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Satellite Speakers are used for the surrounding left and right and at the back of the audience for the rear positions.
These speakers are very critical to enjoying the movie with complete surround sound effects.
When you have good Satellite Speakers installed in the perfect position in the theatre room and police surround any character in the movie. You will feel like you are there and the police are around you and ready to arrest you.
That’s why it is very important to have the best satellite speaker in the perfect position to enjoy the complete surrounding effect of the movie.
Our Top Tested & Reviewed Products At A Glance
Speaker | Amplifier Power Required (RMS) | Best For Which Channel Position? | Rating | Price Range | Today's Best Deals |
Polk Audio Blackstone TL1 | 10-125 Watts | Front Left & Right, Surround sides, and Rear (For Small Theater Room) | 5/4.9 | Under $100 | |
KEF T301 | 10-150 Watts | Front left & right, Surround sides, and Rear (For Medium To Large Theater Room) | 5/4.9 | Pair for Under $1000 | |
Bose 301-V | 10-100 Watts | Front left & right, Surround sides, and Rear (For Small Theater Room) | 5/4.8 | Pair for Under $500 |
Don’t expect deep bass from them; they are designed to throw surround sound effects clear and crisp.
For me, the movie theatre experience is dull without surrounding left and right and rear left and right speakers. Because I want to live in the action that is happening on the screen and I’m pretty sure you want the same.
I have installed many Satellite Speakers in my client’s houses and have bought and tested them by myself. That’s why this review is the best for you because it is the product of my experience.
Without taking much time let’s deep dive into the reviews.
All Products At A Glance – Review Of Each Product Is Below This Table
| Speaker | Amplifier Power Required (RMS) | Best For Which Channel Position? | Editor’s Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk Audio Blackstone TL1 | 10-125 Watts | Front Left & Right, Surround sides, and Rear | 4.9 |
| KEF T301 | 10-150 Watts | Front left & right, Surround sides, and Rear | 4.9 |
| Bose 301-V | 10-100 Watts | Front left & right, Surround sides, and Rear | 4.8 |
| Bose 161 | 10-100 Watts | Surround Sides & Rear | 4.6 |
| Leviton AESS5-WH | 10-100 Watts | Surround Sound Rear | 4.5 |
| Cube By Rockville | 10-100 Watts | Rear Only | 4 |
| Acoustic Audio AA321B | 10-150 Watts | Rear Only | 3.8 |
1. Polk Audio Blackstone TL1 – Budget Friendly & The Best For Small Family Theater Room
Specifications
Mountable: Yes | Finishes: Glass Black | Drivers: Two
Today’s Best Deals
Is It For You?
For those who want speakers at the rear that throw sound loud without distortion.
Build Quality
The finish is shiny and the design looks really professional like a professional cinema hall. It keeps your theater room aesthetics clean and S+xy.
Sound Quality
The sound was clean and without distortion.
Unique Features
No distortion on loud sound.
Detail Review Of Polk Audio Blackstone TL1
The reason that it is in the first position is that the Pair of these speakers is affordable and best fit for small to Smallish Medium family theater rooms. If you have a small room then you don’t need to spend a lot buying big expensive speakers or soundbars. These speakers can save you money and can give you good sound.
It is a two-way satellite speaker that consists of a 2.5-inch woofer and a 0.5-inch tweeter.
My friend has this in his theatre room and I wanted to test it out. As usual, the connection with the AV receiver was straightforward.
The black Shiny finish looked really amazing and it blended perfectly with the black background on which it was mounted.
I watched the Saving Private Ryan movie and I felt like I was in the middle of the war scenes. My friend used it in the rear position and there they were able to go loud without any distortion.
The complete sound was steady and clean. But you will also need to soundproof the theater room and also calibrate the sound with an SPL meter.
I played music and a little bit of bass was there in these speakers. They were able to fire limited levels of low-end frequencies.
But I will not recommend these speakers as stand-alone music speakers. They were good with the complete surround sound layout.
My friend told me that one TL1 speaker fell off his hand several times and that’s why the speaker was throwing sound with distortion, I ordered another one, and the issue was fixed.
So be careful with any type of speaker.
2. KEF T301 – Best For Medium To Large Theater Room
Specifications
Mountable: Yes | Finishes: White, Black | Drivers: Two in each speaker
Today’s Best Deals
Is It For You?
Those who want rich sound and want to wow their friends and guests with the professional touch of their home theater.
Build Quality
The build quality is better and the sleek design is the best. It can easily give a nice futuristic touch to any home theater.
Sound Quality
The sound is balanced and accurate and it creates a nice sound image of the movie’s action. The mid and highs are accurate but still require a subwoofer for low frequencies.
Unique Features
- Balanced and accurate sound.
- The sleek and modern design
Detail Review Of KEF T301
These are the best satellite speakers because of their build, design, and sound quality. We will discuss this in detail. The reason they are in second position is because of their high price. Otherwise, they are superior in sound and in look to the Polk Audio Blackstone TL1 but for medium to large theater rooms.
If your room is small then don’t need to spend this much for a pair of speakers, Polk Blackstone speakers are good for you because they can fill a small room with sound on a budget.
This speaker is a two-way speaker that consists of one 4.5-inch woofer and one 1-inch tweeter.
Its design is very sleek and modern. If I travel back in a Time Machine to 2000 And show it to someone. A person from 2000 will tell me it’s a futuristic design.
My friend has these speakers in the complete 7.2 layouts. They are in the front, on the sides, and in the rear.
When I step into my friend’s theatre room. I was completely blown away by the stylish touch that it gave to the theatre room.
He mounted the speakers to the wall close to the flat TV. The TV and the speakers look so identical in their size like they are from one brand. Each speaker is 1.5 inches long.
My friend has painted the walls of the theatre black so it can absorb the light rather than reflect it. That’s why he has Mounted KEF T301 on it in black finish.
These KEF T301 look stylish on the black background. The mounting hardware is thin too and not so bulky that will make the speakers hang out of the wall. They look so flat on the wall due to this mounting hardware.
I watched the Jurassic Park movie. When the dinosaurs were running I felt like I was in the middle of them.
These speakers put so much more thrill into the opening scene of Batman Dark Knight. I never felt like that before with other speakers.
I listened to music. I really feel like I am in the middle of a David Guetta concert. Heard many more new tones that I had never experienced before in the same music.
The mid and high of the speakers are balanced and accurate but will still need a subwoofer for the bass.
3. Bose 301-V – Best Replacement Of A Soundbar
Specifications
Mountable: No | Finishes: Black | Drivers: Three in each speaker
Today’s Best Deals
Is It For You?
For those who want accurate and balanced Mids and highs for their surround left and right and for the rear.
Build Quality
Build quality is one of the best. The dual tweeters and dual ports truly bring a change to the sound.
Sound Quality
The sound is amazing with balanced, rich, and accurate Mids and highs. Lacking bass but who needs a bass from the rear or surround speakers? A subwoofer must be there to help them out.
Here is my review of the best subwoofers on the market. Few subs’ quality will shock you.
Unique Features
The dual tweeters and dual bass ports.
Detail Review Of Bose 301-V
It will give you a stereo and superior sound than the same range soundbar but if you want a three-channel audio like soundbar then you can pair these speakers with an affordable center speaker. You will have an LCR setup that can beat $1000s of soundbar in sound.
These are two-way speakers that consist of one 8-inch woofer and two 2-inch tweeters. One tweeter is at the front and another one is at the back with two ports.
The tweeter at the rear is designed so that its sound hits the wall. And the wall reflects it to the audience and the two ports are designed for the speaker’s breathing.
My client wanted the best quality of speakers for his surround and rear left and right positions that don’t require mounting.
I installed these speakers in his room and they look fabulous with that Bose stands. I recommend placing it at least 18 inches away from the walls.
I watched the 1917 movie. I felt like I was in the middle of the action and the soldiers were commanding and shouting at me. The sound was rich and accurate on the mids and highs.
I played music and the realistic touch to the music was created perfectly by them.
There was a little bit of bass in the speakers but it was not so deep. So I will always recommend an additional subwoofer with them for music.
Bose says that you can install them in any position in the theatre room.
But I will recommend these speakers only in the surround left and right and at the rear. Because at that position they were able to perfectly through the surround effect. But if you need affordable soundbar replacement then you can place them at the front Left and right positions.
4. Bose 161 – Best For Natural Sound
Specifications
Mountable: Yes | Finishes: White, Black | Drivers: Two in each speaker
Today’s Best Deals
Is It For You?
For those who want natural sound from speakers and no extra bass out of it. A separate subwoofer can handle those low-end frequencies for deep bass.
Build Quality
The build quality is superb and the look is stylish as in a professional cinema hall.
Sound Quality
The sound is natural and clean with no extra bass. Don’t expect room-shaking bass from these speakers.
Unique Features
The natural sound keeps them apart.
Detail Review Of Bose 161
These speakers come in a pair and two colors white and black.
Each speaker consists of two 2.5-inch wide-range drivers. The speakers can hook up to any receiver and amplifier that can output 10 to 100 Watts of power.
This much power is provided by almost any modern AV receiver these days.
It can be used in the surroundings left and right or at the back of the audience.
They are magnetically shielded. That’s why I don’t worry about their position close to the TV or any other electronic device. They are free from electromagnetic interference.
My client wanted speakers in his rear position that can provide natural sound and are designed with accuracy.
I suggested these speakers and went straight to his theatre room. These speakers come with Wall mounting hardware in the box.
The Wall mounting process was pretty straightforward. I used 18 gauge wire for them.
I wanted to try it out for my client’s taste. The speakers sound natural and there was no extra Bass in it. It was not able to shake the theatre room but they delivered the surround sound effects 100%.
The passing cars and the movie characters felt like it was going from left to right in the room.
The drums and whistles in the music felt like there were people behind me.
I really like the natural sound of the speakers but don’t buy it by keeping powerful bass in your mind.
5. Leviton AESS5-WH – Best For Its Premium Build
Specifications
Mountable: Yes | Finishes: White | Drivers: Two
Today’s Best Deals
Pros
- Premium build quality
- Clear, Loud, and crisp sound
- It can fill small to medium-sized rooms with just two of them in the rear or surrounding side
- It comes with mountable hardware
Cons
- It can’t provide bass. It fits well for music only in a complete surround sound layout
- The mounting hardware is not of the best quality and also lacks cable management
- The color looks yellowish on the white walls
Is It For You?
For those who want a nice speaker that sounds clear, loud, and crisp in the rear or surrounding side positions to deliver flawless background sounds.
Those who want to use it for music only combine it with complete surround sound because it lacks bass and the subwoofer will deliver it.
Build Quality
The build quality is premium. Metal is used for grills and superb quality plastic is used for the whole body.
Sound Quality
The sound is clear, loud, and crisp and can easily cover small to medium size rooms. It was capable of giving a realistic touch to the movies by nicely providing the background sound effects.
Unique Features
The premium build quality keeps it apart.
Detail Review Of Leviton AESS5-WH
These are two-way speakers meaning they consist of one 2.5-inch woofer and 0.5-inch tweeter and it looks premium.
My client wanted good speakers for his medium-size home theatre. He wanted to use it in the surrounding right and left and in the rear.
I picked this one. After unboxing it in his theatre room the build quality of the speakers felt premium and more than the price of it. It comes with mountable hardware. The mountable hardware looks pretty cheap but it fulfilled the task of holding the speakers properly with many angles tweaking options.
I watched a movie and these speakers were pretty good at delivering the surround background audio of the movie. The sound was clear, loud, and crisp. I felt no distortion in the sound.
I played music on it and it was amazing with the combination of complete 5.1 surround sound. with the combination of 5.1, the music was amazing and I really enjoyed it. But when I tested them out single-handedly with the music. They were not better for music.
if you want to use it in a stereo combination for music then these speakers are not for you. They are better for music when used with a complete surround sound layout. Because they can’t fire low-end frequencies to deliver the bass that I want with my music.
These speakers consist of rubber feet that can be used to place them on the surface.
Here again, I was not worried about their position near to TV or any other electronic device because they are magnetically shielded to prevent electromagnetic interference.
6. Cube by Rockville – Best For Cube Shape
Specifications
Mountable: Yes | Finishes: White and Black | Drivers: Two
Today’s Best Deals
Pros
- Crips Highs and Mids
- Nice Mounting hardware included
- Nice shape and design
- Nice surround effects sound at the rear
Cons
- Better at rear and good at surroundings
- Unconventional wire terminals
Is It For You?
For those who want small size speakers at the rear with crisp highs and Mids and also 360-degree mounting hardware.
Build Quality
Their design is nice and cute but the build quality feels cheap.
Sound Quality
These are the best fit for the rear only. There they were able to throw those surround effect sounds accurately.
You should also install acoustic panels in your home theater to have clean audio without an echo. Click on the bluish words to read my guide.
Unique Features
The small size, nice design, and 360-degree mounting hardware.
Detail review of Cube by Rockville
These are two-way speakers. It consists of one 3.5 inch woofer and a 0.5-inch Tweeter.
Best fit in the rear position due to its quality and beautiful design.
They come with different mounting hardware that can be rotated 360 degrees to meet the needs of the audience. It also comes with a safety wire that attaches the speaker to the mounting hardware. So in case of malfunction of mounting hardware, the speakers will not fall off.
My friend has these for Dolby Atmos set up in his theatre room. He installed these speakers in the surround left and right in the rear left and right and on the ceiling for Dolby Atmos.
I watched the Need For Speed movie and these speakers were capable of virtually bringing the racing on the screen directly to the theater room.
They were good for the surrounding left and right and Dolby Atmos but they were better at the rear positions. They were able to catch up on the surrounding effects very well.
Their size and shape are the perfect matches in the rear position for normal size home theatre.
The mids and highs if it were clear and crisp. There was no noticeable bass for which I will ditch the subwoofer.
7. Acoustic Audio AA321B – Best For Rich Sound On A Budget
Specifications
Mountable: Yes | Finishes: Black | Drivers: One
Today’s Best Deals
Pros
- Good design
- Rich and crisp sound
- Decent mounting hardware included
- Spring-loaded wire terminals
Cons
- Good fit for only rear positions
- The wire terminals are very small for 16 gauge
Is It For You?
For those who want budget-friendly rich sound for their rear positions.
Build Quality
The design is good but the build feels cheap and the woofer is protected well by the metal grill.
Sound Quality
In the rear position, I really felt like I was in the middle of the action.
Unique Features
The rich sound at the rear.
Detail review of Acoustic Audio AA321B
It is a one-way speaker that consists of one 2.5 inch woofer. The size is very small and instead of cloth, it has a metal grill at the front.
The wire terminals are spring-loaded and the mounting hardware is pretty decent.
My friend believes in budget theatre rooms and has installed these speakers in the surrounding left and right and rear.
I watched the movie Troy and the speakers were capable of throwing out the surround sound effects in very rich tones. However, I like them only for the rear position.
At the rear position, I feel like I am in the middle of the action and I will recommend this speaker only for the rear. Because in this position they truly stand out.
The mounting hardware is included and my friend told me that the setup was easy but the wire terminals are so small that I was able to comfortably hook up only 14 gauge wires. 16 gauge wire will be a Hustle.
FAQs
What is the most important speaker in a Home Theatre?
The center channel speakers are the most important speakers of all. They are responsible to take care of the dialogues. I don’t recommend that you must do this but I am just saying this to clear up your query.
You can run your home theater with only these center channel speakers but I won’t recommend this.
Should surround speakers be louder than the front?
I personally keep them all on the same volume because the front is responsible for dialogues and the surround speakers are responsible to deliver special effects surround sounds.
If a character in the movie is surrounded by the police. The police officer dialogues (why did you steal your neighbor’s chicken? Now you will spend your whole life giving baths to chickens in the prison.) will be handled by the front speakers and the surrounding effects of the police vehicles engines noise and sirens will be handled by these surround speakers. In this way, I always feel like I am a chicken thief surrounded by the police.
So, if they are on the same volume the dialogue and surround sound effects will work in harmony to give you a nice experience.
Are surround speakers supposed to be quiet?
No, they should not be quiet. They are responsible for throwing the surrounding sound effects at the audience.
Keep them at the same volume as the front speakers.
Can I use front speakers as surround?
Yes, many speakers can be used in both positions. But most of the time, the speakers made for the front are good at all levels, and the surrounding speakers are designed to be good only in the mids and high.
You can use every front speaker in the surrounding area but the sound quality will not be that good. Not every speaker is created to fit in both of these positions.
What dB should surround speakers be at?
I recommend keeping each speaker on 72 dB, in this way I get the complete surrounding sound more crisp and rich. In this way, the dialogues are clear for me and the sound effects hit me nicely.
Helpful Resources For The FAQs To Read More
- This was my opinion, read more here from this discussion on AVSFORUM. (Resource for the first answer)
- This was my opinion, read here more from this discussion TechReport. (Resource for the fifth answer)
- This was my opinion, read more on AxiomAudio. (Resource for the seventh answer)
