Slim-panel TVs are elegant and have great picture quality. But they seldom do justice to the soundtrack. Owning to their slender design, there is often not much space to house for large speakers. So, while the video is breath-taking, the audio lacks in detail and depth.
To make up for this, there are home theater systems which are ready-to-plug-in sound systems that elevate the audio profile of flat-panel TVs and computer desktops. In this segment, we are going to discuss 5.1 channel surround sound systems. These are humongous multi-device speaker systems that substitute the tinny sound of TVs with spacious high-fidelity audio. They offer a better realistic sound profile that matches the on-screen action in impact and feel.
Top 5 Home Theater Sound System Review
We have handpicked 5 top products in this segment. Look at the below table to compare the best floor standing speakers right now. To know more about the product details of floor standing speakers, check the later section on detailed product review.
Let’s begin.
Logitech Z906 5.1 Home Theater Surround Sound System
The Logitech Z906 is the perfect choice for a home theatre system. It has 5.1 channels and supports Dolby Digital and DTS. Packed with 1000 watts peak and 500 watts RMS power, the THX-certified loudspeakers pump out luxurious audio that’s sure to enhance the home cinema experience.
The gadget includes four satellite speakers, one center channel, one subwoofer, one control console and a remote controller. The satellite and center speakers each have a power rating of 67 watts, while the sub has 165 watts. The sub features an 8-inch driver that generates excellent low-end frequencies. The enclosure is ported for extra bang.
The remote allows easy control over the gadget. It lets you manage the playlist, change the volume, mode and channels without getting up from the couch. The best thing about the Z906 is you can set different volumes for different speakers. Say if you want the front and center channels to be louder than the rear speakers, you can do it with the help of the remote. The bass volume can also be modulated independent of the other speakers. All in all, you can tweak around with the volume to suit your preference.
Another cool feature of the Logitech Z906 is that it lets you choose between different sound settings. It has stereo 2.1, stereo 4.1 and 5.1 3D surround sound. For compact rooms, the 2.1 setup is ideal. It includes two front speakers for stereo sound and a subwoofer. For larger spaces, the 4.1layout is great. It includes two front and two rear speakers, plus a subwoofer. If the space is even larger, a full 5.1 mode is best. It produces spacious 3D surround sound with the help of all the speakers in the system. In short, the gadget is suitable for all sizes of rooms. It is versatile and adapts to every need.
For instance, it works great as a personal entertainment system. You can listen to music, watch movies and play games by yourself or with friends and family. It is also great for entertaining guests or a large gathering. No matter how big or small the space is, and no matter how many people there are in it, the Z906 knows how to offer the best sound.
The system works with any device that can feed signal into it such as television, computer, music player, DVD player, tablet, smartphone, Blu-ray player, PlayStation, Xbox, etc. It is equipped with a headphone jack, a 3.5mm input, an RCA input, a digital optical input, a digital coaxial input, and a 6-channel direct input. In other words, it has universal connectivity and works with any sound source.
The front and rear speakers are designed to be placed on tables or shelves. The subwoofer and the center channel speaker are wall-mountable, although the mounting hardware has to be purchased separately.
With regards to placement of the units, the front speaker pair can be placed on either side of the screen, at equal distances from its center. You might want to angle the two towards you and have them at ear level when you are seated on the couch. The center channel is best placed in front of the screen, either below or above it. The rear speakers can be installed behind the listening position, at ear level and directed towards the listener. The subwoofer can go anywhere in the room, but preferably on the floor. Just make sure not to block off the bass port with barriers.
The wired control console is best kept close at hand. The IR window should be in plain view so that it can receive signals from the remote without any hindrance. The buttons and volume knob are easy to use. The remote control is wireless and comes with 3 AAA batteries.
Each of the satellites measures 165.3mm x 99.3mm x 92.5mm, and weighs 840g. The center channel speaker measures 100.3mm x 166.3mm x 93.5mm, and weighs 890g. The subwoofer is 292mm 280mm x 350mm, and weighs 8.54kg. The remote control is lightweight, weighing just 67g.
Warranty period is one year.
Key Features :
- 1 channel surround sound system.
- THX-certified speakers, Dolby Digital and DTS-ready.
- 4 satellites, 1 center channel, 1 subwoofer, 1 control console, 1 wireless remote.
- 8-inch ported subwoofer, selective volume control, sound modes: 2.1, 4.1, 5.1 (3D).
- Inputs: headphone jack, 3.5mm AUX, digital optical, digital coaxial, RCA, 6-channel direct.
Klipsch Black Reference Theatre Pack 5.1 Surround Sound System
The next sound system on our list is by Klipsch. It is the Klipsch Black Reference Theatre Pack. Geared with 5.1 channels, it delivers superlative music while maintaining a small footprint. Engineered with Klipsch’s signature Tractrix Horn Technology, it delivers powerful 5.1 surround sound for an unbeatable home theatre effect. It has a wireless subwoofer and works with most AV receivers.
The system comprises of four satellite speakers, one center channel, and one subwoofer. The satellites each have a peak power handling of 200 watts and an RMS power handling of 50 watts. The center channel has a peak power of 300 watts and an RMS power of 75 watts. The sub has built-in amplification. It has a peak rating of 150 watts and an RMS rating of 50 watts.
The satellites and the center channel have a frequency response of 110Hz – 23kHz +/– 3dB, and nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Sensitivity of the satellites is 91dB @ 2.83 volts/1 meter and that of the center channel is 94dB @ 2.83 volts/1 meter.
Klipsch uses Linear Travel Suspension tweeters with Tractrix Horn in its satellites and center channels. This cutting-edge tweeter design minimizes distortion and improves sound detailing. Each speaker is fitted with one ¾ inch aluminum diaphragm compression driver mated to a 90°x90° Tractrix Horn. Tractrix Horn is an exclusive innovation of Klipsch. It joins forces with the aluminum tweeter to deliver clean high-end response with improved extension. Sound imaging and dynamics are also noticeably better. Like many multi channel surround sound system, this has also the ability of signal coupling which gives better performance. This is achieved through the use of PCB net ties.
The satellites have one low-frequency driver each and the center channel has two. The size and make of this woofer are the same. It is a 3.5-inch spun copper Injection Molded Graphite woofer. IMG woofers display outstanding rigidity but are extremely lightweight. They are capable of remarkable low-frequency response without any distortion or cone damage.
Now let us talk about the subwoofer. This is a wireless 8-inch down-firing sub with a bass reflex enclosure and an integrated all-digital amplifier. It has a frequency response of 38Hz – 120Hz +/– 3dB and maximum acoustic output of 108dB. For inputs, there is a 2.4 GHz CD-quality wireless jack and a line level / LFE RCA jack. This helps produce premium CD-like audio full of excellent detail and depth. For best results, connect the pre-paired transmitter to the sub or LFE out on your receiver, and place the sub in a spot where it sounds best.
The subwoofer has an MDF enclosure with a brushed black polymer veneer finish. It weighs 15 lbs and measures (in inches) 13.25 (H) x 11.75 (W) x 11.75 (D).
Mounting the units is a breeze. Each satellite speaker has a keyhole and ¼ inch x 20 threaded insert. The center channel has dual keyholes with dual ¼ inch x 20 threaded inserts. You have the option to either wall-mount the speakers, or have them on stands or tables.
For best overall sound, you want the two front and center channel speakers to be equidistant from the couch or listening position. The distance between the two front speakers should be 6-15 feet. Place the front speakers at an angle so that they directly face the listener. The rear speakers must also be at equal distances from the couch. All the speakers should be at ear height. The subwoofer can go on the floor next to the screen or in a corner of the room. Just be sure not to shove it too close to a wall. You don’t want any barriers blocking off the vent and muffling the bass.
For maintenance, you might dust the device with a dry cloth, but avoid using corrosive solvent-based cleaners. You can also use the brush of your vacuum cleaner to remove dirt from speaker grilles.
Key Features :
- 1 channel surround sound system.
- Wireless powered 8-inch down-firing bass reflex subwoofer.
- Four satellites, one center channel, compatible with most AV receivers.
- 5-inch spun copper injection molded graphite woofers.
- 75 linear travel suspension tweeter with 90°x90° Tractrix Horn.
Fluance Elite SXHTB High-Definition Surround Sound Home Theater System
The Fluance Elite SXHTB is a great choice for a surround sound system. It has two ginormous floor-standing front speakers, a pair of rear satellite speakers and a center channel speaker. Available in black ash wood, natural walnut and white finishes, the speakers blend in with the décor of your home quite effortlessly. It is certainly among the better-looking audio systems in the 5.1 category.
The device supports Dolby Surround and DTS. No matter how high the volume is, the sound never cracks and the dialogues stand out with astounding clarity. If you want to soak in the cinematic brilliance of a movie the way it was intended to be, this is the gadget for you.
Now let’s focus on the individual speakers. First, the pair of front(main) speakers. These floor-standing speakers have a 2-way configuration. Each unit houses 3 drivers: a tweeter and two woofers. The tweeter is a 1-inch Silk Dome Ferrofluid-cooled tweeter. This ultra-high-end neodymium balanced tweeter produces precise high-frequency response. Plus, it is ferrofluid-cooled to ensure a longer life.
The woofers used in the front speakers are 6.5-inch poly-coated subwoofer drivers with butyl rubber surrounds. The combined force of the subs and the tweeters deliver a wide frequency response of 49Hz to 20 kHz. They have a sensitivity of 89dB @ 2.83V / 1m and impedance of 8 ohms. Crossover frequency is3500 Hz.
Power handling of the mains is 50-160 watts each. They have bass reflex enclosures with horizontal and vertical internal bracing. The bass ports are tuned for controlled low frequency release and better efficiency. The boxes are made of high-quality MDF wood to reduce cabinet resonance. Reinforced front baffle adorn the front side of the speakers.
The center and rear speakers have a 2-way design. The center channel has 3 drivers and the rear speakers have 2 drivers each. The center channel has one 1-inch Neodymium Balanced Dome Ferrofluid-cooled tweeter and two 4-inch poly-coated midrange drivers. The rear speakers each have one 1-inch Neodymium Balanced Dome Ferrofluid-cooled tweeter and one 4-inch poly-coated midrange driver.
Frequency response of the center as well as rear speakers is 80Hz to 20kHz, sensitivity is 86dB @ 2.83V / 1m and impedance is 8 ohms. Crossover frequency is 8000 Hz. The speakers have bass reflex enclosures made of MDF. The material is precision-crafted to make it audio-grade. This helps reproduce natural sound and avoid resonance.
The rear surround speakers are ideal for use in Dolby Atmos. If you have Dolby Atmos in your existing media system, or are planning to upgrade to it in the future, we highly recommend you get the Fluance Elite SXHTB. It will future proof your home entertainment, and help you upgrade to Atmos any time you want.
The biggest selling point of the system is its minimal footprint. Since main front speakers contain the subwoofers, there’s no need to make room for a separate subwoofer. And because the mains are slender and tall, they require very little floor space. For stable placement, the fronts and surrounds have isolation platforms with integrated floor spikes. The spikes offer firm grip on hardwood as well as carpeted floors. The surrounds can be mounted to walls. They come with built-in keyhole slots and mounting hardware.
All units are magnetically shielded to avoid interference with other AV gadgets. They have connectors compatible with banana plug and speaker wire. The system features 18-gauge internal lead wire to cut down on signal degradation. It has high-quality Butterworth design crossovers for audio equalization. The front grilles on all the speakers are removable. They have a low diffraction flush fit for enhanced imaging.
Dimensions of the units are as follows (HxWxD): Front speakers: 38.8 x 7.8 x 13.0 inches. Center channel: 5.24 X 15.8 X 7.9 inches. Rear surrounds: 9.75 X 5.25 X 6.98 inches.
Key Features :
- Dolby Atmos ready 5.1 channel surround sound system.
- Two floor-standing main speakers, one center channel, two rear surrounds.
- 2-way configuration, Dolby Surround, DTS, bass reflex MDF construction.
- 1-inch Silk Dome Ferrofluid-cooled tweeter, 4-inch poly-coated midrange driver.
- 5-inch poly-coated subwoofer, tuned bass port, magnetically shielded, isolation platform.
Logitech X-540 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System
The Logitech X-540 is one of the best surround sound systems for gaming and movie nights. It has a special Matrix Mode that transforms the audio of classic video games from stereo to surround sound. If you would like to play your favorite old video games in room-filling 3D surround sound, you should definitely check out the X-540.It works great with desktops and flat-screen televisions. The speakers are compact and deliver outstanding output for an ultimate gaming experience.
The X-540 comprises of a pair of front speakers, a pair of rear speakers, a center channel and a subwoofer. A corded control pod allows easy access to settings. Each of the 5 speakers is fitted with dual 2-inch drivers and has grilles in front. The subwoofer has a single down-firing 5 ¼ inch woofer inside a ported enclosure. For computers and gaming monitors, the X-540’s individual units are just the right size.
The satellites use Frequency Directed Dual Drivers (FDD²)to eliminate uneven frequency response. Uneven frequency response results when certain bands of frequency are artificially louder or softer than they were intended to be. FDD² technology ensures a smooth and uniform sound field across the room. There are no dead zones or hot spots which are sometimes created by conventional dual driver speakers.
The satellites have flexible stands that allow them to be placed on flat surfaces or mounted to walls. Each unit has a notch for hanging it from nails or other wall anchors.
The center channel has a built-in clip that lets you mount it on top of your display screen. For this, you need to swivel back the base of the speaker until the lip at the bottom of the speaker is touching the front of the monitor. Then swivel the base back to the rear side of the monitor and tighten the hinge screws to lock it in place.
The subwoofer is designed to be placed on shelves or on the floor. The ideal position for the sub is beneath the monitor on the floor. It might be kept under a table or in a corner. Be sure to leave at least 6 inches of free space around the device for free ventilation and unhindered bass output.
For best audio performance, we suggest you setup the front speakers one either side of the display, at equal distances from the center of the screen. The center channel can go on top of the monitor as described above or placed below the screen on a table or shelf. The rear speakers must be a little behind the listening position, one on either side of it. All devices should be at ear height and facing the listening zone.
The Logitech X-540 has a wired control pod. The pod has a headphone jack, a master volume knob, bass knob, Matrix Mode button and Matrix Mode indicator, power/standby indicator and a power/standby button. Keep the pod in an accessible location for quick and easy sound adjustments.
The system supports Dolby Digital technology on PCs. You need a 6-channel or greater sound card, or DVD software that can decode a Dolby Digital soundtrack.
For safety, you want to first setup and wire the system fully, and then connect it to a power source. Total RMS power of the X-540 is 70 watts. The satellites have a combined RMS power of 45 watts (2 x 7.4 watts (front); 2 x 7.4 watts (rear), 15.4 water (center) while the sub delivers 25 watts RMS. Total peak power of the system is 140 watts. Frequency response is 40Hz to 20kHz.
The package contains color-coded audio cables and a game console adapter. There is a 2-year limited warranty on the hardware.
Dimensions of the devices are as follows (HxWxD): Satellites: 8.4 x 3.2 x 5 inches. Center: 7.8 x 4.75 x 3.75 inches. Sub: 11.25 x 6.5 x 9.75 inches.
Key Features :
- Best 5.1 surround sound system for gaming.
- Matrix Mode, Frequency Directed Dual Driver technology.
- Two front, two rear, one center channel speaker, one subwoofer, one wired control pod.
- Dual 2-inch drivers in each satellite, 5 ¼ inch down-firing subwoofer, bass reflex enclosure.
- Supports Dolby Digital, flexible speaker placement, center channel has built-in mounting clip.
Polk 5.1 Channel Home Theater System with Subwoofer
This home theater bundle by Polk has an impressive collection of speakers. It packs a total of 15 loudspeakers in 6 devices from the T-Series, an exclusive series of new-age speakers by Polk Audio. This includes two T50 floor-standing tower speakers, one T30 center channel, two T15 bookshelf speakers, and one PSW10 subwoofer. The sound they reproduce is just out of the world. Vocals and dialogues are distinct, midrange is crisp, and bass is beefy and deep. All the speakers in this bundle support Dolby Digital and DTS, and work with most home theater receivers, processors or stereos.
Now let us take a look at the front T50 speakers. Each T50 houses a 1-inch silk dome wave-guide tweeter, a 6 ½ inch Dynamic Balance mid/woofer and two 6 ½ inch bass radiators. The tweeters and mid/woofers have wide-dispersion sound projection. The woofers are built with Polk’s signature Dynamic Balance technology which ensures all frequency bands are equally represented. The two bass radiators accentuate the sound of the woofer to give you high-resolution audio that permeates every corner of the room.
The T50s have a bass reflex construction. They have a set of 5-way binding posts. Peak power handling is 150 watts and recommended watts/channel is 20-100 watts. Frequency response is 38Hz to 24kHz, nominal impedance is 8-6 ohms and sensitivity is 90dB.
The T30 center channel speaker has one 1-inch tweeter and two 5 ¼ inch mid/woofers. The material and technology used is the same as T50. The box is vented and has a pair of gold-plated 5-way binding posts. Ideal placement for the T30 is beneath the TV, on a shelf or media console. It has a frequency response of 60Hz to 24kHz and nominal impedance of 6 ohms. Peak power handling is 100 watts and recommended power handling is 20-100 watts.
The T15 bookshelf speakers can be used as front speakers in a smaller 2.1 or 3.1 home theater setup, or as rear satellite speakers in a larger 5.1 setup. In either case, they pack quite a punch, sending out intelligible vocals and high notes. Each unit contains a ¾ inch tweeter and a 5 ¼ inch composite mid/woofer. A performance-tuned rear-firing bass port elevates the impact of the mid/woofer and lends the sound a luxurious feel. Frequency response of the bookshelf speaker is 60Hz to 24kHz and nominal impedance is8 ohms. Peak power and recommended power are the same as the center channel.
Finally, let’s talk about the sub. The PSW10 is a formidable powered subwoofer with a 10-inch polymer composite Dynamic Balance woofer cone. It is engineered with laser-based Klippel Measurement technology which uses a distortion analyzer to optimize the structure of the woofer motor, voice coil alignment and suspension to generate better low-end frequencies even at extreme listening levels.
The woofer has a high-roll foam surround that offers longer excursion. The bass port is in front and it is flared to provide accurate bass. The enclosure has a traditional wooden look with a titanium baffle design. The front grille is sleek and removable.
The best thing about the PSW10 is that it is compatible with almost all modern receivers. The rear panel has two stereo line level RCA inputs, a pair of analog RCA inputs, two pairs of spring terminal speaker inputs, and two pair of speaker outputs. In addition, there is a phase toggle switch for hooking up multiple subs for a multi-room or multi-zone installation.
The sub has an integrated 50-watt RMS amplifier which can handle up to 100 watts max. It has a continuously variable 80-160 Hz crossover and a frequency response of 40-200Hz.
All the devices in the Polk 5.1 system are made of furniture-grade acoustically inert MDF wood. This kind of engineering reduces distortion and cabinet resonance. The final output is rich, deep and clean.
The great thing about this 5.1 Polk home theater system is that you can use it as it is, or upgrade to a 7.1, 9.1 or higher setup for a multi-room experience. It is incredibly flexible and can be hooked up to additional speakers, should the need arise.
Key Features :
- 1 surround sound system by Polk’s signature T-Series.
- 2 T50 tower speaker, 1 T30 center channel, 2 T15 bookshelf speaker, 1 subwoofer.
- 1-inch silk dome tweeter, Dynamic Balance mid/woofer, bass radiator, 10-inch sub.
- Laser-based Klippel Measurement technology, furniture-grade acoustically inert MDF boxes.
- Future-proof, can be upgraded to 7.1, 9.1 systems, compatible with Dolby Digital and DTS.