Cinematography is one of the most popular entertainment. Anyone loves watching movies. Someone is closer to horror films, others like to cry over melodramas, and still others are attracted to action films by their entertainment. And if earlier it was possible to get the maximum of emotions from such films only in specialized halls, today they can be provided by the best home theaters. Moreover, they are even more convenient, because there will be no annoying spectators nearby, and the place you choose will always be perfect. But first of all, you need to make the right choice of home theater. And our rating will help you buy a system based on your budget and needs.
Top home theater manufacturers
Where to start considering such devices? Of course, from the firms that produce them. There are several dozen manufacturers on the market, but there are only five really worthy of attention among them:
- Onkyo... The name of this brand is formed from two Japanese words - sound (on) and kyo (harmony). Indeed, in terms of sound harmony, the products of this company are out of competition. But for high quality you have to pay the same price.
- Samsung... A South Korean giant that manufactures premium home appliances and advanced consumer electronics. Among other things, the company produces some of the best value for money home theater systems.
- Sony... The well-known Japanese company has many divisions responsible for the production of smartphones, cameras, consoles, games, TVs and even films. Therefore, in Sony they know everything about the picture, sound and how they should feel. This knowledge is used by engineers in the development of home theaters.
- Lg... Another manufacturer from South Korea. LG is Samsung's main competitor in many segments, and home theaters are no exception. In general, both firms produce similar products, but sometimes they bypass each other.
- Mystery... Among the legendary brands, there was a place for a domestic company. Mystery products are developed in Russia and manufactured at leading factories in China. This allows us to offer functional devices at an affordable price.
Best low-cost home theaters
Budget systems cannot boast of the functionality of expensive analogs. But among their advantages, in addition to their low cost, include high-quality sound, convenient control and compact size. The range of inexpensive cinemas offers both simple 2.1 format models and more advanced solutions that allow you to enjoy surround sound while watching modern blockbusters. If your requirements are low, and your financial capabilities are modest, then we recommend budget systems.
1. Mystery MSB-115W
The MSB-115W is a cheap movie theater with good build and sound quality. The device is much more affordable than its closest competitors, which makes it possible to recommend it even to owners of inexpensive TVs. The Mystery system is equipped with a soundbar that is connected via an audio cable or HDMI, as well as a wireless subwoofer. The total power of a good home theater from a domestic brand is 300 watts.
Please note that this device only works with physical CD and DVD media. The system also has a USB 2.0 standard port for external storage.
Also, buyers note the compactness of the MSB-115W, which will come in handy when installing a cinema in a small room or studio apartment. If the source allows, then the Mystery system adjusts to any task, be it movies or music, using an equalizer. Also in this model you can listen to radio stations.
Advantages:
- average price ;
- good sound quality;
- wireless subwoofer 150 W;
- Ease of controls.
Disadvantages:
- The bluetooth of the subwoofer can jam Wi-Fi.
2. LG LHB655
The best Blu-ray 3D cinema in the budget segment is offered by LG. The capabilities of the LHB655 are excellent for their value. This system is 5.1, including a center channel, a subwoofer, and two rear and two front speakers. The power of all emitters is the same and is equal to 167 W. In total, this provides the user with high-quality sound per kilowatt.
In terms of functionality, this home theater will not disappoint even demanding buyers, because it provides both 3D support and the ability to play movies in Full HD resolution. Not only BDs, CDs and DVDs, but also HDDs and other external drives connected via USB can act as storage media for the LHB655. Thanks to the Smart Share function, you can also play content from mobile devices.
Advantages:
- excellent functionality;
- reads many modern formats;
- built-in FM tuner;
- great sounding;
- wireless modules;
- versatility.
Disadvantages:
- not long enough wires.
The best home theaters price-quality
There are also dozens of top-notch cinemas in the mid-range segment. Chinese are less common here, and South Korean brands and their Japanese competitors dominate. Most of the models in this category belong to the 5.1 format, which is most demanded by users. The average cost of the selected devices in the ranking of the best home theaters in terms of price and quality is at the level that still fits into the budget of most buyers.
1. Samsung HT-J5550K
Reasonable cost, high power and nice design - all this will be offered to you by an excellent 5.1 home theater from Samsung. The system includes a passive subwoofer, center, single-way rear speakers and front two-way speakers. The total output acoustics power is 1 kW.
The main unit of the theater combines the capabilities of an AV receiver, 3D Blu-ray player and FM tuner. For the latter, you can store up to 15 radio station settings.
Traditionally, to play movies and videos on the device, you can use discs or external drives connected via the USB input. DLNA support is also announced, which allows you to open multimedia files from any active device within the home series.
If you haven't decided which cinema to choose yet, Samsung can also attract attention with the Opera TV Store, thanks to which the device gets much more options than inexpensive TVs. Lovers of bass and juicy explosions will also appreciate the Power Bass function for boosting low frequencies.
Advantages:
- perfect build;
- omnivorous formats;
- excellent appearance;
- installing applications;
- excellent sound.
Disadvantages:
- no Bluetooth connection protection.
2. LG LHB655NK
The LG brand continues the TOP of home theaters with its LHB655NK model. Despite the similarity in names with a device from the first category of the rating, we have completely different systems. Even in the design, with the naked eye, you can see significant differences between these modifications. But the characteristics of the speakers of one of the best home theaters, according to the reviews of its owners, do not differ from their younger "brother".
The LHB655NK offers FM radio users with a tuning range of 87.5 to 108 MHz and the ability to store up to 50 radio stations in memory. Also in an excellent cinema for watching movies in high quality, a DAC (12 bit, 148 MHz) is installed and the Private Sound function is available, which allows you to play sound through a smartphone via Wi-Fi.Other interfaces include USB, HDMI, Bluetooth and two microphone inputs.
Advantages:
- karaoke function with effects;
- the presence of a microphone in the kit;
- memory for 50 radio stations;
- reading USB drives and writing;
- low average cost.
Disadvantages:
- Feels like it does not give out the declared power;
- there is only one HDMI in the device.
3. Sony BDV-E6100
Closing the top three is the cool Sony home theater in 5.1 configuration, which has received many positive reviews from real buyers. One of the main advantages of this model is, of course, the sound - powerful, juicy, loud and with a uniform reproducer of all frequencies. However, if necessary, you can customize everything for yourself, highlighting the bass or making the "middle" more expressive.
The device works seamlessly with all popular formats. Buyers will not be disappointed either by a set of interfaces including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless modules, audio inputs (optical and stereo) and Ethernet. Of the useful features of this home theater, we can single out support for BD-Live, RDS, DLNA and external HDDs, as well as radio for 20 stations.
Advantages:
- luxurious sound;
- rich bass;
- there is the possibility of fine tuning to suit your preferences;
- FM radio operation;
- case quality;
- wireless modules;
- good cable length.
Disadvantages:
- sometimes slows down;
- interface for an amateur.
The best premium home theaters
Top-end devices are not mass products, not only because of their cost. There is no point in buying such devices if you only want to slightly improve the capabilities of the TV. It makes no sense to buy advanced home theaters and owners of simple TVs with a small diagonal, because excellent sound effects will not greatly improve the experience of watching movies with an inexpressive picture. But for owners of excellent TVs, we recommend premium products from the Onkyo brand.
1. Onkyo HT-S5805
Cool home theater, including a full-fledged 7.1 receiver with 7x100W output into 6 ohms, five wooden speakers and an 80W subwoofer with a 200mm speaker. The HT-S5805 supports Object Oriented Audio and 5.1.2.
If you need a USB port and network connectivity, take a look at the HTS7805, which has these options.
The home theater supports up to 4K resolution and HDCP 2.2 Advanced Profile. Also, Bluetooth is installed in the system, through which you can find a mobile device and display music or videos from YouTube from it. In this case, the connection always remains stable and does not freeze.
Advantages:
- flawless assembly;
- convenient control panel;
- pairing with a smartphone;
- ease of customization;
- excellent sound;
- the ability to add columns.
Disadvantages:
- unable to connect to the network;
- no USB input.
2. Onkyo HT-S9800THX
The review is completed by an impeccable home theater in a 7.1 configuration with an immodest price tag of one hundred thousand rubles. This device can be called the ultimate dream for any connoisseur of quality sound. Dolby Atmos support for the HT-S9800THX home theater ensures a fully immersive movie experience. Users can play them both via USB, wireless channels, and discs.
The variety of interfaces here is great. The device has 7 HDMI ports for input and 2 for output at once, there are connectors for a subwoofer, headphones, stereo audio, optical and coaxial, as well as a microphone input. The front speakers Onkyo HT-S9800THX are equipped with a pair of 120 mm woofers and one 25 mm tweeter, the rear speakers - one woofer and one treble at 130 and 25 mm. The power of all channels is 130 W, and the subwoofer is 125 W (300 mm speaker).
Advantages:
- support for all modern formats;
- impressive interface set;
- excellent sound quality;
- build and nice design;
- proprietary Onkyo Controller interface;
- Broadcast 4K HDR video.
Disadvantages:
- high price.
Which home theater is better to buy
For users who do not have strict budget constraints, we recommend choosing devices from the Japanese company Onkyo. For those who don't have that kind of money, we've included excellent solutions from Samsung and Sony in our roundup of the best home theater models. They delight with excellent sound and a good range of features.
If you are wondering which one is better to choose a home theater with support for karaoke, then, of course, we recommend LG products. Koreans also ranked positively in the budget category. But if you don't need multichannel systems, then you can take a closer look at the 2.1 format represented by the domestic brand Mystery.
