Onkyo SKS-HT540

Experts and users are impressed by the sound quality and construction quality of the 7.1-channel Onkyo SKS-HT540, but are blown away by the value. Professional reviews say that it outperforms some speaker systems costing twice as much. Most home-theater speaker systems in this price range can't produce the power needed to give high-action films their full visceral feel, but that's not the case with the SKS-HT540, which can fill even a large room with sound. Compared to more expensive subwoofers, the quality of the bass doesn't quite measure up, but it's still pretty good and certainly better than what most home-theater speakers this low priced can produce. Cabinets are solid and attractive, but very large.

If you have a little more to spend and need a speaker system that blends more easily with the aesthetics of a room, the Energy RC-Micro 5.1 (*Est. $600) has satellites that are just a fraction of the size of the ones in the SKS-HT540, yet it sounds terrific with movies and music.

Though the 7.1-channel Onkyo SKS-HT540 hasn't been widely reviewed by professionals, we found a good testing-based report at CNET. Owners have also had their say, and the most user-written reviews are available at Amazon.com. A smaller selection can also be read at JR.com and Vanns.com.