5 Home Theater Accessories to Add to Your Kit

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For many, a smart TV and soundbar are enough for an enjoyable viewing experience. Things don’t have to be more complicated than that, but there are some benefits to installing a proper home theater system. Adding peripherals such as Blu-ray players and streaming devices can expand the content library, and the arrangement of speakers and audio receivers can provide a deeper level of immersion. All of this comes with the need for a greater level of home theater expertise, as well as an understanding of compatibility between devices and the type of experience a user wants to get from a setup.

But another requirement for those embarking on building a home theater is having the appropriate accessories. There are many exciting new technologies that can improve a home theater, but there are also many more practical tools and gadgets that play a behind-the-scenes role in keeping everything powered, connected, and organized. With some experience building home theaters, we’ve looked at the types of home theater accessories currently available. We’ve selected several that can help you upgrade an existing setup, as well as a few that can be useful when you’re starting from scratch.

Many home theater enthusiasts choose not to place all of their setup’s peripherals right next to the TV. Home theaters with built-in shelves and cabinets may even require placing this equipment across the room. It can be difficult to find quality HDMI cables in such extended lengths. One option would be to try a wireless HDMI transmitter and receiver, but for improved video and audio quality, the AV Access HDBaseT HDMI Extender is worth considering. It can extend a 4K video signal at a 60Hz refresh rate up to 131 feet, but 1080p signals can be extended over much greater distances, up to 230 feet. Additionally, the extender supports the transmission of formats such as HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision.

That said, this is an accessory that requires some audio/video knowledge. The HDBaseT HDMI Extender supports ARC and S/PDIF modes for different types of audio routing, and things can get a little complex when it comes to ensuring compatibility and efficiency of peripheral equipment. The extender is priced at $240 on Amazon. Buyers gave the device an overall rating of 4.1 stars, with 78% of reviewers giving it a favorable rating. Several 5-star reviews rave about its compatibility with a number of different smart TV and home audio brands, and several others note the extender’s ease of installation and integration into their home theater.

One way to reduce noise and echo in a home theater is to use sound-absorbing panels, but these can also help create a better listening environment in a home theater setup. Lagom Atelier sound-absorbing panels are priced at $95 for a pack of six, and they come in a number of different color and style options. They’re designed to install easily, with a peel-and-stick backing that also makes them easy to remove for apartment renters and other home theater enthusiasts with a more temporary setup. Each square panel measures nearly 2 feet, and a six-pack can be arranged in a 6-by-4-foot area.

At their $95 price point, the cost can add up quickly with more packs. Two or three of these are probably enough to cover smaller viewing areas, but those with home theater setups designed to feel more like a cinema experience will need a small budget to fill the walls with these sound-absorbing panels. They get a discount around $80 from time to time, and although they are among the highest rated on Amazon with an overall rating of 4.8 stars, only around 20 users have left a review as of this writing.

Whether you have multi-room audio systems installed in your home or simply want to focus on the audio for your home theater setup, some specialized tools may be necessary. Running cables through walls may require such tools, as can making sure a room is measured accurately before purchasing expensive cables. The Triplett Home Theater Installation Tool Kit comes with five very specific tools. These include a tone and probe kit for tracing cables through walls, a decibel meter for checking audio levels, a laser range finder for measurements, a pair of multi-function pliers for working with wires, and an HDMI signal extender. The 5-piece tool kit is priced at $330 in Triplett’s online store.

Since these are somewhat unique tools tied to specific use cases, the cost may be a bit higher than everyday home theater enthusiasts want to spend. Many of these will likely not be needed beyond the initial installation. But the Triplett 5-Piece Home Theater Toolkit can be a worthwhile investment for those who are considering expanding or upgrading their home theater as their personal budget grows over time, as well as for those who want to ensure quality sound on each of the TVs they have in their home. The audio on almost any TV could be improved with a speaker pairing, and this tool kit can be beneficial for those who prefer wired speaker arrangements.

Whether a home theater setup consists of a separate TV or nearby accompanying equipment, everything needs to be plugged in. The Belkin 12-Outlet Power Strip features outlets that can accommodate a number of home theater devices, while also including a surge protector to protect your technology from power outages. The strip features 3,996 joules of surge protection, protecting against power spikes and lightning strikes that could otherwise damage expensive equipment such as smart TVs, projectors, audio receivers and Blu-ray players. The Belkin 12-Outlet Power Strip costs $41.

This power strip is probably best used in setups involving multiple pieces of equipment arranged near a power outlet. The strip’s cable is only six feet long, making it ideal for tucking behind equipment rather than extending power to devices placed far from a wall outlet. When it comes to power strips, this one has some of the best customer reviews on Amazon. It has an overall rating of 4.8 stars, with 96% of reviewers giving it a favorable rating. In addition to its 12 power outlets, the Belkin power strip includes two USB ports and a 2-year limited warranty as well as a $250,000 connected equipment warranty.

A home theater rack with a receiver, game console, streaming box, and speaker wiring will come with a mess of cables. Even if your home theater setup simply consists of a smart TV and a cable box, some gadgets that can solve cable clutter may be necessary. A Crocsee cable management sleeve can be one of the most versatile ways to keep things tidy behind all the equipment in your home theater setup. The half-inch diameter, 25-foot-long sleeve costs $14.39 on Amazon. It comes in four different color options, and many different sleeve lengths and diameters are available at varying prices.

While it’s not the right cable management tool for every home theater setup, especially those with many devices with large power cables, the Crocsee Sleeve is affordable and ideal for users who run external speaker cables or want to insulate cables running to and from a wall-mounted TV without drilling into the wall. Shorter sleeves can be useful for setups that don’t span large pieces. The Crocsee Cable Management Sleeve is another home theater accessory that has received many positive reviews on Amazon. It boasts an overall rating of 4.6 stars, with only 2% of buyers giving it an unfavorable rating.

Each accessory featured here was selected because it solves a problem that commonly arises when building or maintaining a home theater. In this regard, we have relied on our own experience in setting up home theater installations over the years. We’ve also drawn on this experience to refine our selections from the wide variety available at retailers down to the most essential.

Specific products were selected through a combination of brand recognition and hands-on feedback via customer reviews. The world of electronics is full of generic, off-brand equipment and accessories that often fail to meet expectations in one way or another. We sought out highly rated products and recognizable brands to ensure reliability and value.