Home Theater Speakers Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Home Theater Speakers. See our ratings criteria

For recommendations of best Home Theater Speakers, see our Fast Answers page, which summarizes what these reviews say. A longer summary and analysis appears in our Full Story report for Home Theater Speakers. Our Where to Buy page contains information on retailers and Home Theater Speakers prices.

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Home Theater Speakers Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Theater Speakers Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. CNet.com	Editors' top surround speaker packages Editors of CNet.com June 11, 2007		CNet.com reviews and rates home-theater speaker systems, with the best models appearing on this regularly updated list of top speakers. The individual reviews don't go into as much detail as some audiophile and videophile magazines and websites, but they are detailed enough for non-techies. CNet.com also does a better job of covering mid-priced and good-sounding budget options. Home theater speaker systems are rated so that it is easy to see how they stack up against the competition. While a lot of the speaker systems here score highly, three are singled out for Editors' Choice recognition.

Home Theater Speakers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Theater Speakers Ratings Comments on Reviews

2. Sound & Vision Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Sound & Vision's Best -- Speakers and Subwoofers Editors of Sound & Vision magazine July 2007		Sound & Vision magazine covers home theater speaker systems in detailed single-product reports and occasional head-to-head comparisons. The detailed reviews are long and insightful, and many include the results of lab testing. The very best speakers are awarded a Sound & Vision Certified and Recommended tag. One negative is that all types of speakers, not just home theater systems, appear on the list. Sound & Vision would be even more valuable if the editors assigned objective ratings or compared speaker systems more often.
3. The Perfect Vision >> Details/Subscribe	Buyers Guides Plus: Surround Speakers (under $2000) Editors of The Perfect Vision Feb. 2007		In the view of The Perfect Vision, the audio side of a home theater system is as important as the video side. They add that there are a number of great sub-$2,000 speakers that provide terrific sound and are a value. This article names five choices, each of which is said to be "very good though very different." Links lead to well-detailed reviews of each. Though the speakers are not directly compared, each review includes numerical grades for their audio qualities as well as for value, and the subwoofer and the center/surround speakers are evaluated separately.

Home Theater Speakers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Theater Speakers Ratings Comments on Reviews

4. ReviewersChoice.com	Home Theater Components: Loudspeaker Systems & Subwoofers Editors of ReviewersChoice.com As of July 2007		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 that the authors themselves occasionally admit.
5. Home Theater Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Buyer's Guide: Speakers Editors of Home Theater magazine As of July 2007		This is far more than a list of recommended speakers. Home Theater magazine's editors clearly state why the speakers that appear here in three categories – floor-standing, compact and in/on wall -- qualify for inclusion, and provide pricing and top-line specs. Links lead to more in-depth reviews of each system. The focus here is on high-end speaker systems. Although a few cost less than $2,000, others can set you back more than a well-equipped compact car.
6. Ultimate AV Magazine	Buyer's Guides: Speaker Systems Editors of UltimateAVmag.com As of July 2007		Ultimate AV is a worthwhile visit if you are looking for the ultimate in home theater speaker systems, but there's little here for the budget or even mid-range buyer. Recommended 5.1 "budget" systems start at around $3,000, with "Ultimate" recommended systems topping out at ten times that. The reviews and ratings themselves are very well done for the most part, and typically include the results of lab tests as well as details about the system used for listening tests.
7. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Speakers: Sound investments Editors of Consumer Reports Nov. 2006		Consumer Reports rates 12 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 home theater systems as part of a larger report on speakers. Scores are given for sound accuracy and bass capabilities, but not much more information is imparted. The only discussion is for the two recommended home theater speaker systems -- one of which is discontinued -- but even that is sparse and not very informative. Ratings are included.
8. Audioholics.com	Speaker Reviews Editors of Audioholics.com As of July 2007		The home theater speaker reviews at Audioholics.com are a bit of a mixed bag. While all are very detailed, some do a better job of providing ratings. Also, home theater speakers don't get their own category. Instead they are interspersed among tons of reviews of other types of speakers, making navigation difficult. For those looking for specific recommendations, the editors have created home theater setups ranging from $1,000 (which assumes you already have an HDTV) to $75,000 (a 4-zone whole house system).

Home Theater Speakers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Theater Speakers Ratings Comments on Reviews

9. AVSForum.com	Speakers Contributors to AVSForum.com As of July 2007		AVSForum.com is one of the busiest user-to-user technology discussion sites on the Internet. Lots and lots of information about buying and setting up a surround-sound speaker system can be found here, though some is more useful than others. It's also a good place to ask specific questions and get answers. Personal ratings of home theater systems can be found here.
10. CircuitCity.com	Home Audio Speaker Systems Contributors to CircuitCity.com As of July 2007		Circuit City is one of a growing number of Internet retailers that lets buyers rate and review equipment after the sale. Like most user-review sites, the quality of the reviews is very variable. Still, CircuitCity.com is a useful place to visit if you want to get some insight about how happy others are with their home theater speaker system once it is home.
11. Amazon.com	Complete Home Theater Reviews Contributors to Amazon.com As of July 2007		Amazon.com also lets customers report on their post-sale experiences with their home theater speakers. One advantage here over Circuit City is that the reviews tend to be longer and more detailed. However, most home theater speaker systems get fewer ratings, and the site includes many discontinued speakers.
12. AudioReview.com	Home Theater Speaker Systems Contributors to AudioReview.com As of July 2007		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 and how long they've owned/used the speakers, and provide an overall rating and a separate one for value. Comments are generally brief -- though some are more detailed -- and include a listing of strengths, weaknesses, similar products used and a summary. 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.
13. Epinions	Speaker and Subwoofer Systems Contributors to Epinions As of July 2007		The reviews at Epinions are often more detailed and helpful than those at other user review sites. However, Epinions gets fewer visitors, and most systems get just a handful of ratings.

Home Theater Speakers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Theater Speakers Ratings Comments on Reviews

14. Consumer Guide.com	Home Theater Speakers Reviews and Prices Editors of ConsumerGuide.com Not Dated		While Consumer Guide is a worthwhile destination for consumers to learn about cars, home theater speaker shoppers won't find much of value here. Though ratings and recommendations are made, those appear to be based on manufacturer-supplied information rather than on any testing. Navigation is cumbersome, and many discontinued speakers are on this list.