Awesome System, December 10, 2010

By VRK –

Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

This review is from: Denon DHT-391XP 5.1 Channel Home Theater System with HDMI 1.4a connectivity and 650-Watt Total System Power (Black) (Electronics)

I bought this system around one month ago from Amazon and am very pleased with the purchase. I was little worried about Denon speakers as there were not many reviews for speakers but knew that they make very fine receivers. Anyhow I decided to take the plunge considering the good service Amazon would provide if I was not happy. Oh boy glad I made the decision. For the low price this package comes you cannot compare it with any other systems. Yes there are home theatre systems with better receivers and sound system but not for this price. My living room is fair sized (16 x 14) and so far I am happy with the sound quality. This system does not have Audyssey and dynamic volume control but for that I had to shell out an extra 250 and decided to live without those features. This is my first HTIB and I have not tweaked many settings but still watching movies and listening to music is a pleasure. I am not providing any technical details as its available out there but wanted to add a review to help others buy the system if they do not want to break the bank but still need a good, solid entry level HTIB.

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The Sony Bravia Home Theater System is outstanding!, November 25, 2010

By teedi –

This review is from: Sony BRAVIA DAV-DZ170 Home Theater System (Electronics)

I would recommend this product to anyone because this system has a very clear, sharp, and crisp sound which you may not receive in some of the more expensive theater systems. If you are looking for a system with a nice bargain and a great sound, this is definitely the one you may be looking for. This system has no distortion playing the dvd player and the subwoofer will literally blow you out of the room whether you are sitting or standing! Every sound and instrument is heard through this one, depending on your personal settings. You are getting more than what you are paying for and it has an outlet for an ipod or mp3 player.

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Samsung LN19C350 19-Inch 720p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black), August 21, 2010

By Scarlett (Denver, CO USA) –

Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

This review is from: Samsung LN19C350 19-Inch 720p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black) (Electronics)

The Samsung HDTV was packaged perfectly and arrived in excellent condition as expected based on my HDTV purchases through Amazon in the past. I ordered a 19″ for one of our small guest bedrooms. In a television that small, 720p 60Hz is just fine. Everything about the TV is working well, and I find the quality of the picture and volume quite satisfactory for its intended purpose. I would definitely recommend this television to others based upon my experience with it.

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Entering the 21st century – finally, May 26, 2011

By Cassandra. –

Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

This review is from: LG 42LK520 42-Inch 1080p LCD TV – Black (Electronics)

This LG 42LK520 is replacing my well-loved Toshiba CRT tv (which, to my dismay, refused to age or give any sign it was ready to quit and justify my purchase), so I can’t claim great sophistication when it comes to comparing modern, flat-panel TVs. Having said that, I couldn’t be happier with this LG. The image is crisp and true. The color saturation on the default setting is perhaps a touch brighter than life – which I’m sure can be manipulated easily, but I rather like seeing the world with bright green grass and impossibly blue sky, so I haven’t bothered. The trumotion works well and so far I have seen no after-image or blur. The sound quality is good, but not great, but it matters little to me as I run it through my fairly old home theatre system which makes the whole experience quite wonderful. I even like the subtle light that glows on the lower right corner and turns from red to blue when you turn the tv on – totally unrelated to the tv’s performance, but it’s just cool and makes the tv look expensive. I am enjoying this TV tremendously, and sometimes will turn it on just to look at how nice the picture is. For about $650 with free shipping, how could I not be happy? Shipping was impressively quick. Set up was relatively easy, though the installation manual is so simple as to be relatively useless. Incidentally, if you’re hooking it up to your satellite receiver, you have to press “input” on your remote and then select “HDMI” – the instruction manual doesn’t tell you this. None of the minor weaknesses (like the sound – which isn’t bad, it just didn’t blow me away) are signficant enough to drop it out of five-star range. At this price point this TV provides incredible value. I really could not be happier with this purchase.

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Best bang for your buck…, November 10, 2008

By K. Labarre –
  

Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

This review is from: Yamaha NS-SP1800BL 5.1-Channel Home Theater Speaker Package (Electronics)

For the price I didn’t expect much from these speakers, and when I got them they definitely exceeded my expectations. I have always been a fan of Yamaha audio equipment and when I was looking for a decent (cheap) set of 5.1 speakers for my Onkyo SR606 I came across this set and thought I’d give them a try. Much to my pleasure they work great! I am only using 3.1 right now but the sound is far superior to any pre-packaged HTS that I have looked at. PROS – Price, quality of build, sound quality CONS – plastic casing/style (not the greatest for displaying around your house) This is a very minor con!

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Excellent value, May 13, 2010

By Brandon Taylor (Palmdale, CA) –
  

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This review is from: Coby CSP96 300-Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Speaker System (Black) (Electronics)

Customer Video Review Length:: 2:37 MinsBest value for the price. Nice sound, good looks and durable. Update 12/21/10: Still working well. I had the chance to listen to some of the better ($200+) units and I can tell they sound a lot nicer, but this one comes very close! Remember, it is not going to sound as amazing as the expensive ones but it is worlds ahead of any standard TV speaker.

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Great buy, fabulous Philips 22-inch LED LCD HDTV, February 17, 2011

By T. K. Fowler (Eastern Upper Peninsula, Michigan, USA) –
  

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This review is from: Philips 22PFL4505D/F7 22-Inch 720p LED LCD HDTV, Black (Electronics)

I tried going for a smaller widescreen than everyone said I “had to have,” and am I pleased! I suspected that since this is my first widescreen, and since I’ve been getting by on a 13-inch square since my 20-inch square TV went kaput, that a 22-inch Philips would seem like a huge step up. And does it ever. The picture is so sharp that I don’t need a bigger screen in my little cottage — certainly not until my upstairs 13-inch gasps its last. I can read the newscrawlers, subtitles and sports scores. The color is gorgeous, and I haven’t even taken time to superfine tune it. The TV arrived days early from amazon.com yesterday afternoon, Free Super Saver Shipping, and I started setting it up this morning. Just then “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” came on Turner Classic Movies, and I hadn’t seen it before, and wanted to, but I plunged ahead, watching while I looked at the Quick Start. I unplugged the old and was back watching the movie again before intermission. This HDTV has all the hoolymajiggits to hook up your PC, your video camera, your computer games, and I don’t know what all, but being a film fan, all I have is a Magnavox DVD-VHS player, and that hooks up just fine. The remote operates intuitively, and I can move through the menu likewise without reading the manual. I just couldn’t possibly be more pleased, especially since I’ve long depended upon the quality of Philips and Magnavox. Just after Christmas there were 22 of these sets, and they sold out before I could make a move. I let amazon.com know I was sold on the set, but couldn’t buy in time. I was so sold that I was thinking of buying the same TV in the 32-inch if I couldn’t get the 22. But true to form, amazon.com came through with more 22-inch Philips 720p LED LCD HDTV, Black. I bought one, it’s here, and it’s up and running, just like that, after weeks of checking availability. I actually think the 32-inch might be too big for my cottage as it is for my budget right now. My TV stands atop the entertainment tower for my component stereo system (remember those?) and it can face forward to the living room, or turn toward the adjacent bedroom (fishing village architecture). It’s a very big picture either way. What I like about the Surround Sound is that a lower level is adequate because it’s not all coming from one back speaker. No more blaring that makes my Chinese Shar-Pei rub her ears. I’m happy, happy, happy, and so is she. I won’t be needing the free return, but in this neck of the woods, I’m grateful amazon.com offers it. Thank you, thank you, amazon.com.

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SKS-HT540, February 17, 2009

By N. L. Steele “Early Adopter” (Springfield, IL) –
  

This review is from: Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 Channel Home Theater Speaker System (Electronics)

I’ve had the SKS-HT540 speakers for about a week and am using them paired with an Onkyo TX-SR606 receiver to play movies from a Phillips DVP 5960 upscaling DVD player via HDMI and music from an older Sony 5 disc changer with stereo outputs as well as for video-gaming on an Xbox 360 via the optical output. The box these come in is gigantic, and you would think it’s a small refrigerator, but that’s good packing for shipping as they arrived completely undamaged. The size and wattage are the same as Onkyo represents them; the guy that claims the fronts are smaller than listed is way off base. The speaker wire that comes with them is crap as is to be expected (buy your own 16 AWG and you’ll be fine); even the most expensive set ups don’t come with nice wire, and most don’t come with any wire so put a plus in the Onkyo box. I’m currently only using the front three speakers as well as one of the surrounds and the subwoofer, because I have a pair of 5″ driver bookshelf speakers that are better voice matched as surrounds for 5.1 sound with the front three, I put the surround speaker in there as a 6th channel for 6.1. I’ll say the surrounds are substantially weaker than the front three (my AVR set its cutoff at 120Hz vs. 80Hz for the front three and the sound that comes from it is noticeably thinner than the fronts and my other surrounds; this is reasonable since it’s a 3 1/8″ driver and .75 tweeter, and its sound would likely be less noticeable mixed in with the other four of its kind). The one other negative I can cite for the subwoofer is that it doesn’t have a phase switch so if you find you’re having trouble with resonance, you’re going to have to place it differently. Those negatives aside, this speaker set is so much better than its price would indicate (I got it refurbished for $219 elsewhere online). The subwoofer puts out surprisingly tight bass and powerful LFE effects for movies. The front three speakers and subwoofer alone would be worth the money paid so the additional surrounds are bonuses in my mind. Movies are fantastic, surround imaging transitions are very smooth, highs and lows are equally well handled, and the subwoofer has more power than I can use in an apartment. I can feel the bass vibrating the furniture and occasionally creating a slight breeze in its direct line. My movie collection has come alive and I’ve started hunting down well mixed 5.1 sound tracks to audition (Master and Commander and Saving Private Ryan are great; The Indiana Jones Trilogy is nice; the X-Men movies are starting to seem better even with the weak writing of the last one). I had assumed that movies would be well handled, but that I would be sorely disappointed with music through these. I couldn’t be more wrong. Varying back and forth between Prologic modes, direct handling, and stereo that allots below cutoff bass to the subwoofer I’ve been extraordinarily pleased with the sound on my favorite jazz (Coltrane’s Blue Train; Miles Davis Kinda Blue; Getz & Gilberto; and some Woody Herman) bluegrass (Rounder Record’s 25th anniversary 2 disc) and other variously chosen others that I hoped would tax the system and show its flaws (Dire Straits; Jethro Tull; Cyprus Hill; Grieg’s Peer Gynt; Ray Charles the Atlantic Years). I’ve been playing these at half volume (for reference, I play movies and TV below half and my wife gets miffed), and it’s like I’m in the studio or venue with the musicians. I’ve heard key chatter on the saxophones, Stan Getz’s breathiness on his tracks, Joao Gilberto’s voice wavering at the deep registers… the detail is phenomenal to me (granted I’d never label myself an audiophile). I’m discovering layers of information I’d never known was there in my CDs. The sound is warm and oddly sweet to my ears. I haven’t found a passage or instrument that can make the front three stumble and I’ve tried hard. They do a very nice job at reproducing dialogue in movies and male voices as well (a weak spot for many smaller satellite packages with small drivers). In short… Pros -Excellent front three and subwoofer -Excellent music and movie reproduction (from these speakers) -Excellent dialogue reproduction (even male voices) -They look kind of pretty and are great in proportion to a 46″ screen (I’ll try and post a pic) -Surprisingly tight and powerful bass from the sub for its price -Astonishing price for all of this together (turnkey 7.1 ain’t cheap anywhere) Cons: -Weak surrounds comparatively, but still as good or better than many other satellite systems -Thin wire included (but many don’t even include wire so not much of a con) -Sub has no phasing switch In total, I couldn’t be more pleased or feel I got better value for my money. If you’re looking for inexpensive entry into a 7.1 system as I was, you can’t go wrong with this.

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Excellent Picture for this Price, September 16, 2010

By Jason (Philadelphia) –

This review is from: Samsung LN32C350 32-Inch 720p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black) (Electronics)

It’s rare that i’m so pleased with a purchase so I just had to write a review. After a very… very extensive search and looking at a lot of TV me and my GF just got this TV, it was our first big purchase together after moving in together. Simply put this tv has amazing picture quality for the price we paid. Also alot of people are complaining about the amount of inputs this TV has… but it’s an HDTV, samsung isn’t expecting you to connect your stuff to it with composite cables… what a waste! I bought an HDMI cable for our cable box and one for our xbox360 and now we can hook up both and enjoying amazing HD quality picture. The one weakness of this TV is the sound is so weak! But all the TVs we looked at in this size/price range had weak sound so i guess that’s just the way it is now as most manufactures expect it to be used with a home theater system. honestly tho, compared to the other TVs this sound quality sounds really good… it’s not at all loud, but at least it sounds good.

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Pray that it doesn’t break……, July 26, 2010

By michibilly “michibilly” (Rustic Michigan) –

This review is from: Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black) (Electronics)

Up until two weeks ago, I loved this TV. I upgraded from a 32 inch non-HD/non-flat screen TV. The picture quality is wonderful, the sound was really good, but I hooked it up to a Yamaha receiver anyway. Here’s what happened. A little over two weeks ago we had been watching the TV, and then left to go outside to do some yard work. After dinner we decided to watch a movie so I turned on the TV. Nothing. Usually when a Samsung TV is off, there is a small red light. When you turn it on, the picture emerges and the little red light goes off. No red light. I unplugged the TV from the power supply and plugged it directly into an outlet (the DVD was on the same power strip and was working). Then I took the power cord off and went into the kitchen and plugged it into the little Samsung TV in there. Worked great. Dang. I pulled out the TV information and the TV was still under warranty. I called Samsung. After just a few seconds on hold a real person answered and I explained the dead power supply problem. She told me somebody would call me in three to five working days to arrange for the repair. WHAT? Three to five days just to talk to somebody to schedule a repair???? NINE days later somebody finally called and said that my ‘ticket’ would be sent to troubleshooting. WHAT? After nine days, still no appointment for repair???? On day twelve I got a call from a repair guy from a local business contracted to do the repair, and he asked me if the part, the power supply, had come yet. WHAT? What part? I called Samsung again and they gave me the number of GURU, the company they contract to do their repairs, and the company that subcontracts to other local repair services. I now realize that I’m twice-removed from Samsung and NOBODY is coordinating this repair but ME. I call GURU again after two weeks, and the part has not yet been ordered!!!!! Two weeks after my initial call and the part isn’t ordered yet???? WHY NOT? Nobody knew why it wasn’t ordered by GURU so they immediately blamed Samsung. Now I’m thinking Samsung is stalling until the warranty runs out, which will happen in about two weeks. Why in the world would there have to be so many layers of uncoordinated mayhem to do a simple swap of a power supply? I’m guessing sometime within the next month or two somebody will fix this TV, and I’m guessing it will be about a 15 minute job. When the TV worked we loved it. The picture quality was great and the sound was pretty good as well. It has nice features that were pretty easy to figure out and setup. However, would I buy another one? Probably not.

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