A top-of-the-line home audio sound system can transform watching TV or gaming into a powerful, immersive experience. Here are our top picks for this year.
Great for Small Rooms: Sony CMTSBT100 Micro Music System with Bluetooth and NFC
The Sony CMT-SBT100 Micro Music System has 50 watts of power, AM/FM radio, a built-in CD player, Bluetooth connectivity, one-touch NFC, and a USB input for your playlist. You can also charge your smartphone simultaneously and stream all your favorite music on it.
That said, the device can only read up to 250 songs and powers down after a short period of inactivity.
Pros
→ Versatile connectivity options
→ Many features in a compact package
Cons
→ External media playback is limited
Great for Large Rooms: Acoustic Audio AA5170 Home Theater 5.1 Bluetooth System
The Acoustic Audio AA5170 Home Theater 5.1 Bluetooth System will ensure music reaches every corner of your home. For an attractive price, you get an amplified subwoofer, five discrete independent channel input/output speakers, Bluetooth connectivity, a flash drive MP3 player, an FM tuner, an SD card input, and 3.5 aux to RCA wires.
Pros
→ Affordable 5.1 sound
→ Tons of connectivity options
Cons
→ Doesn’t offer the same assurances as bigger brands
→ Sound quality reduces at higher volumes
Budget-friendly: Logitech Surround Speakers Z506
With the Logitech Z506, you can hear everything in 5.1 discrete channels of explosive, detailed surround sound. The speakers bring your favorite old movies, music, and games to life by converting the two-channel stereo into an immersive sound experience. Up to six audio sources can be connected to this system.
Pros
→ Inexpensive
→ Great sound quality
Cons
→ Not wireless
→ Satellite speakers are small
Popular choice: Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro 7.1 DTS:X Soundbar
If you live in an apartment and are looking for a surround sound system that doesn’t occupy too much space, the Nakamichi soundbar is a great choice. The bar comprises five sealed speaker chambers and a quad-core DSP chipset. Also included are 13 tuned speaker drivers, as well as an eight-inch downward-firing subwoofer. The satellite speakers are wireless, and the HDMI-connected bar plays Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus content.
Pros
→ Negates the need for a receiver
→ Good sound quality
→ 4K Passthrough
Cons
→ Unknown brand
→ Sound quality pales in comparison to higher-end systems
