Cheap surround sound: What are your options?

It almost goes without saying: if you are at all serious about enjoying movies at home, you need to get a surround sound system. But what if do are on a budget? Well, you are in luck, because there are plenty of options to get a cheap surround sound system. Here are a few different options to think about:

1. Repurpose a computer surround sound system.
   Surround sound is so popular now that many manufacturers have made 5.1 surround sound systems especially for computers. This is great to get that immersive experience when playing a computer game, but it is even better as a cheap entry point for your home theatre.
   
   Systems like the Logitech X540 are cheap ($88.99 at amazon.com) and will be more than adequate if you have a bedroom or small room that you want to turn into a home theatre. If you have a medium or large sized room, unfortunately this option is not for you.
   
   
2. Buy a sound bar system
   Part of the reason that some surround sound systems are expensive is the number of speakers involved. Some systems have as many as 11 speakers! Sound bars reduce hassle of trying to hide all of your wires, and also can give you cheap surround sound. While it is not "true" surround, the virtualization technologies in sound bars certainly make your ears believe that there is speakers behind them, even if your eyes don't.
   
   
3. Buy a home theatre in a box
   One of the cheapest ways to get a fully fledged home theatre system is to buy an all-in-one package. These will usually have a DVD player, receiver, amplifier, speakers and subwoofers all in the one package. They give you everything you need for a surround sound experience, and you get it cheaper than you would if you bought everything separately.

Cost is no excuse to not having a surround sound sytem in your home theater. Even if you have a budget of only $100, there is a cheap surround sound system somewhere that fits into your budget.

Photo: Thomas Jung