing speakers to be placed in the right places, but it can experience setbacks with objects and verticality. Dolby Atmos gets around this by helping the sound register as more three-dimensional, thus avoiding those limitations. This way, you get a much more immersive audio experience.
Kyle Purves is a Commercial Content Writer for What’s The Best, with an avid interest in all things gaming and tech.
They’re well-versed in reviewing a variety of tech products, with a soft spot for speakers and earphones. They’re also no stranger to hunting down the best savings, always wanting to get the best deal possible. Outside of work, they can often be found playing through an RPG, listening to Japanese noise rock, or trying to catch up with their ever-expanding list of shows and anime to watch. If possible, they try to play Dungeons and Dragons a couple of times a week, but getting six adults to be free at the same time is easier said than done.
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