Looking for a good Home Theatre in a box

[affiatati7]

Hi,

I would like to purchase a decent "In a Box" 7.1 surround sound system. One that will be future tolerant. Here is my present set-up:

1- Preently I have a 27" flat screen TV with Component and S-Video inputs. I will probably get a 50" 1080P in the next year.

2- My living room is 12' x 22' with cathedrel ceiling. With furniture and all the room is tight so I would like to have as small speakers as I could afford (can't afford Bose).

3- I have a SONY DVD/VHS combo player. The player has component and S-Video video out, Digital audio out in both coaxial and optical. It has composite line in/line out video and audio.

Most systems I've researched have similiar features like front panel inputs and such.Here are some features I am looking for:

1- A system that naturally sounds crisp and that I could crank fairly loud and not hear clipping or distortion.

2- A wireless rear would be nice (not a must), however, the one's I've seen don't seem to have as many features as a wired system.

3- A good lite-up learning remote

4- The right features to handle todays and tomorrows features.

5- Fairly small speakers. The speakers on the Onkyo HT S990 THX look too big and bulky although the system looks good.

6- I would like the price of the system not to exceed $1,000.00.

Some questions I have are as follows:

What features do you feel are a real must?

What wattage would be good to crank for my size room (12' x 22')

Should I use my present DVD/VHS combo (it's 4 years old) or get a system that has a matching DVD player?

Can anyone recommend such a system? I was looking at the Onkyo HT-SP908. It has 90 wts. per channel. Think that's enough for my room? Although no wireless rear or lite-up remote, Onkyo has a good reputation and the system seems like it can handle todays needs and tomorrows. Although no wireless rear or lite-up remote.

Thanks for any replies.

Don

[drseid]

Hi,

I would like to purchase a decent "In a Box" 7.1 surround sound system. One that will be future tolerant. Here is my present set-up:

1- Preently I have a 27" flat screen TV with Component and S-Video inputs. I will probably get a 50" 1080P in the next year.

2- My living room is 12' x 22' with cathedrel ceiling. With furniture and all the room is tight so I would like to have as small speakers as I could afford (can't afford Bose).

3- I have a SONY DVD/VHS combo player. The player has component and S-Video video out, Digital audio out in both coaxial and optical. It has composite line in/line out video and audio.

Most systems I've researched have similiar features like front panel inputs and such.Here are some features I am looking for:

1- A system that naturally sounds crisp and that I could crank fairly loud and not hear clipping or distortion.

2- A wireless rear would be nice (not a must), however, the one's I've seen don't seem to have as many features as a wired system.

3- A good lite-up learning remote

4- The right features to handle todays and tomorrows features.

5- Fairly small speakers. The speakers on the Onkyo HT S990 THX look too big and bulky although the system looks good.

6- I would like the price of the system not to exceed $1,000.00.

Some questions I have are as follows:

What features do you feel are a real must?

What wattage would be good to crank for my size room (12' x 22')

Should I use my present DVD/VHS combo (it's 4 years old) or get a system that has a matching DVD player?

Can anyone recommend such a system? I was looking at the Onkyo HT-SP908. It has 90 wts. per channel. Think that's enough for my room? Although no wireless rear or lite-up remote, Onkyo has a good reputation and the system seems like it can handle todays needs and tomorrows. Although no wireless rear or lite-up remote.

Thanks for any replies.

Don

I wrote a lengthy response that was lost as the DB went down... Don't have time to repeat that unfortunately, but here is a quick summary...

HTIB's are generally not recommended and provide relatively mediocre sound at best. I advise to steer clear unless absolutely necessary. Your pick is about as good as you will find in your range of the genre, but the speakers are entirely insufficient to good sound requirements.

I suggested expanding your budget to $1250 (street) and going with individual components (keep your DVD player for now until you upgrade your TV).

Onkyo has a 90 watt per channel TX-SR605 7.1 receiver that sells for $399 at One Call that meets your needs (except lighted remote). And 90 watts per channel is plenty for your needs, btw. This one may even be the same receiver you found in your HTIB (just sold separately).

Definitive Technology has a sub/sat system called the ProCinema 600 that streets for $799 at abtelectronics.com and that should help in the speaker department greatly (as HTIB's almost always skimp here and it is the most important area).

Go 3rd party for a remote like the Harmony. They can be had around $50-$100 depending on model and will meet all your needs for backlighting and multi-use etc.

The individual components system above will run you $1250, (over 25% over budget) but you get a *much* better system for your money, and wont have to buy new speakers later on this way (as the Onkyo system was severely lacking there IMO).

---Dave

[RoyY51]

I would like to echo Drseid's recommendations. Traditionally, HTIB manufacturers are electronics makers, not speaker makers. There are precious few manufacturers of electronics who also make decent speakers. Buy your speakers from one of the many reputable, well established and well reviewed (that leaves out Bose) manufacturers out there and you won't have to upgrade in six months.

My brother-in law made the mistake of buying the Onkyo HTIB. He's regretted it ever since.

[jrhymeammo]

I can only comment on version 1, but if you REALLY must go with HTIB type of system, then I would go with Paradigm Cinema series. I thought didnt think they sounded bad at all. Of course those satelite speakers will be limited to as high as 150hz. I think they were like $150 a pair back in the day...
Whatever you do, BE SURE TO GET A MATCHING center speaker, another word dont try to mix and match brands and model series.

[pixelthis]

Sounds like you want something unintrusive.
Sony has a device as big as a clock radio with speakers as large as a quarter.
It comes with a "bass" module a-la bose that is to be hidden.
Sounds like what you want:1: