Are you looking to turn your basement into an excellent home theater? This might probably be your last stop. Having a home theater in your basement is a splendid idea, and it is easier to build than you think. A fantastic home theater calls for the best home theater system. To watch movies with the highest quality and experience extreme top-class surround sound to give you that dynamic sound experience that you’ve always wanted, all in the comfort of your own home.
In this article, we’ve listed some of the best home theater systems, explained how to build your home theater in your basement, and what to consider before making one.
Sound Systems for Basement Home Theater
Acoustic Audio by Goldwood High Def series HD728 In-Wall/ Ceiling 7.2 Complete Speaker System
The Acoustic Audio by Goldwood HD725 is the top pick on our list as the best surround system for the basement. This highly regarded flush mount theater speaker comes with 9 speakers and is designed to give you the best sound quality possible with its woofer, which is made of woven fiber and titanium tweeter airspace that produces the clearest highs and the most potent bass you thought you never needed.
Featuring 7 audio channels in each speaker, the Acoustic Audio by Goldwood HD728 is powered to give you a full-range sound in every direction. The speakers can be effortlessly mounted on any wall/ceiling, making it very easy to install and turning your house into a theatre in minutes.
Pros:
- Best in class quality sound.
- Easy to set up.
- Budget friend speaker
Cons:
- The subs require their own specific amps.
Monoprice Home Theater Satellite Speakers And Subwoofer- 5.1 Channel
The Monoprice home theater satellite speakers and subwoofer- 5.1 channel would be a great sound system for your basement home theater. The Monoprice 5.1 is a game-changer for all the surround sound speakers in its budget. Featuring 4 satellite speakers, this 5.1 channel speaker ensures that you get that quality immersive surround sound that fills the entire room.
The subwoofer of the Monoprice 5.1 is powered with its very own 60-watt amplifier, handling frequencies between 50Hz to 250 Hz, and it also includes volume balance controls and cross-over frequencies, giving you the pleasure of setting the appropriate volumes for a glorious mix. You can easily be impressed by the sheer power of the speaker and the sound it explodes with, given its price.
Pros:
- Beginner friendly and budget-friendly.
- Great build quality.
- Deep quality bass.
Cons:
- The design could have been better.
Acoustic Audio by Goldwood CS-IC83
Another budget-friendly good sound system choice for a basement home theatre is the Acoustic Audio by Goldwood CS-IC83. This flush mount in-ceiling speaker comes with a pressure lock mounting system that allows you to install it anywhere without any additional hardware during installation easily. The CS-IC83 comes with 5 speakers, and its 3-Way sound does not disappoint.
You can get that excellent full-range sound since it has an 8-inch poly cone woofer with a butyl rubber surround and progressive spiders. This surround sound speaker is genuinely a cheaper alternative to most speakers. Its unique all-weather design makes it possible to install wherever -outdoors or indoors, making it truly a masterpiece.
Pros:
- Speedy and easy installation
- The grills can be painted to match your home decor.
- A solid built.
Cons:
- No way to help the grills stay in.
Klipsch Theater Pack 5.1 Surround Sound System
The name theater pack on the Klipsch Theater Pack Surround Sound System lives up to its name. The speaker has an exclusive Tractrix Horn Technology and an added Linear Travel Suspension (LTS) tweeter, which helps you minimize distortion. With these features combined, you get some of the most natural and cleanest sounding sounds, which are second to none.
The powerful wireless bass on the Klipsch theater pack surround sound system has a 2.4GHz connectivity that allows you to have premium sound quality regardless of anywhere in the room. You can connect the transmitter to the LFE or subwoofer out on your receiver, place the subwoofer anywhere in the room as you please, and blast off.
You can also easily mount each one of the satellite speakers since it provides keyhole mounts that offer maximum flexibility to your setup.
Pros:
- Good natural and clear sound with the added Tractrix Horn Technology and Aluminum tweeter.
- Lightweight cones for cinematic performance.
- Flexibility on mounting.
Cons:
- They might not have a good performance in bigger rooms.
Projectors for Basement Home Theater
BenQ HT2050A Home Theater Projector
This award-winning projector BenQ HT2050A home theater projector might be your one-stop shop for your basement home theater. With a minimal price compared to its competitors, the BenQ HT2050A is an excellent projector for the best viewing experience with full 1080p HD visuals. It offers three-dimensionality for your 2D videos and has a superior color accuracy making it the best choice for a basement home theater.
It comes with a brightness of 2,200 lumens and high native contrast with top-of-the-class shadow detail, making your viewing experience even more entertaining. There are three immersive sound modes for your different types of entertainment, and it is pretty portable.
You can also opt for a nonexternal speaker night with BenQ HT2050A since the projector has a well-built 10-watt mono speaker that provides quality sound, and its volume is impressive.
Pros:
- It has flexible connectivity that supports various equipment.
- Best in its price
- 1.3x zoom
Cons:
- It comes with only one 3D model.
Optoma UHD65 True 4K UHD Cinema Projector
The perfect 4k viewing experience for your home basement theater. The Optopma UHD65 true 4k UHD cinema projector is packed with 8.3 million onscreen pixels, which is enabled by a Texas instrument 4k chipset, which brings 4 times more detail compared to a Full HD projector and takes you to a whole another level of premium, and the most high-quality viewing experience you can opt for.
With a powerful connectivity feature, you can easily connect with numerous equipment and gadgets, and it has a long lamp life of 15,000hours which makes it possible to take your screening hours to the max. The Optoma UHD65 Cinema projector also comes with 2,200 lumens that can easily brighten the whole room and gives the appropriate screening brightness for the best viewing experience.
Pros:
- A great range of colors
- It gives an excellent level of detail.
- . Effortless installation
Cons:
- It might have limited contrast.
Advantages of using a basement as a home theater room
Light control
Basements are the perfect place to set up your home theater, considering that basements usually do not have windows or, on rare occasions, a few. This makes it possible to assume that the basement naturally has excellent light control, and you don’t need much to darken the room. The dark and cool atmosphere in the basement makes it perfect for experiencing a theater-like movie session with your friends and family.
Concrete floor and walls
The concrete floor and walls of a basement can act as an effective sound barrier since concrete walls and floors are designed to reflect an ample amount of sound, making it hard for most of the sound energy to pass through it. And the concrete floors are made to hold up well against vibrations.
Open space
Another good reason to build your home theater in your basement is the open space. Basements usually have more open space than the rest of your house, making them the perfect area to create an ambiance similar to outdoor theaters after adding all the necessary equipment and furniture.
Transforming your basement into a home theater
- Picking out the right spot to place your screen (projector or tv) is essential for a good viewing experience. Analyzing the area and picturing your finished theater can be of great help.
- It would be best if you chose between having an equipment closet or a rack. An equipment closet is a perfect way to hide all the wires or audio equipment, ideally saving the decor of your basement theater. While on the other hand, a rack is ideal if the equipment you own needs ventilation since it is open and offers more air circulation. Choosing the right one depends on your equipment and needs.
- It would be best if you considered setting up your sitting area according to the distance of your screen. Generally, 10-15 feet away from your screen should be perfect for a 50-inch screen, so check the distance before you decide where you place your seats.
- Speaker placement is critical. You should always install or place the speakers according to where you or your guests sit. A good piece of advice would be to put the surround sound higher than your front speakers to enjoy a better listening experience.
Considerations when setting up a home theater in your basement
Additional soundproofing
Even though the concrete walls and floor of the basement do an excellent job at soundproofing your home theater, there is always room for improvement. The concrete walls and floors may not be as effective when you watch it with higher volume, so it is always better to consider additional soundproofing to keep the noise down throughout the house.
Number of speakers
Are you planning on a 5.1 (5 speakers+1 subwoofer) or a 7.1( 7 speakers+1 subwoofer) system? The 5.1 speaker system comes with a front right, front left, front center, surround left, and surround right with a woofer. The same comes with a 7.1 speaker system, but it has additional surround speakers. You should choose the number of speakers according to the size of your basement and budget.
Both these speakers work well, but the 7.1 might have an edge for more extensive areas.
Built-in or standing speakers
Both these speakers mean business when it comes to basement home theaters. Since the standing speaker is also suited for a cinema with open spaces, it can get loud in a small basement. On the other hand, the built-in speakers are suitable for enclosed spaces providing a cleaner look, but it is pretty expensive compared to a standing speaker.
Free-standing vs. built-in equipment racks
The built-in equipment racks can help give a cleaner approach to your basement theater, while the free-standing rack makes it possible to be stashed away in a closet or a furnace room.
Safety considerations.
Being safe is key while building your basement home theater. Since home theater equipment increases the risk of a fire, you should install smoke alarms where necessary and consider flood insurance if your area is prone to flooding.
Conclusion
Making an excellent basement theater needs quite a lot of work but selecting the best home theater system is essential. You need the best surround sound system to enhance your viewing experience, which is why we recommend The Acoustic Audio by Goldwood HD725. This affordable speaker is very easy to install and designed to give you the best surround sound quality in the market for your basement home theater.