Best wireless surround sound systems of 2022 Popular Science

Table of Content

• Best open-ear workout headphone for running: Shokz OpenRun Pro
• Best surround sound systems 2022: speakers and soundbars for immersive home cinema audio
• The Best Surround-Sound Systems Under $2,500
• Denon Home Sound Bar 550 with Dolby Atmos and HEOS Built-in
• The Best Bookshelf Speakers for Most Stereos
• Polk Audio React Home Theater Sound Bar with Alexa Built-In

Plus, Sonos’ Auto TruePlay technology uses microphones to automatically tune the speaker for its surroundings. Add support for all major streaming services on top of all that and you have the ultimate outdoor portable speaker. Sony insists that the HT-A7000 doesn’t require any additional speakers to deliver immersive soundscapes. However, if you have the money and space there’s a choice of two optional subwoofers, the 300W SA-SW5 priced at £699 / $700 / AU$899, and the 200W SA-SW3 costing £449 / $400 / AU$599. A pair of surround SA-RS3S speakers costs £449 / $350 / AU$649 and, slightly disappointingly at this price, they only have front-facing drivers.

The M1s provide extraordinarily clear and focused sound, yet they can fit easily on a bookshelf, a table, or a floor stand, or you can use the included brackets to mount them on your wall. The Sub subwoofer with its center-facing drivers can be placed nearly anywhere you have a spot of it, yet it can still provide floor-rattling sound effects. Place the two surround speakers behind your sofa, and within a few minutes of easy setup time you’ve got a full-on 5.1 system, complete with Dolby Atmos height channels. The Monoprice THX system is built to play loud and to have a natural, neutral sound that works wonderfully for everything from action movies to dramas and from hip-hop to classical.

Best open-ear workout headphone for running: Shokz OpenRun Pro

If you want a pair of excellent-sounding workout earbuds that make it easy to both block out and let in the outside world, the Jabra Elite 7 Active are well worth the purchase. We've tested over 690 pairs of headphones, and below are our recommendations for the best headphones for airplane use, traveling, and commuting. Also, make sure to check out our recommendations for thebest headphones, thebest noise cancelling earbuds, and thebest noise cancelling headphones. Whether you're planning an upcoming flight across the globe or just taking the subway to work every day, a good pair of travel headphones can be a total game-changer.

If you don't want to get something quite as big as the JBL Boombox 2, the Xtreme 3 weighs a good deal less but is still large by Bluetooth speaker standards and puts out a lot of sound . Anker's Soundcore Motion Boom is what I'd call a mini portable boombox speaker. It's kind of a poor man's version of JBL's well-regarded Xtreme 3 speaker, which lists for $350. Equipped with a handle and weighing a little over 4 pounds, the speaker reminds me of one of thosegiant flashlightsor "floating lanterns" that were in vogue about 30 years ago.

Best surround sound systems 2022: speakers and soundbars for immersive home cinema audio

At CNET I test audio equipment from compact soundbars though to surround sound speakers systems, but regardless of the device my methodology is largely the same. I always compare products against one or more reference devices which offer the best performance at a similar price. Samsung soundbars are a great way to improve the quality of sound you get out of your TV. But, if you own one of these Samsung soundbar models – the T450, T550, T650, Q60T, or S60T – you can take the sound quality one step further. The Samsung SWA-8500S 2.0 Speaker System is designed to turn a soundbar into one speaker in a surround sound setup, creating a truly immersive audio experience. Bass response is tight and deep thanks to the dual bass drivers that Sonos employed in the Arc’s design.

The SF150 also features Sony's S-Force Front Surround technology, which applies processing to give the acoustic impression of a more encompassing sound stage. While it's certainly is no replacement for surround sound, it does add a dramatic sense of weight and separation. While genuine overhead sounds are perhaps a stretch too far for this petite TV soundbar, its virtual delivery of the Atmos format outstrips any similarly priced soundbar and even a few that are more expensive. The Beam Gen 2 offers an enveloping, spatial soundscape with rich, detailed audio as well as tangible motion and depth.

The Best Surround-Sound Systems Under $2,500

Keep in mind that a home theater system can impact the image quality, too, so make sure the one you want is compatible with your TV, computer, or other devices you might want to use. You might not have heard of Klipsch before (unless you’re a true audiophile) but they’re one of the most well-respected audio companies in the world. An American company, they’ve been making loudspeakers since 1946 and are constantly voted above Bose and other famous audio companies for the quality of sound their speakers provide. Because of the focus on tonal quality, Klipsch speakers often provide a crisper and more detailed sound. The Klipsch Black Reference Theater Pack 5.1 Surround Sound System is the ultimate choice if you want professional-quality audio in your home. If you're looking for the best outdoor speaker that you can take on the go — and in the pool — the UE Megaboom 3 is the way to go.

The wireless soundbar and dedicated heights help it belt out Atmos soundtracks, and it sounds great with music too. Each soundbar we test is paired with an appropriate reference TV and is directly compared to the best in its price and features class – whether that's the current What Hi-Fi? Award winner or a few of the latest models we've been impressed by in recent reviews.

Is the all-around best budget subwoofer because of its class-leading power and clear, tuneful sound. The Kanto SYD has a cool design, with a built-in phono preamp for use with turntables, but our listeners wanted more bass than it could deliver. Although the Audioengine B2 sounded nice, it didn’t play as loud as, or deliver as much bass as, our top picks.

In this guide, we'll look at everything you need to consider and suggest the best home theatre systems available. Under the hood, 120 watts of power drives a full speaker array – custom-tuned for mid and high frequencies. This updated flagship upgrades its audio components and its 3D immersion audio processing. If you’ve got a smaller handspan, then a short-scale bass might be better.

There are touch-sensitive play/pause and volume controls on the bar, while connectivity includes AirPlay 2, ethernet and eARC for Dolby Atmos from compatible TVs. If you want a full surround experience, add a matching pair of speakers for rears and a Sub. Basses with single coil pickups will usually have a lower output than those with humbuckers - whilst there’s no real rule for what pickups should be used for certain types of music, it’s something to think about. If you’re after a traditional or classic sound, then look at a bass that hasn’t changed too much over the years – like the Fender Precision or Jazz bass.

That kind of output doesn’t always guarantee a first-rate listening experience, but in the case of the Furrion Outdoor Sound Bar, louder is still excellent. Its clear mid-range, sweet highs, and blast-capable lows make any soundtrack, dialog, or music a cinematic experience. A unique feature of this beauty is that the surround speakers are completely wireless. You attach them to the main sound bar to charge their batteries, then detach and place them anywhere. We recommend placing them to the sides and slightly behind your listening area, where they can operate for up to 10 hours before needing to be recharged.

The Best Bookshelf Speakers for Most Stereos

The bass level was just about right to her, but I found it to be a bit much; of course, you can use the controls in your smartphone’s music app to tame the bass to your liking. In many ways, Klipsch’s The One II is the audio system most people want—one that sounds good and looks good, and that’s super-simple to use. The One II plays loud enough to fill a medium-size room, and it sounds clear and natural both with voices and with musical instruments. Once you’ve mated it with a phone or tablet through Bluetooth, which takes only a few seconds, there’s nothing to adjust but the volume.

When it comes to cinematic magic, you don’t want to be taken out of the moment by a speaker array in disarray. Although we didn’t have samples of our previous Polk picks on hand for comparison, our listeners reacted much the same way to the new models as they did to the previous ones. Larger, more expensive systems, such as the Monoprice THX speakers, distort the sound less at high volume, so the Signature Elite system may not be the best fit for an especially large room or for someone who likes to crank up the volume. While it’s only a 5.1 system, the CineHome PRO puts out beautiful audio with attention to detail.