The 8 Best Home Audio Systems to Buy in 2017

The Yamaha RX-V681 stereo receiver with MusicCast speakers is an audio system that can keep pace with the latest technology in home theater. New audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are becoming more prevalent in Blurays and will only continue to do so in coming years. That’s a great, as they produce the most lifelike and engrossing surround sound experience yet. But you want a home audio system that can support these files, as well as 4K audio. The Yamaha RX-V681 does just that, and gives you plenty of other useful features as well.

If you have a large home, you will appreciate the functionality of two audio zones. The ability to set up Party Mode and Main Zone sync lets you play different audio at different volume in different rooms. Bluetooth, WiFi and Airplay allow you to position the wireless MusicCast speakers wherever you want without complicated setup. Control the audio from your app, or play any number of built in streaming services like Spotify.

YPAO Reflected Sound Control helps you calibrate audio in any room for perfect speaker positioning, taking out the frustrating guesswork of setting up the 5.1.2 channel system.  

This massive 7.1-channel 400 Watt sound bar 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 six DSP chipsets, creating an acoustic wideness that brings your media to life with DSP EQ modes. The system is complete with 11 tuned speaker drivers for 104dB of sound, as well as an included eight-inch wireless subwoofer for deep rich bass. The satellite speakers are wireless as well, while the HDMI connected bar has 4K pass through and plays Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital plus content.  

The Bose SoundTouch 30 Series III will capture every guitar strum, bass note and pin-drop from your music playlist. Its patented technology is engineered to fill any room, large or small, with deep and robust sound, and since it's just a one-piece system, set-up is a cinch. Bluetooth-enabled and wireless, additional Bose speakers can be added on, meaning you can turn a warehouse into a concert hall.

Bose works with your home WiFi network and Bluetooth enabled devices so you can stream audio from any device such as your computer or smartphone via the SoundTouch app. Music services like Pandora, Spotify and SiriusXM can be accessed from the system in one touch, allowing for Internet radio and music library playlists.

Bose advertises the SoundTouch 30 Series III as their “best-performing one-piece wireless music system” which means it’s on the more expensive side, but well worth the splurge. Colors come in black and white.

This stunning home audio system from LG combines wireless Bluetooth connectivity with a stylish standing design, resulting in an elegant and totally functional package that focuses on aesthetics and sound. The system has 5.1-channel surround sound, including a specially designed Bass Blast of tuned matrix for deep bass and engrossing sound effect. The 1000 watts of power will fill large or small rooms with crisp and lively audio, and the towers can be tuned for optimal effect in any home theater.

The aesthetic towers are synced with Bluetooth and play audio streaming or via USB, CD or radio stations. This package comes with an HDMI Cable, DVD player, four 36-inch towers and a subwoofer, all in a sleek glossy black that will match any interior design. The system is even set up with LG Audio’s karaoke, making this the perfect complement to a house party.

The most affordable on the list, 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 the other audio systems listed, it comes with 75 watts of balanced power, enough to fill a room with sound and also 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, etc. Though the speakers may work with game consoles and TVs, when connected, the audio produces only 2.1 audio quality without the surround sound.

You might think that powerful multimedia audio sound systems would cost you an arm and a leg, but they don’t have to. The Acoustic Audio AA5170 Home Theater 5.1 Bluetooth Speaker System 700W with Powered Sub is the beginner audiophiles purchase when looking for that sweet middle ground of booming power and affordable price. The system comes with six speakers, so you can cover all corners of any room you put it in.

For less than $100, the system includes an amplified subwoofer; five discrete independent channel input/output speakers suited for surround sound; Bluetooth connectivity so you can stream music from your mobile devices (users have reported that it's sometimes wonky); an SD card input; flash drive MP3 player for assorted music playlists; an FM tuner to play your favorite radio stations; and 3.55 aux to RCA wires so you can plug in and 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 fluently with your personal computer/laptop, gaming system, digital media player, “i” device or any other audio/video device equipped with Bluetooth, RCA, or 3.5mm auxiliary interfaces.

The Sonos Play:1 is so good, that it easily earns the best budget title. Although there’s no way around the WiFi-only aspect of the Play:1, it’s hardly a deal breaker and, in fact, might be a strong benefit. The design is a little clunky, with some comparing it to a coffee can, but at 4.7 inches wide, 6.4 inches deep and weighing 4.1 pounds, it’s not designed for portability.

Setup is a snap. Just download the free Sonos app for Android or iOS, run the app, follow the instructions and play. One caveat is that music must be played back from the Sonos app since it doesn’t utilize either Airplay or Bluetooth. However, given the wide range of streaming choices (Spotify, Google Play Music and Prime Music), you shouldn’t run into a problem. Unfortunately, Apple Music doesn’t work with Sonos, but you can utilize your full iTunes library through the app.

The 3.5-inch woofer and two amps are powered by a wall outlet connector and can easily fill up a room with volume and sound. For the price tag, the Play:1 is not just the most affordable Sonos speaker to date, it’s also a great choice if you're looking for something simple and easy without having to spend a lot of money on a huge audio system.

Suited for smaller spaces, the bookshelf-style, Sony CMTSBT100 Micro Music System has 50 watts of power, a built in CD player (just in case you want to play that mix you burned back in 2000), 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 and laptop.

The brushed metal and old school style gives the CMTSBT100 a retro look. And although there is no dock for an iPod, 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 250 songs and due its power-saving functionality, powers down within a short period once music is paused.