Component Systems

Component HTIBs are most flexible

Although reviews and users say there are several excellent choices among home theater systems, some of the best comments are reserved for those built around component-grade AV receivers. These systems are bulkier than those featuring an integrated receiver/DVD/Blu-ray player, and typically come with much beefier speakers. Most do not include a Blu-ray or DVD player, and those that do feature it as a separate component. Although component-grade home theater systems offer better sound quality, they can be harder to set up and use.

The 7.1-channel Onkyo HT-S9100THX (*Est. $900) is the only home theater in a box system to earn THX certification. That means that the system meets a demanding set of standards designed to ensure that the listener hears the same thing at home as would be heard in a movie theater. The HT-S9100THX is the top-rated home theater kit at CNET and earns a Top Pick award from Home Theater magazine.

The heart of the system is full-featured audio/video receiver with four HDMI inputs, the ability to process audio that comes in over that connection and on-board decoders for the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio lossless audio formats used on most Blu-ray Discs. The receiver also has the ability to upscale video to 1080i for output over HDMI. However, despite the presence of Faroudja DCDi video processing, CNET finds upconverting performance to not be very good and recommends leaving that job to your HDTV instead.

That is one of the few complaints experts have about the Onkyo HT-S9100THX. The receiver and speakers are on the large side, but they team up well to deliver terrific sound -- "the best sound we've heard to date from an all-in-one system," CNET says. Though the Onkyo HT-S9100THX won't score many points for aesthetics, Mark Fleischmann at Home Theater magazine says "you can close your eyes and imagine that you're listening to something more powerful and better balanced than the price tag indicates."

Because it uses standard connections, setting up the HT-S9100THX can be difficult for home theater novices, but Onkyo equips the speakers with color-coded binding posts and supplies color-coded speaker cable to make things easier. Though some might prefer setting up the speakers on their own, Onkyo includes Audyssey's 2EQ automatic speaker setup system, which experts say does pretty good job of automating the process for the best sound quality and surround-sound effects in any room.

A few other Onkyo home theater systems draw accolades as well. Among those, the 7.1-channel Onkyo HT-S5200 (*Est. $500) gets the most praise. It is less expensive than the HT-S9100THX and offers good sound performance. The HT-S5200 has a couple of nice extras compared to the HT-S9100THX, including support for XM/Sirius satellite radio and an included iPod dock (the HT-S9100THX is iPod-ready, but the dock costs extra.).

You won't find THX certification, but reviews say sound quality is very good. Setup is a shade more difficult than with some other HTIB systems, but color-coded binding posts and speaker wire help, as does inclusion of the same Audyssey 2EQ automatic speaker program that's found in the HT-S9100THX.

There is one major negative with the Onkyo HT-S5200 -- no support for the Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio formats. It also can't accept those formats from a Blu-ray Disc player that has its own decoders because the four HDMI inputs on the receiver are switching/pass-through only. That's not a concern if you don't plan on getting a Blu-ray player or if you are happy with the sound quality provided by the more common Dolby and DTS surround-sound formats -- and many are -- that are also found on Blu-ray Discs.

Though it's a little more expensive, those who want great sound and full compatibility with all lossless sound formats might be more drawn to the 5.1-channel Yamaha YHT-591 (*Est. $580). Though it fails to garner as much praise as the Onkyo HT-S9100THX at Home Theater magazine, it earns a good recommendation. HomeTheaterInABoxReview.com is more impressed -- so much so that the YHT-591 is the site's Editor's Choice award-winner. Others also weigh in with good reports.

Sound quality is very good, though audiophiles might not be as impressed. Mark Fleischmann at Home Theater magazine says that "while the system didn't have a lot of sparkle or whomp, it did offer a polite top end, a midrange that was always warm and sometimes involving and a soundfield of decent proportions, with no glaring timbre shifts among the five speakers." He describes the sound quality as comfortable and pleasant.

The feature lineup is fairly strong. It includes on-board decoders for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio as well as ones for most other popular Dolby and DTS sound formats. Yamaha's Scene Mode feature reduces the task of switching sources and settings for different activities -- such as watching a DVD or Blu-ray Disc or listening to a CD -- to a single button push. Bluetooth and iPod compatibility are included, but the optional accessories and docks are not. Connectivity is decent, but not extensive. It includes four HDMI inputs, but omissions include S-video.

Automatic speaker setup is handled by Yamaha's Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) system, which generally fares well in reviews. The YHT-591 lacks a graphical interface to display information on an attached TV, however, which means you'll need to use the receiver's tiny display for viewing settings if you want to change anything or do speaker setup on your own. Unlike the Onkyo home theater systems, you won't find color-coded binding posts or speaker wires. Yamaha throws in a spool of speaker wire with instructions to "cut to length." Home Theater's Fleischmann does just that and finds that not enough wire is provided to hook up all of the speakers in a small room. That's not a big deal, most report, but it doesn't fit with the concept of easy setup and use that's one of the major attractions of an all-in-one home theater system.

Among budget-priced systems, we saw some relatively good comments for the Sony HT-SS360 (*Est. $260). Sound quality is a step down from more expensive home theater kits, especially for music, but it is a step above other systems at its price range and is relatively full featured.

You will find on-board decoders for most Dolby and DTS sound formats, though not for Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio. However, the HT-SS360 does have three HDMI inputs that can accept and process LPCM audio from Blu-ray players that have their own decoders for those lossless HD audio formats, and all but the least expensive Blu-ray players do; see the ConsumerSearch report on Blu-ray players for more information.

Unlike some HTIBs, the Sony HT-SS360 does a pretty good job of disappearing in a room. The included AV receiver is on the slim side and is attractively styled. The surround-sound speakers and the center channel are very small, and the passive subwoofer (it lacks its own built-in amplifier) isn't all that imposing.

Setup isn't bad, but it could be easier. The Sony HT-SS360 does include an automatic speaker setup program -- a rarity at its price -- but results are mixed. Moye Ishimoto of G4's "Attack of the Show" says that even after running setup, the speakers needed to be manually adjusted to get the best sound. CNET says automatic setup cranked the subwoofer up too high but seems to have few other issues with its accuracy. Whether you are setting things up automatically or manually, the lack of an on-screen interface is a nuisance. You need to rely on the receiver's smallish display, which can show only one line of text at a time. Color coded cables make hooking everything up easy, but the use of proprietary jacks -- common among low-priced home theater systems -- means you can't replace or upgrade components, and if the included cables are too short for your situation, you could be out of luck.

Digital connectivity is good with three HDMI inputs, but reviews bemoan the lack of analog video inputs. That omission means you'll need to run an extra cable from any analog devices you might have -- such as a Nintendo Wii -- directly to your TV.

Sound quality won't leave audiophiles jumping for joy, but it should satisfy most listeners. Ishimoto says both lows and highs "are great," but notes that mid frequencies could get lost in the shadow of the powerful subwoofer. That subwoofer is what gives action movies its "visceral kick," says CNET, which adds that the sound "packs a heavyweight wallop." However, the quality of the bass could be better, something that becomes much more apparent with music than movies.