Top 10 Home Theater-In-A-Box - Top Picks

 

Anonymous
 
Just find this from about.com as I am searching HTIB for myself. Any suggestion? Thanks!

http://hometheater.about.com/cs/toppicks/tp/aatphtiba.htm
 

Usman_Denver
Unregistered guest
They forgot to list the Onkyo S770! It does not have the DVD player included in it, but is a MUCH better system that the S777 (listed at #2) and the Kenwood (listed at #!). Power stats:

130 watts x 6 channels
220 watt sub

Both of the above systems are less powerful than this. I was really, REALLY glad that Onkyo does not include a DVD player as none of them are Universal Disc Players usually. I bought Pioneer 578 A-S from tigerdirect.com for $99. Fantastic UDP for everything from SACDs to DVD-As to jpeg slide shows.

By the way, the Onkyo S770 is $425 at circuitcity.com plus free shipping.
 

Anonymous
 
Usman_Denver. thanks for your input!
spend hours to read all onkyo s770 posts here, looks like s770 is the best buy for HTIB
1)I heard onkyo s770 is great for movie but not so great for music, is that true?
2)I check circuitcity.com, but their picture for onkyo s770 somehow looks different from onkyo official site???
3)I probably will go for Pionner 588A-S, does your 578A read DVD+RW ? Want to get a DVD player can read all kind of disc. That's why I also consider #1 Kenwood 707 and #4 Yamaha 760
Thanks again!
 

Usman_Denver
Unregistered guest
Hey! Sorry, I read your message last week, but my 770 had arrived that very day and I hadn't set it up yet so wanted to give a better reply after trying it out.

The system sounds very good for both. Does it sound like some high-end systems I have heard while watching movies? Yes, it does. Music? Not quite. But it costs a little over $400 and at that price, it provides an amazing experience. The only shortfall of the speakers is the lack of treble output. The music could sound more crisp. But believe me, I am an audiophile, and have installed several complete systems, yet I say that the Onkyo 700 sounds very, VERY good.

You will have to do a few things to get the most out of it:

1) The included 22-gauge speaker cable is junk, so is the subwoofer cable. A 16-gauge sounds best with it and that's what I'm running, plus a thick Audio Research sub cable from Best Buy.
2) You will have to play with the settings and calibrate the system very well. I recommend NOT listening to it until you do so or you may be disappointed! If you do get it, email me at mani_47@hotmail.com and I will tell you how to calibrate.
3) The speakers require a break-in period. I noticed a remarkable improvement in sound quality after the first two days (about 7-8 hours of use).

As for the pics' disparity, nah, that is not correct. The S770 is S770 no matter where you buy it from. I would recommend Circuit City as if there is a problem during shipment, you can get it exchanged at a store rightaway. My sub was slightly damaged and I took it in three days ago and got a new one.

The Pioneer 578 plays practically any disk you put in it, including DVD+RW. It is truly is a universal player. I bought mine at tigerdirect.com for $99. The 588 plays DivX and 578 does not. That is the only difference between the two, as far as I can tell.

Let me know if you have any more questions.
 

Anonymous
 
I haven't yet heard a better HTIB than the Linn Classic Movie Di - see http://linfo.linn.co.uk/binaries/FCD9A3FB-CD46-434F-85256DC73CE60208/CLASSIK_MOV IE_DI_spec_sht.pdf
 

Jetmech
Unregistered guest
Usman,

You do know that the Onkyo HT-S770 is the exact same system as the HT-S777 minus the DVD player, don't you?
 

New member
Username: Agentxfile

Post Number: 8
Registered: Jun-05
The Yamaha YHT-360 is the best.

agentxfile

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