Choosing The Best Home Theater Speakers: Three Must-Know Tips

Pictured above, the Epic 80 Home Theater Speaker System in custom real wood Cherry with a clear finish.

Choosing the best home theater speakers seems like a large order, but by looking at an orderly group of factors there's every reason to believe that you can make an affordable, rational choice and end up with the best home theater speakers that meet your requirements and budget:

Consider room size first. Figure the length x width x height to get the size of the room in cubic feet. (JavaScript Kit.com donated this calculator
to help you get the room size right!) A small bedroom or den (about 1000 cu. ft.) will be fine with smaller compact bookshelf speakers or in-wall speakers and a small subwoofer.

An average-size living room (about 2,200 cu. ft) will demand modest floorstanding main speakers and a larger subwoofer, or even good compact speakers will do the job, depending on your demands for peak loudness levels. And big family rooms or great rooms will need larger floorstanding main speakers and at least one powerful subwoofer.

Consider the sort of user and the spousal acceptance factor to choose the type of speakers. There are lots of options on the market today, so you can get great-sounding speakers that suit your particular situation without sacrificing quality.

Families with kids and pets should opt for in-wall or on-wall home theater speakers where the speakers will be impervious to bumps from large dogs or rambunctious children. Alternatively, if you're thinking of a custom-built entertainment center, there are special in-cabinet speakers that install into the unit and can be matched to the surrounding wood finish and room décor. Speakers need not intrude into the room's appearance.

A dedicated basement home theater or the traditional "man-cave" will likely call out for larger floorstanding main speakers, a large center channel, and two powerful subwoofers, budget permitting.

Reviews are important. In today's internet age, there's no reason not to do the research. If a company doesn't have awards from reputable audio sites or magazines, be suspicious. The best home theater speakers tend to come from manufacturers who specialize only in loudspeaker design and research. Get advice from experts, dedicated audio forums, non-commissioned salesmen via toll-free phone or email, and social network sites such as Facebook.

There are hundreds of brands of speakers available on the market, but careful consideration of the aforementioned factors will enable you to find the exact sound, size and color or finish you're looking for. And remember, it's the speaker that actually "makes the sound" in a room, so its importance is huge compared to the electronics and other components in a home theater. As such, devote an appropriate amount of time and research and you'll end up a happy consumer of home theater sound.

May we suggest:

1. Browse through our best home theater speakers to see if they suit your needs.
2. Read our articles on How to Buy Home Theaters - speakers, TVs, cables and more. Don't get fooled by slick salesmen - get educated and get the best value for your money!
3. Ask us about the best speakers for home that will suit your needs. Our friendly audio experts are happy to answer your phone calls or emails and they'll work with you to get the system of your dreams.