For the first time, JBL took out top spot for Canstar Blue’s ratings of home theatre systems, breaking Samsung’s winning streak in the category. JBL scored five stars across most categories including overall satisfaction and value for money, while it scored four stars for design and durability.
Our review compares home theatre systems on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about the compared brands before you go ahead with a purchase. Think of it as like asking hundreds of your closest mates which home theatre systems they think are best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 264 Australians for their feedback on the home theatre system(s) they’ve purchased and used in the last three years. Note: this refers to a home theatre system package or individual items used for home theatre (i.e. soundbars, AV receivers, speakers, projectors, etc.). It does not include televisions.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their home theatre system brand(s) from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customers ratings.
Previous back-to-back winner, Samsung, was knocked off from top spot by JBL, which took out our home theatre systems ratings for the first time. It scored five stars for overall satisfaction, performance, value for money, user friendliness and features and functionality, while it scored four stars for design and durability.
In second place, Sony scored four stars for overall satisfaction, design and features and functionality, while it scored five stars for performance and durability, and three stars for value for money and user friendliness.
Bose took out fourth place with four stars for overall satisfaction and in most other categories, although it scored three stars for value for money and features and functionality. Past winner Samsung rounded out our ratings with four stars for overall satisfaction and all other categories, except design where it was the only brand to score five stars in this category.
Home theatre systems can come in many forms including simple soundbars, projectors and larger packages. Close to half (48%) of our survey respondents had purchased a soundbar, 20% had purchased a speaker or speakers, while 12% had purchased a home theatre package.
When asked about their main purchasing decision, survey respondents stated brand was the main factor, followed by price. The average price paid for the home theatre system was $679.89. Considering that home theatre systems, especially large packages, can be expensive, it’s not surprising that 42% of respondents had purchased their system on sale, while only 8% purchased the cheapest system that was available.
With such a big purchase, it’s also important to ensure you’re getting good value for money. 42% of those surveyed had researched or compared brands and models before purchasing, while 9% wished they had purchased a better home theatre system.
Not all home theatre system brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are several more brands to check out before making a purchase decision.
Emma Bradstock has been an authority on consumer phone, internet, technology and streaming markets in Australia for over five years, with a dedication to providing Aussies with all the information they need to make better purchasing decisions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media from Macquarie University and has a decade of professional writing experience in print and digital media.
Meet the Editorial Team
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Meet the Research TeamHere is the previous winner from Canstar Blue’s home theatre system ratings:
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