Here are some pros:

First: Home theater-in-a-box systems are typically reasonably priced. Complete systems start as low as $200, but can go as high $2,000 or more, depending on brand and quality. You will find these home theater systems at just about any consumer electronics retailer, including Best Buy, Circuit City, and even Wal-Mart.

Second: Home theater-in-a-box systems contain most (or all) of the components needed for a basic Home Theater system, including all speakers, a surround sound receiver, wiring, and in some cases a DVD/CD player.

Third: Home theater-in-a-box systems are compact. These systems are designed so as not to overwhelm a room. The central DVD/Receiver units are sometimes not much larger than a DVD player, although some systems do include separate DVD player/Receiver components. However, the speakers that are included are usually compact, the five or six satellite speakers are small enough to be mounted unobtrusively in room corners or shelves. Even the included subwoofer is usually of more compact design so that it can be placed easily in a corner or next to a chair or table without attracting attention – except the deep bass sound it generates.

Fourth: A home theater-in-box is easy to install and use; most all the connection cables are provided. All you need is a TV with AV inputs and Audio outputs, A  VCR, and/or DVD Player (if one is not supplied), and you are set and ready to go. No special skills are required, just the ability to read simple instructions and diagrams. Also, most systems come with a remote control that is used for all the functions of the system.

Here are some cons:

First: These are not high-end systems. Home theater-in-a-box systems have a tendency to cut corners on speaker construction and quality, when compared to their separate unit cousins. However, with advances in both compact speaker and compact subwoofer technology, some of these “budget” systems will surprise you as to how good they can sound.

Second: Home theater-in-a-box systems are designed to optimize sound for home theater use more than for music listening. If you are a serious listener to music from CD, SACD, DVD-Audio, or even Vinyl, you might not be happy with the performance of most home theater-in-box systems.

Third: Many home theater-in-a-box systems do not deliver the “clean”, strong power that you might need for a larger room. The specifications may indicate a large wattage output, but you must also consider what distortion levels are present at the system’s rated power output. In fact, some of the more expensive home theater-in-box systems may actually deliver better sound, even though they may have a lower power output than a “cheaper” system, this being due to the fact that they’ll no doubt have a much lower distortion level. The lower the distortion level, the clearer the sound will be even at higher volume levels.

Fourth: If you have other devices, such as a VCR, video game console, digital cable or satellite, make sure the system you get has enough auxiliary inputs to plug everything in. Most systems have provisions for at least one or two additional audio/video device(s).

The Bottom Line on Home Theater-in-a-Box Systems

Despite the above drawbacks, at a price range from $200 to $2,000, there is a home theater-in-a-box system available that will fill basic needs for home theater and casual music listening, whether for an apartment, meeting room, or a smaller living room. My advice is to check out how the system sounds at a local dealer before making a decision. In addition, make sure you can return the system in a reasonable time if it doesn’t fit your listen needs once you try it out at home.

The typical frequency range of human hearing is between 20-20,000Hz. A good home theater system should be able to reproduce most of the frequencies within this range. Due to the fact that usually the center, fronts, and rear speakers in a surround sound system are usually not adequately equipped to produce those really low tones, most systems use a subwoofer. This speaker is only designed to reproduce the low bass tones and will not put out any other higher frequencies. Most really good subs are called powered subwoofers, due to the fact that they actually have their own amplifier and do not pull their power from the systems main amplifier that feeds the other speakers.

When looking for a good sub, there are 3 things to look for- size, power, and frequency range.  If you have your system in a larger room then obviously there is a need to have a larger subwoofer, such as a 10”, 12”, or possibly even a 15”. However, you have to be careful not to get a sub that is TOO large and powerful for the room that it is in. In such a case, it will be overpowering and drown out the other speakers.

Most powered subs have at least 75watts of their own power and can go up to 500 or 600+ watts. The amount of watts combined with the various available speaker sizes will all yield slightly different depths and tones.  Lastly, any quality sub will come with multiple crossover frequency options.

By definition, crossover frequency is the frequency at which an audio device (receiver/amplifier) delivers equal power to the upper and lower frequency channels when both are terminated in specified loads. Basically, this setting on the subwoofer allows you to set how much bass you want the home theater system’s receiver to put out to the sub. The lower frequency setting, the lower the amount of bass that is put out.  Most subs will have a turn knob that adjusts from low to high, for example, 80-160.  Every receiver is different in the frequency level that it is capable of putting out to the subwoofer. However, usually the best setting would be closer to the higher end of whatever the subs crossover is.  That way between the receiver and the sub, you will get the best of what the two combined can put out. Typically, powered subwoofers also have a volume control to limit not the frequency, but simply the sound level.

Without the subwoofer in a home theater system, it would not be complete. They allow the listener to thoroughly enjoy and feel the sounds and effects, almost as if they were actually there in the movie themselves.

Check Out This Site For Deals On Quality Subwoofers-http://hometheaterworld.weebly.com

The ohm is the unit of measure for impedance, which is the property of a speaker that restricts the flow of electrical current through it.  Typical speakers have impedance ratings of 4 ohms, 8 ohms or 16 ohms.  The impedance of a speaker is a physical property that (ideally) does not change value, although from an engineering standpoint, there are many complex characteristics that make up speaker impedance    For this reason, the rating of a speaker is called its ‘nominal’ value, which pretty much means “in name only”.   For the average audio user, the nominal impedance is the dominant characteristic and for   the purposes of this discussion, we will use the nominal value of the speaker’s impedance.

Why are ohms important?
Two reasons:
(1) If you connect your amplifier to the wrong speaker impedance, you risk damaging the amp.  In tube amps, too high a load impedance (or a disconnected load) can result in damage to the output tubes or output transformer,  while in solid state amps, if  the speaker impedance is lower than the amplifier impedance, the amplifier will tend to overheat and more power is used up in the amplifier than is delivered to the speaker.  Too many speakers on a solid state amp can burn up the power output section.
(2) The amplifier will deliver maximum power (volume) to the speaker when the speaker impedance matches (is equal to) the internal impedance (called the OUTPUT IMPEDANCE) of the amplifier.  Too low of an impedance will result in weak output and poor tone.  If the speaker impedance is higher than that of the amplifier, its power output will again be less than it is capable of.

There is a relationship between voltage, current and impedance. Voltage is what moves the electrical current. Thus, an increase in voltage can increase the current as well, as long as the impedance does not change. On the other hand, lowering the voltage also lowers the current. George Simon Ohm formulated this relationship by writing down Ohm’s Law. This formula states that in a circuit, the current is directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to impedance.

Knowing about speaker ohms is important because it is a safety issue. Connecting too many speakers to a device such as an amplifier can result in overloading. When this happens, there is a risk that it may blow up. Amplifiers give their maximum power to the speaker when the impedance of the speaker is similar to the output impedance of the amplifier. If the speaker impedance is lower than the amplifier’s, then the amplifier has the tendency to overheat. In the opposite situation when the speaker impedance is lower, the result is a poorer quality of sound.

Speakers can be connected to each other in two methods: parallel and series. If the speakers are connected in a series, the impedances are added to each other. For example, two 8-ohm speakers in a series have a total impedance of 16 ohms. In cases where speakers of the same impedance are connected in a parallel, the total is the impedance of one speaker divided by how many speakers there are. For parallel connections of speakers with differing impedance levels, the total impedance is computed by multiplying the impedance of the speakers. The product is then divided by the sum of the speakers’ impedance.

Check Out Our Site For A Large Selection of Home Theater Components-http://hometheaterworld.weebly.com

The center  is primarily dedicated to the reproduction of the dialogue (voice). This speaker is one of the key speakers in a surround sound system. Without it, you will no doubt always find the dialogue in movies and possibly even in music to be lacking. The speaker connected to the center channel is normally placed in the center of the system above the tv or screen. This gives the effect that the voice is coming from the same area as the picture.

In sound editing on movies, the dialogue might signal to other speakers when story action and direction require it, such as when the person talking is off-screen, but normally, it is rare that there is vocal that is completely absent from the center channel.

In other sources, such as music, the center speaker simply reproduces sound that is intended to come from in front of the listener, which usually includes the lead vocals, which are rarely panned hard left or right. So in these aspects, music voice and movie dialogue signals to the center are similar.

Speakers that are used for the center channel should at least be a 3-way speaker. Meaning it should have at least two mid-range and one tweeter. Obviously in smaller rooms, a smaller sized center would okay. The PylePro 2-Way 5” – 1”tweeter Center Channel Speaker and the Sony SSCN5000 Center Speaker are some examples. For medium and larger sized rooms, some of the options might include the Earthquake PN-4421 Center or the Cerwin -Vega VE-5C Center Channel Speaker. If the center speaker is too large for the room, the voice sound will be rather over-baring. Of course the opposite is true when dealing with larger rooms and a smaller speaker.

The center channel provides image-stabling effects and is considered the most important channel for film production. As previously mentioned, it is also vital to most music sources. Without a good center speaker, a home theater system will not perform sound wise nearly like it should.

Both these systems and other top systems can be found HERE!

DHT-591BA

High Resolution Surround Sound
For the ultimate surround sound experience, the AVR-591 features a full suite of high resolution audio decoders, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, as well as Dolby Pro Logic IIz, which provides front channel height effects. The matching Boston Acoustics MCS 95 surround speaker system includes compact front, center and surround speakers that can be tabletop or wall mounted, along with a 100 watts RMS (250 watts peak) compact subwoofer that provides powerful deep bass response.

HDMI 1.4a Includes 3D Blu-ray Compatibility
Equipped with 4 HDMI inputs, the AVR-591 includes the latest HDMI 1.4a specification, with support for 3D pass-through (Broadcast and Blu-ray) and Audio Return Channel. Analog video inputs are upconverted to HDMI, allowing a single cable run to the TV, minimizing expensive cable costs.

Easy Setup With Automatic Room Acoustic Correction
Audyssey’s MultEQ dynamic room acoustic correction system features a microphone (included) to quickly and automatically adjust the speaker configuration and provide optimum acoustic tailoring for the best surround sound experience. Dynamic Volume helps eliminate jarring volume jumps during commercials, and Dynamic EQ provides a rich tonal balance at any volume level.

Paired with Boston Acoustics MCS 95 5.1 Surround Speaker System
Unlike ordinary home theater systems that come with poor quality speakers, the DHT-591BA system includes the high quality MCS 95 surround system from renowned speaker maker Boston Acoustics. The main front and surround speakers are equipped with a 3” MagnaGuard mid-woofer and a ½” dome tweeter, while the critical center speaker is equipped with dual 3” MagnaGuard mid-woofers and ½” tweeter. The powerful yet compact subwoofer features a long-throw 8” driver mated with a 100 watts (250 watts peak) amplifier equipped with BassTrac distortion elimination circuitry for the deepest, tightest bass response.

Top-of-the-Line Package with Tall-Boys for More Powerful Audio

Sitting at the top of our range of home theater packages, the HT-S7300 combines today’s essential A/V technology with proven Onkyo amplification muscle. Four HDMI 1.4a inputs allow you to hook up all your high-def devices and enjoy spectacular widescreen 1080p resolution on a compatible display. Non-HD video sources, meanwhile, can be upscaled to 1080p via HDMI with Faroudja DCDi Cinema™. HDMI 1.4a not only provides a handy Audio Return Channel from your TV’s tuner to the receiver, it also gives you compatibility with upcoming 3D video content. Among the other connectivity options on the HT-S7300 is a Universal Port for the included Dock for iPhone/iPod. The Onkyo name is synonymous with quality sound, so it’s no surprise the HT-S7300 packs stellar audio processing: lossless HD codecs from Dolby and DTS; Dolby® ProLogic IIz for overhead ambience; Audyssey room-correction; and specialized audio modes for gaming. Rounding it out is a speaker set highlighted by a mighty pair of floor-standing front speakers that excel every bit as much with music as they do with movies and games.p>

Special Features

• Four 1080p capable HDMI inputs (V1.4a) supporting 3D video and Audio Return Channel
• Total 1200W with a Powerfull 10-inch 290W Powered Subwoofer
• 1080p scaling via Faroudja DCDi Cinema
• WRAT technology and discrete amp construction for cleaner sound
• 4 DSP Gaming Modes: Rock, Sports, Action, and Role Playing
• Includes dedicated RI iPod dock (UP-A1) which supports the following iPods:
  • 4th Gen iPod
  • 4th Gen iPod (color display)
  • iPod Photo
  • iPod video
  • iPod Classic (80, 120 and 160GB)
  • 1st – 5th Gen iPod Nano
  • 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen iPod Touch
  • iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS

A Home Theater Receiver Functions-Components
1. AM/FM tuner;XM or Sirius Satellite Radio, and/or Internet Radio.
2. A Preamp that controls which audio/video source is selected (DVD player, VCR, CD player, iPod, etc…), processes the incoming stereo/surround sound signals, and distributes audio to the speaker channels and subwoofer. Video signals are carried on through to the screen or TV.
3. A built-in Multi-channel amplifier (5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 channels) that sends the surround sound signals and power to the speakers

Power Ratings (WPC) – Watts Aren’t Everything
Receiver descriptions always list the Watts-Per-Channel rating. One receiver has 50 Watts-Per-Channel (WPC), another one has 75, and still another has 100 or more. The more watts, the better, right? Not Necessarily.
Most people think that more watts means more volume. An amplifier with 100 WPC is twice as loud as 50 WPC, right? Many receivers may push a good deal of watts, however, they have very high distortion levels.

Distortion (THD) – If It Doesn’t Sound Good -The Watts Do Not Matter
A receiver that has excessive noise or distortion at high volume levels will have a terrible sound quality. You are better off with a receiver of about 75 WPC with a low distortion level than a more powerful amplifier with high distortion levels. Usually receivers that do have higher distortion levels have lower volume levels.
A receiver that has a distortion rating of 8-10% at full output is very poor. A receiver that has a .01% distortion level at full output level would be excellent at ALL listening levels. Distortion specs are expressed by the term THD (Total Harmonic Distortion). There’s of course nothing wrong with higher WPCs providing that receiver has a lower distortion level.
· Definition of Distortion (THD)- Distortion specs are expressed by the term THD (Total Harmonic Distortion), which is measured in percentage terms, where the percentage represents the amount of distortion present in the audio signal at full output level.
Signal-To-Noise Ratio (S/N) – Separating The Sound From The Background Noise
Another factor is Signal-To-Noise Ratio (S/N), which is ratio of sound to background noise. The larger the ratio, the more the desirable sounds (music, voice, effects) are separated from acoustical effects and background noise. In amplifier specifications S/N ratios are expressed in decibels. A S/N ratio of 70db is much more desirable that a S/N ratio of 50db.

Decibels (db) – Sound Level Performance
Sound level is measured in Decibels (db). Our ears detect changes in volume in a non-linear fashion. A db is a scale of loudness. A difference of 1 db is the minimum perceptible change in volume, 3 db is a moderate change, and 6 db is doubling of volume.

How Stated Power Ratings Can Be Deceiving
In addition to the continuous power rating, another factor affecting real amplifier power output, especially with surround sound receivers, is whether the manufacturer is basing their wattage output specification on one or two channels driven or with ALL channels driven. In addition, was the measurement made using a 1KHz test tone, or with 20Hz to 20KHz test tones?
In other words, when you see an amplifier wattage rating of 100 watts-per-channel at 1 KHz with one or two channels driven, the real-world wattage output when all 5 or 7 channels are operating across all frequencies will be lower, possibly as much as 30 or 40% lower. Of course, not all channels actually require the same power at the same time as variations in audio signals affect the requirements for each channel at any given time. Wattage output, as stated in the manufacturer’s specifications, may not be available across all channels at the same time.

Continuous Power (RMS)
Another factor is the receiver’s ability to output its full power continuously. In other words, just because your receiver/amplifier may be listed as being able to output 100WPC, doesn’t mean it can do so for any significant length of time. Always make sure when checking for specifications, that the WPC output is measure in RMS terms. This means that the listed power output is SUSTAINED OUTPUT at a specific volume level.

HDMI Connectivity
HDMI is a connection available on many receivers. Unlike other connections, HDMI can pass both audio and video signals through a single cable. However, depending on how HDMI is incorporated, access to HDMI’s capabilities may be limited.
Many lower priced receivers incorporate pass-through HDMI switching. This allows the connection of HDMI cables into the receiver and provides an HDMI output connection to a TV. However, the receiver can’t access the video or audio portions of the HDMI signal for further processing.
Some receivers access both the audio and video portions of the HDMI signals for further processing.
The Bottom Line – Take All Factors Into Consideration
Do not base your buying decisions from a single specification, such as a Watts-Per-Channel rating. A single spec, taken out of context with other factors, does not give a completely accurate picture of the receiver’s true capabilities. There are other factors to take into consideration, such as, sound quality, ease of use, and flexible connectivity with other components. Never buy a receiver without giving a listen for yourself, or at least look up some reviews on it before purchasing.

Check Out Home Theater World For A Complete Line Of Quality Home Theater Components!

The good: 7.1 home theater system; excellent sound quality on music and movies; component-grade AV receiver included; five HDMI inputs; iPod dock included; onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio; can upconvert analog video sources to 1080i resolution.

The bad: Speakers are relatively large and boxy; video quality of upconverted analog video is mediocre.

The bottom line: While its bulky design isn’t for everyone, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more full-featured and better sounding all-in-one 7.1 home theater system for the price than the Onkyo HT-S7200.

Photo gallery:
Onkyo HT-S7200

“True” home theater fans may look down on home-theater-in-a-box systems, but sometimes that elitist attitude is unwarranted. The Onkyo HT-S7200 may technically be an HTIB, but that’s just because it comes in a giant box; the system is composed of two separate components, the SKS-HT870 7.1 speaker package and HT-RC160 AV receiver; both devices are also sold separately. The result is a powerful-sounding home theater system that can deliver on both movies and music–most HTIBs don’t cut it with music. The receiver is packed with five HDMI inputs, plus an iPod dock for easy access to your digital music. The HT-S7200′s weakness is aesthetics and bulky size. The included speakers are boxy, relatively big (at least compared with other HTIBs) and the black wood finish won’t suit everyone’s taste. If you’re looking for an unobtrusive home theater system, this isn’t it. On the other hand, if your priorities are performance, features, and value, you can’t go wrong with the HT-S7200. Our only note is that you might save money by purchasing the HT-S7200 like a true component-based system; we’ve seen the SKS-HT870 and HT-RC160 offered for less online than the all-in-one HT-S7200 system.

Design
The Onkyo HT-S7200 includes a 7.1 speaker package, which Onkyo sells separately as the SKS-HT870. The SKS-HT870 features a pair of slender tower speakers, a dedicated center channel speaker, four surround channel speakers, and a powered subwoofer.

A set of full-size tower speakers on an HTIB is a rare sight.

All eight pieces are encased in medium-density fiberboard cabinets that are nicely finished in wood-grain black, and the speakers have irremovable black cloth grilles. The towers and center speaker’s come with gloss black panels fitted to their tops and sides (respectively). The towers’ circular metal bases are packed separately; you attach them with four screws each, and while you’re assembling the speakers take a peek inside the rear-mounted, bass-enhancing port. You’ll see Onkyo’s engineers used the speakers’ full internal volume to maximize the bass-producing potential of the speakers (few HTIB towers do the same). The towers and center speaker are two-way designs outfitted with twin 3.25-inch woofers and a 1-inch dome tweeter. The surround speakers each have one 3.25-inch woofer, but don’t have tweeters.

The smaller surround speakers don’t look bad, but they lack the refinement of more expensive systems.

Speaker connectors are spring-clip types that only work with stripped bare wire ends or cables terminated with pin connectors. In either case, spring clips don’t provide that secure of a grip on the wires, so they can fall out with a slight tug. We prefer banana connectors, but they’re probably too expensive to be used in this budget priced system.

The subwoofer has a glossy black front, with a wood finish on the sides.

The matching subwoofer’s glossy black front baffle makes for an upscale look; a large port on the baffle augments the bass supplied by the 10-inch down-firing woofer. A 290-watt amplifier drives the woofer and the sub’s rear panel has a single RCA, line-level input, and a volume control. Measuring 10.8 inches by 19.9 inches by 16.2 inches, the sub qualifies as a full-size model and weighs 25.6 pounds. The cabinet is well built, but when we rapped our knuckles against the sides or top of the cabinet, it didn’t feel as well braced as more expensive subs do.

The HT-S7200 includes a full-size, component-style AV receiver.

The HT-S7200 also includes the Onkyo HT-RC160 AV receiver; it’s available separately, and worth considering if you already have a worthwhile set of speakers.

Setup
Even before we tackled the HT-S7200′s automatic speaker calibration, the sound was pretty good; so if you’d rather not bother attempting calibration you’ll still hear decent sound. That said, it was even better post setup.

Like all of Onkyo’s HTIBs of recent memory, the HT-S7200 features Audyssey’s 2EQ automatic calibration system. The comprehensive system confirms the wiring polarity for each speaker is ‘+’ to ‘+’ and ‘-’ to ‘-’, adjusts each channel’s volume level and time delay/distance setting, and determines the speaker “sizes” and the speaker/subwoofer crossover settings. The Audyssey 2EQ also provides equalization corrections to the speakers, which may improve the sound. The system uses a microphone to analyze the speakers and subwoofer’s sound from three listening positions.

The setup process took about 14 minutes to complete. While running the test tones, we noted the seven speakers were unusually well matched, even before the 2EQ applied equalization corrections to the speakers. The sound balance of the tone/noise heard from each speaker was very consistent. That’s a good thing because when a movie mixes pan sound from speaker to speaker, the transitions will be smooth.

Once the Audyssey 2EQ setup was complete, it was easy to confirm the results, which were accurate, overall. Its speaker and subwoofer measured distances were spot-on and the volume levels, including the subwoofer, were perfect. We were less happy with the subwoofer to speaker crossover settings: Audyssey 2EQ selected 50Hz for the tower and center channel speakers, which we think is too low (a low setting would result in a lack of midbass).

So we changed the crossover for the towers and center speaker to 80Hz in the manual setup after listening with the 50Hz setting. The 50Hz sound was fine, but we preferred the sound with the 80Hz setting. Audyssey 2EQ properly determined the four surround speaker channels crossover settings as 150Hz, so we left those alone.

We definitely liked the Audyssey 2EQ setup results, overall, and recommend taking the time to perform the auto setup.

The included HT-RC160 AV receiver has onboard decoding for both of the new high-resolution soundtrack formats, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, as well as Dolby Pro Logic IIz. (For more information on Pro Logic IIz, read our hands-on experience with the new surround format.) The Onkyo can upconvert analog sources up to a 1080i resolution, although we really weren’t satisfied with the image quality–we’ll get to the details in the video performance section. The onscreen display for the HT-RC160 is primarily text-based, although there are some basic graphics accompanying the menus. Unlike the similar TX-SR607, the HT-RC160 lacks built-in Sirius support, although you can add it with a standalone tuner (or a streaming-audio unit that uses the online XM Sirius stream).

Connectivity
HDMI inputs	5		Optical audio inputs	2
Component video inputs	2		Coaxial audio inputs	2
Max connected HD devices	8		Stereo analog audio inputs	2
Composite AV inputs	5		Analog multichannel inputs	No
Max connected video devices	8		Phono input	No

The HT-RC160′s five HDMI inputs are excellent at the price range, bested only by its sister product, the TX-SR607. We were also impressed that it’s possible to connect eight simultaneous HD sources, which means there are enough input “slots” to cover all five HDMI inputs and the two component video inputs. The rest of the connectivity options are standard at this price range, although there are some notable omissions. There are no S-Video inputs on the HT-RC160–which is becoming common–but there also isn’t a 7.1 multichannel analog input, which may disappoint some buyers with older gear. Like most receivers in this price range, the HT-RC160 also lacks a phono jack.

The HT-RC160 has some missing connections, but it’s mostly made up for by its five HDMI inputs.

It’s also worth pointing out the HT-S7200 includes the Onkyo UP-A1 iPod dock–a feature not included in the more expensive Onkyo HT-S9100THX system. When you add the price of the iPod dock to the HT-S9100THX, it’s significantly more expensive.

Multiroom features
Line level 2nd zone outputs	Yes		Line level 3rd zone outputs	No
Speaker-level 2nd zone outputs	Yes		Speaker-level 3rd zone outputs	No
Second zone video output	No		Second zone remote	No

Multiroom functionality is standard on the HT-RC160, with second-zone functionality offered using line-level or speaker-level outputs. Note that using the second zone speaker-level outputs require you to use the would-be surround back channels of a 7.1 configuration; you can’t have a 7.1 setup and a second zone.

Audio performance
We’ve favorably reviewed many Onkyo HTIBs over the years, but even so, we were surprised by the HT-S7200′s sound. Maybe that’s because it was so “right” we had to work to find things to complain about. In other words, the HT-S7200 didn’t sound like a HTIB, more like a budget-priced component home theater system. That’s high praise indeed.

The HT-S7200′s speakers and subwoofer played well together and created a totally coherent, room-filling sound. The speakers have the sort of “open,” unboxy sound we associate with pricier models. The subwoofer’s deep bass extension is good, but its real talent was providing a perfect blend with all seven speakers. Maybe that’s why we didn’t think about the sub when watching movies or listening to music; the bass seemed to be coming from the speakers (even when it wasn’t). Few HTIB subs do that as well as the HT-S7200′s sub.

The DTS Master Audio soundtrack on the “Sunshine” Blu-ray Disc has overwhelmed some of the punier HTIBs we’ve tested, and its low frequency effects can beat up small subwoofers. With the HT-S7200, the thundering rumble of massive spacecraft flyovers from the rear of the CNET listening room over to the front three speakers were as smooth as can be. We listened with and without Audyssey EQ (equalization) and preferred the sound with it on because it improved the speakers’ detail and resolution.

Pushing the HT-S7200 to play “Sunshine” really loud revealed the limits of the system’s performance. Beyond certain, fairly loud volume the sound grew strained and bass definition went south. Still, the HT-S7200 will handily outgun all of the more compact HTIBs from Panasonic, Samsung, or Sony in the loud wars.

Yamaha’s stellar YHT-791 is a possible contender for best HTIB sound, so we directly compared the two systems while watching the “Quantum of Solace” Blu-ray Disc. The two HTIBs performed similarly. However, we’d give the nod to the HT-S7200 since it sounded like a larger, more capable system that makes for a more effortless home theater experience. Some of that can be attributed to the Onkyo’s more substantial subwoofer. Overall, the YHT-791 is right up there, but the HT-S7200 is better. Also, since both HTIBs come with component grade receivers, their sound can be upgraded with better speakers or a better subwoofer.

Then again, Onkyo’s top-of-the-line HT-S9100THX is still the best sounding HTIB we’ve heard to date, it outclasses the HT-S7200, mostly thanks to its bigger, more powerful subwoofer and greater overall volume potential.

The HT-S7200 shined with all types of two-channel music: Rock, jazz, and classical. We listened, mostly in stereo, with just the towers and the subwoofer. The skinny towers didn’t sound the least bit anemic, and the soundstage of Leonard Cohen’s “Live In London” CD was big and deep. Listening to Cohen’s weighty baritone voice, it was hard to believe it was coming out of a HTIB. The HT-S7200′s musicality makes it a safe bet for buyers who intend to listen to as much or more music than watch movies.

Video performance
Editors’ note: In our testing, we observed virtually identical performance from HT-RC160 as we did from the Onkyo TX-SR607. Therefore, this section of the review is similar.

The included Onkyo HT-RC160 AV receiver is capable of upconverting analog signals to its HDMI output, so we put it through our video testing suite. We connected the Oppo BDP-83 via component video to the HT-RC160, with the BDP-83 set to 480i output. The HT-RC160 was set to output at 1080i over its HDMI output and connected to the Samsung PN50B650.

We’ve complained about Onkyo’s upconverted image quality on previous models, and the HT-RC160 suffers from the exact same issues. First we looked at test patterns from Silicon Optix’s “HQV” test disc. The initial resolution pattern told the whole story, as the HT-RC160 was clearly not depicting the full resolution of DVD. On every image we saw, there appeared to be comblike artifacts on nearly everything, indicating how much resolution was actually missing. The HT-RC160 failed the other jaggies and 2:3 pull-down tests we looked at as well, but the limited resolution was almost always the more obvious deficiency.

We switched over to program material, and the HT-RC160 continued to struggle. Generally we look at titles like “Star Trek: Insurrection” and “Seabiscuit” for issues like excessive jaggies or faulty 2:3 pull-down processing, but again the loss of resolution was visible in every scene and for many it would be considered unwatchable.

To be clear, the problems we saw were only on analog video signals upconverted to the other resolutions listed above over the HDMI output. If you’re only planning on using the HT-RC160 for HDMI sources, you won’t run into these issues at all.

Additionally, these issues only occur if you’re trying to upconvert analog signals to 1080i. You can set the HT-RC160 to “through” mode, which means the HT-RC160 will convert the analog signals to HDMI, but leave it at 480i for your HDTV to do the upconversion. In nearly all cases, this will result in better image quality, as long your HDTV can accept a 480i signal over HDMI.

The main takeaway is that you shouldn’t buy the HT-RC160 if you’re looking for an AV receiver with excellent upconversion video quality. However, with almost all new gadgets (except the Nintendo Wii) featuring HDMI, we expect fewer people actually need that capability.

All of these make the movie experience what it is today, and it is because of these very reasons that many want to bring that theater experience to the comfort of their own home. While 99.9% of the people in this world could not afford a full sized movie theater in their home, that doesn’t mean they can’t try and mimic the feel of a theater by investing in a larger high definition television and a surround sound speaker system.

High definition is popping up everywhere. It hit big with televisions, and now the phrase can be seen on other products, such as camcorders and video games, and videos watched online can be watched in a high definition format as well. Plan on saving quite a bit for a quality home theater system . Depending on what you have now and what you want to get, you can spend as low as a few hundred dollars and as high as a few thousand dollars.

Naturally, there are some basic components you need to get that movie theater feel. Perhaps the most important and most expensive component is a high definition television. Without a big screen HDTV, all else will fail. With the HDTV, you will need a set of surround sound speakers. Take note that the most popular brands, such as Bose, are not always the best. You might be surprised to find that there are much higher quality, superior products in other speaker brands. Some of these being Sony, Denon, Klipsch, Polk, Boston Acoustics, and so on. Make sure that you do your research prior to getting suckered in by a pair of thousand dollar speakers that simply do not deliver. On the other end, you obviously can’t expect to get much out of a cheap boxed “sound system” from Wal-mart, Target, or some similar place. While there are some decent quality more inexpensive systems out there, you probably will not find them at your local retail store.

Lastly, many gamers can appreciate a home theater system. It makes the today’s “high tec” games so much more realistic. If you plan on using this home theater for gaming, then consider investing in a HDMI cable to plug into the back of either your PlayStation 3 or XBOX 360 to your television, as those cables offer the best picture quality for gaming.

FOR DEALS ON HOME THEATER SYSTEMS, HDTV’S, AND GAMING UNITS CLICK HERE

A well-engineered recording — whether it’s music or a movie soundtrack — can make any system sound like a star. Most music- and movie-review websites tend to focus on the artistic aspects of recordings, but a few of our favorites also rate sound quality. Playback is a monthly online magazine featuring capsule reviews of the latest music discs. Both the print and web versions of Stereophile magazine feature an annual list of “Records to Die For” penned by the magazine’s knowledgeable reviewers. And The Absolute Sound offers guides in a similar vein. Whether you like rock, jazz, classical, or all of the above, you’ll find intriguing suggestions.

Tip #2: Select a lower level of compression — or better quality — for your music files.

The iPod and MP3 phenomenon has created lots of new music listeners, many of whom might not realize that compressing music into small digital files can negatively impact sound quality. Your music ripping software probably comes set by default to remove up to 90% or more of the digital information found on the original CD. This makes storage convenient, but compromises sonic detail and clarity.

If you’ve got enough storage space on your iPod or computer, try selecting a higher “bitrate” setting in your music software, such as 256 Kbps (kilobits per second), when “ripping” tracks from your CDs. If you’re downloading music tracks from an online store, check out the technical specs of the files — more and more, you can find songs encoded at higher bitrates for little or no additional cost.

Higher-bitrate files are larger, but they also sound better. Programs like iTunes and Windows Media Player can also create “lossless” audio files, which maintain CD-quality sound while cutting the required storage space roughly in half. See our article about the MP3 format for more info.

Tip #3: Place your speakers carefully.
Your speakers are the “voice” of your system, and setting them up carefully can help you get the most out of your investment. Our article on positioning your speakers properly offers detailed placement instructions. But even after you’ve followed those suggestions, you may still be able to improve your setup with small adjustments. Have the member of your household with the most discerning ears sit in the main listening position, and check whether:

• the front speakers sound best facing directly into the room, or angled slightly inward toward the listener
• the center channel sounds better above or below the TV (assuming you have both options)
• your surround speakers are most effective when facing straight, or angled toward the main listening position.

Take a little extra time to set up your speakers properly, and your ears will thank you.

Tip #4: Dial in your subwoofer’s settings.

Powered subwoofers give you deep bass for your music and dramatic low-frequency effects for home theater. To get the best possible sound from your sub, make certain that its crossover and level settings are correctly adjusted. Dial in too much bass volume, and your low-frequency sounds become intrusive and overpowering. Set your crossover too high, and bass notes can sound boomy and unclear. Spending a little time to get it just right lets you enjoy bass that’s deep, well-defined, and nicely blended with the sound of your main speakers. Learn more about adjusting your powered sub.

Tip #5: Take advantage of your receiver’s auto setup features.

Most newer home theater receivers come with sound calibration features — from simple test tones that will help you balance channel volume, to sophisticated calibration systems that can measure speaker distances and sizes, then automatically adjust delay settings and frequency response to fit your room. Many receivers also provide additional manual adjustments that let you tweak the sound even further to match your own personal taste. Automatic calibration makes it much, much easier to tailor your receiver’s settings precisely to your particular speakers and listening room. Watch our video about automatic speaker calibration.

Tip #6: Use your receiver or disc player’s “Pure” mode for better sound.
Sending music signals through unnecessary circuitry can add unwanted noise and distortion to your favorite recordings. That’s why some receivers and disc players offer a “Pure” or “Direct” mode for playing music. These modes give you the option of switching off unused or unneeded portions of your component’s circuitry to provide the cleanest possible signal path, and minimize potential electronic interference. If any of your components provide these types of options, give them a try. You might find that the resulting sound is clearer and more detailed.

Tip #7: Don’t settle for your TV’s built-in speakers.
TV cabinets have gotten thinner and thinner, leaving less and less room for built-in speakers. The result? Flat, muddy sound that just doesn’t do justice to today’s high-def displays. You’ve got a lot of options for improving your TV’s sound — from popular single-speaker sound bars to full surround sound systems, and everything in between. Many of these options are compact and simple to set up. See our article on four ways to improve your TV’s sound for more info.

Tip #8: Take advantage of the latest surround sound formats from your Blu-ray player.

Many Blu-ray discs boast high-resolution surround sound from two new formats, Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD™ Master Audio. These formats provide ultra-detailed audio that rivals the original studio sound. If you’ve got a full surround sound system, you’ll be impressed by how immersive these state-of-the-art soundtracks can be, and how much they pull you into the on-screen action. To take advantage of these formats, pay close attention to how you connect your system:

• If you have a Blu-ray player with built-in decoding for Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio, you can connect it to your home theater receiver via HDMI or multichannel analog audio cables.
• If your Blu-ray player doesn’t have the necessary built-in decoding, you can pass the signal via HDMI to a receiver that can decode those formats.

Tip #9: Try better speaker wire — a logical first step in upgrading your audio connections.

Most speakers don’t come with any wire, so you’ll need to get some kind of speaker wire to connect them to your receiver or amplifier. We’ve heard enough demos over the years to know that speaker wire can have a noticeable impact on the sound of your system. The higher the quality of your speakers, the more they’ll benefit from high-quality cables. Things to consider when shopping for speaker cables include gauge (thickness), length, construction, and connector type.

Tip #10: Biamp your speakers.
If you’ve purchased a home theater receiver in the last couple of years, it may have extra channels of amplifier power that you can put to use for better sound. That’s because most newer receivers have seven amplifier channels, while many people only use five speakers in their home theater setup.

If your receiver’s “surround back” channels are going unused, check if you can redirect the power to <span>biamp</span> your front left and right speakers. This neat trick gives you four dedicated amplifier channels to drive your front two speakers, essentially doubling the available power for more dynamic, higher-quality sound.

Note: Your receiver must be able to redirect unused amp channels, and your front speakers must each have two pairs of input terminals (also known as “biamp inputs”) as shown below.

Dual sets of binding posts permit biamping or biwiring. These speakers come with jumpers that connect the two sets of binding posts for regular use (left photo). For biamping or biwiring, simply remove the jumpers (right photo).

Tip #11: Bypass your iPod’s built-in digital-to-analog converter.

A digital-to-analog converter, or DAC, has the job of converting digital information — 0′s and 1′s — into analog music signals. The iPod’s built-in DAC usually does a good enough job for casual listening with earbud headphones, but it doesn’t deliver the same level of performance you can get from the more advanced DACs found in many of today’s audio/video receivers (or an even higher-end outboard DAC — see Tip #14). Fortunately, there is a special dock available that lets you bypass your iPod’s DAC — the Wadia 170iTransport. It lets you pass signals directly to your receiver or outboard DAC in the digital realm, for cleaner, fuller sound.

Tip #12: Use a power conditioner — protect your gear and improve its performance

Many people think nothing of plugging sensitive, high-performance audio and video components into a $5 power strip. Well, we don’t think much of it either. These general-purpose power strips don’t offer adequate protection against damaging power spikes, and they seldom filter out the everyday electronic interference from your home’s electrical appliances, phone lines, computers, and cable connections that can affect your system’s performance.

Higher-end options for really great sound

Tip #13: Use high-quality source components.

No matter how good your amp and speakers are, if they’re not receiving a richly detailed, high-quality signal then you’re not going to get all the performance they’re capable of. The only way to ensure that you’re enjoying all the sound quality you paid for is to use playback equipment that can extract every last bit of information from your source, be it analog or digital.

High-quality source components typically offer sturdier construction, costlier precision-built parts, and larger power supplies to help bring out subtle nuances in your music that you may not have heard before. Most listeners experience deeper, better-defined bass, smoother highs with more detail, and a greater sense of space and realism.

Tip #14: Try a smokin’ outboard DAC — get shockingly good sound from your CD collection.

For nearly as long as CD players have been around, audiophiles have been enjoying richer CD sound by connecting an outboard DAC (digital-to-analog converter). A DAC’s only job is to convert digital bits, such as those from a CD or DVD player, into a stereo analog signal to feed to your receiver or preamp. You connect your player to a DAC using either an optical or coaxial digital cable, and then use a high-quality audio patch cable between the DAC and your receiver.

Tip #15: Upgrade to high-performance loudspeakers.

Your speakers are the part of your system you actually listen to, and upgrading your speakers is one of the most reliable ways to enhance the experience. Most of today’s speakers sound at least okay, but you have to do some digging to find the real gems. Polk’s speakers consistently deliver great bang for the buck, but if you’re looking for more involving sound, we recommend their LSi series. And if you’re looking for extremely detailed, low-distortion music reproduction, THIEL’s beautifully made speakers are world-renowned for their accurate sound.

This article was taken from Crutchfield.com