The Best (and cheapest) Home Theater Experience

Has it been a while since you've upgraded your viewing experience? Today we'll dive into a complete entertainment system that won't break the bank.

Starting With The TV

TCL 55S425 55 inch 4K Smart LED Roku TV

For those who spend an hour each evening unwinding with our favorite shows, sports, or gaming a nice TV is how we best relax.

I'm not one for replacing TVs, however. I had a 720p Panasonic plasma for 10 years. I had always dreamed about jumping into a new 4k TV but could never justify the $1000+ price tag.

Then I found this beauty on Amazon.

A 55 inch 4k TV for under $350? The quality must be awful. It wasn't until I watched this review (among many) that I was finally convinced. It was an honest look at the pitfalls of owning a bargain-priced TV. Let me save you the time in watching -- there weren't many. The picture is crisp, delivering every bit of 4k (mostly 4k upscaling), there are plenty of inputs, the remote is a bit featureless, but I just use my cable remote anyways.

I waited another 3 months before finally ordering it and have never looked back since. Don't be like me. Enjoy high resolution at a bargain price.

View the $329 55" 4k TCL on Amazon.

Don't Forget The Sound

While the TCL (and almost all modern TVs) has ok sound. But, it's a bit weak on the bass and overall surround experience.

A simple and relatively inexpensive way to upgrade the audio is to introduce your living room to a soundbar.

VIZIO SB3821-C6

The Vizio SB3821-C6 is a 38 inch 2.1 channel soundbar and subwoofer provides 100db of incredible sound experience for under $200. It's built-in bluetooth capabilities make it easy to connect your phone to stream Spotify/Pandora and it's multiple input types means an easy connection with your TV. Connect it to your everyday remote and toss the other one away.

The wireless subwoofer means you can place it behind the couch for that true movie-like experience.

View reviews and buy on Amazon.

Bring Out The Bass With The JBL Bar 3.1

Ready to impress your friends and wake the neighbors? Well, add this JBL 3.1 soundbar and subwoofer to your cart.

JBL is well known for their professional grade audio equipment so it's no surprise that this soundbar packs a punch. And while for most of us the Vizio is absolutely adequate, if you demand a soundbar that can drive the soundtrack to a party or give life to incredible battle scenes, then this is your pick for anything under $1,000.

The best part is, it's only $399.

View Reviews And Buy On Amazon

Best Accessories

LED Backlight

This awesome accessory is an inexpensive addition to any entertainment room. Not only does it improve the general mood with its ambient glow, but it actually helps reduce the strain on your eyes, as well as enhance the picture by deepening the perception of deep blacks on the screen.

This $35 addition is the best investment in improving the viewing experience for the price.

View reviews and buy on Amazon

Amazon Firestick

Ok, this one was a bit harder. I definitely like the Roku, but it just doesn't have the performance or features the firestick has. And while the firestick is a bit more Amazon-centric you still have access to all the apps you'd want to use from HBO, Netflix, Youtube & Hulu, to Pandora. For $49, this is great for that bedroom TV or if you don't already have a smart TV (like the one we suggested at the top!).