Home Theater Recomendations

Start with a Plan

Start by being realistic with your desires, needs and budget then draw it out. Decide what type of surround system would work for your room, the size of TV you should aim for and what kind of content you want to consume. If you're planning whole-home audio, think about compatibility and expansion options over the long term. Everyone's needs are different so hopefully those resources will help you determine yours but if you're curious what I went with and have been extremely happy with, see below.

My Living Room

In 2020 we were living in a 2 bedroom apartment in the two family we own in Malden, the living room was pretty small and awkwardly shaped but I made the best of it. Now we have a larger living room that's about 250 square feet and while it's no home theater, it works great for my compact but powerful setup. Because of the original smaller room constraints I didn't build a massive system which means that while it's certainly noticeable, it can blend in to a regular living room without being overly obtrusive.

Choosing a Receiver

After way, way too much research I decided to go with Denon - a company with 115 years of seriously solid sound history. My decision to go with a Denon receiver was driven first by its outstanding home theater capabilities, delivering immersive sound and their ability to work with all audio and video formats for an exceptional cinematic experience. The inclusion of the HEOS system was also vital, providing seamless integration for whole-home audio, complemented by the receiver's ability to process a vast array of audio formats. The idea was to use the home theater and a satellite HEOS speaker to cover the whole apartment (and now larger home).

You can go for the latest and greatest but I actually went with a model that would support my needs without being too dated. I originally thought to go for just 5.1 surround but landed on 7.1 with the inclusion of two Atmos (upward firing) speakers. Long story how this happened - ask me in person sometime! Anyway, I went with the Denon X1600H 7.1 but that's up there in years at this point so I recommend the X1700H 7.2 (see price on Amazon) as a fantastic alternative that still won't break the bank.

One of the amazing features of the Denon receivers is their ability to map the room with a sonar-like test to optimize the listening experience for your unique room. I've got to say, this was not only super fun to geek out about and test out - it works really well and definitely improved the soundscape in both living rooms I've set it up in!

Home Theater Speakers

Denon makes some great stuff but you don't have to stick with them for the TV speakers and I went with NHT Speakers. I’ve been using 5 of their speakers since I first built my setup and have felt zero regret or need to upgrade. The clarity and balance they deliver still surprises me every time I listen to music or watch a movie in Dolby Atmos Surround Sound. I also love that NHT (Now Hear This) is a small California-based company that’s been quietly making high-end, no-nonsense speakers since the '80s—and it really shows in the sound.

Here's how I laid out my system for my medium sized living room:

• Front Left & Right
  • NHT Media Series 2-Way Dolby Atmos Satellite Speaker
  • Not only are these relatively compact and their sound is amazing but they also add two extra channels that can reflect sound off the ceiling and take advanrtage of the Dolby Atmos technology without actually putting speakers in your ceiling - the results are actually pretty awesome too!
• Center Speaker
  • NHT Media Series 2-Way Slim Center Channel Speaker
  • Gone are days of missing the dialogue and having your eardrums blow out by explosions - having a center speaker makes all the difference! If you do anything to upgrade your system, start by adding a center speaker!
• Rear Speakers
  • NHT SuperOne 2.1 Premium Home Theater Bookshelf Speaker
  • These fit nicely in most rooms and can be hidden pretty easily among books or anywhere else on pretty much any shelf.
• Subwoofer
  • Dayton Audio SUB-1000 10" 100 Watt Powered Subwoofer
  • Here is where I strayed from NHT, my goal was to get something that would add a lot of body to the audio experience without creating too much rumble in the walls - I was living in my two-family at the time. At the time I went with the 8" and while it still is fantastic, I'd recommend just going for the 10" from the start - in fact, the price is so good I think I may upgrade right after I finish this article!
• Miscellaneous Cables & Wire
  • If you do me one favor, please don't buy anything at Best Buy or the Monster brand - you're being ripped off. Amazon has tons of options from real or random companies that are far better priced and of the same if not better quality. If you want to stick to one brand that's been trusted for a long time, checkout Monoprice. Below are a few things you'll likely need:
    • An HDMI Cable that supports 4K, ARC and all the audio formats. Generally 2.1 is high enough for all needs but believe it or not the cable does matter!
    • Speaker Wire - Get the gauge that's right for your power needs and distance, it does matter.
    • Speaker Nuts - Trust me, they're worth it and help with a clean setup!
    • Wire Hiders - If you're not putting holes in the wall, this is a great way to hide your cables along the trim or under baseboard heaters (careful not to touch heating elements).
    • nVidia Shield - Smart TVs are fine but they are never consistent and always buggy compared to a dedicated box. If you're looking for the best of the best and are considering hosting your own media - there really is no other option besides the absolute workhorse known as the Shield. It supports all codecs, audio formats and is smooth as butter - don't let it's age fool you, there's a reason they never made a second version.

Whole Home Audio

If you're going with the Denon receiver, you will love having a Heos speaker in another room. You can sync them up for Spotify, local media and things like TuneIn Radio - really a great way to start give your whole home audio solution a head start. I love my Heos 3; they don't make them anymore but the new ones are even more powerful and flexible. 

That's About It?...

This is an easy hobby to spend some serious cash on but it's also one that won't wear out, breakdown (essentially) and will elevate your entertainment for a long time. Don't say I didn't warn you... but it's worth it! 

If you want to hear more about my home theater journey, just give me a call, always happy to geek out about this stuff and hear what you have planned!

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