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Are you ready to bring theater-quality sound and video into your home? Building a home theater is easier than ever before—all you need is a good TV or projector, an AVR, and some speakers (or a soundbar if you want to skip the AVR stuff). Thankfully, Prime Day’s got you covered.
Amazon Prime Day runs until the night of July 12th. Sales will continue throughout this week, but if you want the best discounts, you need to start shopping today.
Best Deals on TVs and Projectors
Here are some fantastic deals on home theater-quality TVs and projectors. Note that some of these products are on the expensive side, though we’ve highlighted plenty of affordable options as well.
Those who are new to projectors should read our “How to Pick a Projector” guide, which goes over important details like screen size and throw. If you don’t feel like reading the article, I’ll simply suggest buyingBenQ’s TH575 gaming projector, which is affordable and suited for any task. Just note that it’s a 1080p projector, not a 4K model.
Note that if you already have a great TV or projector, you should probably put your money toward an AVR and some speakers (or just a soundbar) instead.
BenQ TH575 1080p DLP Gaming Projector
This 1080p gaming projector features a low 16ms latency, a maximum 3800 ANSI lumens of brightness (good for daytime use), and auto vertical keystone for easy setup.
Best Deals on AVRs and Soundbars
At the heart of every home theater is a beefy A/V receiver or “AVR.” This unit performs a few basic tasks—it powers all of your speakers, it allows you to quickly switch between multiple video sources (your cable box, game consoles, streaming sticks, etc), and it sends incoming video to your TV.
If you’ve ever used a soundbar, an AVR works very similarly. It’s just much more powerful and customizable, and it doesn’t have built-in speakers—you need to connect external speakers using traditionalspeaker wire. That said, some people will prefer the simple setup of a soundbar, so we’ve included some here.
While theSony STRDH590 4K AVRis clearly the cheapest option here, I strongly suggest springing for theDenon AVR-S660H, which costs $320 on Prime Day. Not only is it loaded with a ton of great features (and six HDMI video inputs), but it supports 8K video, so you won’t need to replace it for a very long time. (For reference, I’ve used receivers that are a decade old. If you buy a good one now, you’re set for a while.)
Note that all of these discounted AVRs support surround sound audio. But you don’t need to set up surround sound on day one. I suggest sticking with a more basic setup, as you may always build out your system to accommodate surround speakers.
Denon AVR-S660H 5.2 Ch AVR
This affordable Denon 5.2-channel AVR provides up to 75 watts per channel, it features six dedicated HDMI video inputs, and it supports 8K video, and you can connect to it wirelessly to stream music.
Best Deals on Speakers
Once you’ve purchased a good AVR, it’s time to start shopping for speakers. Typically, beginners should start with a simple setup—a center channel speaker and a set of stereo (left and right) speakers. A subwoofer is also a useful addition, though it isn’t always necessary, especially if you’re in a smaller room.
Note that you needspeaker wireto connect these speakers to your AVR. If you’re using a soundbar, you cannot connect it with these external speakers.
Most of the sound in your home theater will go through thecenter channel speaker. Buy a good one today, and get a decent pair of bookshelf or floorstanding stereo speakers (thecheap Polk setis fine). You may find that you don’t need a subwoofer, especially in a smaller room, so don’t feel forced to buy one today.
Those who are interested in surround sound will need a few additional “surround” speakers. But I suggest getting the basic stuff together first (center speaker, stereo speakers, and a subwoofer). If you have a 5.2- or 7.2-channel AVR, you can install surround speakers at any time.
Polk Audio T30 100 Watt Home Theater Center Channel Speaker
The Polk Audio T30 Center Speaker is a compact piece of kit, capable of big sound to boost movie dialogue and song vocals.
Polk Audio T15 100 Watt Home Theater Bookshelf Speakers
These affordable and wall-mountable bookshelf speakers are perfect for a beginner home theater. If you ever choose to upgrade your left and right speakers, you can use these as surround speakers.
