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For Christmas 2009, the hottest new home theater systems have smaller speakers, smaller receivers and wireless data transfer. With the now proven and accepted emergence of the speaker bar, the one, long speaker that provides surround sound better than most home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems, there is really no need for 6 or 8 speakers (Dolby Digital 5.1 and 7.1, respectively) anymore.

For smaller rooms, with ceilings under 8 feet high and neighbours living below, aside, and/or above you, then there really is no need for a Polk or Harmon Kardon system. But then again, they sure do perform well. You may never put your volume over 20%, but the sound quality, and the true surround sound experience will blow you away. Harmon Kardon and Onkyo have sound systems that are in the $1500 and up range, and will provide you with a true surround sound experience.

Buying cheaper HTIBs will provide you with a near-true surround sound experience, but the entire sound system will be only as good as it's weakest link. If you must buy an HTIB, the replace the supplied wires with a higher grade audio wire, at least 18 to 24 gauge. Or, if your room is rather small, having wireless speakers will enable you to place your speakers anywhere in your room, even on the walls or ceiling, with no wires ruining the clean look of your room. Wireless speaker technology can be found on most higher-end home theatre systems (HTS).

With a higher-end HTS, the HTIB seems like AM radio did compared to the "super sounds" of "high-fidelity FM radio", as the advertisements from the 1970's educated us about the advantages of FM radio. Now, the race is on to make television viewing as realistic as possible, but consumers must remember that their HTS is only as good as its weakest part. Buying a $3,500 surround sound home theatre system, and using the cheapest wire on the store shelves will make the HTS sound nowhere near it's true sound reproduction capabilities.

Yamaha, Samsung, Panasonic, JVC, Sharp, LG and Sony provide the home theatre junkies with quality sound systems at affordable prices. Most manufacturers have surround sound systems that range from the cheap HTIBs to truer to life HTSs, with the old adage of "you get what you pay for" never being truer. Staying away from the HTIBs and looking at HTSs will provide you with a much truer sound reproduction. Having the car sound like it is racing through your living room, from left to right instead of throughout the room makes the home theatre experience

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