Cheap surround sound

It used to be that surround sound technology was only for the ultra-rich and die-hard home theatre buffs. Luckily, times have changed and it is now easy to get a surround sound setup in your home, even with a very low budget. Here are a couple of ways that you can get surround sound into your home:

Buy a budget all-in-one system

Manufacturers like Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and most of the other big home audio players sell “home theatre in a box” systems. These contain everything you need for a surround sound setup at home – receiver, speakers, subwoofer and dvd or Bluray player. The great thing about these systems is that they are so easy to set up, and buying everything at once is much cheaper than getting each piece of equipment individually. These systems have a wide range in price. You can pick up one from as little as $50 (Curtis HTIB1000 5.1 Surround Sound Home Theatre System In A Box), or you can spend $3500, like the Bose® Lifestyle® 48 Series IV home entertainment system. Obviously, the latter system isn’t exactly “cheap surround sound“, but in general, the more you spend, the better the sound. However, some of the cheaper systems punch well above their weight and give you excellent value for money. The best thing to do before buying a new system  is to do some research on the net, and then go into your local home theater store and have a listen to it. This will make sure you don’t waste your hard earned dollars on something that sounds horrible.

Buy secondhand

Well-built speakers and receivers last quite a long time. You would be surprised at the value for money that you can get buying secondhand home theatre gear. If you are interested in buying secondhand, it is important to be well informed. Do some research on the net about the best makes and models of the last five years or so, to make sure you don’t buy a dud. Then, check out ebay, your local pawn shop, and garage sales to see whether you can find any gems. Doing things this way will probably take a fair bit of time, but if you are prepared to do the leg work then I think that buying secondhand is where you can get the best bang for your buck. Whichever way you choose to go, I think you will be surprised by the quality experience that you can get for very little cash. Photo: milesdeelite