Home Theater Systems Reviews

Best Home Theater Systems Reviews: (out of 13)
CNet.com, CNet.com, The Perfect Vision

Best Home Theater Systems: (out of 35)
Onkyo HT-SR800, Onkyo HT-S907, Panasonic SC-PT750

Fast Answers - Best Home Theater Systems

Top Rated	What the Research Says
• Onkyo HT-SR800 (*est. $420) >> Where to buy	Best home-theater system (no DVD player). Although it lacks a DVD player, critics are almost unanimous in their praise of this 7.1-channel (seven satellite speakers plus a subwoofer) home theater system. An automatic equalization system makes it much easier to create a perfect surround-sound field. There are plenty of connections to handle additional components, including a standard-definition or high-definition DVD player, cable or satellite box and more. Audio performance is described as outstanding with all types of movies, and very good with music. While some more expensive systems are more suitable for larger rooms or for audiophiles, reviews say the Onkyo balances performance and price better than most systems. (compare prices)
• Onkyo HT-S907 (*est. $765) >> Where to buy	Best home theater system (with component DVD player). This 7.1-channel Onkyo HT-S907 home theater system consists of separately available top-quality components, resulting in a great-sounding system, according to reviews. Color-coded cables and automatic speaker setup makes it easy to set up as well. The upscaling DVD player is a separate five-disc changer, and reviews say it's better than the DVD players offered in most other systems. The nice-looking speakers are wall mountable, and sound quality is excellent. The whole system is sleeker-looking than the less expensive Onkyo HT-S800, which doesn't include a DVD player.
• Panasonic SC-PT750 (*est. $350) >> Where to buy	Home theater system with integrated DVD player. The Panasonic includes the DVD player in the AV receiver unit, simplifying setup and cutting down on system bulk. While this system doesn't allow much flexibility for future upgrades, critics say that it can deliver plenty of great audio for a small to mid-sized living room, and that it handles movies and music equally well. The Panasonic home theater system includes wireless rear speakers, a five-disc DVD changer, XM radio compatibility and an included iPod dock. One potential deal-breaker is that there's no digital audio input -- so you can't listen to TV broadcasts in surround sound. (compare prices)
• Philips HTS3555 (*est. $225) >> Where to buy	No-frills home theater in a box. Reports say that the Philips HTS3555 is a fine home theater system for small rooms and for those who aren't too demanding. There are inputs for MP3 players, and you can play photos or music from a flash drive via a front-panel USB port. The integrated DVD player upconverts to 1080i via the head unit's HDMI output. Connectivity isn't very generous, but at least there's a coaxial digital audio input so you can enjoy 5.1-channel surround sound from other components, like a cable box. Pre-wired speakers make setup easy, but wire lengths can limit placement flexibility. Wireless rear speakers are optional (*est. $130), but if you want wireless rear speakers, the Panasonic SC-PT750 is a better deal. (compare prices)
• Onkyo HT-S990THX (*est. $865) >> Where to buy	Best sound quality, but expensive. The 7.1-channel Onkyo HT-S990THX is the only home theater system thus far to earn THX certification, a demanding set of standards designed to deliver the best possible entertainment experience. THX certification also makes the Onkyo HT-S990THX easier to set up because many settings are predetermined. Color-coded wires are also helpful when hooking everything up. A few features are missing, including HDMI switching, and you'll need to add your own DVD player. Critics rave about the sound quality with movies and music, but some wonder if the premium price is worth the improvement over less expensive systems. (compare prices)
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Full Story

What the experts say, our analysis, and more...

Updated August 2007

CNet.com stands as the best place to read reviews of home theater systems, also called 'home theater in a box' or HTIBs for short. The site regularly reviews home theater systems and the reports on each are nicely detailed, with numerical ratings. Editors maintain a list of the top-scoring home theater in a box setups, including systems that come with a DVD player and those that don't. Traditional video and audio magazines and websites such as Home Theater and The Perfect Vision don't review as many home theater systems, but the reviews they do publish tend to be very detailed. Consumer Reports' latest review of home theater systems includes only four models and no recommendations. There's plenty of user feedback at AVSForum.com, Amazon.com and CircuitCity.com.

Home theater in a box systems simplify the task of setting up the audio side of a home theater by providing all of the elements needed in one package. They include an audio/video receiver along with enough speakers to properly enjoy the surround sound that's part of most DVD and HDTV broadcasts. A home theater system can also include a DVD player, either integrated with the AV receiver or as a separate component. If you want to research separate components, see our companion reports on home theater speakers and home theater receivers, as well as our DVD player report.

In our research, we found excellent reviews for home theater systems in a wide range of prices. Reports say that even some budget systems are surprisingly good performers. However, they also warn that some fall seriously short.

For example, CNet.com testers give the LG LHT764 (*est. $300) a lower score. At first glance, the LG home theater system seems to be a great choice because of its outstanding lineup of features. The integrated DVD player is an upconverting (to 1080i) five-disc changer. The LG LHT764 is a certified "Made for iPod" system and, using a supplied cable, iPod owners can plug in their player and access its contents via an onscreen menu. A USB port on the front panel lets users of other devices play back a variety of audio, video and photo file formats. The HTIB is also XM radio ready and wireless rear speaker ready via an optional wireless speaker kit (*est. $130).

However, the LG LHT764 home theater system disappoints in a couple of key areas. For one, it lacks video inputs and audio outputs (except for the speaker outputs). That means it can't perform any switching duties, making use a little cumbersome -- you'll need to select the audio source on the LG LHT764, but select the video source separately on your HDTV to get surround sound from other components in your home theater.

Unfortunately, some experts say that the LG LHT764 home theater system doesn't sound very good. Although the LG LHT764's specifications say that it delivers a somewhat hefty 155 watts per channel to the satellites and 225 watts to the subwoofer, reviewers say it is a poor match for anything but a small listening room. CNet.com reviewer Steve Guttenberg notes that playing any content -- music or a movie -- at higher volumes quickly reveals the LG LHT764's shortcomings, and that action films "sounded dynamically flat." When playing a concert DVD, Guttenberg reports that the "satellites' overall sound was grating, and the subwoofer's bass was muddy and indistinct." CDs played in stereo or surround sound made the LHT764 sound "more like a table radio than a HTIB." We found better reviews for other home theater systems in this price range. ... Continued

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Consensus Report

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model ( With Retailer Link)	Details from Amazon.com
4	Onkyo HT-S990THX (*est. $865)	details
3	Onkyo HT-SR800 (*est. $420)	details
2	Denon DHT-487DV (*est. $610)	details
2	Onkyo HT-S907 (*est. $765)	details
2	Yamaha YHT-685 (*est. $560)	details
2	Panasonic SC-PT750 (*est. $350)	details
1 each:	Sony Bravia Theater DAV-HDX500 , Samsung HT-X70 , SLS Audio Q-Line QS1000 (Silver) Home Theater System, Philips HTS3555

Onkyo home theater systems are consistently named as top choices where sound quality is the most important consideration. The Onkyo HT-S990THX is top-rated, but expensive, while the Onkyo HT-SR800 comes close in sound quality and is a better value. Both lack DVD players. The Onkyo HT-S907 includes a DVD player, is assembled using component-grade gear and sounds very good. Integrated home theater systems (which have a combined AV receiver and DVD player unit) are easiest to set up and use, and some, like the Panasonic SC-PT750, deliver very good sound from both video DVDs and audio CDs. However, the lack of any kind of digital audio input is a serious omission and the DVD player's upconverting performance is not very good. The Philips HTS3555 is a value selection that delivers solid performance for smaller spaces.

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