Home Theater Systems Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Home Theater Systems. See our ratings criteria

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Home Theater Systems Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Theater Systems Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. CNet.com	Editors' top HTIBs with a DVD player John P. Falcone and Editors of CNet.com July 13, 2007		CNet.com is continually reviewing and rating "home theater in a box" setups, with the best products appearing on this list of editors' top-rated picks. The Onkyo HT-S907, a Dolby 7.1 system that includes a six-disc DVD changer, is CNet.com's highest-rated home theater system. Sound quality is "impressive." The Panasonic SC-PT750 is feature packed and budget priced. Sound quality is described as "decent." The Sony Bravia Theater DAV-HDX500 will please movie lovers, but music lovers might want to look elsewhere. The Samsung HT-X70 is a stylish budget alternative that also sounds best with movies.
2. CNet.com	Editors' top HTIBs without a DVD player John P. Falcone and Editors of CNet.com July 20, 2007		CNet.com also reports on home theater kits without DVD players. The Onkyo HT-SR800S tops this list thanks to its "amazing combination of performance and features for the price." However, it's bulky, and reviewer Steve Guttenberg finds problems with the way it handles HDMI signals. The Onkyo HT-S990THX lacks HDMI capabilities altogether, but is THX certified and the sound quality is "among the best you'll get from a home theater-in-a-box system."

Home Theater Systems Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Theater Systems Ratings Comments on Reviews

3. The Perfect Vision >> Details/Subscribe	Surround Sound Made Easy Chris Martens Sept. 2007		Chris Martens puts three home theater systems to the test in this article. Each is judged using the same standards the magazine uses to rate component-grade receivers, DVD players and surround-sound speaker systems, and the findings are distilled down to grades in areas covering setup and use, sound quality with movies and music, and value. A sidebar details what's included and what, if anything, is needed to complete the setup. Though Martens finds something to like about all three of the home theater systems reviewed, the greatest praise is reserved for the Onkyo HT-SR800, which is called "a genuine bargain that will please music and movie enthusiasts alike."
4. Home Theater Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Home Theater in a Box Reviews Editors of Home Theater Magazine As of Aug. 2007		Although Home Theater Magazine defines home theater systems rather broadly, including a wide variety of Dolby 2.1, tabletop and virtual surround systems in its coverage, it also reports on more traditional setups. The Denon DHT-487DV rates highly with reviewer Darryl Wilkinson and is the only full system that's recommended. There are some oddities, and a remote control that's "painful" to use, but the receiver and DVD player can successfully compete against component-grade counterparts, and the speakers are better than most included in a home theater system. Mark Fleischmann says the Onkyo HT-S990THX "transcends its genre by performing up to THX specifications." The Onkyo HT-SR800 lacks a DVD player, but Wilkinson says that it is "one of the best HTiBs we've experienced for the money." While most of the reviews at Home Theater are richly detailed, there are also a number of disappointingly short "reviews" that are really no better than product announcements.

Home Theater Systems Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Theater Systems Ratings Comments on Reviews

5. Audioholics.com	Featured Home Theater in-a-Box Reviews Editors of Audioholics.com As of Aug. 2007		Audioholics.com is an online magazine for audiophiles and videophiles. Reviews are detailed and competent. Though opinions are rendered and suggestions are made, an objective rating scale formerly used appears to have been discarded and the editors never explicitly state which home theater systems are best. Recently, reviewer J. Walker Clarke, Jr. says that the receiver and DVD player in the Denon DHT-487DV are both excellent, but is far less enthusiastic about the included speakers. Speakers are also the Achilles' heel of the Yamaha YHT-685, but reviewer Gary Benfield says it's a "very solid performer for an entry-level home theater system." It is deemed better for movies than music.
6. About.com	Top 10 Home Theater-In-A-Box - Top Picks Robert Silva Not Dated		Most of the recommendations on this list have not been tested by the author and appear to be based on specifications, reputation and marketing copy. However, the SLS Audio Q-Line QS1000 (Silver) Home Theater System is the subject of a lengthy and fairly insightful writeup. The Onkyo HT-S990THX also receives a longer review, but there's still no evidence in the report that any testing has been done. (Note that ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com.)

Home Theater Systems Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Theater Systems Ratings Comments on Reviews

7. IGN.com	Onkyo HT-S990 Surround Sound Package Review Gerry Block June 5, 2007		IGN.com focuses on videogame and entertainment gear of all types. The Onkyo HT-S990THX is the lone home theater system reviewed by the site, but the review is quite detailed. Though there's no formal bench testing, the HT-S990THX is exercised using movies and music, as well as with various listening modes. Strengths -- impressive audio performance -- and weaknesses -- notably insufficient inputs and no HDMI capabilities -- are identified. Ratings are assigned, but since this is the only home theater system tested, they don't really provide much context.
8. Consumer Guide.com	Home Theater Systems Reviews and Prices Editors of ConsumerGuide.com As of Aug. 2007		Since its association with HowStuffWorks.com, Consumer Guide has made some strides in becoming a more useful resource for product reviews. Its most recent writeup for the Denon DHT-487DV shows a breadth of testing and insight that we've not seen previously outside of the site's automotive reviews. For now, however, that review is the exception rather than the rule, as Consumer Guide's home theater coverage is otherwise littered with brief and unhelpful reports and tons of discontinued items.
9. AVSForum.com	Home Theater in a Box Contributors to AVSForum.com As of Aug. 2007		While the Home Theater in a Box subforum at AVSForum.com is not as busy as some, you'll still find lots of discussions about HTIB systems. Threads contain user-to-user help, specific recommendations and informal reviews. This site is particularly useful for someone considering an Onkyo home theater system, as those threads contain the lion's share of the postings here.
10. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Home theater in a box Editors of Consumer Reports July 2007		Although it bears a recent date, Consumer Reports' article on home theater in a box systems is now completely out of date. Only four home theater systems occupy space on its ratings chart, and editors don't recommend any of the four.

Home Theater Systems Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Home Theater Systems Ratings Comments on Reviews

11. CircuitCity.com	Home Theater Systems Contributors to CircuitCity.com As of Aug. 2007		Like many online retailers, Circuit City lets individuals post reviews of equipment they own. The quality of the reviews varies greatly, but this is a good place to learn about how happy others are with a home theater system after days, weeks and sometimes months of use.
12. Amazon.com	Complete Home Theater Reviews Contributors to Amazon.com As of Aug. 2007		Amazon.com also lets customers report on their post-sale experiences with their home theater systems. One advantage here over Circuit City is that the reviews tend to be longer and more detailed. However, most products get fewer reviews and the site includes many discontinued models.
13. Epinions	Home Theater Systems Contributors to Epinions As of Aug. 2007		The consumer-written reviews at Epinions are often longer and more insightful than those at either Circuit City or Amazon.com. However, the site gets far less traffic, and most current-model home theater systems either have just a handful of or no reviews. Many discontinued home theater in a box systems are mixed into the listings, making navigation tedious.