The Best Gear for Building Your Home Theater | Reviews by Wirecutter

2022-09-25 04:58:35 By : Ms. Yanqin Zeng

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We’ve updated this guide with all of our latest picks.

Everyone loves watching a great movie on a big screen with a kickass speaker system. Our AV team spends thousands of hours each year seeking the best-looking and best-sounding home theater equipment. Whether you have a dedicated theater room planned or are thinking of upgrading your weeknight living room movie night, we have recommendations covering whatever space and budget you have.

Almost all of these recommendations (and more) are available in our home theater, TV, and projector categories, but we understand that it’s not totally clear how everything fits together. This buying guide compiles everything you need in one place. You’d be surprised at how little it can cost to upgrade your at-home movie-watching setup from functional to enjoyable. For less than $1,000, our favorite budget 4K TV and budget soundbar will offer a huge step up in quality from most existing setups and leave enough money in the budget for a media player and universal remote. The same goes for the cost of a high-performance dedicated theater compared with what home theater enthusiasts would have you believe.

Most projectors, including our recommendation, will come with a chart to help you determine throw distance (the distance required between the screen and the front of the lens), but you should confirm what your room can accommodate before you tear open the projector box (and ideally before you put down your money). A typical basement rec room is about 300 square feet (20 by 15), which is large enough to easily fit a 100- to 120-inch screen and a projector, but you can use an online calculator to figure out what’s right for your room.

The JVC DLA-NX5 produced the best overall image of all the projectors we tested.

If your room’s measurements fit the bill and you want the best picture quality for your home, we heartily recommend the JVC DLA-NX5. It was the best performer with both HD and 4K video due to its great contrast ratio, rich color, and excellent detail. The projector’s dynamic tone mapping of HDR signals is superb, so it does the best job preserving all the details in bright highlights. The automated lens makes it easy to set up, and the projector gives you an accurate image out of the box. In our tests, this projector came closest to replicating the viewing experience of our reference OLED TV on a projection screen, but it is the largest, heaviest projector we tested. Although the DLA-NX5’s peak brightness might be similar to that of the other models we looked at, its ability to display darker blacks made the image look that much better in our tests. Bright highlights popped against black backgrounds.

The BenQ HT2050A has the best contrast ratio in its price class, as well as realistic color, great detail, and a robust connection panel.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $750.

During Wirecutter’s testing of sub-$1,000 projectors, the BenQ HT2050A DLP 3D projector produced the best contrast and most accurate colors of any DLP projector in its price class. It isn’t as easy to adjust, and it doesn’t have quite the same level of image quality, as our best home theater projector pick above, and some people may notice DLP rainbows, but it is a very good projector at this lower price, and it supports 1080p images.

The BenQ has ample light output for you to easily move up to a 120-inch screen without feeling like you’re sacrificing brightness for size. The BenQ HT2050A also beats comparably priced LCD projectors in contrast ratio.

Another thing we like about the BenQ is the built-in vertical lens shift adjustment, a feature that makes installation and alignment with the screen easier. It’s something you don’t always find on budget projectors, so even the little bit offered on this model is a welcome addition.

It has comparable performance to those costing seven times as much, plus it’s easy to set up and install. It's a huge bargain for what you get.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $190.

A good home theater screen should reflect the right amount of the projector’s light back at you, but not create hot spots, shimmer, or blind you. It should also accurately reproduce the colors coming out of the projector, and can act as an enhancing element for the movie’s black levels and contrast. That’s not always an easy task, as our home theater screen tester Chris Heinonen discovered when he tested 10 screens and screen paint systems in his home theater. He also found that price isn’t necessarily a predictor of performance and concluded that the bargain-priced 100-inch Silver Ticket screen (in a 16:9 aspect ratio—the shape of an HDTV) was nearly as good as the very expensive Stewart Filmscreen StudioTek 130—a go-to screen for a lot of professional home theater designers.

The Silver Ticket’s frame and tautness were not quite as fine as on some more expensive screens, namely the Stewart, but we think you won’t mind when you consider that the more-than-$2,000 savings you get with the Silver Ticket can pay for your projector and maybe more.

The AV receiver is the hardest-working component in a home theater. A receiver is both the amplifier and processor for your theater. All of the audio and video inputs (and even networking connections) are routed through the receiver and then processed and either passed up to the projector or down to the speakers. You’ll want enough inputs for all of your sources (which could include a Blu-ray player, game console, media streamer, and a host of other audio or video components), power to drive all of your speakers, a setup system that tests the output of your speakers for room calibration, and the most up-to-date processing for your audio and video signals.

The RX-V6A sounds great, features surprisingly good room correction, and checks all the right boxes in terms of features.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $600.

The Yamaha RX-V6A sounds amazing for the price and is absolutely feature-packed. It offers seven channels of speaker amplification and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding, plus the ability to set up two overhead audio channels for even more immersive sound. You get seven HDMI inputs, and you can stream music wirelessly via Bluetooth and AirPlay 2, as well as Yamaha’s own MusicCast multiroom wireless streaming platform. MusicCast also lets you add wireless surround-sound speakers and a wireless sub to cut down on cable clutter, although doing so negates one of the RX-V6A’s most compelling features: It has surprisingly good room correction for a receiver in its price range, which in our tests gave it a clear sonic advantage over similarly priced competitors. The RX-V6A also benefits from a sleek aesthetic that you’ll definitely appreciate if you install your AV receiver in an open-air cabinet or other visible location.

The S15 bookshelf speaker pair sounds great, looks cool, and is surprisingly affordable.

May be out of stock

*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.

Thanks to the S35’s low-profile design, you can fit it easily in front of a TV or mount it on the wall.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $250.

The small S10 is easy to fit or install just about anywhere, so it’s ideal as a surround speaker.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.

The Polk Signature Series is the best deal we’ve found in a surround-sound speaker system. The Signature line includes a variety of options, but we recommend the S15 for the front left and right channels, the S10 as surround speakers, and the S35 center speaker. These speakers were just as good as everything else in their price range—and we found that they sounded better than many more-expensive systems we tested. In our tests, the S15/S10/S35 combination delivered a robust, full sound with both stereo and surround sources. The Signature Series’s design is far more stylish than we expect to see in such an affordable speaker line.

From a user-friendliness standpoint, the star of the system is the S35 center speaker. In our tests, the S35 center speaker sounded clear with voices, so movie and TV dialogue was easy to understand. The S15’s bass seemed subtly pumped up, which gave kick-drum notes and explosions in action movies a little more power and made it easier to get a good blend between the S15 speakers and the subwoofer—we didn’t feel as if there was a hole in the lower-midrange/upper-bass region where the speakers ended and the subwoofer began. The S10 mini-speaker also offers user-friendly features. At 8.5 inches high, the S10 is small enough to fit inconspicuously on a bookshelf. It’s also inexpensive enough that adding an extra pair of surround speakers probably won’t bust your budget.

The B6.2 has a powerful sound, and a matching Dolby Atmos add-on module is available. But its form is bulky and not very attractive.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $348.

This fairly compact center speaker is a good match for the B6.2 bookshelf speakers.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $230.

The B5.2 is a little smaller and usually a little less costly than the B6.2, so it’s a good choice for the surround channels.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $290.

The ELAC Debut 2.0 speakers are larger and have a more robust sound than the Polk Signature Series speakers, which might make this system a better choice for serious home theater enthusiasts who like to crank it up, or for someone who has a very large room. Many system configurations are possible; we recommend two B6.2 bookshelf speakers for the front left and right channels, the slightly smaller B5.2 as surrounds, and the compact C5.2 center speaker. The Debut 2.0 speakers are bulkier and far less attractive than those of the Polk Signature Series, and they cost more.

The Speedwoofer 10S offers an ideal blend of bass power and finesse in a compact and affordable package.

May be out of stock

If you think subwoofers are nothing but big, ugly boom machines, the Rogersound Labs Speedwoofer 10S 10-inch subwoofer will be a refreshing surprise. It sounds great with both music and movies. Despite being half the price of the most expensive model we tested, the Speedwoofer 10S delivered a clear, precise, full sound that made it the favorite in our blind listening tests, and it has more deep-bass output than the best budget (and some not-so-budget) subwoofers we've tried. Yet at 16 by 15 by 16¾ inches (HWD), it’s still compact enough to fit unobtrusively into most rooms or even under some end tables.

This is the closest thing to the perfect projector mount we’ve used.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $120.

The Peerless PRGS-UNV Universal Projector Mount is one of our favorites due to its flexibility and how easy it is to set up correctly. The mounting arms are highly adjustable and removable, letting it handle anything from a tiny DLP projector to the gigantic JVC D-ILA projectors that most mounts cannot fit. The dials let you easily make small adjustments to the projector to get it level with the screen and produce the best-quality image without much work. After years of using it and going through dozens of tested projectors, we still have yet to find one that the Peerless cannot handle.

If you don’t have a basement or spare room to dedicate to your personal cinema, a home theater system and your family can comfortably coexist in your living room. Among the big challenges in a living room is space, shape, and light. Living rooms aren’t always nice rectangles suitable for theater orientation. Often they open up to dining rooms, foyers and kitchens. They may be L-shaped or have stairs, doors, and windows in all the wrong places. Seating may include a sofa and a variety of mismatched chairs scattered all around the room. They’re also not caves, which means that light from windows, lamps or the next room is likely to be leaking or pouring in. All of the above doesn’t mean your family and friends can’t enjoy a good movie; you just need to have different expectations than you would in a room purpose-built for a theater.

The LG C1 produces fantastic 4K HDR images and performs just as well as higher-end OLED TVs for a significantly lower price.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $2,500.

The Hisense U7G offers great image quality, superb gaming features, and the Android TV interface, but it has a narrower viewing angle and comes in fewer screen sizes than some other TVs.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $895.

We don’t recommend that most people use a projector as their main display in a living room—there’s usually too much ambient light (fixable, but expensive), and a ceiling-hung projector and 100-inch fixed-wall screen isn’t the look most families want for their main meet-and-greet space. Flat screen TVs, especially large ones, are the ideal display for a living room theater. A TV will be brighter than a projector/screen setup, so you can watch with the lights on. It doesn’t look like a big blank billboard on the wall when you’re not using it, and you don’t have to install a new outlet on the ceiling to plug it in.

If you want the most home-theater-like experience, we recommend the LG C1, our 4K OLED TV pick. It offers superb image quality with both HD and 4K sources. It also supports the leading HDR standards, so you get the best picture possible from HDR sources, and it has all the new HDMI 2.1 features you need for improved sound quality and game play. The WebOS smart-TV platform is easy to use and provides all the major video and audio streaming services. The C1 has an extremely thin and attractive design, and the TV’s Filmmaker Mode makes it easy for anyone to get a highly accurate image. Videophiles will like that the CX gives them more control over the image than competing Sony and Vizio OLED TVs do.

If you need something more affordable that still has excellent image quality, we recommend the Hisense U7G. The U7G is a great-looking LCD 4K TV—and the best value out there. It offers all the features you need in a TV today, from a full-array local-dimming backlight to a 120 Hz refresh rate that delivers better motion quality than you’ll find on many competitors. It does a nice job showing high dynamic range video, and it supports HDR10 and the more advanced Dolby Vision HDR standard. For gamers, Hisense added all the HDMI 2.1 features necessary to take full advantage of the newest gaming consoles. The U7G comes in 55-, 65-, and 75-inch screen sizes and includes the Android TV streaming platform, which provides a wide variety of streaming services and a continually improving user interface.

The TCL 5-Series delivers a great-looking 4K image, the latest gaming features, and your choice of streaming platforms, but its brightness, contrast, and motion don’t measure up to what the best LCD and OLED TVs offer.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $550.

The TCL 5-Series delivers a great-looking 4K image, the latest gaming features, and your choice of streaming platforms, but its brightness, contrast, and motion don’t measure up to what the best LCD and OLED TVs offer.

If you’re looking for a feature-packed TV that performs well for around $500, we recommend the TCL 5-Series. It’s TCL’s lowest-priced TV line to incorporate advanced LCD technologies such as a full-array local-dimming LED backlight to improve image contrast and quantum dots for richer color. It is also available in both Roku TV and Google TV models, so you can choose the one with the streaming interface you prefer. Both versions support the most common HDR10 and Dolby Vision high dynamic range formats, and the Google TV version adds support for HDR10+. The 5-Series also has many HDMI 2.1 features, so it works great with the latest gaming consoles. But it’s not as bright as our other picks, nor is the motion as smooth as that of TVs with a 120 Hz panel.

The Samsung HW-Q900A sounded the best to our panelists, creating realistic surround sound without extra speakers.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,148.

Our listening panel chose the Samsung HW-Q900A as the best-sounding system—before finding out that it’s a simple, two-piece setup with a soundbar and subwoofer. The HW-Q900A can play back the more immersive Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio formats, and it has a wealth of connection and control features, including two HDMI inputs, an HDMI eARC connection to pass higher-quality audio from your TV, built-in Amazon Alexa voice control, and wireless audio streaming through Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth. The soundbar incorporates front speakers, upward-firing speakers, and side-firing surround speakers to produce room-filling sound, and the wireless 8-inch subwoofer offers plenty of deep bass. The HW-Q900A also has an effective and useful adaptive system that eliminates the need to change sound modes based on the type of content (such as movies, music, or sports). Samsung also sells optional surround speakers to pair with the system.

The Elevate, with dedicated surround speakers and a subwoofer, delivers a dynamic, immersive audio experience, but voices don’t sound as clear as they do through our top pick.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $780.

The Vizio Elevate is the best soundbar for those who want a complete system that includes a subwoofer and rear speakers. The soundbar features a pair of motorized front speakers that automatically turn upward to bounce sound effects off the ceiling when playing Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content, and it also includes rear speakers with their own upward-firing drivers built in. The wireless 8-inch subwoofer has impressive low-bass output, too. The Elevate is filled with great features, including two 4K HDR-compatible HDMI inputs, Bluetooth and Chromecast music streaming, numerous sound adjustments, and a dedicated signal-sensing input that lets you connect an Amazon Echo Dot, Amazon Echo Flex, or Google Home Mini to make the soundbar work as a smart speaker. Its remote control is easy to use, as well.

The JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass plays loud, puts out plenty of bass, and sounds exceptionally clear with little adjustment needed (or offered).

If you’re looking for something more affordable that actually sounds good, choose the JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass. It has the clearest voice reproduction we’ve heard in an inexpensive soundbar, and its relatively large subwoofer puts out more and deeper bass than most models we’ve tried in this price range. Even though it’s only a 2.1-channel soundbar with no optional surround speakers, it produces a big, enveloping sound with movie soundtracks. With HDMI ARC, one HDMI input, one optical digital audio input, and built-in Bluetooth, it offers good connectivity for the price.

The sturdy build and helpful post-installation adjustments make it our favorite tilting TV wall mount.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $80.

The VLF728-B2 offers a long extension, easy adjustments, and smooth motion. Its long mounting bars provide a lot of flexibility for you to center the TV on a wall.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $310.

Flat-panel TVs look their best when they’re hanging from the wall like a theater screen. It gives your room a cleaner, more professional look and also doesn’t take up floor space that would be better used by a lounging dog. You need to make sure the mount you buy supports the weight of the TV as well as the specific VESA bolt-hole pattern on the back of your TV. Adjustability is also critical, lest you end up with a skewed TV that needs to be re-mounted.

After all of our research and testing, we’ve concluded that the best tilting TV mount is the Sanus VMPL50A-B1. This UL-approved mount is designed for TVs ranging in size from 32 to 70 inches and can hold up to 130 pounds, which is more than enough for any TV. The Sanus has one of the thinnest profiles of the mounts we tested, holding the back of the TV about 1¾ inches off the wall, yet when tilted it still gives you room to get a hand behind the TV for wiring purposes. In our tests, installation was quick and easy, and the mount is fully adjustable once the TV is in place, both side to side (in case your studs aren’t in exactly the right place) and, with two bolts, to correct the level. You can adjust the tilt tension knobs, which set the tightness of the tilting action, by hand, but if there’s not enough room, you can also adjust them with the supplied hex wrench (though this is harder with larger TVs). The VMPL50A-B1 is compatible with 22 VESA patterns, and ours came with 10 bolt sizes, the largest selection of any tested mount.

If you prefer a full-motion mount that lets you point the TV at different parts of the room, the Sanus VLF728-B2 Full Motion TV Mount (also sold as the Sanus BLF328-B1 Full Motion Mount) works with TVs ranging from 42 to 90 inches. It can extend a TV up to 28 inches off the wall—farther than most—which also gives it a wide range of side-to-side pivot. To stabilize the weight of the TV, the arms are large, but when pressed back against the wall, the mount has a thin profile of just over 2 inches. The mount’s smooth extension and pivoting motion give it a high-quality feel, and the adjustments, from the tilt lock to the screen leveling, are easy to use. This Sanus mount is large, but because TV mounts need to be screwed directly into wall studs, the VLF728’s 32-inch-wide mounting bars allow for greater flexibility with placement. The UL-approved VLF728-B2 typically costs around $300, which is in the midrange of high-end full-motion mounts.

Some of our home theater recommendations aren’t specific to the type of room you’re setting up (living room or dedicated room) or even to your budget. Here you’ll find the devices and components that fit into nearly every home theater system.

The Panasonic DP-UB420 provides the best image quality with 4K Ultra HD discs, thanks to custom tone mapping that optimizes HDR video for your display.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.

If you want the highest quality from your Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, the Panasonic DP-UB420 is the best player we have tested. While 4K content looked essentially identical through the other players, this model’s optional HDR Optimizer feature actually improved the image on most HDR displays. The UB420 also has superior upscaling of Blu-ray and DVD discs. It supports the HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG high dynamic range formats, and it contains apps for Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime.

The Panasonic DP-UB820 supports all the major HDR formats, including Dolby Vision.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $495.

The Panasonic DP-UB820 performs very similarly to the DP-UB420. But this model adds support for the Dolby Vision HDR standard, which gives you even better picture quality if you also have Dolby Vision–compatible discs and TVs. In addition, it has more audio connection options, adds a front-panel display, and is faster in use than the DP-UB420, but it costs significantly more.

The Sony BDP-S1700 is a good basic player that will handle your Blu-ray and DVD playback needs, but it can’t do 4K.

If you get your 4K content primarily through a media streamer or smart TV, and just need an affordable player to handle your old Blu-ray and DVD collections, the Sony BDP-S1700 will do the job simply and reliably. It offers good video performance and a user-friendly interface. You can access the non-4K versions of many streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, but this player can connect to your home network only via Ethernet, not Wi-Fi.

The redesigned Chromecast player offers an intuitive interface, intelligent search, a useful remote, and support for 4K HDR video (including Dolby Vision).

*At the time of publishing, the price was $50.

Even though a Blu-ray disc provides a better picture and better audio than streaming services, we know most people depend on streaming for most of their viewing. And though it’s true that most Blu-ray players, most TVs, or most AV receivers include a few streaming video or audio services built in, we believe a separate box remains the best way to get your online media. After researching and testing every major streaming media player, we’ve determined that the Google Chromecast with Google TV, thanks to its redesigned menu system, is the one you should buy.

The new menu system does the best job of finding and organizing content in comparison with other media streaming devices. Instead of presenting a home screen with a bunch of separate streaming services (such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and the like), Google TV groups all your recently watched shows and movies together along with your watchlist of preferred content—making it easier and faster for you to find what you want to watch. The player has a compact size and comes with a useful remote that supports voice search through Google Assistant.

If having the largest collection available is your primary concern, our runner-up (and previous pick), the Roku Streaming Stick+, has the widest selection of services overall. But Roku’s interface feels dated and doesn’t integrate all your recently watched and preferred content into one menu the way the Chromecast does.

The U1 can control up to 15 AV devices and supports Bluetooth control. And it relies on a mobile app for setup. But it lacks backlighting and activity buttons, and programming advanced tasks can be challenging.

The remotes that come with your devices do a good to fair job of operating the device they were designed to operate, but if you’ve ever done the remote shuffle just to watch a movie, you can understand the appeal of having one remote to control everything in your home theater. There’s really very little competition in the do-it-yourself universal remote market anymore, especially after Logitech discontinued its popular Harmony remote line. If you have a complex home theater system and you want to integrate control of lighting and other smart-home equipment, your best bet may be to turn to a local specialty AV retailer that can create a more-personalized control system from a company like Crestron or Control4. It’s a more expensive solution, but if done properly, it will result in a much more satisfying experience.

If you just need to control AV gear and want a do-it-yourself solution, the SofaBaton U1 Universal Remote Control is a well-designed universal remote that offers a lot more features than you might expect for around $50. It can control up to 15 devices, including both infrared- and Bluetooth-based AV devices. It has an intuitive button layout that includes most of the control options you’ll need, and the OLED screen makes it easy to switch between the different AV devices you want to control. You can program the U1 using a convenient setup app for iOS and Android, and the app provides a lot of customization options to reassign what the remote’s buttons can do. The downsides are that the U1 lacks backlighting and a Help function to fix any messed-up commands, and there are no dedicated activity buttons for grouping different devices together to perform tasks like “Watch TV” or “Watch a Movie.” You can still create activities and assign them to whatever buttons you choose, but you have to figure out all the programming yourself—and we fear the app’s learning curve may be high for someone who has never programmed a universal remote.

The Flex pulled in an above-average number of channels in every location we tried it. And it’s one of the few flat antennas that let you use whatever cable you want.

May be out of stock

*At the time of publishing, the price was $60.

If you’ve cut the cord but still want the live-TV experience—be it for sports, news, special events, or local foreign-language broadcasts—an inexpensive TV antenna could be the best way to go. We recommend the Antennas Direct ClearStream Flex because, no matter where (or in what city) we hung it, it always ranked among the best in pulling in the most TV channels. Its flat design makes it easy to hang on a wall, and it’s reversible, with black and white sides (it’s also paintable). The antenna comes with a detachable amplifier that can draw power from your TV’s USB port, as well as a long, detachable cable, which is convenient if you want to replace it with a cable of a different color or length.

This inexpensive but well-built Monoprice HDMI cable is available in many lengths, and in our tests it handled 4K HDR video with no issues.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $7.

You’re going to need a few HDMI cables for your home theater—just don’t pay too much for them. The Monoprice 4K Certified Premium High Speed HDMI Cable is a great choice because it can transmit any current audio or video standard, including Ultra HD 4K video at 60 Hz, has Ethernet data and Audio Return Channel capabilities, and comes with a lifetime warranty.

HDMI cables send data digitally, so despite what some manufacturers claim, there’s no video- or audio-quality difference among HDMI cables. Basically, if the picture and sound makes it from the source to the display, a more expensive cable isn’t going to do it better or give you better picture or sound. The only difference is that some older cables can’t send 4K HDR, but our picks can. We have details on how HDMI cables work and a discussion of our evaluation methods in our full guide.

This speaker wire impressed all our audiophile ears.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $26.

Don’t believe the hyperbole spread by high-end speaker wire manufacturers. Yes, you need good speaker wire for your home theater system, but you don’t need to spend a ton of money for it. We evaluated a wide assortment of speaker wires, assembling a panel of experienced audio reviewers for blind listening tests. Our testing showed that the best speaker wire for the money is the Monoprice 2747 12-gauge wire, which sounded even better than a high-end brand costing 100 times more. Don’t waste your money!

In testing, this surge protector was one of the best at preventing voltage from reaching its outlets, plus it safely stops all power once the protection wears out. It has 12 AC outlets plus coax and phone ports.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $40.

One of the least fun (but potentially most important) devices for your home theater is the surge protector. We spent over 100 hours researching and testing leading models to determine that the Tripp Lite 12-Outlet Surge Protector is the best option for most people. The 12 AC outlets should be more than sufficient for most people’s home theater needs. It performed very well in our tests, plus it has a smart feature: instead of using an indicator light to tell you the protection circuit is worn out and is no longer able to block power surges, the Tripp Lite simply shuts off and won’t deliver power. That's especially helpful for home theater users because most people will hide their surge protector where no one will see it. Protectors that only use a warning indicator light will put your gear at risk if you don’t notice the light.

Grant Clauser is the senior editor for the smart-home and audio/video categories. He has been reporting on technology since 1999 and has been an invited speaker at events including CES and CEDIA. He has completed certification classes from THX, ISF, and Control4. He also teaches poetry classes. Really.

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