All posts in: Home Theater Systems

The best present EVER!

By Khaled Morad on December 19, 2012 in

The best present ever!

"This is... the best... most amazing... greatest present ever!" How many years, perhaps as children, are we guilty of such gross superlative overdose? When you opened that one gift you really wanted -- after several gasps of air -- the adjectives just let loose, usually followed by expressions of your infinite gratitude and affection for the giver(s).

What is the best present ever? I mean ever--forever, ever. No, don't tell me it's a smartphone with a different number after its name each year. Or the newest game system. Really, think... Here are our ideas of best, most amazing presents ever:

(And the next best thing in case you cannot find them... *cough* mom, dad.) Read more

What type of home theater setup is right for you?

Electronics
By Brad Chacos on October 21, 2011 in

Home theater

Who knew home theater could be so befuddling? Sound bars, home theater in a box, discrete components -- what exactly do you need? You just want music and movies to sound good, right, and not a degree in acoustical engineering? Don't despair; we're here to explain the options and shine a light on the pros and cons of each one. Additional information can be found in our reports on home theater receivers, home theater speakers, home theater systems and soundbars. Read more

Just how convenient are home theater in a box systems?

Electronics
By Brad Chacos on October 4, 2011 in

Home theater systems

As we note in our report on home theater systems, the allure of preassembled home theater in a box (HTIB) set-ups lies in their simplicity. There are no extra component decisions to make. There are no doubts about which wire goes where. But at the end of the day, are HTIBs really that much more convenient to set up and use than a custom system made up of a receiver, speakers and disc player you pick yourself? Some user comments we found during the course of our research led us to wonder if the conventional wisdom that they are holds true. Read more

Home theater on a budget: Where to scrimp and where to spend

Electronics
By Carl Laron on December 26, 2009 in

Home theater on a budget

In these tight times, everyone is interested in saving a little bit of cash where they can, even when putting together a home-theater system. As an example, one of our readers recently wrote to ask "If you are putting together a home theater system on a fixed budget, where can you get away with scrimping a bit and where does it pay to put performance first?"

Read more

Good home theater, made easy

Electronics
By Carl Laron on October 20, 2009 in

Panasonic SC-BT200
All-in-one home-theater systems are the Rodney Dangerfield of home audio: They get no respect from audiophiles -- and from many reviewers. That said, their appeal for those who want a home theater that doesn't require an engineering degree to get set up and working is undeniable. What's also undeniable is that many of the home-theater-in-a-box products found lurking in the aisles of large electronics stores and mass merchandisers give the term "dreadful" a whole new meaning. Still, there's a healthy handful of home-theater kits that experts and users say fill the bill in terms of value, performance and ease of setup and use. Our latest report on home theater systems compares systems with and without Blu-ray Disc or DVD players, and names the very best ones. Read more

Back to top