Tagged Products - 5.1ch

Logitech Z-5500 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System

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these speakers.... for music! When I listened to music, it sounded almost flawless. Great pounding bass, mid and highs were clear for a PC set up at the price I paid. Was very happy with them until I started to watch movies... As far as the front of the soundstage and lows, the Z-2300 got the job done, however I really did have buyer's remorse only due to the fact that the spacial surround effects of the soundstage was missing. Could not totally enjoy watching movies so I then decided, I was going to make one last leap and purchase a REALLY GOOD 5.1 set up.

At this point, since space is an issue with my home, I decided to step up to a 2.1 set up with simulated surround, again from Logitech and decided on the Z-Cinema set up. Long story very short, I HATED them... they looked nice, had a nice remote but the sound quality was mediocre and the bass was almost non-existent, especially when watching movies. I literally had them hooked up all of about an hour; disconnected them, boxed everything up and back to Amazon they went... very disappointed.

This is where the Z-5500's come into play. Now, just like a consumer should, I did some research on the best set up to buy... I for one was looking for build quality, power ratings, and of-course, best bang for my hard earned buck! I decided that I was going to stick with Logitech and get a TRUE 5.1 set up. Altough space is an issue, I decided what they heck and made the purchase.

I received the box and without delay, I started to unpack everything. I have read reviews that Logitech does not do a good job of packing the system but let me tell you, I disagree as I thought that everything was well laid out, wrapped, strapped, and tight. They even label instructions to keep the Sub away from your electronics and even thought of wrapping plastic straps around the sub so you can easily lift it out of the box.. that was a nice touch... nice job Logitech!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS--
Satellite speakers are of very nice build quality. They are heavy, and the drivers are constructed of quality materials
The Subwoofer is big, but not too big that you cannot fit it in an average size room with furniture. If I can fit it in my small place, then most people should not have an issue with space. Again, build quality/fit and finish is exceptional for the price you pay. The heat sink takes up about 3/4 of the rear of the sub abd should keep it cool. Connections are well laid out.
The Control Pod is A LOT bigger than I expected. This was the biggest surprise when I was unpacking the box. Looks really nice on my desk, great build quality, and did I mention the thing is BIG!! It is about 4" wide, 8" tall, and 2" deep.. Nicely laid out overall.
It does come with a remote that is nothing special, just a simple remote to operate all functions that you would use the control pod for. All black and fits nicely into your hand.
Comes with speaker wire and cables needed to hook everything up

HOOK UP--
As stated, I purchased my Z-5500 set up for my desktop PC. It is a Media Center Entertainment PC with a High Def sound card. So, I needed to hook them up to this PC.
I started with connecting the control Pod to the sub, then the 6 channel direct wires that come with the set up (your basic green, orange, and black analog wires) that connect to the back of your control pod to your PC's sound card. Then, the speaker wires were next... I started with the front left, right, then center.. you will know which speaker wires connect to the front since one of the bags in the box will have three shorter bundles of speaker wire (front left, center, and right) and a separate bag with two longer bundles for the rears. The only issue that I had with the installation process is that the rear speaker wires were not long enough. I rectified this problem by cutting and modifying the fronts since I had too much cable for the fronts. I cut off the excess from the fronts and spliced them into the rears and wahlah, problem solved.
At this point, plug the sub in, switch the sub on, along with the control pad and you are in business!!

LISTENING--
One word... WOW!! Even compared to the Z-2300 set up that I had, the Z-5500 are so much better in every sense.. Music sounds crystal clear... turn the volume up and you do not lose any of the sound fidelity at all. At higher levels, this set up actually sounds better and let me tell you, I have not heard a system that carries sound quite like this one. Today I was playing music and had to go outside, up the driveway and to the street to meet up with my son as the bus was dropping him off. I only had it turned up between ¼ and half way and could hear it outside. I can also hear the music throughout the house with no problem.
You will not be disappointed... for the money, I think that this set up exceeds expectations at this price range. Especially considering you can hook up several pieces of equipment at the same time, has 6 channel analog, digital fiber optical and digital coax connection for even higher quality audio. Not to mention that it has Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Digital and is THX certified. The best part about it is if you connect a digital cable to this set up, it will automatically switch to DIGITAL when the system detects media that was originally recorded in Digital (DTS etc)
This is the first system that I have owned where BOTH music AND movies sound perfect, with plenty of power to accurately and precisely recreate a soundstage that will leave you speechless! Plenty of bass, mids and highs sound incredible... the effects when watching movies is theater like... I actually find myself looking behind me at times during surround effects... I can go on and on about this system...

TIPS!--
1. If you are planning on buying this system and will be connecting it to something that has a fiber optic connection, PURCHASE A FIBER OPTIC CABLE! Let me tell you, it DOES make a world of difference compared to the analog cables. I listened to the set up with the analog cables the first day, then the second day I went out and purchased a FO cable and made a huge difference.. it's like the system "woke up".. satellites sound much better, cleaner, more depth... it is worth the extra money, believe me.
2. If you are going to buy the FO cable, MAKE SURE that you remove the plastic ends from each end of the cable... they will look like ends that belong there but they are not... they are just plastic ends used for shipping and to protect the ends from dirt and debris. You will just need to pull them straight off.
3. One more thing about connecting a fiber optic cable - it is not as easy as connecting the cable from the control pod to your PC, you will also need to change the default setting for your sound device or else you will not hear anything when you set the Z-5500 to the "Digital" setting. For VISTA, usually, you can go to the control panel, click on "Hardware and Sounds", then "sounds". This will bring up the window for your sound card settings. Be sure that you click on "Digital Output Device (S/PDIF)" and press the "Set Default" button as this will change your default to digital setting and will run the audio signal through your FO cable instead of the Analog cables.
4. This is a great investment for this 5.1 set up, but it is what it is, a surround sound set up. If you will be connecting this set up to your PC, you will get your monies worth and really appreciate the product if you have a High Def sound card. Look behind your PC tower and look for the audio ports.. this is your sound card and if it is 5.1, will have several ports with different colors. Typically, a good sound card will have a green, orange, back, and blue ports... also, if you see a square(ish) port that is lit up in red, that is an optical port which means that you are set up with a good quality 5.1 high def sound card and can take advantage of all of the z-500 features.
5. If you have a large room and you will be running length of speaker wire longer than 25' (and let me say that you will use that up in no time), you may want to go out and purchase better quality speaker wire (maybe 14 gauge) and get yourself about 100' of it to make sure you have enough. I myself will be doing that soon; I do think it's worth the investment.
6. When connecting the satellites, be sure to place them where they will rest before you run the speaker wire, this gives you an idea of what the set up will look like and a perspective on how you will run the wire.
7. If you can, place the sub near the corner of your room to maximize bass response, keep it about 2 feet away from electronics (is NOT magnetically shielded), especially your TV and DO NOT place the sub right against the wall... the sub will need to breathe as air passes through the heat sinks, front driver, and side bass port. They need to be away from a wall in order the avoid damage or potentially shorten the life of the sub.

That's it really... I really do recommend this product for anyone that enjoys music and movies. You cannot go wrong at this price range... Logitech has done a great job with this system..

Yamaha 550W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver

...

these speakers.... for music! When I listened to music, it sounded almost flawless. Great pounding bass, mid and highs were clear for a PC set up at the price I paid. Was very happy with them until I started to watch movies... As far as the front of the soundstage and lows, the Z-2300 got the job done, however I really did have buyer's remorse only due to the fact that the spacial surround effects of the soundstage was missing. Could not totally enjoy watching movies so I then decided, I was going to make one last leap and purchase a REALLY GOOD 5.1 set up.



At this point, since space is an issue with my home, I decided to step up to a 2.1 set up with simulated surround, again from Logitech and decided on the Z-Cinema set up. Long story very short, I HATED them... they looked nice, had a nice remote but the sound quality was mediocre and the bass was almost non-existent, especially when watching movies. I literally had them hooked up all of about an hour; disconnected them, boxed everything up and back to Amazon they went... very disappointed.



This is where the Z-5500's come into play. Now, just like a consumer should, I did some research on the best set up to buy... I for one was looking for build quality, power ratings, and of-course, best bang for my hard earned buck! I decided that I was going to stick with Logitech and get a TRUE 5.1 set up. Altough space is an issue, I decided what they heck and made the purchase.



I received the box and without delay, I started to unpack everything. I have read reviews that Logitech does not do a good job of packing the system but let me tell you, I disagree as I thought that everything was well laid out, wrapped, strapped, and tight. They even label instructions to keep the Sub away from your electronics and even thought of wrapping plastic straps around the sub so you can easily lift it out of the box.. that was a nice touch... nice job Logitech!



FIRST IMPRESSIONS--

Satellite speakers are of very nice build quality. They are heavy, and the drivers are constructed of quality materials

The Subwoofer is big, but not too big that you cannot fit it in an average size room with furniture. If I can fit it in my small place, then most people should not have an issue with space. Again, build quality/fit and finish is exceptional for the price you pay. The heat sink takes up about 3/4 of the rear of the sub abd should keep it cool. Connections are well laid out.

The Control Pod is A LOT bigger than I expected. This was the biggest surprise when I was unpacking the box. Looks really nice on my desk, great build quality, and did I mention the thing is BIG!! It is about 4" wide, 8" tall, and 2" deep.. Nicely laid out overall.

It does come with a remote that is nothing special, just a simple remote to operate all functions that you would use the control pod for. All black and fits nicely into your hand.

Comes with speaker wire and cables needed to hook everything up



HOOK UP--

As stated, I purchased my Z-5500 set up for my desktop PC. It is a Media Center Entertainment PC with a High Def sound card. So, I needed to hook them up to this PC.

I started with connecting the control Pod to the sub, then the 6 channel direct wires that come with the set up (your basic green, orange, and black analog wires) that connect to the back of your control pod to your PC's sound card. Then, the speaker wires were next... I started with the front left, right, then center.. you will know which speaker wires connect to the front since one of the bags in the box will have three shorter bundles of speaker wire (front left, center, and right) and a separate bag with two longer bundles for the rears. The only issue that I had with the installation process is that the rear speaker wires were not long enough. I rectified this problem by cutting and modifying the fronts since I had too much cable for the fronts. I cut off the excess from the fronts and spliced them into the rears and wahlah, problem solved.

At this point, plug the sub in, switch the sub on, along with the control pad and you are in business!!



LISTENING--

One word... WOW!! Even compared to the Z-2300 set up that I had, the Z-5500 are so much better in every sense.. Music sounds crystal clear... turn the volume up and you do not lose any of the sound fidelity at all. At higher levels, this set up actually sounds better and let me tell you, I have not heard a system that carries sound quite like this one. Today I was playing music and had to go outside, up the driveway and to the street to meet up with my son as the bus was dropping him off. I only had it turned up between ¼ and half way and could hear it outside. I can also hear the music throughout the house with no problem.

You will not be disappointed... for the money, I think that this set up exceeds expectations at this price range. Especially considering you can hook up several pieces of equipment at the same time, has 6 channel analog, digital fiber optical and digital coax connection for even higher quality audio. Not to mention that it has Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Digital and is THX certified. The best part about it is if you connect a digital cable to this set up, it will automatically switch to DIGITAL when the system detects media that was originally recorded in Digital (DTS etc)

This is the first system that I have owned where BOTH music AND movies sound perfect, with plenty of power to accurately and precisely recreate a soundstage that will leave you speechless! Plenty of bass, mids and highs sound incredible... the effects when watching movies is theater like... I actually find myself looking behind me at times during surround effects... I can go on and on about this system...



TIPS!--

1. If you are planning on buying this system and will be connecting it to something that has a fiber optic connection, PURCHASE A FIBER OPTIC CABLE! Let me tell you, it DOES make a world of difference compared to the analog cables. I listened to the set up with the analog cables the first day, then the second day I went out and purchased a FO cable and made a huge difference.. it's like the system "woke up".. satellites sound much better, cleaner, more depth... it is worth the extra money, believe me.

2. If you are going to buy the FO cable, MAKE SURE that you remove the plastic ends from each end of the cable... they will look like ends that belong there but they are not... they are just plastic ends used for shipping and to protect the ends from dirt and debris. You will just need to pull them straight off.

3. One more thing about connecting a fiber optic cable - it is not as easy as connecting the cable from the control pod to your PC, you will also need to change the default setting for your sound device or else you will not hear anything when you set the Z-5500 to the "Digital" setting. For VISTA, usually, you can go to the control panel, click on "Hardware and Sounds", then "sounds". This will bring up the window for your sound card settings. Be sure that you click on "Digital Output Device (S/PDIF)" and press the "Set Default" button as this will change your default to digital setting and will run the audio signal through your FO cable instead of the Analog cables.

4. This is a great investment for this 5.1 set up, but it is what it is, a surround sound set up. If you will be connecting this set up to your PC, you will get your monies worth and really appreciate the product if you have a High Def sound card. Look behind your PC tower and look for the audio ports.. this is your sound card and if it is 5.1, will have several ports with different colors. Typically, a good sound card will have a green, orange, back, and blue ports... also, if you see a square(ish) port that is lit up in red, that is an optical port which means that you are set up with a good quality 5.1 high def sound card and can take advantage of all of the z-500 features.

5. If you have a large room and you will be running length of speaker wire longer than 25' (and let me say that you will use that up in no time), you may want to go out and purchase better quality speaker wire (maybe 14 gauge) and get yourself about 100' of it to make sure you have enough. I myself will be doing that soon; I do think it's worth the investment.

6. When connecting the satellites, be sure to place them where they will rest before you run the speaker wire, this gives you an idea of what the set up will look like and a perspective on how you will run the wire.

7. If you can, place the sub near the corner of your room to maximize bass response, keep it about 2 feet away from electronics (is NOT magnetically shielded), especially your TV and DO NOT place the sub right against the wall... the sub will need to breathe as air passes through the heat sinks, front driver, and side bass port. They need to be away from a wall in order the avoid damage or potentially shorten the life of the sub.



That's it really... I really do recommend this product for anyone that enjoys music and movies. You cannot go wrong at this price range... Logitech has done a great job with this system..

Samsung 1200W 5.1-Ch. XM-Ready Home Theater System with Upconvert DVD Player

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If youre just a normal person, this is a great way to go!! Especially for the price!

Yamaha 600W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System

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for highest efficiency.

Yamaha 550W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver

...

bell'n'whistle just makes the music take on a muddy sound.

Also on a negative side, the unit cannot accept input from a turntable. You have to purchase a pre-amplifier and connect it, before a turntable can be used. I bought the following pre-amplifier: ART DJPre II phono preamp. The ART DJPre II unit is compact yet elegant, and it works just fine when I want to run my turntable through the Yamaha amplifier.

The unit has a control that compresses the music for use in listening at very low volumes. We all know that classical music, and sometimes jazz, has episodes that are either louder or softer than usual. We also know that, if played at low volume, the low-volume episodes will drop out and not be heard. The unit's "night control" avoids this problem.

Here is one suggestion. It would be nice if this compressor could be used for recording tapes or other media, since we all know that tapes can be overwhelmed at high volumes, resulting in distortion. I have not yet checked if the "night control" of the Yamaha unit can be used to achieve a more uniform volume, when recording tapes.

Yamaha 600W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System

...

bell'n'whistle just makes the music take on a muddy sound.



Also on a negative side, the unit cannot accept input from a turntable. You have to purchase a pre-amplifier and connect it, before a turntable can be used. I bought the following pre-amplifier: ART DJPre II phono preamp. The ART DJPre II unit is compact yet elegant, and it works just fine when I want to run my turntable through the Yamaha amplifier.



The unit has a control that compresses the music for use in listening at very low volumes. We all know that classical music, and sometimes jazz, has episodes that are either louder or softer than usual. We also know that, if played at low volume, the low-volume episodes will drop out and not be heard. The unit's "night control" avoids this problem.



Here is one suggestion. It would be nice if this compressor could be used for recording tapes or other media, since we all know that tapes can be overwhelmed at high volumes, resulting in distortion. I have not yet checked if the "night control" of the Yamaha unit can be used to achieve a more uniform volume, when recording tapes.

Samsung 1000W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System with Upconvert DVD Player

...

bell'n'whistle just makes the music take on a muddy sound.





Also on a negative side, the unit cannot accept input from a turntable. You have to purchase a pre-amplifier and connect it, before a turntable can be used. I bought the following pre-amplifier: ART DJPre II phono preamp. The ART DJPre II unit is compact yet elegant, and it works just fine when I want to run my turntable through the Yamaha amplifier.





The unit has a control that compresses the music for use in listening at very low volumes. We all know that classical music, and sometimes jazz, has episodes that are either louder or softer than usual. We also know that, if played at low volume, the low-volume episodes will drop out and not be heard. The unit's "night control" avoids this problem.





Here is one suggestion. It would be nice if this compressor could be used for recording tapes or other media, since we all know that tapes can be overwhelmed at high volumes, resulting in distortion. I have not yet checked if the "night control" of the Yamaha unit can be used to achieve a more uniform volume, when recording tapes.

Samsung 1000W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System with Upconvert DVD Player

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to the radio.

I have turned off the TV speakers and use this system for TV audio, finding the "matrix" mode to provide the best surround sound. Watching DVD's is a renewed pleasure, perhaps more due to the larger screen; however, the surround sound is superior to my prior system.

I believe, for the average viewer looking for quality sound and value in a very compact unit, you won't be dissapointed. Certainly, audio/videophiles might find fault with this system but for the price, I feel it offers great value, sound and image quality.

Yamaha 600W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System

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The speaker themselves produce accurate, high quality sound, from the highest highs to deep bass. I put them through their paces with both DVDs and music CDs, and everything I threw at them sounded wonderful. (My test included "Hero," "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," and "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi," to test the surround sound processing. For music quality, I tested "The Killers: Sam's Town," "Copeland's Clarinet Concerto," and "Metallica: S&M."). Surround sound processing was great in entertain: surround mode. This system has made watching movies an TV a new experience!

High quality built from the amp to the speakers. Some other systems I considered ran VERY hot (Like the Onkyo HT-SR800). You could feel the heat coming off the amp without even touching it. This system runs a lot cooler, and makes me less worried about it burning out. It also helps the other devices in my audio cabinet stay cool and happy.

Many pre-sets, and a reasonably well designed remote. The remote is functional but not exceptional. One of my few frustrations with the system is it's limited ability to change the speaker pre-sets. You can only switch between a few of them with the remote. I frequently have to change them by hand using the buttons on the front of the amp. I've adjusted to this my making use of the four presets for "DVD watching, TV Watching CD Listening, and Radio Listening" each of which you can assign your own audio presets. Now, depending on what I want to watch, I can hit 1 button and I'm done. My wife loves this feature as she can get a DVD going in about five seconds without headaches!

Cons:

The speaker wire that comes with the set is probably no thicker than 12 gauge wire. Spend the cash to get some good 16 gauge wire (and by good, I don't mean overpriced Monster brand wiring!). Any solid 16 gauge wire will work.

This system has exceeded my expectations. I have some quibbles with the remote design, but presets take care of the majority of them. If you want amazing sound from a 5.1 system for under $400, you can't do better. You can even spend twice as much and get less for your money than you do with the Yamaha YHT-390BL.

Yamaha 600W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System

...

this thing sounds. Perfect highs and lows with none of the hiss you hear in some low-end systems, bass deep enough to thump the floor and rattle a few things around the house, I feel like I have my own little IMAX setup here. CD playback through the DVD player is pretty impressive as well and I plan on getting the IPod dock for it.

All in all, I am very impressed with the the Yamaha 590 BL and would definitely recommend it. Love it!!!

Philips HTS3151D/37 300 Watt DVD 5.1Surround Sound Home Theatre System with Ipod Dock

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this thing sounds. Perfect highs and lows with none of the hiss you hear in some low-end systems, bass deep enough to thump the floor and rattle a few things around the house, I feel like I have my own little IMAX setup here. CD playback through the DVD player is pretty impressive as well and I plan on getting the IPod dock for it.



All in all, I am very impressed with the the Yamaha 590 BL and would definitely recommend it. Love it!!!

Yamaha 550W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver

...

this thing sounds. Perfect highs and lows with none of the hiss you hear in some low-end systems, bass deep enough to thump the floor and rattle a few things around the house, I feel like I have my own little IMAX setup here. CD playback through the DVD player is pretty impressive as well and I plan on getting the IPod dock for it.





All in all, I am very impressed with the the Yamaha 590 BL and would definitely recommend it. Love it!!!

Sony 998W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System w/ 5-Disc Upconvert DVD Player

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this thing sounds. Perfect highs and lows with none of the hiss you hear in some low-end systems, bass deep enough to thump the floor and rattle a few things around the house, I feel like I have my own little IMAX setup here. CD playback through the DVD player is pretty impressive as well and I plan on getting the IPod dock for it.







All in all, I am very impressed with the the Yamaha 590 BL and would definitely recommend it. Love it!!!

Pioneer 600W 5.1-Ch. Apple iPod /Satellite Radio-Ready Home Theater Receiver

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a positive result.I tried the loud setting and it too made a more noticeable difference in the output of my subwoofer.The midnight setting however was better to my ears.It sounded like the subwoofer was putting out very little bass.I finally called Pioneer customer support and they ran me through a bunch of settings trying to get to an answer to my problem.Nobody was able to tell me anything that could explain the cd input's lack of bass.Finally I was told to take the unit back and exchange it because I had probably gotten a defective unit.After getting my new 918,I was saddened to find out that I was stuck with the exact same problem.I again called tech support and this time was told that the 918 was not designed to play cd's with stereo sound.I was told that it just wasn't capable of outputting a good bass signal to the subwoofer.I couldn't beieve my ears!!He said that this model is designed as a home theater receiver to decode 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS.It is "not designed for 2 channel music".I just don't understand why this unit can't do both.Why did they bother to even put a cd input on the amp?I ended up taking the 918 back and trying a Yamaha model RX-V463.What a difference.I can hear my 5.1 and DTS movies with plenty of bass but more importantly,the Yamaha puts out great bass to the subwoofer for great sounding music cds recorded in stereo.I'm through with Pioneer although in all honesty it had fantastic Dolby Digital and DTS sound.This one issue over music cds ruined the Pioneer experience for me.Pioneer 120 Watts X 5 Hybrid Receiver

Yamaha 550W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver

...

a positive result.I tried the loud setting and it too made a more noticeable difference in the output of my subwoofer.The midnight setting however was better to my ears.It sounded like the subwoofer was putting out very little bass.I finally called Pioneer customer support and they ran me through a bunch of settings trying to get to an answer to my problem.Nobody was able to tell me anything that could explain the cd input's lack of bass.Finally I was told to take the unit back and exchange it because I had probably gotten a defective unit.After getting my new 918,I was saddened to find out that I was stuck with the exact same problem.I again called tech support and this time was told that the 918 was not designed to play cd's with stereo sound.I was told that it just wasn't capable of outputting a good bass signal to the subwoofer.I couldn't beieve my ears!!He said that this model is designed as a home theater receiver to decode 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS.It is "not designed for 2 channel music".I just don't understand why this unit can't do both.Why did they bother to even put a cd input on the amp?I ended up taking the 918 back and trying a Yamaha model RX-V463.What a difference.I can hear my 5.1 and DTS movies with plenty of bass but more importantly,the Yamaha puts out great bass to the subwoofer for great sounding music cds recorded in stereo.I'm through with Pioneer although in all honesty it had fantastic Dolby Digital and DTS sound.This one issue over music cds ruined the Pioneer experience for me.Pioneer 120 Watts X 5 Hybrid Receiver

Samsung 650W 5.1-Channel Home Theater System

...

a positive result.I tried the loud setting and it too made a more noticeable difference in the output of my subwoofer.The midnight setting however was better to my ears.It sounded like the subwoofer was putting out very little bass.I finally called Pioneer customer support and they ran me through a bunch of settings trying to get to an answer to my problem.Nobody was able to tell me anything that could explain the cd input's lack of bass.Finally I was told to take the unit back and exchange it because I had probably gotten a defective unit.After getting my new 918,I was saddened to find out that I was stuck with the exact same problem.I again called tech support and this time was told that the 918 was not designed to play cd's with stereo sound.I was told that it just wasn't capable of outputting a good bass signal to the subwoofer.I couldn't beieve my ears!!He said that this model is designed as a home theater receiver to decode 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS.It is "not designed for 2 channel music".I just don't understand why this unit can't do both.Why did they bother to even put a cd input on the amp?I ended up taking the 918 back and trying a Yamaha model RX-V463.What a difference.I can hear my 5.1 and DTS movies with plenty of bass but more importantly,the Yamaha puts out great bass to the subwoofer for great sounding music cds recorded in stereo.I'm through with Pioneer although in all honesty it had fantastic Dolby Digital and DTS sound.This one issue over music cds ruined the Pioneer experience for me.Pioneer 120 Watts X 5 Hybrid Receiver

Samsung 650W 5.1-Channel Home Theater System

...

out of the box. It also has the capability to be adjusted to odd shaped rooms with uneven speaker distances. It can later be expanded to 7.1 surround (blu-ray) with the purchase of another set of speakers.

Sony BRAVIA 1000W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System w/ 5-Disc Upconvert DVD Player

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out of the box. It also has the capability to be adjusted to odd shaped rooms with uneven speaker distances. It can later be expanded to 7.1 surround (blu-ray) with the purchase of another set of speakers.

Sony 500W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver

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are seperate digital audio inputs. Two, in fact. So where you used to run a single cable, now you will have to run two: something for video, HDMI or component AND an audio cable (optical or coax). Looking back, this doesn't seem to difficult but it sure stymied me for a day.
2. Only signals that go in via HDMI can go out via HDMI. It can't go in as component and out as HDMI. This isn't as subtle a point once you have the system in front of you, but you should be aware of this if you are planning on running a single HDMI cable to your TV (as I was).
3. A much smaller point is the different types of dolby. there are a number of encoding schemes. The receiver has an auto feature which is supposed to detect the dolby standard and properly decode it for your speakers. It works almost perfectly. On a few channels and for a few programs, that I knew were dolby I was only getting sound out of the front two speakers. Simply pressing the dolby select button to try different dolby schemes I found the right one and sound came out of every speaker. For all I know the one I found was the one always in use but for some reason to autodetect didn't work on that particular transmission.

More expensive units overcome the first two points. I think the 920 model for instance can use a single HDMI for vid and audio. I know more expensive models allow you take analog inputs and convert them for transmission over HDMI to your TV. Still for $190 you really get a lot of value. I looked at more expensive models and while they had more features (such as those mentioned above) and more inputs and channels, it seems your speakers will make a much larger difference in the actual sound than anything else. Unless you absolutely need one of the other features, spend the extra money on speakers. And, if as a first time surround sound buyer you are wondering if 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 should be a concern-- don't be. The majority of stuff is 5.1 and detecting the difference between 5.1 and 7.1 requires extremely sensitive ears in someone less than 30 years of age and a very precisely setup system. Get a better 5.1 rather than a poor 7.1 system.


The manual stated that some components will not be able to transmit audio over HDMI-- this is misleading or at least incomplete information. I would have given this 4 stars except for the fact that I called sony tech support, got through in less than 2 minutes and talked to someone very competent who explained to me the need for a separate audio cable. For this reason I am giving it 5 stars. Again, a lot of value for the money.

Yamaha 600W 5.1-Ch. Home Theater System

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an odd living room with the kitchen right next to it. I had to manually adjust the distance from the speakers to our sitting position to fully optimize the sound. There are also options that will allow you to adjust audio volume from source to source....Again, to fully enjoy any HT system you'll have to spend an hour or so to make sure its configured properly. Also, of note is that I wanted to upgrade the cheap looking wire and I purchased Monster XP which is a 14 gauge thick wire. It did not make any difference in sound whatsoever....Overall, very pleased with this system, looks great and it sounds even better. Highly recommended.