Trevor Baker
Let’s be honest:
It’s almost impossible to put together a dream 7.2 home theater system with perfect surround sound, great dialogue clarity, and no compatibility problems under $2000 without doing sacrifices to either the sound quality or the size of the system.
However, if the budget is limited, we need to make compromises somewhere, right?
So I’ve come up with a list of the best home theater options for under $2000 that don’t suck. These will be good enough for starters, especially if you’re setting up your first system in a smaller room like a basement or a rather smaller living room.
Let’s start with the best options right away:
Yamaha YHT-4950U
RANK
Best with reciever
Klipsch Reference R-625FA
RANK
Best Overall
Sony Z9F
RANK
Best Soundbar
Klipsch Reference R-625FA – Best Home Theater Under 2000 Overall
| Channels | 5.1.2 |
| Power | POWER HANDLING (CONT/PEAK) 100W/400W |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Surround Sound | Dolby Atmos |
| Receiver | – |
The Klipsch Reference R-625FA 5.1 Home Theater System is a popular home theater set. This set has Five speakers and one subwoofer, which makes it ideal for creating a cinema-like experience in your own home. The set consists of one center speaker and four satellite speakers for the front left, right, rear left and right. The subwoofer is an essential part that brings out the bass in any audio track.
High sensitivity and the ability to play at high volumes without distortion allow the Klipsch Reference R-625FA Black acoustics to fill with dynamic sound even with low-power amplifiers or home theater AV receivers.
🔊 Klipsch’s exclusive 90×90º Tractrix® technology ensures that the R-625FA’s high-frequency energy is aimed at the listener and reduces artificial reverb or filtering caused by indirect sound bouncing off walls.
If you’re looking for sleek, powerful, and affordable home theater sound, this Klipsch Reference R-625FA 5.1 is an excellent solution.
Yamaha YHT-4950U Best Home Theater Under 2000 with Receiver
| Channels | 5.1 |
| Power | 145 W |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth, HDMI |
| Surround Sound | Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio |
| Receiver | Yes |
The Yamaha YHT-4950U 4K Ultra HD 5.1-Channel Home Theater System with Bluetooth is one of the best home theaters available with an under 2000 price tag. You will get solid speakers and it is easy to set up. It has an amazing bass and the sound is very clear.
🎥 The receiver in this package delivers high-definition video processing (4K pass-through), the latest HDMI standards, and includes HDR support. It also supports Dolby Vision and Hybrid Log-Gamma which provides incredible contrast, smooth tone, and rich, bright colors so you can enjoy a full, realistic picture with a premium entertainment experience.
🔊 The DTS-HD Master Audio standard delivers exactly all the information contained in the primary, master recording. Supports up to 7.1 independent channels, characterized by a signal with a sampling frequency of 96 kHz and a resolution of 24 bits. Due to what you hear, it coincides with what was recorded by sound engineers.
This receiver has Bluetooth functionality, so you can enjoy music from your smartphone without any wires. Yamaha’s Compressed Music Enhancer is now optimized for Bluetooth audio transmissions to make sure your music sounds vivid and dynamic during wireless playback.
This system is a great all-round value at price under 2000. If you are looking for a simple yet powerful home theater experience, this is the system for you!
Logitech Z906 – Best Value Home Theater Under 2000
| Channels | 5.1 |
| Power | Satellites : 4 x 67 W Sub woofer: 165 W |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Surround Sound | THX, Dolby Digital, DTS |
| Receiver | Control console |
🔈 The Logitech Z906 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System is one of the leading on-demand speakers in its segment due to its impressive performance, enhanced connectivity capability, and exquisite design aesthetics. The set is designed to deliver the optimal audio experience, which can fill up an entire room with rich and detailed sound.
🔌 Set up your speaker the way you want. Connect Z906 to as many as six compatible devices via various inputs—3.5 mm, RCA, six-channel direct, digital coaxial, or optical. Seamlessly switch between the input sources through the control console or remote control.
The system also includes a wired remote control, which is designed with user convenience in mind.
🔊 The Logitech Z906 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System consists of three front mounted speakers, two rear mounted speakers with a capacity of 67 watts each, and one subwoofer.
The Logitech Z906 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System is an effective multi-channel system that can be used to enhance your home theater experience.
Sony Z9F 3.1ch Soundbar – Best Soundbar under 2000
| Channels | 3.1 |
| Power | 400W |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| Surround Sound | Dolby Atmos, DTS: X , Vertical Sound Engine |
| Receiver | Sound bar |
The Sony Z9F 3.1ch Soundbar with Dolby Atmos and Wireless Subwoofer is one of the best home theater under $2000 because it utilizes cutting-edge technology to create a powerful and immersive sound experience.
🔊 Sony’s virtual surround technology lets you position sound in vertical space and experience accurate, immersive sound without the need for up-firing or in-ceiling. It also includes Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to deliver a more realistic, multi-dimensional sound.
With the Sony | Music Center (formerly SongPal) allows you to group selected Sony soundbars and speakers and stream music in multiple rooms
🔌 The Z9F has all the inputs you’d expect from a bar of its stature, including ARC HDMI, dual HDMI inputs, optical digital audio, and 3.5mm analog audio inputs. It also features an IR repeater at the back in case your TV’s sensor gets blocked by the bar.
The Sony Z9F 3.1ch Sound bar is worth your money because of its cutting edge technology that allows you to enjoy an immersive and powerful sound experience.
Klipsch Black Reference Theater Pack 5.1 – Best Home Theater Under 2000
| Channels | 5.1 |
| Power | Satellite: 50W (200 watts peak) Center: 75W (300 watts peak) |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired, 2.4GHz subwoofer |
| Surround Sound | – |
| Receiver | – |
Klipsch Black Reference Theater Pack 5.1 is the best theater system in the market for its price range considering all of its features. It has a wireless subwoofer, spun copper IMG cones in the front speakers, linear travel suspension (LTS) tweeter in the center speaker, and mounting keyhole and 1/4” x 20 threaded insert.
When watching movies, the theater system provides a surround sound experience with deep, crisp and powerful bass response. The tweeters are designed such that they deliver clear and crisp highs in whatever music or movie you are playing.
🔊 Each speaker is packed with a waveguide horn Tractrix , which is a kind of speaker designs. When waveguide horns are built-in with the speakers, the sound level and quality will be improved. Together with Linear Travel Suspension (LTS) tweeter, it creates a serious home theater system that is able to deliver exceptional quality for all kinds of media files, whether you are playing music or watching movies.
🔌 This down-firing subwoofer has 2.4 GHz connectivity to deliver room-filling low frequencies without taking up too much space in your room. Plug the compact, pre-paired transmitter into your receiver’s LFE out and place the subwoofer where it sounds and fits best. Each satellite speaker has a keyhole mount and a 1/4” x 20 threaded insert (the center channel has dual keyhole / inserts) for maximum mounting flexibility.
Harman Kardon HKTS 16BQ – Best Home Theater Under 2000
| Channels | 5.1(Upgradable to 7.1) |
| Power | Satellite: 120W Subwoofer: 200W |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Surround Sound | – |
| Receiver | – |
🔈 The speakers in this system offer state-of-the-art sound quality with clear highs and rich lows for a powerful audio experience in your space. The front, center and rear speakers all come with a 3-inch Cerametallic woofer, while the surround channels feature a 1-inch tweeter for more detailed audio.
🔊 The subwoofer has a 8-inch ported woofer that offers clean, tight bass for your movies and music. The bass is boosted to handle demanding movie and music tracks, but it can easily be turned off for a quieter listening experience. The bass controls allow you to fine tune the subwoofer for your personal enjoyment.
🔌 Since this system uses a surround sound setup, it has six RCA audio inputs and one RCA video input. The RCA inputs are all color-coded so you’ll know exactly which one to use for each of your components.
Along with the outstanding sound quality, this home theater system also has technology in place to help amplify the bass and surround effects of your movies and music.
The Harman Kardon HKTS 16BQ 5.1 Channel system offers state-of-the-art home theater quality for your movies, music and gaming. The speakers, subwoofer and audio technologies featured in this system are top of the line to help you get the best home theater experience possible.
Rockville HTS56 1000w – Best Home Theater Under 2000
| Channels | 5.1 |
| Power | 1000-Watts Peak Power 500-Watts Program Power 250-Watts Continuous RMS Power |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth, USB USB Input SD Input |
| Surround Sound | Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio |
| Receiver | Yes |
🔈 The Rockville HTS56 has 1000 watts peak power and 500 watts program, with 250 watts continuous RMS. It comes with five speakers: two 3-inch full-range speakers, two 3-inch rear speakers, and an 8-inch subwoofer. Each speaker has its own volume control so they can be adjusted independently.
🔊 The 8-inch subwoofer and satellite speakers provide super clear, deep bass with no rattling or distortion. This home theater system features an LED light system that has multiple modes. The subwoofer LEDs can look like a spectrum analyzer, blink to the music, or change color.
It has a remote control so you will never have to leave your seat and features a digital display for volume and preset options that are easy to change using the remote or buttons on the rear of each speaker.
🔌 The receiver is built into the subwoofer, and it has 5 bands of equalization for your MP3s, smartphone or iPod. You can stream from your music player via Bluetooth or USB cable. FM radio is included so you can listen to local stations. There are 6 RCA inputs for the satellite speakers and 2 RCA inputs to power each satellite’s LED light. Each speaker features individual volume controls and a full function remote control which is included with the subwoofer.
If you’re looking for a home theater system under $2,000, then the Rockville HTS56 is a great value for money option.
Samsung HW-A450/ZA 2.1ch Soundbar with Dolby Audio
🔈 Samsung HW-A450/ZA is a home theater system equipped with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities. It has a universal remote for convenient operation, up to 2.1 surround sound, and supports playback from your music or video devices.
🔊 Subwoofers are crucial to a complete home theater experience. They provide for a deeper and clearer bass sound, which is the main reason many purchase a home theater system in the first place. Samsung HW-A450/ZA has an adjustable Subwoofer that can be placed separately from the 5 speakers to direct the sound towards you for an extra kick!
🔌 Samsung HW-A450/ZA is easy to connect with other devices. It has Bluetooth, Wi-fi, and you can also detach the speakers and place them anywhere in the room. You can even connect your MP3 player or iPod through the USB port on the back.
This excellent home theater set is the perfect addition to any household. The crystal-clear sound, large subwoofer and convenient connectivity options make this a great value for money when looking to upgrade your sound system.
What to Look for When Choosing the Best Home Theater System
Number of channels
5.1 and 7.1(can be either less, 2.1, 4.1 or more – 9.1) refer to the number of speakers in a home theater system. The number of speakers is usually followed by a decimal point, which indicates a subwoofer present in the system. A home theater system that has a subwoofer will have all the other speakers placed around the room except the subwoofer, which should be placed at floor level where it has more room to push out bass notes.
Receiver
A home theater setup with multiple channels includes a receiver – the AV stands for audio/video. The receiver provides functions to connect all of your speakers and TV, as well as a place to connect your gaming console and Blu-ray player. It gives you more functions than a single channel system, and it’s important to have the right one to ensure you get the best performance from your system.
Connectivity
Before buying an audio system, make sure that your receiver has the necessary connectors, HDMI, USB, regular audio connectors. Or alternatively, you can purchase a wireless system, of which there are more and more now.
