
Best basic home theater speakers
- Inexpensive
- Solid, all-wood construction
- Good sound quality
- Very large front satellite speakers
- No powered subwoofer
- Somewhat inefficient
For those on a tight budget, experts and users say that the five-channel Fluance AVHTB+ home theater speaker system is an incredible value and a solid performer. Sound quality is first rate. One shortcoming is that the system lacks a subwoofer. While the 6-inch woofers within the front satellite speakers do a good job of handling the low end, especially in smaller listening areas, they can't quite deliver all of the impact of some of Hollywood's high-octane films. Additionally, the speakers -- especially the front-channel surround speakers -- are large compared to most other options. Additional speakers (*Est. $40 each) and a subwoofer (*Est. $200) are available as options. The Onkyo SKS-HT540 (*Est. $295) is a bit more expensive, but includes a subwoofer, enough satellite speakers for seven-channel surround sound and is a little less imposing. Expert and user feedback has been positive.
Among professional reviewers, we found the most credible reporting at CNET, which reviews and rates more home theater speaker systems than anyone else. We also saw some opinions from nontraditional reviewers, including technology blog TechDose.com and InsideMacGames.com, a reviews site for Apple Macintosh gamers. AudioReview.com has a good assortment of user opinions, some of which are as detailed as those written by experts.
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| In Stock. Fantastic prices with ease & comfort of Amazon.com! | $199.99 | See It | ||
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Our Sources
1. CNET
CNET, a prolific speaker reviewer, offers advice and useful insights in this report. While Steve Guttenberg readily concedes no one will confuse the Fluance AVHTB+ with home theater speaker systems costing five times more, he says there's much to admire.
Review: Fluance AV-HTB 5, Steve Guttenberg, April 4, 2003
While InsideMacGames.com isn't the first place most would think of as a source for reviews of home theater speakers, this effort by Greg Gant is fairly strong. Discussion of the Fluance AVHTB+ is well detailed, pros and cons are listed, and a rating is provided.
Review: Fluance AV-HTB, Greg Gant, Oct. 16, 2003
3. TechDose.com
This is one of the few reviews on this technology information site. While not the most sophisticated write-up, this review of the Fluance AVHTB+ has the advantage on being based on "several years" of use.
Review: Fluance AV-HTB Review, Wayne Eggert, March 7, 2005
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