Best Products > Audio 138 138 people found this article helpful The Best Home Audio Systems for Improved Sound Quality Find the best sound system for large rooms, small rooms and more By Alex Williams Alex Williams Writer Diablo Valley College Alex Williams is an experienced tech writer with an interest in wearable technologies. He focuses on everything from gaming headsets to headphones. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 7, 2022 Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr Twitter University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Tweet Share Email Audio Headphones Earbuds Speakers Home Theater Instruments Accessories The best home audio sound system can transform watching movies, TV, and sports at home into a powerful, immersive experience. They range from single soundbars to tiny stereo systems and full surround speaker setups. If you just want a simple way to boost your TVs sound, we think you should just buy the Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro. It's soundbar, two rear speakers and subwoofer will give you that cinema feel without too much hassle. Factors like room size play a huge role in deciding the necessary power and wattage for your speaker arrangement, and other details should help you pick your perfect devices. Examples include thinking about whether or not you would like surround sound. Without further ado, take a look at our list of best home audio systems. The Rundown Most Popular: Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Small Rooms: Sony CMTSBT100 Micro Music System at Amazon Jump to Review Best Intro: Logitech Z506 Surround Speakers at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Large Rooms: Acoustic Audio AA5170 Home Theater 5.1 Bluetooth System at Amazon Jump to Review in this article Expand Our Picks FAQ What to Look For in a Home Audio System About Our Trusted Experts Most Popular Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1 DTS:X Soundbar 5 Amazon View On Amazon View On Best Buy View On B&H Photo Video What We Like Negates the need for a separate receiver unit Solid sound quality What We Don't Like Less known brand Sound quality pales to higher end systems Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro Review This massive 7.1-channel 600 Watt soundbar from Nakamichi delivers a powerful home audio experience for those who do not want to commit to the hassle and space of a full receiver system. While it might not rival a true system in terms of power and sound quality, it gives a rich and immersive surround audio experience that is perfect for people living in apartments or other small spaces. The bar has five sealed speaker chambers and a quad-core DSP chipset, creating an acoustic wideness that brings your media to life with DSP EQ modes. The system is complete with 13 tuned speaker drivers, as well as an included eight-inch downward-firing subwoofer for deep rich bass. The satellite speakers are wireless, as well, while the HDMI connected bar has 4K passthrough and plays Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital plus content. Channels: 7.1 | Wireless: Yes | Inputs: 3in/1 out (ARC) | Digital Assistant: None | Number of Speakers: 2 Tested by Lifewire Hooking up the Shockwafe Pro system is easy enough, although you’ll definitely want to plan out the connections, particularly if you have multiple set top boxes. With so many audio formats supported and the obvious need to pass the best video quality to our TV, optimizing everything for the Shockwafe Pro could potentially be an issue. Fortunately, Nakamichi created a handy reference list. All of the devices in our test room, and in fact all of the devices throughout our house, were accounted for in the reference list. While we expected great audio and already had multiple surround sound systems in our house that we liked, we were blown away by how incredibly immersive these seven demos sounded on the Shockwafe Pro. The sound truly came from all around us and was incredibly loud with deep, rumbling bass. We were similarly impressed by the sound from our other set top boxes. Whether watching Netflix, listening to music on Spotify, or playing a game, sound proved full and immersive, with no drops or other noticeable imperfections, even at high volume levels. — Bill Loguidice, Product Tester Lifewire / Bill Loguidice Best for Small Rooms Sony CMTSBT100 Micro Music System with Bluetooth and NFC 4.2 Bill Loguidice View On Amazon View On Walmart View On B&H Photo Video What We Like Versatile connectivity options Expansive features in a small package What We Don't Like External media playback is limited Sony CMTSBT100 Micro Music System Review Suited for smaller spaces, the bookshelf-style, Sony CMTSBT100 Micro Music System has 50 watts of power, a built-in CD player, AM/FM radio, a USB input for your music playlist, Bluetooth connectivity and one-touch NFC, so you can stream music via your smartphone, tablet or laptop. The brushed metal and old school style gives the CMTSBT100 a retro look. And while it may lack a native iPod dock, the USB port provides a 2.1 amp charging capability in case you want to simultaneously power your smartphone and play music from it. But don’t expect too much raw power, as the device’s USB port can only read up to 250 songs and due to its power-saving functionality, powers down after a short period of inactivity. Channels: N/A | Wireless: Bluetooth and NFC | Inputs: 3.5mm | Digital Assistant: None | Number of Speakers: 2 Tested by Lifewire Sony created an extremely attractive design with the CMTSBT100, with mostly black coloring and silver accents. It’s a classy, classic look and should fit in well with most modern decor. The AM/FM antenna has a combination AM loop antenna and FM lead antenna, which is just a long, thin wire, that both terminate in one white connector that plugs into the Antennas input on the rear of the center console. Although there’s some length to the cables, we were able to get good reception leaving them on the same table as the CMTSBT100. We had no problems tuning in several local AM and FM radio stations in our area with nothing more than the CMTSBT100 and its antennas. Audio tests across all inputs produced excellent results, which were obviously dependent upon the quality of the source material. Of note is that volume levels go from zero to 31. Sound is barely audible over the speakers at nine, let alone lower, while 31 is quite loud, though hardly room shaking. — Bill Loguidice, Product Tester Lifewire / Bill Loguidice Best Intro Logitech Z506 Surround Speakers Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart What We Like Inexpensive Solid sound quality What We Don't Like Not wireless Satellite speakers are a bit small Our most affordable recommendation, the Logitech Surround Speakers Z506 is a wired two-channel sourced 5.1 and 3D stereo surround sound system that includes six black speakers and a ported down-firing subwoofer for clean, booming bass. Though the system lacks Bluetooth connectivity like our other recommended audio systems, the Z506 still comes equipped with 75 watts of balanced power, enough to fill a room with sound and even rattle a few windows. The speaker bass comes with a control dial that lets you easily adjust bass levels. You’re not limited to only hooking the system up to your computer, as the package induces a 3.5 mm or RCA audio out allowing for an easy connection to your video game consoles, iPods, or any external source. While the speakers may work with game consoles and TVs, when connected, the audio produces only 2.1 audio quality without the surround sound. Channels: 5.1 | Wireless: No | Inputs: 3,5mm, RCA | Digital Assistant: None | Number of Speakers: 4 Best for Large Rooms Acoustic Audio AA5170 Home Theater 5.1 Bluetooth System Courtesy of Amazon.com View On Amazon View On Walmart What We Like Inexpensive 5.1 sound Tons of connectivity options What We Don't Like Doesn't offer the assurances of larger brands Sound quality suffers at higher volumes You might think that powerful multimedia audio sound systems would cost you an arm and a leg, but the Acoustic Audio AA5170 Home Theater 5.1 Bluetooth Speaker System 700W with Powered Sub represents a sweet middle ground of booming power and affordable price. The system comes with six speakers, providing great coverage of any room you put it in. At an excellent price, the system includes an amplified subwoofer; five discrete independent channel input/output speakers suited for surround sound; Bluetooth connectivity for mobile streaming, an SD card input, flash drive MP3 player for assorted music playlists, an FM tuner to play your favorite radio stations, and 3.5 aux to RCA wires so you can start listening immediately. The Acoustic AA5170 Home Theater uses only 700 Watts with a power frequency of 20Hz to 20KHz, packing a compact, yet powerful speaker package suitable for any home theater system (although static can occur if played too high). The AA5170 works fluidly with your personal computer/laptop, gaming system, digital media player, or any other audio/video device equipped with Bluetooth, RCA, or 3.5mm auxiliary interfaces. Channels: 5.1 | Wireless: Bluetooth | Inputs: 3.5mm, RCA | Digital Assistant: None | Number of Speakers: 5 The 8 Best Home Theater Starter Kits for Under $500 in 2022 Final Verdict The best home audio system for most people is the powerful Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1 DTS:X Soundbar (view on Amazon). It has excellent audio quality, 4K passthrough, and impressive surround sound capabilities. For smaller rooms, the affordable Sony CMTSBT1000 (view on eBay) is a nice wireless option that won't break the bank. Emily Ramirez has been writing for Lifewire since 2019. She's has a degree in Comparative Media Studies (Game Design) and wrote for MIT Game Lab as a blogger and narrative designer. She tested several of the home entertainment systems on this roundup. Bill Loguidice has two decades of experience writing and reviewing technology. He's previously been published in TechRadar, PC Gamer, and Ars Technica. He specializes in home entertainment, smart home technology, and computers, tablets, and other devices. FAQ What do you need to build a complete home audio system? The core prerequisites for a home audio system are fairly simple: you really just need a receiver, a set of speakers, and some device to output sound (generally speaking a cable box, streaming device, or computer). Additional gear, like extra speakers or a subwoofer, are the next step towards perfecting your home theater audio. Is a home theater audio set up good for music? The home audio systems on our list are universally great choices for listening to music as well as watching films or playing games. Broadly speaking, the best choices for music will include at least 5.1 surround sound and in some cases may also feature a sound bar. How much wattage do my speakers need? Wattage output is generally only an issue in very large spaces, and for most people 50W should be more than sufficient to drive the volume they desire for their home theater system. As a rule of thumb, the more sensitive your speakers (how well they convert amplifier power into acoustics, measured in decibels per watt/distance), the fewer watts you'll need to drive them. Lifewire / Bill Loguidice What to Look For in a Home Audio System Sound Quality Sound quality can be a very personal feature—some people enjoy deeper bass while others prefer a more balanced sound. Different speaker systems have different sound profiles (which can also be tweaked slightly by repositioning speakers in your room). Most home audio systems will come with a primary or center channel speakers, a left and right channel speaker, and a subwoofer. This combination represents a good starting point for most home theaters, but a soundbar and subwoofer combo can also cut it for apartment dwellers. "When you are listening to a hi-end stereo playback set up, you are immersed into the sound because the center of that stereo image surrounds you not just with audio, but it also gives you an extremely intimate experience as to how the musician or recording artist intended you to hear it." — Paul DePasquale, CEO of Tivoli Audio Room Size Power isn’t everything and wattage is often overrated. If your speakers are intended for a smaller space, you likely don’t need a full 7.1 channel setup; a soundbar or single speaker might do the trick. If you want to fill a larger room with sound, though, spring for something more powerful. Take a look at our overview of 2.0, 2.1, 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1 channel systems to get a good idea of your options. Wired vs. Wireless As with headphones, wired systems often deliver better sound, but their setup tends to be more complicated. If you’re willing to trade a little sound quality in favor of convenience, a wireless system is a good bet. Standard wireless connectivity is offered over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Some sound systems also come with NFC for pairing. Most separate subwoofers are also wireless, meaning they pair automatically with the rest of your sound system when you plug it in. About Our Trusted Experts Emily Ramirez has been writing for Lifewire since 2019. She's has a degree in Comparative Media Studies (Game Design) and wrote for MIT Game Lab as a blogger and narrative designer. She tested several of the home entertainment systems on this roundup. Bill Loguidice has two decades of experience writing and reviewing technology. He's previously been published in TechRadar, PC Gamer, and Ars Technica. He specializes in home entertainment, smart home technology, and computers, tablets, and other devices. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit