The Best Gear for a Home Theater System in 2024 Reviews by Wirecutter We researched and tested to find the best-looking and best-sounding home theater equipment that will take your personal setup from functional to fantastic.
We researched and tested to find the best-looking and best-sounding home theater equipment that will take your personal setup from functional to fantastic. Updated July 2, 2024 Save
Epson Home Cinema LS11000
The best 4K projector
This laser 4K projector delivers a big, bright, beautiful image and has almost all the features you need—except 3D support.
Buying Options
$3,990 from Amazon$4,000 from Best Buy$4,000 from Dell
The best 4K projector
$3,990 from Amazon$4,000 from Best Buy$4,000 from Dell
BenQ HT2060
The best budget projector around $1,000
This projector produces a bright, rich-looking image with more accurate color than most competitors can offer. It’s easy to set up and quiet in operation, but it lacks features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.
Buying Options
$900 from Amazon$899 from WalmartMay be out of stock
$900 from Best Buy
The best budget projector around $1,000
$900 from Amazon$899 from WalmartMay be out of stock
$900 from Best Buy
Silver Ticket STR Series (White Material, 100-Inch)
Our favorite screen
This screen is comparable in performance to those costing seven times as much, plus it’s easy to set up and install. It’s a huge bargain for what it offers.
Buying Options
$230 from Amazon
Our favorite screen
$230 from Amazon
Denon AVR-X1800H
The best all-purpose AV receiver
This is a great-sounding, easy-to-use, 7.1-channel receiver that has all the necessary features to satisfy movie fans, music lovers, and gamers alike.
Buying Options
$635 from Amazon$639 from Best Buy$749 from Walmart
The best all-purpose AV receiver
$635 from Amazon$639 from Best Buy$749 from Walmart
Polk Signature Elite ES15
The ES15 bookshelf speaker pair sounds great, looks cool, and is surprisingly affordable.
Buying Options
$209 from Amazon
$209 from Amazon
Polk Signature Elite ES10
A compact surround speaker
The small ES10 is easy to fit or install just about anywhere, so it’s ideal as a surround speaker.
Buying Options
$249 from Amazon
A compact surround speaker
$249 from Amazon
Polk Signature Elite ES30
An easy-to-place center speaker
The ES30 is a good, affordable center-channel match for the ES15 and ES10 speakers in a surround-sound system.
Buying Options
$260 from Amazon
An easy-to-place center speaker
$260 from Amazon
Rogersound Labs Speedwoofer 10S MKII
A great subwoofer
This 10-inch subwoofer offers an ideal blend of bass power and finesse in a compact package, but you can buy it only directly from the manufacturer.
Buying Options
$449 from Rogersound Labs
A great subwoofer
$449 from Rogersound Labs
Samsung S90C Series
The best OLED TV for the money
This TV delivers stunning picture quality and great features for a relatively reasonable price. But it does not support Dolby Vision HDR.
Buying Options
$1,298 from Amazon(65-inch)$1,575 from Walmart(65-inch)$1,600 from Best Buy(65-inch)
The best OLED TV for the money
$1,298 from Amazon(65-inch)$1,575 from Walmart(65-inch)$1,600 from Best Buy(65-inch)
TCL QM8 Series
The best 4K LCD TV for the money
Capable of dazzling brightness and vibrant colors, this TV is a standout performer amongst LCD/LED TVs, but it’s available only in larger screen sizes.
Buying Options
$998 from Amazon(65-inch)$900 from Best Buy(65-inch)
The best 4K LCD TV for the money
$998 from Amazon(65-inch)$900 from Best Buy(65-inch)
Polk MagniFi Mini AX
The best all-around soundbar
Despite being simple, small, and affordable, this soundbar outperforms many larger, more complicated competitors.
Buying Options
$499 from Amazon$499 from Walmart$500 from Best Buy
The best all-around soundbar
$499 from Amazon$499 from Walmart$500 from Best Buy
LG S95QR
For the most theaterlike audio experience
The S95QR includes a powerful subwoofer, surround speakers, five upward-firing Atmos speakers, and lots of inputs and audio streaming options.
Buying Options
$797 from Amazon$999 from Best Buy
For the most theaterlike audio experience
$797 from Amazon$999 from Best Buy
Panasonic DP-UB820
The best 4K player under $500
This player supports all the major HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, and provides the best image quality with 4K Ultra HD discs, thanks to custom tone mapping that optimizes HDR video for your display.
Buying Options
$425 from Amazon$425 from Walmart$500 from Best Buy
The best 4K player under $500
$425 from Amazon$425 from Walmart$500 from Best Buy
Panasonic DP-UB420
If your TV doesn’t support Dolby Vision
This player delivers most of the benefits of the pricier DP-UB820, but it lacks support for the Dolby Vision HDR format.
Buying Options
$248 from Amazon$250 from Best Buy
If your TV doesn’t support Dolby Vision
$248 from Amazon$250 from Best Buy
Google Chromecast with Google TV
The Chromecast player offers an intuitive interface, intelligent search, a useful remote, and support for 4K HDR video, including Dolby Vision.
Buying Options
$50 from Amazon$50 from Walmart$50 from Best Buy
$50 from Amazon$50 from Walmart$50 from Best Buy
Sony PlayStation 5 Slim
The best PlayStation console
This game console has a disc drive so you can watch UHD Blu-ray movies, as well as play new or used PS5 and PS4 game discs.
Buying Options
$500 from Amazon$490 from Walmart$450 from Best Buy
The best PlayStation console
$500 from Amazon$490 from Walmart$450 from Best Buy
Microsoft Xbox Series X
The best Xbox console
Get the Series X if you want Dolby Vision support and the absolute best in graphics like raytraced lighting effects, plus a disc drive for games and movies.
Buying Options
$479 from Amazon$499 from Walmart$500 from Best Buy
The best Xbox console
$479 from Amazon$499 from Walmart$500 from Best Buy
Sofabaton U2 Universal Remote Control
This remote can control 15 AV components, including Bluetooth-based devices, and the button layout is intuitive. But it lacks backlighting and activity buttons, and programming advanced tasks can be challenging.
Buying Options
$180$144 from AmazonWith clipped on-page coupon
$180$144 from AmazonWith clipped on-page coupon
Channel Master FLATenna
The best passive indoor antenna
Of all the antennas we tested, this passive, non-amplified antenna gave us the best results on average, and it’s affordable and easy to install. The detachable cable is stiff, however.
Buying Options
$29 from Amazon
The best passive indoor antenna
$29 from Amazon
Channel Master FLATenna+
The best amplified indoor antenna
The amplified version of the FLATenna may work better if you live more than 20 miles from TV transmitters. But at closer distances, the amp can reduce performance.
Buying Options
$49 from Channel MasterMay be out of stock
The best amplified indoor antenna
$49 from Channel MasterMay be out of stock
Monoprice 4K Certified Premium High Speed HDMI Cable
A sturdy cable from a well-known cable brand
This inexpensive but well-built HDMI cable is available in many lengths, and in our tests it handled 4K HDR video with no issues.
Buying Options
$6 from Amazon(6 feet)$9 from Walmart$4 from Monoprice(3 feet)
A sturdy cable from a well-known cable brand
$6 from Amazon(6 feet)$9 from Walmart$4 from Monoprice(3 feet)
Monoprice 8K Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable
For gamers and 8K TV owners
Most people don’t need Ultra High Speed HDMI cables, but if you own the latest gaming consoles or you plan to buy an 8K TV, we recommend this Monoprice 8K cable.
Buying Options
$8 from Amazon(6 feet)$8 from Monoprice(6 feet)
For gamers and 8K TV owners
$8 from Amazon(6 feet)$8 from Monoprice(6 feet)
Monoprice Speaker Wire 2747
Best for the money
This well-made, affordable speaker wire, in a gauge that’s suited to a wide range of speaker binding posts, will satisfy casual and critical listeners alike.
Buying Options
$39 from Amazon(50 feet)
Best for the money
$39 from Amazon(50 feet)
Peerless-AV PRGS-UNV Projector Mount
An easily adjustable mount
Among those we’ve used, this model comes the closest to being the perfect projector mount.
Buying Options
$199 from Amazon$169 from Walmart
An easily adjustable mount
$199 from Amazon$169 from Walmart
Sanus VMPL50A-B1
The best tilt-only TV wall mount
A sturdy build and helpful post-installation adjustments make this model our favorite tilting TV wall mount.
Buying Options
$150 from Amazon$150 from Walmart
The best tilt-only TV wall mount
$150 from Amazon$150 from Walmart
Sanus VLF728-B2
The best full-motion mount
This model offers a long extension, easy adjustments, and smooth motion. Its long mounting bars provide a lot of flexibility for you to center the TV on a wall.
Buying Options
$300$250 from WalmartYou save $50 (17%)
$300$250 from AbtYou save $50 (17%)
$300$250 from AmazonYou save $50 (17%)
$300 from Best Buy
The best full-motion mount
$300$250 from WalmartYou save $50 (17%)
$300$250 from AbtYou save $50 (17%)
$300$250 from AmazonYou save $50 (17%)
$300 from Best BuyGrant Clauser
Senior Editor
What I CoverI’m an editor whose coverage areas encompass audio, video, and smart-home devices, including headphones, TVs, and security cameras.
Kathryn Rath
What I CoverI’m a writer based in New York whose coverage areas include audio and video gear such as headphones, speakers, TVs, and projectors. I also cover smart devices for the home.
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The Epson LS11000 4K laser projector delivers a big, beautiful image, works well in a variety of lighting conditions, and has most of the features you need.The Best 4K Projector
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The BenQ HT2060’s good contrast, bright output, and impressive color accuracy make it our pick for the best budget home theater projector.The Best Budget Projector for a Home Theater
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A good projector screen is an essential complement to a home projector. We have recommendations for value-oriented fixed-frame, pull-down, and DIY screens.The Best Projector Screen on a Budget
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The Denon AVR-X1800H is an easy-to-use AV receiver that sounds great and has the necessary features to meet most people’s movie, music, and video-gaming needs.The Best AV Receivers for Most People
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If you want the best AV presentation of your favorite films, we recommend 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, and the Panasonic DP-UB820 is the best player we’ve tested.The Best 4K Blu-ray Player
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Video game consoles are more popular than ever, but it can be hard to figure out the right one to buy. We’re here to help—assuming you can find one.The Best Game Consoles
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