Home Theater System Info – Home Theater Information and Review

Harman Kardon HKTS 15 5 1 Channel Speaker System

The Harman Kardon HKTS 15 is a beautiful black lacquer speaker system with a powerful 100 watt 10″ subwoofer. It is a 5.1 speaker system which can be expanded to 7.1 with the optional HKS 6 Harman Kardon surroung speakers. The system uses a 3/4″ tweeter for great high frequency performance. It is magnetically shielded so it can be put up next to your TV. It comes with all the speaker cables as well as brackets to either wall mount or shelf mount the satellite speakers. The subwoofer automaticaly senses when a signal is present and turns on at that time.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Good speakers but wall brackets are not included.
The product summary states:

“All the hardware for bracketing the speakers on the wall is included.”

This is not the case except for the center channel speaker. I had to buy the wall brackets separately for another $50 or so.

The speakers sound very good and I’m happy with them but if you intend to wall mount them keep in mind the brackets will cost you extra, and you must by them directly from Harman Kardon.

5 Stars Great 5.1 sytem
I almost want to give these 4 stars because they don’t have the range of full sized floor standing speakers. The reason they get a five is bang for the buck. And I hate saying that because it sounds like I’m saying a crappy product that’s cheap. Really, these speakers are just amazing. I have them paired up with the HK AVR 254. The highs are crisp and sharp while the sub, albeit only 100 watts, is the best 100 watt sub I’ve ever heard. Loud, full, deep just like a much higher wattage sub.

This speaker set really is just outstanding not just in performance though. They have a reflective black casing and hard grill making them nearly invisible when watching a movie in the dark, but when the lights are on or the sun is out, the speakers are just really slick looking. HK didn’t even spare on packaging supplies. Each speaker was wrapped in a material that felt like silk. Just amazing quality everywhere from performance -> look -> packaging. You just can’t go wrong.

5 Stars sound real ..!!!
the set of horns Harman Kardon home theater is the most resemblance to the reality of a sound in cinema, and I dare say that even better. The films get a feeling of absolute realism. The music concert makes you feel as if you were in the same salon where the music was recorded. We all components that brings the theater in a box at home is enough to unpack and install, they do not need anything extra just the tool for placing the speakers wall and a bit of subtlety where to place the cables. If you want to get a quality, lightness and power of sound does not cease to obtain a set of horns harman kardon.

5 Stars Great value & sound quality.
After a lot of online research and customer reviews from various sources, including consumerreports[...] on the best home theater systems & speakers, Onkyo was rated the best receiver and Harmon Kardon the best speakers in terms of price, quality and features. Believe me, HK was rated better than Bose…which is three times the price! This was my first A/V receiver purchase (Onkyo TX-SR606) and HTIB system combined w/HK speakers which I purchased at Amazon too. Easy install instructions. I have a 46″ Samsung 1080p LCD HDTV which was connected with one HDMI input from the receiver. The cable box and the Sony PS (can be used as a Blue Ray player) was connected to the receiver with HDMI cables. I also connected an optical cable to the TV for audio playback, if necessary. HK speakers come with enough wires, but I bought 14guage speaker wires from Flatwire[...] and concealed the wires myself. The Flatire speaker wires, a bit pricey (u can buy 12,14,18 guage), are paper thin and can be installed & concealed on the wall surface w/o having to cut thru walls. HK speaker sound is amazing. Beware, the sub-woofer has to be kept under control, the sucker will blow your room….! Just kidding. My room is average size so I keep the SW level at a quarter of its full potential! Speakers and SW look very sleek and aesthetic. The only problem I found was the HK speaker mounts were not very easy to install. But not a major issue. Overall, Harmon-Kardon has kept its reputation of quality and value. Highly recommended.

4 Stars Harman Kardon HKTS-15 5.1 Channel Speaker System Revew
Ordered via Amazon. Excellent delivery service. Bought after a few weeks of research looking for smaller sized home theatre speaker system at value price but excellent sound. Very satisfied with purchase. Sound is excellent for price and glad I did not spend more. Like other reviews I read, was surprised at size of subwoofer and ended up having to move it to another corner of the room and do more wiring than planned.

Made 4 stars instead of 5 because speaker mounts only allow allow for rotation from right to left. I figured I could just buy better wall mounts but because speakers require mounting from the bottom, I was unable to find any wall mounts that would work with this non-standard location of the screw placement (these are bottom instead of backside). However, best sound (for rear speakers) in my room setup seems to be when they are pointed directly across the room from each other, so I really did not have a need for better mounts anyway.

Overall really like the sharp style and great sound from such a small set of speakers. The kit comes with plenty of long speaker wires but note you should get speaker wire designed for in wall use to be to code. I ordered all my wire and accessories such as banana plugs and wall plates from mycablemart.com as I thought their prices were good, but there are lots of places to order this stuff. I would recommend this purchase for the value-oriented consumer looking for good home theatre sound and a fair price assuming you couple it with a good AV receiver (I coupled this with an Onkyo TX-SR606).

Buy/More Info

Sony DAV IS10 5 1 Channel Micro Satellite Home Theater System with TDM IP1 iPod Cradle

Looking for the latest in innovative home theater? Well you just found it! Transform any space into a modern, high fidelity home theater with the elegant yet powerful DAVIS10 5.1 channel micro-satellite home theater. No more bulky speakers-BRAVIA’S home theater has virtually invisible speakers that deliver big, crisp, intense sound. Its unique, compact design and advanced audio capabilities will add a new dimension to your movie-watching experience, without the unattractive bulk of other systems. HOME THEATER SYNC lets you control your compatible TV and home theatre system with the touch of one button on your remote. Sony’s DIGITAL MEDIA PORT (DMP) interface is a proprietary interface which adds networking and connectivity options to the home theater systems and components through optional accessories that can connect with various devices. The DMP accessories will include a PC Client Ready device, Bluetooth receiver and Audio Docking Stations compatible with select Network Walkman(R) players and iPod products. DIGITAL CINEMA AUTO CALIBRATION-2 lets you simply place the included microphone in your listening position, push a single button and speaker position, distance and delays are automatically calibrated. The S- MASTER DIGITAL AMPLIFIER gives superb accuracy using a digital-to-digital process. Clear separation of signals and balanced sound reproduction. PORTABLE AUDIO ENHANCER is ideal for today’s portable audio players. A powerful Digital Signal Processor expands the quality of sound from any connected audio device. Station Preset(s) – FM20 / AM10 Woofer Size(s) – 2 way – 12cm / 16cm; active closed bass reflex Limited Warranty – 1 year parts / 1 year labor

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars These speakers are LOUD!!!
I have read many reviews about this system. The one common problem is the volume. There is a way to increase the volume to each speaker. Here are the steps:

1. The Sony system must be in DVD mode.

2. Press the DISPLAY button on the remote when DVD is not playing.

3. Choose SETUP (the red tool box)

4. Choose CUSTOM

5. Choose SPEAKER SETUP

6. Choose TEST TONE

7. Select ON. At this point you can adjust the volume for each speaker

Also in the Sony manual on pages 92-94

3 Stars Decent system, great price
Mine arrived yesterday, so these are initial thoughts formed over the course of an afternoon.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

1) Design

The system is beautiful. The receiver / “control unit is a smooth, glossy black with only two tactile buttons. All the other buttons are touch sensitive and disappear completely when the device is turned off. It’s about 2x the height and 1.5x the width of the Mac Mini it’s sitting beside, and I thought it was kinda cool that they both have slot-loading DVD drives at exactly the same height.

2) Size

As previous reviews have stated, you’ll be struck by the tiny speakers, but you’ll also be struck by the massive subwoofer. It’s as tall as the TV bench and I haven’t quite figured out where to place it. Right now it’s sitting right in front of a heating vent, which is not going to work out.

INITIAL CONCERNS:

1) Not a lot of INPUTS

There seem to be just enough inputs to deal with my Xbox 360 (via optical), my DirecTV receiver/DVR (via digital coax), and my Mac Mini (unfortunately via stereo mini to RCA). If I were to add another device or try to get surround sound out of the Mac Mini, I’d need to buy an optical hub or switch.

2) Not a lot of VOLUME

Casually watching DirecTV HD during the day in my mall living room, I have to turn the volume up to 70 out of 80. There’s just ZERO headroom. I expect this to be a problem when I want to play music for a party, watch a loud movie, play Rock Band, or move it into a larger room.

3) Sound field

For sources that do not provide 5.1 encoded surround sound, it’s still possible to get some sound out of the rear speakers, which I think provides for a more immersive experience. Unfortunately, I’ve had trouble geting enough volume out of those speakers to make it worth the effort. I’m positive that there is a solution for this, but it’s not immediately apparent and certainly didn’t present itself during normal speaker set-up and configuration. Time to get the manual out.

4) Speaker wires

Some reviews have warned about the proprietary speaker connections. My living room is not huge, but these rear speakers came with enough wire to go around the edge two or three times. I was mostly just annoyed that they were a bright, shiny, silver. Not very subtle.

I have every hope that I’ll find solutions to these problems. I will update this review if I find the answers.

4 Stars amazing Stuff
Got this little one couple of days ago at a sony outlet.

Size ofthe speakers, the way it looks is one of the main reason whihc made me to buy this one.

Pros

- Execellent sound quality

- Easy to install

- i have this with attched with my TV , and Playstation.So now i have all the audio coming from my surround system.

- Easy to install on your walls too.

Cons

Not a piece for a huge party areas or some one who has a very very big room.

5 Stars Wonderful
Though it took a while for me to figure out how to get DVDs to play full screen (thanks to the other reviewer who mentioned about setting the screen resolution 1080!), I love this system. The tiny, discrete speakers give full, clear, robust sound for both music and DVDs. I purchased the system at Best Buy and had them install it, I find that the realistic sounds add so much to the movies and music sounds wonderful.

4 Stars Great Price..great little system
Not loud enough, but for 289 and sams club…how can you go wrong. Getting my ps3 hooked up through HDMI was a pain to figure out, had to use two HDMI ports on my TV. But all in all, a good purchase for the price.

Buy/More Info

BOSE R 321 GS Series II DVD Home Entertainment System Silver

The Bose 3-2-1 GS Series II progressive-scan DVD home entertainment system packs greater visceral power, broader media flexibility, and richer sound into an even less obtrusive speaker set. Half the size of the original 3-2-1 system’s speakers, Bose’s patented Gemstone speaker array works in concert with the system’s TrueSpace surround processing to deliver a spacious, multichannel presentation from just 2 visible speakers and a hideaway Acoustimass module.

The system comes with a central DVD/CD media center, a pair of shelf speakers, a powered Acoustimass module (subwoofer), and everything you need to hook it all up with ease. Using Bose TrueSpace proprietary digital processing circuitry, the 3-2-1 GS.II system improves the sense of spaciousness imparted by stereo recordings and exciting movie effects from Dolby Digital and DTS surround-encoded materials. Yet its few parts require little effort to set up, so you can enjoy your new system’s performance right away–it even comes with a helpful system setup and demo disc.

The DVD/CD player plays your DVD-Video movies (select from NTSC and PAL video formats) and CD-based music, including MP3 files written to recordable CD-R or CD-RW (including artist and title information display). Disc features include repeat and random play, DVD parental controls, forward and reverse chapter/track skip, and scanning within tracks.

Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you’re merely thinking of “someday,” the 3-2-1 GS.II’s media center is equipped to deliver the full potential of your DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.

Proprietary Videostage 5 decoding circuitry goes beyond conventional digital technology to bring new life to old movies and music. It gives you a surround sound experience from practically any source, including older media such as videotapes, stereo CDs, even mono TV programs. Advanced post-processing techniques automatically deliver a clear, on-screen audio center image and balanced surround sound, similar to that of a 5.1-encoded DVD.

In the Bose Acoustimass module, 2 downward-firing drivers give you powerful performance for the lowest audible notes and effects. And proprietary Bose technology ensures that you hear with clarity the proper balance of deep lows from all channels for music and movies. Hide the module almost anywhere, even behind furniture, and all the sound seems to come from the small cube speaker arrays.

Other features include AM/FM tuning with 40 preset stations (20 FM, 20 AM), a sleep timer (1 to 90 minutes), and console input jacks for connecting other source components (such as a VCR, DSS, CD changer, or tape deck).

If you have other Bose hardware already in place–a Wave music system, a 3-2-1 Series II DVD system, or a Lifestyle system–you can hook it up to this 3-2-1 GS.II system using an optional 50-foot Bose link B connection cable to extend your entertainment to an additional listening area. You can also expand upon the 3-2-1- GS.II system later by integrating it with a Lifestyle system.

What’s in the Box
An integrated AM/FM tuner and DVD/CD player (media center); 2 shelf speakers with rubber feet; a floor-standing Acoustimass module (subwoofer) with rubber feet; AM/FM antennas; an antenna stand; a module cable; a system speaker cable; a composite-video cable; a stereo analog audio interconnect (red/white RCA); an infrared remote control; remote batteries; an AC power cord; a user’s manual; a quick-setup guide; a setup and demo disc; and warranty information.

Note: Bose recommends that you maintain at least 3 feet (1 meter) of space between the 2 speakers with no more than 3 feet (1 meter) between each speaker and the edge of your TV screen.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star I used to love BOSE till I bought the 3-2-1
The sound is really good. It’s definately BOSE quality in that department. The only problem is, if it won’t play your DVD’s or music then there’s nothing to hear anyways. We’ve had all the same problems with the DVD player not reading discs, turning off partway through and last night we watched a movie and this morning the system won’t even turn on. We’ve had this one repaired once and now it’s broken again. Definitely too high of a price for something that’s not going to work. If you’re set on getting a BOSE system, I would get one just for the speakers and then get a seperate DVD player and CD player to actually run your media out of. We will be replacing our system with something else and it would take a lot to convince us to buy a BOSE again.

5 Stars Great speakers for medium spaces!
I believe that these speakers are INCREDIBLE. I have this setup in my living room. My living room isn’t huge, but it’s not small either. The speakers fill the room with a solid and very clear sound. The highs and mids are GREAT and the lows are especially strong. It is AMAZING how much sound comes out of a system so small. You can hear EVERY detail from any movie you are watching from a pen drop, to any type of explosion. In my opinion, for the price and size, there is no better setup than the Bose 3-2-1 system.

1 Star Worst speakers I have ever owned.
I purchased Bose 123 GS speakers partly because of the hype about Bose products. The speakers do not work and the company does not stand behind their product. Page 55 of the manual states if the speakers cut out unplug the acoustimas module for one minute and plug back in. This happens constantly and if you are watching TV you will have to do this many times. I called the company twice and was told this was the cable companies fault. I have had the same cable company for twenty years and numerous kinds of speakers and never had this problem before. Bose knows about this problem because they have it in their instruction manual. I am out $1000 and I will never buy another Bose product.

4 Stars a good and simple entry level system
I am not an audiophile / videophile so this will not be a technical review. All I can say about this is if you want a simple and clean home theater system and you don’t already own a bunch of components this is a good route to take.

This was chosen on the basis of simplicity. One remote, one component, three speakers, one speaker cable, one power cord. It doesn’t get any easier and considering how simple it is: it looks and sounds great for our requirements which were that it had to produce a good image for our projector (1080p) and it had to sound good. Sounding good for us means that when we watch movies the dialogue sounds good and the effects have a decent left to right going on.

That’s it. And that’s what we got and I’m happy with it. I’m not a huge Bose fan, but I’m not a hater either.

I can’t give it 5 stars because I’m disappointed that the speaker cable was so short. If you have a room bigger than 10×10 or if you use a projector you will need to order a special proprietary cable. They are available up to 40 feet and the cost at the moment for the 40 FT cable was $19.99.

We also bought the speaker stands to keep the cables nice and neat and to avoid mounting the speakers to the wall since we are renting. The stands were $100 – ouch.

1 Star Don’t waste your money
BOSE is just a name any more. They are riding on a reputation built decades ago. I was shopping hard for a compact 2.1 system and after side-by-side comparisons, ended up buying a Klipsch CS-700. The Klipsch CS-700 blows BOSE away in all aspects. That system is in an entirely different league for the same price as BOSE. Bose sounds so tinny and ordinary in comparison. The Klipsch CS-700 remote is fully compatible with Logitech’s Harmony remote too. It has headphone connections too (BOSE 3-2-1 doesn’t!).

In terms of setup, both are pretty straightforward. Though, CS-700 with its wireless subwoofer connection, gives great flexibility to place the subwoofer in an ‘ideal’ location in the room.

So before you blow your money on BOSE, check out the CS-700. You’d be glad you did. The only surprise for me was that Klipsch is hardly advertised or talked about when compared to BOSE.

Buy/More Info