All Surround Speaker Systems

The Bottom Line: 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.

Specs: home theater speaker system, Active subwoofer, passive satellites, 8 Ohm, 95 dB, 250 Watt

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

Specs: home theater speaker system, Black, Active subwoofer, passive satellites, 87 dB, 100 Watt, 250 Watt

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

Specs: home theater speaker system, Silver, Active subwoofer, passive satellites, 87 dB, 100 Watt, 250 Watt

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

The Bottom Line: JBL's On Air Control 2.4G requires an annoying amount of wires and has limited compatibility with surround receivers, but its impressive sound quality surpasses that of previous wireless solutions.

Specs: 2-way Active, 15 Watt

The Bottom Line: Infinity's TSS-800 satellite speakers produce a highly transparent sound, but the subwoofer's muddied bass is the system's Achilles' heel.

Specs: home theater speaker system, Charcoal, Active subwoofer, passive satellites, 150 Watt

The Bottom Line: Infinity's TSS-800 satellite speakers produce a highly transparent sound, but the subwoofer's muddied bass is the system's Achilles' heel.

Specs: home theater speaker system, Platinum, Active subwoofer, passive satellites, 150 Watt

The Bottom Line: Onkyo's SKS-HT740 eight-piece package sounds sweet, looks good, and is available at an amazingly low price.

Specs: home theater speaker system, Active subwoofer, passive satellites, 110 Watt, 230 Watt

The Bottom Line: Niro's home-theater sound is in the top tier of virtual surround systems and is especially recommended for buyers who will be spending as much time listening to music as watching DVDs.

Specs: home theater speaker system, Active, 30 Watt, 50 Watt

The Bottom Line: Yamaha's YSP-1100, its best-ever Digital Sound Projector single-speaker surround system, is a breeze to set up and it sounds great on DVD.

Specs: five channel speaker, 40.6 in x 4.6 in x 7.6 in, Black, Active, 120 Watt