Top 5 wireless home-theater-in-a-box

Wouldn't it be nice if we could enjoy convincing surround sound without facing the nightmarish prospect of managing miles of speaker cable? You could always settle for one-piece "sound projectors" but they seldom deliver unless installed in a perfectly rectangular living room.

Until technologies matured with a perfect cable-free solution in the not-so-distant future, there are always the wireless home theater systems here to unwire the surround speakers for more manageable cable clutter.

Need a headstart for the best bang-for-the-buck deal? Take a look at our five top picks.


Click here for a feature comparison table.

	1.	LG DA-W5100 wireless home theater system   CNET Asia rating: 8 out of 10 The good:  Wireless rears work well and are a breeze to set up; produces decent audio and video. The bad:  Rather bland looking; low overall system power. The bottom line: The LG DA-W5100 wireless home theatre system is a decent system that performs well with both audio and video. Review  | See full specs  | Rate this
	2.	Sony DAV-LF1 DVD wireless home theater system   CNET Asia rating: 7.5 out of 10 The good:  Sexy floating glass panel and aluminium finish; wireless rear speakers eliminates long cable runs from front to back of room; supports CD, DVD, SACD, CD-R/RW, DVD+-R/RW, MP3, VCD and JPEG discs; vertical, slot-loading disc player; sublime sound quality. The bad:  Rear speakers use infrared and require line of sight to transmitter; need to link rear speakers to each other and connect to mains power. The bottom line: Sony's DAV-LF1 is one of the best-looking sound systems we've seen that doesn't sacrifice sound quality for style. Although not cheap, the sexy glass and metallic design is enhanced by wireless rear-channel speakers that eliminate the need to run cables from the front of your living room to the back. Review  | See full specs  | Rate this
	3.	Pioneer HTZ535DVD wireless home theater system   CNET Asia rating: 7.3 out of 10 The good:  Very musical; extended highs and tight mid-bass; wireless surround-cum-stereo speakers; sleek and compact design; automatic audio calibration; value for money. The bad:  Weird media files playback; subwoofer can’t go very low or loud; no backlight for remote. The bottom line: The Pioneer HTZ535DVD is one of the few home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) we have seen which sings like a diva. Review  | See full specs  | Rate this
	4.	LG LH-W753TA wireless home theater system   CNET Asia rating: 7.2 out of 10 The good:  Sleek tower speakers; powerful 200W subwoofer; solid bass and smooth vocal; innovative wireless audio system; USB host function; spins DVD-audio disc; smart playback menu. The bad:  Flimsy volume knob; mediocre treble; cannot play back JPEG and MP3 simultaneously. The bottom line: The LG LH-W753TA has a robust wireless speaker system which neither compromises surround sound performance nor aesthetics. Review  | See full specs  | Rate this
	5.	Sony DAV-FX999W wireless home theater system   CNET Asia rating: 7.0 out of 10 The good:  Exceptional styling; five-disc changer; wireless surround speakers; SACD playback; glow-in-the-dark remote buttons. The bad:  Needs to be driven loud to deliver; limited video-tweaking options; complicated assembly. The bottom line: If aesthetics is all that matters, look no further as the Sony DAV-FX999W is "the one". Review  | See full specs  | Rate this