Top 3 Best Home Theater Systems in 2023

Are you looking for the best home theater system?

After extensive research, we’ve compiled a list of our top choice, the best value premium, and the best budget home theater system. 

Our top choice was based on two major criteria; the best overall performance at a great price. This model includes flagship-level features to get you the best audio experience at a reasonable price tag. 

The best value premium home theater system is the very best money can buy without overspending. This is the system to get if you have a high budget and are looking to splurge. This option will include advanced tech to enhance spatial audio, quality, and bass.

The best budget option is the best value for money. If you’re sticking to a tight budget and don’t want to compromise on features. It’ll still get you a booming sound system with a few missing flagship features. 

That said, let’s get straight into the list.

3 Best Home Theater Systems

1. JBL Bar 9.1 – Our Top Choice 

2. Sony HT-A5000 – Best Premium Value Home Theater System

3. VIZIO M51ax-J6 – Best Budget Home Theater System

1. JBL Bar 9.1 – Our Top Choice 

Ranking in the top spot as the Best Overall Home Theater System is the JBL Bar 9.1. It’s a sleek and functional home theater system at a great price. Other 9.1 channel home theater setups can cost up to $2000 – $3000. 

But you can get this home theater for less than $1000.

Besides the price, the JBL Bar is a sleek and stylish home theater system. It doesn’t have huge, obtrusive speakers to clog up your living room and TV space thanks to the two detachable wireless surround speakers. 

Just detach the speakers from the soundbar and place them wherever you please. There are two separate drivers on both wireless speakers; one up-facing and one forward-facing for complete surround sound. 

You don’t have to connect any wires since the two detachable speakers work on battery power and can last up to 10 hours. Once you’re done, plug it back into the soundbar to recharge. 

This is a great option if you don’t have a dedicated home theater room. It saves space, looks sleek, and works wirelessly. 

You also get a powerful 10-inch powered subwoofer with a 300W power output. It has extra punchy bass for a truly cinematic action movie experience. The subwoofer itself has a minimalistic design so it won’t stand out in a living room. 

The JBL bar 9.1 also has Dolby Atmos and DTS:X built-in. Both these features allow true 3D sound with accurate multi-dimensional audio while sounding crystal clear. This is paired with 4 up-firing speakers on the main soundbar. 

The main soundbar unit is impressive too, with a total of 820W power output. This is a powerful set-up that’ll kick things up a notch on your next movie night.

Compared to its top competitor, the Sonos Arc, the Bar 9.1 has more powerful bass, and a total of 820W power output, a lower 34Hz bass frequency, and comes with a subwoofer & rear speakers. 

While the Sonos Arc is highly regarded for its ecosystem and voice control, the Bar 9.1 is simply more powerful. Additionally, it comes with an entire home theater system including rear speakers and an external subwoofer for improved bass/surround sound.

Considering you get either a Sonos Arc soundbar vs. an entire home theater system at almost the same price, the JBL Bar 9.1 is the best option for both bass and surround sound. 

It also supports Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, and Bluetooth streaming. You can connect directly to your smart devices without a complicated setup. 

But a big downside we noticed with the wireless speakers is that they can sometimes disconnect. This can happen from time to time, so you’ll need to reconnect the  speakers to the soundbar. 

This is the inherent problem with Bluetooth as it can be unreliable. 

And since your rear speakers run on battery, you’ll have to charge it beforehand. This is an inconvenience that could easily be remedied by including an additional USB power cable long enough to reach an outlet. 

This way, you get the best of both worlds depending on the situation. With what you get in the box, your only option is to dock the speakers to the soundbar to charge. 

Otherwise, the JBL Bar 9.1 is a well-rounded home theater system. It’s got plenty of power, supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and has two detachable wireless speakers, all in a sleek design and form factor.

It’s a perfect companion if you have limited space for your home theater system. 

Rating 

• Value for Money – 8.5/10
• Sound Quality – 9/10
• Connectivity – 8.5/10
• Ease of Use – 9/10
• Overall Rating –  8.75/10

2. Sony HT-A5000 – Best Premium Value Home Theater System

If you’ve got some extra cash to spend, the Sony HT-A5000 is our pick as the best value premium home theater system. It works best when purchased along with the SW5 300W wireless subwoofer and dual RS3S wireless rear speakers. 

We’ll include a link to a bundle including all three down in the description.

The HT-A5000 soundbar is powerful and can output 450W of power on its own. Pair it with the subwoofer and speakers, and the audio will sound fuller and punchier. 

But the soundbar already has a great setup internally, rocking 2 up-firing speakers, 2 beam tweeters, and 3 forward-facing speakers with an integrated subwoofer. The soundbar output is powerful, clear, and immersive. 

It also features Sony’s Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force PRO Front Surround technologies which enhance surround sound capability. Both features help amplify audio using virtual surround sound. 

Plus, the HT-A5000 supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats. In terms of multi-dimensional audio, this soundbar is a clear powerhouse. 

The magic happens when you add in the SW5 wireless subwoofer and RS3S wireless rear speakers. The Subwoofer can output a punchy 300W of bass while the speakers combine for a total 100W output.

As a whole, the soundbar, speakers, and subwoofer have attractive builds. It’ll fit right into any living room without looking too obnoxious. 

Both the speakers and subwoofer connect to the HT-A5000 wirelessly via Bluetooth so you don’t need additional wire connections.

The setup is simple, and it works well but Bluetooth connectivity isn’t the most reliable, so expect minor hiccups. 

Compared to its predecessor, the Sony HT-ST5000, the HT-A5000 features an updated compact & minimalist design, 360° Reality Audio support, and an HDMI eARC port. 

The HT-A5000 gives the older version a makeover while improving surround sound. 

360° Reality Audio uses object-based spatial audio tech to create a 3D space that sounds like you’re at a live concert. HDMI eARC is important to ensure you can use the latest audio formats & the full audio resolution. 

And the updated design makes it fit into any modern home. 

The HT-ST5000 does have a 7.1.2 channel setup and additional ports. But the HT-A5000 is still a significant improvement over the older model, making it our pick of the two. 

What makes the HT-A5000 stand out is its wide-ranging built-in support. Besides Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, it also supports 8K HDR, 4K at 120Hz, and Dolby Vision passthrough. 

It also supports Chromecast, Apple Airplay, Spotify Connect, and both Alexa and Google Assistant voice control natively. If you already have a Sony Bravia TV, it will automatically sync and display the soundbar’s controls in the quick settings menu. 

Another unique feature is the DSEE Extreme upscaling. This upscales compressed audio files and compensates for the lost high-range sound, resulting in a richer and fuller audio experience. 

When you look at the overall package, the HT-A5000 has a lot to offer. Pair it with the surround speakers and subwoofer and you’ve got a proper and powerful home theater system. 

It does have some downsides like the limited port selection of 1x HDMI input and 1x HDMI eARC output so you can’t connect more than 2 devices at once. It’s also subject to problems with Bluetooth Connectivity. 

Plus, it also doesn’t have a display which we really should see at this price segment. 

The asking price is high and there are some downsides, but it’s still a powerful option for one of the best home theater systems with a lot to love. 

Rating 

• Value for Money – 8/10
• Sound Quality – 9/10
• Connectivity – 9/10
• Ease of Use – 8.5/10
• Overall Rating – 8.6/10

3. VIZIO M51ax-J6 – Best Budget Home Theater System

If you’d prefer not to spend a fortune on one of the best home theater systems, the VIZIO M51ax-J6 is our best budget option. Don’t let the discounted price fool you since this VIZIO soundbar is an impressive home theater system. 

First up, the soundbar features 3 front-facing speakers, a passive radiator, a woofer, and a tweeter. This results in a clear, rich sound with a bumping bass, especially for the modest price. 

It also comes with a wireless 5” subwoofer and two separate speakers. 

The speakers can be placed either in front or behind where you sit. Place it in front when you want an extra kick in surround sound and put it behind you when you want a dynamic stereo audio experience. 

The audio is crisp and powerful in either orientation so it’s up to personal preference.

The subwoofer is also decent. It can output a 50Hz bass output in the tiny 5” body. However, the 50Hz output can be a little limiting if you’re a bass head. At lower frequencies, we noticed loud, abrupt vibrations. 

This can be pretty distracting since it’s very loud, so that’s really a downside. You can’t listen to bass-heavy tracks or action movies at lower frequencies. Luckily, the 50Hz max is still plenty for most people. 

Combining all the speakers/drivers, you’ve got a total of 9 speakers. It isn’t as full sounding as higher-priced sound systems, but it’s got enough of a kick to instantly transform your home into a cinema. 

The modestly priced VIZIO sound system supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio formats. This takes surround sound and spatial audio to a whole other level. 

We’ve seen pricier home theater systems without Dolby Atmos support, so that’s a big plus for this model. 

Another plus point is the design. The soundbar, speakers, and subwoofer are identically designed in compact, minimalist bodies. They add an oomph even to modest TV/projector setups. 

Compared to one of its top competitors, the JBL Bar 5.1, the M51ax-J6 features Dolby Atmos & DTS:X support, DTS Virtual:X surround sound, an HDMI eARC port, and is considerably cheaper including a sub-woofer and 2 rear speakers. 

The Bar 5.1 can reach a lower bass at 35Hz but the M51ax-J6 is the more complete package, especially considering the price. It also features Dolby Atmos which is very rare in this price range. 

For those reasons, we think the M51ax-J6 is the best option in the segment.

All in all, the Vizio M51ax-J6 is the best example of a value-for-money home theater setup. It gives you a lot of functionality and power at a low price. 

Of course, audio quality may not be up to par with flagship-level sound systems, but it holds its own well. It also has a limited port selection with only 1 HDMI eARC port and can’t connect to Wi-Fi. 

You can still use a Voice Assistant but only if you connect a physical smart speaker to the soundbar. It definitely has its downsides when you dig into what’s missing.

Even then, the power and functionality you get at this price are impressive enough. If you’re strapped for cash but still want an immersive movie and music audio experience, this is the one for you. 

Rating 

• Value for Money – 9.5/10
• Sound Quality – 7.5/10
• Connectivity – 8/10
• Ease of Use – 8/10
• Overall Rating – 8.25/10