(Nov 26, 2008)
John P. Falcone
Senior Editor
While a full 5.1 speaker system sounds great, not everyone is crazy about having five speakers and the accompanying wires all over their home theater. If you want the surround-sound experience with none of the mess, check out these virtual surround speakers. While we won't say they deliver the same experience as a true 5.1 system--they don't--they can do a pretty decent job of faking it when you consider the sound's only coming from one or two speakers. These should all work with existing AV receivers and amps, while some of them are self-powered and can accept connections straight from various audio sources (TVs, cable/satellite boxes, DVD players, game consoles, and so on). If you're looking for more comprehensive setups (including those with video switching), consider opting for an all-in-one virtual surround home theater system instead.
Definitive Technology Mythos SSA-50 (aluminum)
The Definitive Technology Mythos SSA-50 raises the bar for soundbar speakers' design and sound quality.
Price: $1,099.00 - $1,099.98 (check prices)
Review date: Jun 27, 2008
Excellent
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Soundmatters MainstageHD
Soundmatters' fully featured virtual surround speaker system delivers home-theater thrills in a supercompact design.
Price: $299.00 - $299.99 (check prices)
Review date: Mar 16, 2006
Excellent
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KEF FiveTwo Series Model 11
While their surround effects fall a bit short of the best we've heard, KEF's beautifully crafted FiveTwo Series Model 11 speakers produce five channels of sound with exceptional audiophile-grade clarity.
Price: $1,998.99 - $1,999.77 (check prices)
Review date: Jan 29, 2007
Excellent
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Polk Audio SurroundBar 50 (titanium)
The Polk SurroundBar 50 sounds great with music and movies, making it a worthwhile improvement over the company's earlier single-speaker surround offering.
Price: Sorry, pricing not available
Review date: Jun 27, 2008
Excellent
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Zvox 425
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.
Price: Sorry, pricing not available
Review date: Dec 19, 2007
Very good
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KEF FiveTwo Series Model 7
KEF's FiveTwo Series Model 7 system produces audiophile-grade surround sound from two speakers--that's a rare compliment for a virtual-surround system.
Price: Sorry, pricing not available
Review date: Jan 24, 2007
Very good
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Zvox 325
Capable of producing better bass than its single-speaker competition, the Zvox 325 is a solid choice for faux-surround sound on music and movies.
Price: Sorry, pricing not available
Review date: Oct 10, 2006
Very good
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Zvox Mini surround-sound speaker system
The transportable Zvox Mini one-box speaker system delivers room-filling sound from any source--for just $200.
Price: $199.99 (check prices)
Review date: Mar 13, 2006
Very good
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Polk Audio SurroundBar
A single-speaker surround system, the Polk Audio SurroundBar works best as a home-theater solution for small rooms.
Price: $279.96 - $599.99 (check prices)
Review date: Dec 14, 2005
Very good
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Denon DHT-FS3
While it's a bit lean on features, Denon's compact DHT-FS3 delivers big room-filling sound.
Price: $680.99 - $1,199.99 (check prices)
Review date: Oct 30, 2008
Very good
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Yamaha YSP-900
If you don't need the HDMI connections found on the step-up model, the Yamaha YSP-900 single-speaker surround system delivers exactly the same overall sound quality for less money.
Price: $482.99 - $699.99 (check prices)
Review date: May 21, 2008
Very good
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