ONKYO SKS-HT240 Home Theater Speaker System Review

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(More customer reviews)I spent a great deal of time researching a home theater system that fit my requirements. Online reviews were the single largest source of information and the biggest input to my decision. I'm hoping this review will aid someone in the same manner in the future.
First, a few words about my situation - we have a largish (20 X 20 X 25) family room with a 50 inch DLP (a Samsung HL-R5067W) in a corner. The room has large floor-to-ceiling glass windows on the right side, solid walls on two sides, and an open back, which overlooks the kitchen area. In short, a difficult acoustic situation. I needed a system that could fill this large space with sound, yet be crisp enough for dialogues. Plus, this was going to be our main music system as well, so it had to do a good job with music CDs and MP3s, with a large mix of genres and styles.
Since this is the family room (roamed by our curious 2 yr old, with spillover noise from the kitchen etc), we didn't want to spend the world either. The understanding was that we'd budget about $1000 for this system, reserving the future 'media room' for the _really_ good system.
Other requirements were: speakers should be medium sized (not as small as bose, but not large either), preferably in silver.
As mentioned earlier, I looked at many systems online, ranging from HTIB systems (Home Theater in a Box) to separate speakers that ran to hundreds of dollars each. We went to Best Buy, Flanners, American etc to listen to some setups, comparing Denon, Yamaha, Sonys and eventually this Onkyo set.
This Onkyo set has almost a 'perfect' review everyplace you see them online. That's what really made me take notice. And when I actually listened to them at American TV, they beat everything comparable, and then some. So we bought them online (from Vanns.com, actually), and haven't regretted them for a moment.
They do have a couple issues - one, and this is highly subjective, is that I don't care for the stainless steel top, bottom and linings (a little too flashy for our taste). They are a little on the large side, with the subwoofer being pretty big. Also, more importantly, you'll need a few tweaks to get them to play up to their full potential. But that's about it.
As many others have attested before me, the sound from movies will change your movie reviews, and to really top it all, Dave Matthews sounds like he's pretty much sitting in my family room (well, I'm exaggerating, but only a little). The subwoofer is beyond good - it produces a low rumble that's almost visceral.
I paired these speakers with an Onkyo TX-SR574S receiver, and the results are delightful. You will need a good receiver so that you can change the sound levels and distance to different speakers individually. I needed to do that before they started sounding really good. You also will need good, thick speaker cables. Not Monster cable - they are a waste of money - but good (16 gauge at least) speaker wire and a better subwoofer cable than what comes with the set.
The entire set cost me about $700, including $100 for good cables. So we have $300 left over for a HTPC I'm building.
And now for the most important measure of all - my wife, who hates sci-fi movies, sat through 'The Fifth Element' from the beginning to the end, including the credits. This one's a keeper.

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If you're serious about home-theater sound, a home-theater surround sound receiver is about your best choice for broad connectivity and high quality performance. Perhaps the most daunting task is finding and connecting the right speaker system. Onkyo has assembled quite a great speaker system for you and, with included color-coded cables, installation into your receiver is relatively simple. After all, its all about home entertainment and you deserve an easy routs to achieving pleasure that you can continually appreciate. That's where this Onkyo SKS-HT240 comes into the picture and the sound field. It looks good too! Frequency Response -27 Hz - 150 Hz (Subwoofer) Includes connecting cable Onkyo USA 2 Years Parts and Labor Warranty

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Klipsch Synergy Quintet III Home Theater Speaker System (Set of Five, Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently upgraded my system with a new receiver and needed some new speakers to complement them. I wanted the Bose Acoustimass speakers forever but couldn't bear dropping a G on them. I also wanted to stay in the "bookshelf" size speaker as it suited my set up better. So I decided to try these for less than half the price of the Bose. I figured I could return them if they didn't thrill me. Short story....they did.
I was floored by the fullness of the sound. They hit the highs, mids, and lows like a champ. I like to use the action bits on Terminator 3 to test out new recievers and speakers and these really impressed me with a huge wall of sound. I knew they were good when I got excited while watching a movie I'd seen so many times before. It was almost like listening to it for the first time. I also popped in some cd's and I swear I heard things in some of my music that I've never heard before.
I'd heard those Bose speakers a dozen times at Comp USA and Best Buy and really do feel these are better for a full sound. The Bose do the highs an mids really well but not the lows. These are designed to be the total package with their horn/tweeter design and they certainly perform as such. They can actually be used without a subwoofer, which is good for people who don't like the booming and rumbling that subs provide. Klipsch suggest their own subs(of course) but I felt the price was a little rich for my blood, so I use a $100 Sony powered sub and it works just fine.
They look and feel like they're made from good quality materials. In fact, I accidently dropped one from 2 1/2 feet onto a wooden floor (oops) and it was completely intact without any marks and still works perfectly. The posts on the back of the speakers make speaker wire attachment a snap. You just unscrew the cap, the wire goes through the middle of the post, then you tighten the cap back down. No problemo. A great feature. They also make placement and mounting easy as you can sit them on a shelf, like in the picture, or flip the stand part back to mount on a wall. They also pivot to point in most any angle you'd want. The center speaker doesn't though.
There are only a couple of slight negatives here. The center speaker sounds a little boxey. It could use some more treble as it leans a little more towards the mid range. Since the majority of dialog comes from the center speaker, I wanted a little more sharpness. This is minor though and doesn't hinder the experience at all. The other is the balancing. Pairing them with my new reciever to find the best sound was a bit tricky. Again, these are very slight negatives and shouldn't deter you from looking into these fabulous speakers. I'm just trying to be as honest as I can here. I never once thought of returning them though.
Klipsch has a great reputation in the audio world and touts these as their best selling compact speaker system. These are a great deal for the price as they sound huge and like they should cost alot more. If you're starting to get serious about your audio for your home theater, there's nothing else out there that's gonna top these at their size and price. Believe me, I looked.

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Synergy Series Quintet III 5-Piece Home Theater Speaker System

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New 5.1 Multimedia Powered Home Theater Surround Sound Speaker System TS511 Review

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(More customer reviews)These speakers are something incredible. They re much better than many more expensive speakers in the market.
Pros:
* Clear sound, powerful, with good definition.
* You can set the speaker volume independently.
* Remote Control.
* 5.1 + RCA inputs + Auxiliar input (Left and Right)
* The speakers do not distort.
* A powerful subwoofer with very good low.
Cons:
* Short cord (the cable from the speakers left, right and center are not more than 5 feet and the back of no more than 7').
* Does not have Coaxial or Optical input for receiving a digital signal.
This is an excellent speakers systems. I have it installed on a 28 mts2 family room and the sound is really big. The subwoofer make vibrate the glass accessories of the room. It has more quality than many of the most expensive equipment on the market. Now, I have to buy a signal converter stereo to 5.1 surround to get you maximum advantage of this set of speakers
Anyone would think that a set of speakers with 18lbs (small speakers, small magnets) can not be so much quality but is the opposite. I recommend this product for its sound quality, power and clear sound.

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SpecificationsNew 5.1 / 2.1 Switchable Home Theater Multimedia Speaker SystemPower Rating: 500 Watts RMS System PowerFrequency Response: 40Hz - 20KHzDistinctive Design: Features high tech design to dampen distortion and deliver crisp clear responseAdditional Features: Pro Logic function for incredible Surround Sound, Stand By function, Infa-red remote sensor lampRemote Control: At your fingertips separate volume controls for Sub, Center, Rear and FrontEasy Set-upMagnetically shielded systemSubwoofer Speaker: 1pcSub Unit is 6.5" x 12.5" x 11.5"Satellite Speakers: 5pcsEach Satellite Speaker is 3.75" x 3.75" x 5.75"Two Front and Center Speaker have 6' Single RCA CableTwo Rear Speakers have 12' Single RCA Cables25' Extension Single RCA Cables Available 2RCA1 (2 Cable Pack) and 5RCA1 (5 Cable Pack)Audio Cable: 1 pc 3.5mm (headphone) jack to RCA jackAudio Cable: 3 pcs RCA jack to RCA jackRemote ControlUser ManualThis Listing and Price is for 1 Complete SystemTheater Solutions TS511 5.1 Home Theater Speaker Systemis a compact, high-definition 5.1 home theater system that's simple to set up and use. The TS511 features a Pro Logic channel switch to integrate all your Dolby Surround formatted movies, music and games and deliver a true surround experience. The Speaker system consists of five speakers - left, center and right front channels with two rear surrounds - and one powered subwoofer. All five speakers in this home theater are identical, creating a seamless blend of sound and style.Inside each modern, high-gloss black enclosure, you'll find durable, high-quality components that will provide superior performances for years to come. Each speaker is magnetically shielded - so it won't interfere with your TV picture - and can be positioned vertically or horizontally next to your HDTV or other type of flat-panel.

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