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Wireless is in, and wired is out.
But what does that mean for home theater?
A Sonos wireless home theater audio system consisting of the Arc soundbar, Era 300 speakers, and Sub subwoofer
For TechRadar’sHome Theater Week, lets take a look at the current state of wireless home theater audio.
The price of going wireless
Wireless home theater systems are a premium product and can be pricey.
Pricing for wired home theater audio systems is all over the place.
A Sonos wireless home theater audio system consisting of the Arc soundbar, Era 300 speakers, and Sub subwoofer
Depending on your choices, you could wind up with a cheaper system or a far more expensive one.
Also, a system like theSonyBravia Theater Quad is incredibly easy to set up.
Even the subwoofers you pair with these systems link up wirelessly.
Sony’s Bravia Theater Quad speakers have a 2-inch depth and can be wall mounted or placed on stands
Moving an AVR would have meant completely redoing the wiring to the speakers.
With wireless systems, pretty much all the setup is handled by the manufacturer.
Similar capabilities are available on AVRs, but its not universal and not nearly as user-friendly.
The compact Sonos Era 100 wireless speaker
But thats not necessarily the case for speakers in wireless systems.
Take Yamahas for example.
Sonos speakers, like the Era 300 andSonos One, can also be repurposed outside of a surround setup.
Sony’s STR-AZ7000ES AV receiver has 13.2 channels to accommodate the most immersive Dolby Atmos audio systems
It could all fit together in the same physical footprint a typical AVR would take up on its own.
Floorstanding, wall-mounted, bookshelf, in-wall, in-ceiling its up to you.
With that flexibility also comes upgrade potential.
Some folks will route speaker wire through walls and ceilings, though thats admittedly a major chore.
Speaker wire can hide along trim, under carpets, and behind bookshelves.
Wireless systems make the job easy, and wired ones require more work.
