Medium-density fiberboard Surround Speaker Systems

The Bottom Line: The Zvox Z-Base 575 sound bar gets loud and delivers deep bass from its unique pedestal design, but it's expensive and has a bare-bones feature package.

Specs: 36 in x 16.5 in x 5 in, High-gloss black, Active

The Bottom Line: The Zvox Z-Base 525 sound bar delivers better-than-average sonics, and its unique pedestal design will make you forget it's even there.

Specs: 24 in x 12.5 in x 3.5 in, High-gloss black, Active

The Bottom Line: The new and affordable Klipsch HD Theater 500 package prioritizes sound quality over cosmetic glitz.

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

The Bottom Line: The single-speaker Zvox 425 TV speaker system delivers excellent overall sound on movies and music and pumps out ample bass from its built-in twin subwoofers--but at this price, we'd like to see more inputs and some digital connections as well.

Specs: 36.5 in x 5 in x 7 in, Active, 90 Watt

The Bottom Line: The great-sounding Klipsch iFi is the 800-pound gorilla of iPod speakers.

Specs: speaker system, Metallic silver, Active, 200 Watt

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

Specs: home theater speaker system, Beech, Passive, 8 Ohm

The Bottom Line: A good choice for smaller rooms, this nice-looking, accurate-sounding system loses steam if you press too hard.

Specs: home theater speaker system, Passive, 89 dB

The Bottom Line: Ideal for small to medium-size spaces, this kit sounds great with home theater and music.

Specs: home theater speaker system, Black, Active subwoofer, passive satellites, 90 dB, 100 Watt

The Bottom Line: For small rooms, the GXW-5.1 is a total blast to use, and the sound isn't half bad either.

Specs: home theater speaker system, Black, Active, 10 Watt, 25 Watt

The Bottom Line: With spectacular soundstaging and a sub that belts out refined bass, this is an excellent package for midsized rooms.

Specs: home theater speaker system, Black, Active subwoofer, passive satellites, 85 dB, 130 Watt, 150 Watt