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Best home theater speakers

(Aug 29, 2008)

John P. Falcone John P. Falcone
Senior Editor
Home-theater sound requires matching speakers for the best experience, but finding complementary individual speakers can be a pain--especially in the wallet. Complete home-theater speaker packages take out the guesswork since they include a full set of matching surround speakers. Pair any of these speaker sets with a good A/V receiver and DVD player, and you'll have a home theater system that's a step above most all-in-one HTIBs. Most of them include subwoofers, but for those that don't, check out our top subwoofers list.

Aperion Intimus 4T Hybrid SD

Anchored by its minitower speakers, the Aperion Intimus 4T Hybrid SD is an exceptional surround speaker system that ably combines good looks and superior sound.

Price: $1,569.00 - $1,569.00 (check prices)

Review date: Aug 11, 2008

4 stars

Excellent

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KEF KHT-3005

KEF's stunningly styled egg-shaped speaker package, the KHT-3005, boasts audiophile-quality sound for music and impressive home-theater performance.

Price: $1,498.95 - $1,498.95 (check prices)

Review date: Jun 6, 2006

4 stars

Excellent

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Aperion Intimus 5B Harmony SD (Black)

Aperion's awesome 5.1 speaker system is pricey, but the Intimus 5B Harmony SD's great sound and superb build quality are definitely worth it.

Price: $1,749.00 - $1,749.00 (check prices)

Review date: May 16, 2008

4 stars

Excellent

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Aperion Intimus 533-PT Cinema HD

Aperion's handsome five-speaker 533-PT Cinema HD package belts out a huge, highly entertaining sound on movies and music--without the need for a stand-alone subwoofer.

Price: $1,968.00 - $1,968.00 (check prices)

Review date: May 4, 2006

4 stars

Excellent

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Aperion Intimus 633 Concert

Aperion's Intimus 633 Concert system is a slam-dunk winner, delivering equally amazing sound quality from DVDs and CDs.

Price: $2,375.00 - $2,375.00 (check prices)

Review date: Feb 13, 2006

4 stars

Excellent

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Aperion Intimus 532 Concert

Aperion's knockout package has survived a makeover and still offers great sound, superb build quality, and extraordinary value.

Price: $1,399.00 - $1,399.00 (check prices)

Review date: Dec 1, 2005

4 stars

Excellent

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KEF KHT 5005.2

KEF's KHT-5005.2 is one of the few surround speaker packages to coax audiophile sound from lifestyle-friendly speakers and a subwoofer.

Price: $1,999.95 - $2,000.00 (check prices)

Review date: Jun 4, 2007

4 stars

Excellent

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Onkyo SKS-HT240

Onkyo's affordable, flat speaker ensemble sets the standard for style and sound.

Price: $289.99 - $499.00 (check prices)

Review date: Jul 7, 2004

4 stars

Excellent

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Infinity TSS-4000

Infinity's seriously svelte TSS-4000 speaker package combines gorgeous styling with refined sound.

Price: Sorry, pricing not available

Review date: Feb 22, 2006

4 stars

Excellent

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Mirage Nanosat Home Theater System

Despite their tiny size, the speakers of the Mirage Nanosat 5.1 System offered positively huge sound on CDs and DVDs, with only a few minor shortcomings.

Price: $599.99 - $599.99 (check prices)

Review date: Jun 15, 2006

4 stars

Excellent

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NHT Verve IV

The Verve IV speaker package delivers a lush surround sound experience from a smaller, more stylish design than NHTs offered in the past.

Price: Sorry, pricing not available

Review date: Apr 11, 2007

4 stars

Excellent

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Definitive Technology ProCinema 800 (black)

The powerful Definitive Technology ProCinema 800 satellite/subwoofer package redefined our expectations of what a small surround speaker system can do.

Price: Sorry, pricing not available

Review date: Jul 17, 2008

4 stars

Excellent

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Cambridge SoundWorks Newton Theater MC155 (black)

The Newton Theater MC155, Cambridge's latest update to this popular Newton satellite/subwoofer series, offers solid performance in a compact package.

Price: Sorry, pricing not available

Review date: Apr 14, 2008

3h stars

Very good

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Definitive Technology ProCinema 600

The Definitive Technology ProCinema 600 surround speakers pack a mighty wallop for their small size, but the system needs some extra care during setup to sound its best.

Price: $799.00 - $799.99 (check prices)

Review date: Apr 10, 2008

3h stars

Very good

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Cerwin-Vega CVHD 5.1

Cerwin-Vega refers to itself as "the loud speaker company," and its extraordinary CVHD 5.1 system makes good on that promise--but the lack of included stands will mean an extra expense for most users.

Price: $1,299.00 - $1,299.00 (check prices)

Review date: Jun 8, 2007

3h stars

Very good

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Fluance SX-HTB

You can't beat Fluance's rock-bottom pricing, solid construction, and sound quality, which rivals that of more expensive speakers.

Price: $299.99 - $299.99 (check prices)

Review date: Feb 2, 2005

3h stars

Very good

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Fluance AV-HTB

This five-piece home-theater speaker package offers shockingly good sound for a mere $199.

Price: $199.99 - $199.99 (check prices)

Review date: Mar 31, 2003

3h stars

Very good

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