5 Affordable Surround Sound Options For Budget-Conscious Consumers
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You've almost got the perfect home theater setup, whether it's the TV, gaming system, streaming device, or the 4K Blu-ray player. However, that leaves one essential component: surround sound.
These days, a mere television set won't cut it, audio-wise. Built-in speakers are cramped, tinny, and limiting. You can have all the resolution and refresh rates and color palates in the world, and you still won't be as immersed in your content as possible compared to a proper sound system.
The best possible solution is, of course, to immerse yourself with speakers. Surround sound systems mimic the movie theater experience by, well, surrounding you with speakers — typically with one subwoofer blasting that bass. While there are tons of high-end, audiophilic options at your disposal, budget-conscious buyers will be happy to know there are just as many low-cost options for high-caliber sound.
Here are the best affordable surround sound setups and options you can buy on a budget today.
VIZIO M51ax-J6 speaker system
A model of VIZIO's M-Series of soundbars, this 5.1 set comes with nine speakers spread out through four units — the soundbar itself, the subwoofer, and two wired rear speakers. It has every possible connection you'd want: HDMI eARC, optical, 3.5mm analog cable, and Bluetooth.
Most impressively, this M-Series model can decode and present the highest-end of sound mixes: Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Both sound experiences are becoming film and television industry standards of immersion and quality, presenting sound in a heightened, 3D-feeling space.
It also offers a feature called DTS Virtual:X, which converts non-surround sound inputs into this 3D experience. These speakers also have a feature called Dual Stereo Mode, which turns all nine speakers into stereo channels, making house parties extra-rocking with music — though true audio snobs will tell you that the less conversions and algorithms are messing with the original sound, the better.
To get all of these features for a mere $300 is quite the bargain.
Monoprice Premium 5.1.4 system
A great, cheap set of speakers for those already packing a receiver in their home theater setup, Monoprice's "Premium" 5.1.4 system can crank out Dolby Atmos for $210.
These speakers, perfect for a small living room, are indeed equipped with upward-firing drivers, projecting sound up to the ceiling, which reflects down at the listener. Now, you've got no need for heightened, ceiling-level speakers for extra dollars — an ingenious, affordable bit of engineering and design from Monoprice.
But "upward" isn't the only direction sound is being fired toward. This set's subwoofer — the frequency of which rocks between 40 and 150 Hz — has an eight-inch downward-firing speaker, giving you a juicy reflection of sound from the floor back to you to create a traditional surround sound audio experience.
And if your receiver isn't capable of outputting Atmos sound, worry not — these speakers are perfectly compatible with regular 5.1 sound designs as well.
Yamaha YHT-4950U receiver
If you don't have an audio receiver, but want one, there aren't much better deals available than the Yamaha YHT-4950U home theater system. You get six speaker units — center, left, right, rear left, rear right, subwoofer — plus an entire receiver, all for just $420. For comparison, the well-regarded Onkyo TX-NR6100 receiver costs $680 on its own, let alone the speakers.
Beyond its value, this Yamaha system delivers clear 5.1 surround sound audio, of course. For those intimidated by futzing with technical setups, this comes with what Yamaha calls a "Yamaha Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer." Simply place this neat little device where you plan on listening to your content, let it analyze your room's acoustics, and the system will automatically switch itself to the best possible settings for your spatial context.
And if you're like, "I want different spatial contexts," the YHT-4950U also offers what Yamaha calls CINEMA DSP technology, which mimics the "dynamics of the listening environment" of venues like the Roxy Theater and places like European cathedrals.
Or you can just listen to really good sound this receiver offers by default.
LG S75QR
A hybrid soundbar/surround sound system, requiring no separate receiver for functionality, LG's S75QR boasts 5.1.2 sound with Dolby Atmos at the low price of $350. Presumably these speakers would pair wonderfully with LG's OLED TVs, but those are certainly a lot more money in comparison.
To offer its Atmos and DTS:X 3D-styled audio, the S75QR uses up-firing height channels in its soundbar speakers, combining with the system's subwoofer and rear units to surround the listener.
If you're not listening to native Atmos audio, LG partnered with British audio company Meridian Horizon to offer upmixing technology that turns two-channel stereo content into a more immersive, multichannel output. According to LG, stereo audio is outputted "regardless of listening position or location in the room," and is still capable of producing accurate and immersive sound.
Plus, for those who want their surround system to be used on as many devices as possible, the S75QR comes with Bluetooth compatibility out of the box.
Klipsch Reference Theater Pack
If you already have a receiver and need a good speaker set to go along with it, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal than the Klipsch Reference Theater Pack for just $400.
This particular 5.1 surround sound system was originally released in 2017 for around $1,300. With those few years of aging, and quite a few bucks off the price tag, you won't get many of the fancy, all-in-one features like Dolby Atmos or Bluetooth connectivity (though its subwoofer functions wirelessly).
What you will get, however, is some of the clearest, crispest, and cleanest audio out of your favorite TV shows, movies, and games. Klipsch's Reference series of speakers uses linear travel suspension tweeters, designed specifically to eradicate distortion. Couple that with the injected molded graphite woofers, made to minimize cone breakup, and that's hi-fi sound on a low-fi budget.
Just remember that these speakers aren't for folks who want to connect something directly into their television — you'll need a separate audio receiver for these.