Home Theater Speakers

CNET rates and reviews home theater speaker systems on occasion. The reviews don't go into as much detail as some audiophile and videophile magazines and websites, but they are detailed enough for… nontechies. Ratings make it easy to see where speakers stack up compared to the competition. Unlike many sites and publications, a good assortment of entry-level and midrange speakers are covered. Among those, the Energy RC-Micro 5.1gets a solid score for delivering great sound quality despite its tiny speakers. Though they lack powered subwoofers, the Fluance AVHTB+ and SXHTB+ offer great sound quality at a nearly unbeatable price. The Onkyo SKS-HT540 is called the best surround-sound package you can buy for under $300.

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Home Theater magazine covers a wide range of speaker systems, from budget alternatives to ones that cost as much as a decently appointed compact car. Regardless of cost, speakers are thoroughly analyzed and… tested in well detailed and fully documented reports. Though some technical details will qualify as informational overkill for the less experienced, conclusions and recommendations are made clear. Among less expensive speakers, and despite some shortcomings, the Klipsch HD Theater 500 is said to sound better than speakers in "85 percent of the demo rooms at high-end audio trade shows."

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This is the website of the Reviewers' Choice award presented by the SoundStage! network of online publications. Most of the home theater speakers listed here were originally reviewed by… HomeTheaterSound.com, and links lead back to those original ratings. The reviews are competently done and well detailed. Though the articles compare the reviewed speakers to similar models, some of those comparisons are a stretch -- a fact the authors occasionally admit. The emphasis is on high-end speakers, but some low-priced options, such as a budget five-speaker system from Yambeka Audio and the Hsu Research Performance 1 speaker package, earn recommendations as well.

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This report on the Klipsh HD Theater 500 is the only current home theater speaker-system review at Wired. Though not exactly long or detail packed, it does reflect hands-on testing. Though set up is called… easy, the biggest negative is that "tweaking the subwoofer can be more taxing than a severe IRS audit." Sound quality is called excellent, but the reviewer says the speakers are best suited for a smallish home theater.

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AVGuide.com is the online home of Playback magazine, The Absolute Sound and other audio and video publications. Reviews are solidly written and backed by testing, but using the site is a nuisance, making it… a better place to visit after you've narrowed down your selections a bit. Reviews are listed either chronologically, but all types of home-theater gear are mixed together, or by manufacturer, with no indication of how old or new a report is. Some content is embedded within online magazines that stress sizzle and presentation over usability. Some moderately priced speakers are covered, but the emphasis is on higher-end selections.

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Amazon.com lets customers report on their post-sale experiences with their home theater speakers. While some speaker systems only draw a few comments some get tons of feedback providing a good basis by… which to judge satisfaction after days, weeks and sometimes months or more of ownership. Navigation is easy save for the large number of discontinued home-theater speakers listed. Individual reviews are sometimes lengthy and well detailed -- a marked departure from most retailer-hosted review sites.

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Britain's What Hi-Fi? is a prolific reviewer of home theater speaker systems, however many are not available in the U.S. Reviews aren't particularly detailed but are highly opinionated. Ratings are given.… In addition to this listing of "style" home theater speaker packages, the magazine conducts reviews of beefier and usually more expensive full-size systems. KEF speaker systems score well here, though the best comments and ratings are reserved for the pricier members of the family.

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AudioReview.com is an independent consumer-review site that concentrates on audio and video equipment, including home theater speakers. Reviewers state their level of expertise, how long they've owned or… used the speakers, and provide an overall rating and a separate one for value. The quality of the comments varies, but some are as detailed as those offered by professional reviewers. Some home theater speakers -- especially those on the market for a long time -- have accumulated a lot of reviews, while others only a handful if any. Many discontinued speakers are listed.

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