JBL is keeping the flag flying for home cinema – and looking good in the process

Home cinema (theater, for our American chums) had a golden period in the mid-2000s during the age of DVDs and Blu-ray, being the Holy Grail for many looking to get the best AV experience indoors. And while it's still massively important to AV purists, along with physical media, the humble Dolby Atmos soundbar has somewhat taken over,

That's more than fine for many, and the best soundbars provide excellent alternatives to a full surround system, but they don't quite replace the visceral feeling you get from a 5.1 setup (or more). There's still a great market for speaker systems and AV receivers, therefore.

That's something JBL believes. It has announced a range of mid- to high-end AVRs and loudspeaker packages to cater for those who aren't willing to settle for a soundbar. And they look stunning, to boot.

The JBL Modern Audio lineup of receivers starts at £499 / €549 for the 5.2-channel, 60W MA310 and rises up to £1,899 / €1,899 for the 9.2-channel, 140W beast that is the MA9100HP.

Available in Latte (white) and Espresso (black) colourways to match the brand's new speakers, the AVRs have sleek, clean fascias with up to full-colour displays front and centre. They are also each Wi-Fi-enabled and can stream Spotify, plus any tracks on a mobile phone via Bluetooth, AirPlay or Chromecast.

The matching JBL Stage 2 speakers come in various guises, with bookshelf, floorstanders, and subwoofers in the range, along with a dedicated centre channel and Dolby Atmos upfiring height modules.

They start at £329 / €375 for a pair (of the Stage 240B bookshelf units), rising to £1,198 / €1,398 for a pair of the magnificent-looking Stage 280F floorstanding loudspeakers.

Getting the ultimate home cinema solution could turn out pricey, considering, but surely the end result will be worth it. Far better than the tinny, tiny drivers hidden in your flatscreen TV, that's for sure.

Indeed, you might even fancy upgrading your set while you're at it.