Best Home Theatre Speakers for Small Rooms – Maximising Space

Small bedroom setting with desk and bed

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Small spaces don’t have to mean small sound


MAKE LIFE CLICK
Best Home Theatre Speakers for Small Rooms
2024

Not everybody has a big enough living area for a full-fledged home theatre setup. I’ve lived in several rental flats where the only place I could fully call my own was my bedroom, owing to the other portions of the home being shared.

It’s critical to choose speakers that pack a punch without taking up much space in such compact areas. It’s as if you’re in a Dolby testing facility, but it’s your bedroom.

It’s crucial to note that when I say “Home Theater Speakers,” I don’t always mean a 5.1 installation. I’ve also included some short-range studio speakers in this list, considering the scenario that your room might genuinely be small.

My selections for the greatest home entertainment systems for small rooms are listed below. Along the way, there will be no fluff or nonsense – just some insights for a wonderful home theatre experience.


Editor’s Pick

1: Klipsch Black Reference Theater Pack

Great sound from a really small footprint in this Klipsch line up

4/5
Price Range: $$
Brand: Klipsch
Klipsch Black Reference Theater Pack

TL:DR;

The Klipsch reference theatre pack provides exceptional acoustic performance while maintaining a small footprint.

Klipsch’s proprietary Tractrix Horn architecture and aluminium Tweeters provide a clean and natural sound. The wireless bottom subwoofer is intended to offer room-filling low-frequency signals without taking up too much floor space.

In addition to the wireless subwoofer’s simple installation, each satellite speaker incorporates a keyhole attachment and a slotted insert for optimum mounting options.
The reference theatre pack delivers Klipsch theatrical audio into your house while retaining a very compact size.

The Specs

  • Horns:  Tractrix Horns 90 x 90°
  • Speaker Frequency Range:  105 Hz – 25 kHz
  • Subwoofer Frequency Range:  35-120 Hz
  • Subwoofer Amplifier:  50/150W RMS/Peak
  • Wireless Connectivity:  For Subwoofers

What’s in the Box?

  • Satellite Audio Speakers
  • One speaker for the Center Channel
  • Subwoofer with Wireless Power
  • Wireless Subwoofer Transmitter is included
  • 0.75″Tweeters from LTS
  • Tractrix Horns 90 x 90°
  • Manual

Stuff I like

  • Compact cones offer low resonance frequency while exhibiting little cone breakdown and interference.
  • Tractrix Horn Innovation and an aluminium tweeter provide a natural sound.
  • A powerful subwoofer amp is included.

Stuff I like less

  • It might not be suitable enough for bigger rooms

Contender

2. Polk Audio MagniFi Mini Home Theater Surround Sound Bar

Nice small footprint with a good speaker array in the soundbar unit

4/5
Price Range: $$
Brand: Polk Audio
Polk Audio MagniFi Mini Home Theater Surround Sound Bar

TL:DR;

The Polk MagniFi Mini is small compared to most other sound systems, measuring only 13 inches in diameter and three inches tall. Despite being made of polyester and fabric, it is very attractive to look at indeed.

The MagniFi Mini is a cordless subwoofer-equipped 2.1-channel audio bar. The primary unit has two 12mm tweeters and four 2.25-inch drivers, two of which are slanted to the sides for what Polk refers to as “SDA sound.”

A downward-facing 6.5-inch driver and port are included with the subwoofer.
With Bluetooth, wi-fi, optic, an aux connector, and HDMI, connectivity is a touch greater than you’d anticipate for a soundbar that sits at $300. The HDMI port, on the other hand, seems a little weird.

I discovered that the Audio Return Network (ARC) feature is only compatible with televisions during my testing.

You can’t expect a soundbar to sound as excellent as a set of specialized loudspeakers. Still, the Polk does a fantastic job of transcending the limits of the little cabinet. These side-firing speakers are functional.

The Specs

  • Bluetooth:  5.1
  • Power:  150 watts
  • Connectivity:  HDMI (ARC)
  • Optical:  Toslink Optical Connection
  • Plugs:  3.5mm jack

What’s in the Box?

  • 3.5 mm Audio Jack
  • Remote
  • Sound System
  • Subwoofer
  • Power Adapter

Stuff I like

  • Excellent sound quality while listening to High definition music through Wi-fi connectivity and streaming from the phone.
  • Excellent connection possibilities for a variety of inputs
  • Perfect subwoofer/soundbar pairing. The booms are not loud enough to bother your neighbours, though.
  • It has a fantastic ‘night mode’ setting that cuts out all lower frequencies. It’s ideal for watching TV shows after everyone else has gone to bed.

Stuff I like less

  • Aux Output is a little lacking
  • It does not support older devices without an HDMI or arc port.

Also Consider

3. PreSonus Eris E3.5 BT-3.5 Near Field Studio Monitors

Studio monitors with near-field sound can make for great small space audio

5/5
Price Range: $
Brand: PreSonus
PreSonus Eris E3.5 BT-3.5 Near Field Studio Monitors

TL:DR;

Despite being a compact and inexpensive PreSonus monitor, the Eris 3.5 incorporates some of the design knowledge found in the Eris line’s bigger studio/pro monitors, and it makes for a great audio / home theatre experience in a small space.

You have Kevlar drivers, which is a terrific addition for crisp playback. It also features a strong vinyl-laminated fiberboard housing, which provides a sturdy response while reducing vibration and distortions.

Polk has also included a TRS jack and RCA ports on the rear of the left Eris 3.5 and a headphone out and micro stereo connector (for cellphones and the like).

Because of these connectivity choices, these speakers are an excellent and practical choice for easy music listening.

These small powerhouses are essentially studio speaker duo and not home theatre speakers, but they pack a punch. Perfect for a workstation or room setup when you need to be near to watch a movie or play a game.

Because of the nearfield nature, you receive a lot of sounds up close. Combine with a subwoofer, such as the SVS 3000 Micro subwoofer, and you will be sorted.

It’s worth noting the E5 also made our pick from PreSonus before.

The Specs

  • System type:  Bi-Amp (2 x 25W)
  • Frequency Response:  80Hz – 20kHz
  • Tweeter:  1″ Silk Tweeter
  • Driver/Subwoofer:  3.5″ Kevlar
  • Connectivity:  TRS cable, RCA, and stereo, small jack inputs; headphone output
  • Weight:  2.9kg
  • Size:  8.30″ x 6.40″ x 5.60″

What’s in the Box?

  • Remote
  • Audio Jack
  • Power Adapter
  • 2 x Speakers

Stuff I like

  • Balanced sound
  • Very realistic sound staging
  • The ‘dynamic tuning’ lets you adjust for surroundings
  • aux-in on the front
  • Professional design that isn’t flashy
  • Value for Money

Stuff I like less

  • The Bass is decent, although it might be fuller.
  • You can’t tilt them (but you could get speaker stands that let you do that)
  • Included cables are not that impressive
  • Cabinet isn’t the more premium of materials (but the price reflects that and MDF isn’t a bad audio choice).)

Contender

4: Fluance Elite High Definition 2-Way Speakers

Great, punchy sound with an affordable price tag

4/5
Price Range: $$
Brand: Fluance
Fluance Elite High Definition 2-Way Speakers

TL:DR;

I own a set of Fluance Bi-Polar surrounds and love them.

These bookshelf form provides many positioning possibilities. The SX6 speakers generate great sound in a home theatre surround sound application and may function as the front primary or rear surround speakers.

This system blends seamlessly with contemporary living spaces because of its unusual design and superior natural wood finish.

Thanks to the reflective bass cabinet, the SX6 offers exceptional and accurate performance for its tiny dimensions. Only quality materials such as Neodymium tweeters and larger magnets are used in this system.

I have a set of these for surround sound, but they also make great front speakers. The bi-polar speaker design creates a full, surround sound experience in a small space, which is unique. It disperses the sound throughout the area. These are also extremely reasonably priced.

Polymer-Treated 5 Inch Drivers 5-inch high-performance speakers with powerful dimensions offer a dazzling and dramatic low-frequency response. Butyl rubber surrounds improve longevity, efficiency and minimize distortion for a wider dynamic band.

The Specs

  • Configuration:  Two Way – double driver Bookshelf Loudspeakers
  • Tweeter:  1 Inch Soft fluid-cooled dome
  • Woofer:  5 Inch Polymer Treated Drivers
  • Power Output:  40 – 100 Watts

What’s in the Box?

  • 2 Loudspeakers
  • Instruction Manual
  • Warranty Card
  • Power Adaptor

Stuff I like

  • Relatively inexpensive
  • Really nice look to them
  • Remarkable size with tremendous Bass
  • Superb clarity
  • Fantastic build quality

Stuff I like less

  • On the bigger size

Best Value

5: Echo Dot + Echo Subwoofer Starter Kit

Stereo sound with some nice bottom end for your smaller areas

4/5
Price Range: $$
Brand: Amazon
5: Echo Dot + Echo Subwoofer Starter Kit

TL:DR;

If you can get these on special they are a pretty good combination.

In a small space it can help to have nice bottom end and bass without it being too much.

Generally your small space will mean you have neighbours or flatmates/roomies that don’t want to have the walls shaking with bootom end rumbling frequencies.

The Echo Dot anf Echo Subwoofer offer a stereo audio experience with some punch to help take you into the ‘zone’ while listening to music or watching TV and Movies.

The Specs

  • Configuration:  2 x Echo Dot + 1 x Echo Sub
  • Echo Subwoofer:  6″ Woofer
  • Sub Power:  100W
  • Echo Dot:  1.6″ Speaker
  • Aux:  3.5mm Aux out on Echo Dot for use with other external speakers

Stuff I like

  • All the smart home, smart assistant benefits with stereo sound and bass
  • Easily play any music format using voice controls – radio, amazon music, spotify etc
  • Easy to set up and pair things via the Alexa App

Stuff I like less

  • Echo Dots don’t offer the strongest front facing audio sound stage.

There are plenty of studio monitors and smaller 2.1 computer speaker packages that you could consider for audio and home theatre setups in a small space but I feel these options give you more oomph and better sound quality even if they are not 5.1 systems or similar.

Always happy to discuss options you’re looking at. Just comment away below with your questions.

Endless hours of experimentation, professional work, and personal investment in Home Theatre, Hi-Fi, Smart Home Automation and Headphones have come to this.

Former owner of Headphones Canada, a high-end headphone specialty retailer.

This post was last updated on 2024-03-26 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.


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