EmailBest Reviewed
Home Theater Systems
- Best home theater system Onkyo HT-S9100THX *Est. $900
- Basic home theater in a box (HTIB) Sony HT-SS360 *Est. $260
- Home theater system with Blu-ray Panasonic SC-BT200 *Est. $435
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- Great sound quality
- Tiny speakers
- Good DVD picture quality
- Optional Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
- Finicky speaker placement
- Full effect only when speakers are at high volume
- DVD player only upconverts to 1080i
- Not much expandability
The Sony DAV-IS10 features tiny satellite speakers -- no bigger than a tennis ball -- yet delivers sound that experts say is jaw dropping. The very small speakers disappear into the background of a room better than almost any other surround-sound solution, though experts and users say that placement relative to the subwoofer is crucial for the best sound. In addition, the home theater system should be played at near its maximum volume for best results. The picture quality of the integrated DVD player is good, but it only upscales to 1080i. Connectivity for game consoles and cable/satellite TV boxes is poor, and there's no HDMI input. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are available via optional accessories.
The best professional reviews come from a trio of British sites. AV Review evaluates the Sony DAV-IS10 in a shootout of four budget home theater systems. What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision magazine and TrustedReviews.com evaluate the system in informative single-product reports. User feedback isn't especially plentiful, but we found useful reviews at Amazon.com and Epinions.com.
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Our Sources
The Sony DAV-IS10 is evaluated as part of a four-model test. Richard Arrowsmith names the system the winner based on good image quality from the DVD player and good sound quality despite the tiny speakers.
Review: Group Test: Budget Home Cinema Systems, Richard Arrowsmith, May 6, 2008
TrustedReviews.com's Danny Phillips is impressed enough with the Sony DAV-IS10 to give it one of the site's rare Recommended awards. He finds no major weakness save that the system should be played at near full volume for the best sonic impact.
Review: Sony DAV-IS10 DVD Home Cinema System, Danny Phillips, Nov. 22, 2007
3. What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision
The reviewer here is clearly impressed with the Sony DAV-IS10, calling it "outrageous," mostly in a good way. He says that some systems with larger speakers do produce "more midrange body and detail," but what the small speakers and sub achieve is "astonishing" in its own right.
Review: Sony DAV-IS10, Editors of What Hi-Fi
4. Amazon.com
Users here are a tad less impressed with the Sony DAV-IS10, though in at least some cases proper speaker placement and the need to play the system at full volume could be the cause. Still, there are more happy users than unhappy ones.
Review: Sony DAV-IS10, Contributors to Amazon.com
5. Epinions.com
There are fewer user reviews of the Sony DAV-IS10 here than at Amazon.com, but owners seem a tad happier. One does complain that DivX playback has been removed from versions sold in the U.S.; another says that power is lacking, but that the system sounds "OK."
Review: Sony DAV-IS10, Contributors to Epinions.com
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