The best sound systems of 2025: Expert tested

Omar Zulfi, music producer, artist, and founder of DeviantNoise.com, told ZDNET that first and foremost, you have to make sure that what you’re buying has all the modern connectivity you might need, like the latest Bluetooth/wireless chips, a substantial number of inputs for HDMI, USB, a phono input for vinyl records, and RCA inputs for old cassette tapes. “It should also be compatible with the latest audio technologies — Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, etc.,” he said.

Zulfi added that you want to make sure the system you buy also has decent adjustment controls (bass/treble/sub level, and EQ settings) so you can tailor your system to your room. 

And, as far as tech specs are concerned, pay attention to the frequency response. 

“A wide frequency response (as close to 20Hz – 20,000kHz as possible) and a high Signal-to-Noise ratio (SNR) are two specs that consumers can look for,” Zulfi said. “Frequency response determines how well and clearly a sound can be reproduced by the speakers, and SNR impacts the background noise when being used (i.e. low level hiss/static).”