4 Devices For Your Home Theater Worth Buying Used (And 3 You Should Buy New)

As with most room-sized entertainment centers dedicated to one activity, home theaters are not cheap. But while online discussions might make it seem like you have to build your house around it, a home theater can be as simple as a good budget-friendly TV and clever speaker positioning. Even if you decide to go bigger, a lot of what you'll need can be found cheaper by buying secondhand. That said, there are some things you should definitely buy new, and others that you should pay special attention to when getting from private resellers or refurbished goods websites.

When taking on a project this big, you should be prepared to set aside some savings. You can start with just a TV and a pair of speakers, but if you want to switch to surround sound, you'll need an audio/video receiver. You might want to get an AV receiver that supports a few more audio channels than you plan to use now, since replacing a receiver is expensive. Also, it needs decent equalization for when you eventually get around to fine tuning the surround sound.

Once you've got your AV receiver, you might as well get some nice speakers to go with it. You're not going to use a $500 receiver for some cheap all-in-one $200 speaker setup, right? Budgets can quickly inflate when building a home theater, but the secondhand market can help keep costs in check. Let's look at the kinds of devices you can safely buy used.

The proud and popular tradition of audiophiles buying way more stuff than they need has made it so speakers, just like every basic hi-fi device, can often be found used, in great condition, and for a great price. In short, speakers are one of those devices you should definitely buy used. While that doesn't make a good home theater surround system cheap, it can save you quite a lot of money. Just make sure you're not buying a counterfeit device and consider asking the seller for a demonstration before finalizing the purchase. Also, don't spend all your sound system money on speakers, since you'll need a good A/V receiver to connect them, join them to the video signal, and display everything on your projector or television.

With hi-fi speakers, positioning and equalization are often more important than the quality of the device. A humble but balanced pair of speakers like the Polk S15, which you should be able to find for a good price after a bit of searching, can be the center of your home theater, even if they're designed for much humbler tasks. When used correctly, they can even support all of the audio in the room, perhaps with the addition of a subwoofer if you want to save some money and start with a two- or three-channel setup.

With some noticeable exceptions, cables are cheap. With absolutely no exceptions, cables suffer from wear and tear — and it's impossible to know if a cable is damaged without testing it. More expensive cables might last longer, but that's all. They won't magically make your colors more vivid or improve audio fidelity. That means that there's almost no reason to buy used cables beyond the minimal savings. While you can repair some kinds of cables, it's best to buy new ones from a reliable manufacturer. 

Important cables you may need include long optical audio cables and/or coaxial audio cables. Also, don't forget to get an HDMI 2.1 cable if your setup supports it. While buying the wrong cable isn't a big deal, especially when compared to picking the wrong (much more expensive) A/V receiver or a projector, it's one annoyance you can save yourself from by measuring the precise distances they will have to cover. Don't forget to add a few inches to account for awkward plugs and connectors. Buying new can help you avoid this problem, too, since you can return an inadequate cable and get the one you need.

If you've never owned a projector and you haven't been looking at them for your home theater project, you will have no idea how expensive they can get. A far cry from the cheap bedroom or portable projectors you might have seen advertised for as cheap as $94, those devices in the home theater market rarely go below $2,000, and that's considered a mid-to-budget projector. One of the most popular devices in this range, the Epson 5050UB 4K, costs about $3,000 new. With prices like this, it's no surprise that many enthusiasts prefer to buy used. Buying the Epson we just mentioned used can save you over $1,000, although you will have to look for a good offer.

A refurbished device can be an even better deal, although you will have to spend a little more money. Unless you really know your way around the top projector brands, buying second-hand might land you a product that is damaged, in need of repair, near the end of its life, or just a poor-quality knock-off. If you buy refurbished, which at this price you really should, you don't need to worry about any of that, assuming you can trust the seller. For this reason, most will suggest you buy directly from the manufacturer's refurbished program. Both Epson and Optoma, two of the biggest brands in the business, have some pretty good offers on their websites. By buying refurbished, you can often get a decent warranty as well.

The audio/video receiver is the control center for all the cables in your home theater. There's a few reason why it's better to buy a new audio/video receiver. For one, most models you can find used will be a few years old and may not support the advantages of HDMI 2.1, which include variable refresh rate, 8K resolution and up, and 4K 120Hz support.

Even if you forgo this new cable standard to save some money, AVRs can be a little finnicky. There's a chance you might buy one only to realize it doesn't fit in your library, or that the equalization is worse than you thought. In some cases, being able to return those items can save you more money than buying used. The A/V receiver you'll go with depends on your needs, but a good starting point for a 7.2 channel system, which supports both top surround sound technologies, is the Denon AVR-S760H, which is so popular you can often find it for cheaper than its 5.1 audio counterpart, the Denon AVR-S670H.

While HMDI 2.1 is likely to be the new standard for video cables, you don't categorically need a compatible AVR to future-proof your home theater. Unless you have a luxurious TV or projector, your maximum resolution is already within the limits of what regular HDMI can do. 4K 120Hz and variable refresh rate might something you can take advantage of, but whether you do depends on your hobbies as much as your equipment. VRR in particular is only commonly used in video games rather than movies and TV.

A projector screen, or at least any kind of affordable screen, is basically a fancy white blanket. Before deciding whether to buy a screen, new or used, consider going without one for a time. If you're going to shoot a projector directly at a white screen in a dark room, you might not even need a screen. Even if you decide that you want one, upgrading isn't hard, especially if you go for a non-foldable tripod screen. A foldable, motorized screen mounted on the ceiling will be harder to install and more expensive, but as long as you plan for it when building the rest of the home theater, you can safely install it later.

Fixed frame and tripod-mounted screens are going to take more or less permanent residence on one of your walls, so buying one of those requires some planning. Meanwhile, a foldable, ceiling-mounted screen can be placed anywhere, just like a tripod screen, and can be rolled up and disappear when they aren't needed. That said, this kind of screen is usually more expensive, can't be easily moved once it is put in place, and is likely to develop waves. Don't worry if it's a little wavy — it happens to most screen of this type, including new and expensive ones. While there's no guaranteed fix that will last forever, you can add weights to the bottom and make the curves less noticeable.

Remotes are not the most reliable of appliances, and a universal remote is no exception. Remotes are often mishandled and repairing them isn't always possible; plus, the manufacturer isn't likely to sell spare parts. However, a home theater guarantees a high number of active devices, making a single controller an essential gadget. While being careful will increase the chances that all devices in your home theater will be compatible with your universal remote, it's impossible to be sure. No universal remote is really universal. Buying used might save you a little in the short term, but it will make it much harder to return an item.

While it is being discontinued, the Logitech 650 and its accompanying Harmony Hub make for a great universal remote, though you might want to wait for a sale. It even lets you use your phone as a second remote. Despite the discontinuation, we should point out that Logitech has committed to maintaining the Harmony database and software. These remotes are going to keep working for a little while longer. Lately, it seems like the SofaBaton X1 has taken over as the luxury universal remote of choice for home video. The newcomer includes all the important features found in the Logitech 650, like wide compatibility, the ability to program macros, and a hub accessible with your phone.

Sitting is how you'll spend most of the time in your home theater, so you definitely want good chairs. Does that mean you have to spend a lot of money on some brand-new seats? Obviously not. Instead, why not get an excellent seat that you could not easily find new. Buying used home video seats is a no-brainer, as you can often buy enough former movie theater seats to fill your home theater for the price of a couple of good armchairs. Plus, while they might not be as comfortable as a cheap new armchair, they will last a lot longer. Theater chairs are meant to support viewers for multiple screenings a day, for multiple years.

If you have plenty of space in your home theater or you would rather have luxurious seating than a lot of smaller theater-style chairs, going used is still the best move. Whether you're looking for an ergonomic massage chairs, an extra-reclinable seat, or just a comfortable loveseat, you can save quite a bit by buying used. Just make sure to take the precautions you would employ for any other piece of furniture. Try to buy refurbished with a warranty, check if the brand and model are well-known and respected, and most importantly, try them. Sit on it, check if the cushion is still reactive, try to feel any sags or funny odors before you commit to a purchase. Buying a chair you can try might make your search take longer, but it likely result in a better choice. 

Every device mentioned in this article is an important part of the home theater experience, and isn't something you want to skimp on. If we recommend to buy something used, it's because the savings far outweigh the drawbacks. Conversely, buying new doesn't mean those products can't be found in good condition on the used market — it just means that buying them used may be risky, complicated, and not worth the small savings.