10 Best

Wireless Home Theater Systems

of April 2024

Sound has always been a solid representation of life. Sound gives words and visuals the action needed for impact. Home theater systems have been valuable for producing good sound quality at home. Wireless home theater systems are becoming popular among people, replacing wired systems in the market. Wireless home theater does not have a wired connection between the AV receiver and the speakers. But “wireless” here does not mean that the system is free of wires. These systems still have power cables and outlets for the speakers.

There are many factors to consider to get the best-suited wireless home theater for you.

Wireless home theater systems are of two main types, based on the way information is received.

• Bluetooth Systems: These were the first type of wireless system to come into the market. It uses a Bluetooth connection to transmit sounds. Bluetooth systems can work with a wide range of electrical devices. They are easy to install and relatively cheap.

• WiFi Systems: These are a recent advance in wireless home theaters. It has limited devices it can work with, and the pairing is more complicated than with Bluetooth systems. But they have a better range than Bluetooth systems, so they are suitable for larger rooms. They are usually more expensive than Bluetooth systems.

• Budget: The more you spend on a home theater system, the better the sound quality you receive. Your budget will help narrow the selection process. If you want a cheap wireless home theater, you should be considering the Bluetooth system.

• Room Size: The size of the room and the seating arrangement is necessary when selecting a home theater to purchase. If your room is small, you should consider a smaller home theater package (that uses bookshelf-sized speakers). If you have a large and spacious room, you should opt for larger home theatre packages.

• Ease of Connection: Wireless home theaters are easier to install compared to wired home theaters. There are some brands with challenging instructions on device connections. Go for products with clear instructions from the manufacturers. The best products are the ones that require one-step syncing with WiFi or Bluetooth to function.

• Certification: This is a way of identifying products of good quality. The popular certification for wireless home theaters is Wireless Speaker and Audio Association (WiSA).

• Sound Quality: Sound quality usually depends on the frequency response, rated output power, RMS, signal-to-noise ratio, and Total Harmonic Distortion (=THD). These factors are hard to understand for non-tech inclined people. An easy way is splitting between Bluetooth and WiFi systems. Bluetooth systems usually produce lower sound quality, because of audio compression during transmission. WiFi systems do not compress audio information, so the sound quality is better.

• Volume Capability: Wireless sound systems usually have a volume range between 100 to 120 dB (64 to 600W). The choice of volume capability you go for is a factor of the size of your room and the maximum volume you can tolerate.

• Speaker Setup: Most wireless home theater systems usually come with a 5.1 setup configuration. (That means that there are 5 speakers and 1 subwoofer for the bass.) So, in your setup, you can have three speakers placed in front (left, center, and right) of your central listening position, and two extra speakers to be placed on either side of the listening position. This setup is ideal for most rooms and standard sound production. If you want more sounds or have a large room, you can go for a 7.1 or 7.2 configuration. The 7.1 setup allows for two extra speakers at the right and left positions of the back. The 7.2 will add another subwoofer to the 7.1 setup.

• Range: Bluetooth systems are ideal for short-range, as they have a range of 30 feet. It makes it suitable for small rooms. WiFi systems have an average range of 100 feet, making them ideal for large rooms.

• Special Features: HDMI connectivity allows a home theater to connect to an HD TV to produce a high-quality sound. You’ll also see HDMI Arc and HDMI eArc. HDMI Arc can pass audio in any direction, but cannot support high-resolution signals, while HDMI eArc can take care of high-resolution signals as well. Some wireless home theater systems have receivers with built-in tuners that allow you to listen to AM/FM radio through the speakers. Another feature is an iPod dock for connecting with your iPod.

Nakamichi: This brand is one of the most trusted creators of high-quality audio products. One offering of theirs is the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra Surround Sound System. It is one of the best wireless home theaters globally. This product is a Bluetooth home theater with a 600W volume capacity. It uses a 5.1 setup configuration but has the feel of a 7.1 setup.

Sonos: This brand produces WiFi systems that also use Bluetooth connections. Their devices are easy to use as they have an app that will help with setup instructions and managing the system. You can also stream audios with their app and play the content through their speakers.

Samsung: This brand is a top producer of any electronic device. Their wireless home theater systems have incredible sound quality with a 5.1 setup configuration. They produce both WiFi and Bluetooth systems.