by David Wetzel

Created on: April 10, 2008   Last Updated: August 08, 2011

Do you want to purchase new Home Theater Speakers to improve the sound quality of movies you watch with your home theater system? You have decided that the speakers your home theater system currently has need to be upgraded. Home theater systems are very popular because they provide a theater like atmosphere and sound; however the system is only as good as the speakers that you listen to when watching a movie.

Brands and Types

As you look at all the brands and types that are on the market, the major question is which Home Theater Speakers I should buy? Brands include: Bose, Polk Audio, JBL, Infinity, Boston Acoustic, and many more. Types include:

• Main Stereo Speakers front left and right, most impact on sound quality
• Rear surround sound, ambient sounds, atmosphere
• Sub-woofer deep base, special sound effects
• Center handle 50 % of sound, voices

Considerations should be taken seriously when deciding the features of Home Theater Speakers you want. Features and considerations include:

• Speaker Placement essential to listening experience, follow recommended location guides as close as possible
• Speakers 5 to 7 provide the best home theater sound experience
• Center Speaker must be located in the center below or above the TV screen
• Voice Matching ensure speakers match the voices as the appear on the screen, in delay if voice sounds will become annoying
• Shielded Wires use shielded speaker wires to avoid interference with other home electronics
• Wireless Speakers eliminates the need for all those speaker wires
• Rear Speakers provide ambient sounds like rustle of leaves and rain drops, placement is critical, provide surround sound atmosphere
• Front Speakers tower speakers provide the best sound experience, handle bulk of sound experience and placement is critical, provide off stage sound effects
• Sub-woofer needs to be powered and located next to a wall or corner for optimum base sound, minimum 10 12 inch speaker cone
• Quality Sound need at least 6 speakers for optimum Dolby Digital applications

Typical Speaker Sizes and Cases

Home theater speakers typically come in specified power (watts) sizes and include:

• 10 80 watts
• 100 watt
• 110 130 watts
• 150 175 watts
• 180 375 watts
• 400 2000 watts

Speaker cases typically are made of:

• Metal
• Plastic
• Wood

Prices range from less than $240 to $3000 and sometimes more.

Once you have narrowed your Home Theater Speakers choice(s) visit your local store and check out its features:

• Installation: Ease of installation for wall mounted
• Compatibility: Work with current home theater system
• Wireless: Easy installation
• Sound: Do not buy if you can not listen to them in the store
• Powerout: Ensure that you get the size you want and are compatible with your neighbors

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