Onkyo HT-S5200 7.1-Channel Home Entertainment Receiver/Speaker Package with iPod Dock (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are going to spend big bucks on a large screen TV, why not get a good quality audio system too. Any of them will beat TV speakers. Given the amount of time most people use their TV, would encourage others to get a good audio system if they can afford it. This thing brings a whole new dimension to movies as well as other programming.
So far, have the center and front speakers hooked up along with the sub woofer. Like the adjustable active sub woofer volume knob. Have more speaker wire on the way for the long wire runs on my side and rear speakers. Am not using HDMI cables on my standard definition system yet. Next, will begin mounting more speakers with the Sanus mount system.
The clear and deep sound quality of this powerful 1200 watt system is great for the money- as many reputable online review sources said. The powered (110 volt) 290 watt subwoofer will make the floor shake, windows rattle and my cat head for cover. One can crank up the volume to the point where the house is vibrating but it still maintains clarity and quality sound. They include cheap little plastic protective pads to keep the sub woofer from marking floors. After watching a James Bond movie with it, believe the 10" sub woofer, that is pointed straight down, was designed so viewers could feel explosions and such for it sure shakes the floorboards. It gives one a sense of being right in the action scenes when you can actually feel the movie. All of the wires are fully color coded making it easy to hook up with no mistakes. It would be hard to be unable to get this system up and running properly if you pay attention to the easy set up guide.
Consumer Reports rated the Onkyo 5100 model that this system recently replaced their highest rated choice for a home theater system. It was the only model that they rated "very good" for sound quality. All of the rest only rated "good" per their opinion. This 5200 model is a new release to replace their 5100 system. Wonder just how many systems CR tested total.
You can't go too far wrong here for high sound quality at a budget price. One review source said Onkyo consistently beats other brands.
My goal was high quality sound and realism at a reasonable price. Will add extras (blu-ray player...) after I have the system set up and properly tuned with their included syncronization mic system that automatically adjusts the system for each unique application, room size, etc.
Everything about this HTIB is big including the large, heavy box it comes in. Physics is physics- that's how they get the clear, deep, high quality sound out of the sound chambers. All of the speakers have a real wood grain laminate exterior finish- look good. There are numerous higher priced Onkyo home theater systems and one lower priced model than this one.
Oct. 6, '09: Consumer Reports has now put this one- the Onkyo 5200 system in their number one spot with a Yamaha YHT-591 model second at $600 and a cheaper Yamaha YHT-391 ($300) in third place. They have these three systems rated "very good" for sound quality currently. Been enjoying mine about everyday now. Especially using it for XM music from my Direct TV satellite connection. Am now working on getting a good old fashion TV antenna 34' feet into the air with a powered pre amplifer on it for all of my regional broadcast stations. The amplified rabbit ears have to go with what's available free off the airways nowadays.
Nov. 13, 2009: Am definitely getting my money worth out of this system. Use it a lot for XM music. Usually last less than five minutes before I switch from TV speakers to the home theater system and turn off the TV- great sound quality. There is no comparison with TV speakers. It is comparable to a high quality stereo system.
Dec. 9 2009: Consumer Reports now has the Onkyo 7200 model ($800) in 1st place with the 5200 model in 2nd. They rated the Yamaha YHT-391 ($300) system a best buy. CR rated all of them "very good" for sound quality. Have noticed that many appear to like the Onkyo 6200 model system for its capabilities.
Bought my Onkyo 5200 HTIB system back when they were going for a best price of $500.00 or more at about all of the larger online retailers. Paid $443.00 for my system new including shipping from a small but reputable seller but I have no factory warranty for Onkyo does not see fit to cover their products unless you purchase them from an "authorized Onkyo dealer". So far, have not encountered anything I have not been able to figure out using the owner's manual. Hopefully, it will not need repair service anytime in the near (or distant) future. It appears that Amazon is an authorized Onkyo dealer.
Guess you can tell, I'm happy with this HTIB. It has the level of sound quality and power that I wanted. It was money well spent. Don't comprimise sound quality just to get a system with a built in DVD/Blu-ray player. The live concerts Direct TV broadcasts periodically are great with this system and a 52" LCD TV.
After watching a live Jethro Tull concert last weekend and a live Toto concert this weekend with this thing cranked up just right, must add: if you have a hang up about the size of the speakers, do yourself a big favor and get past it.
May 2010: See that Amazon now has a similar looking Onkyo 5300 model currently for sale for $39.00 more. It probably has technical improvements. Looks like it's a newer model. Check out Onkyo's website at [...].




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If you want an idea of where Onkyo's home theater packages are heading, the HT-S5200 is well worth checking out. Like previous Onkyo 7.1-channel receiver/speaker packages, the HT-S5200 delivers reassuringly hefty amounts of power and all-round performance.And in line with other recent offerings, it's also perfectly suited for high-definition entertainment in the home: 1080p video takes center stage from sources such as Blu-ray Disc, DVD, HD broadcasting, and gaming. The emphasis is still on Onkyo's audio prowess, so the HT-S5200 is equipped with three groundbreaking Audyssey technologies that will give you the edge in terms of surround sound. It also features some exciting innovations from Onkyo: a dedicated port that connects the iPod via the Dock for the iPod and DSP modes specifically designed for gaming.

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Denon AVR790 7.1-Channel Multi-Zone Home Theater Receiver with 1080p HDMI Connectivity Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this to replace my 2 year old Yamaha RXV-2600.
Pros: Excellent surround sound performance thanks to Audessy auto setup, perfect HDMI switching performance, great value
Cons: Muting the sound makes a noticeable "click" sound as the amps are turned off, cryptic manual, lack of THX certification
Despite a couple of minor cons, this is a fantastic receiver. It blows away my older (but much more expensive) Yamaha in terms of sound quality and HDMI switching. The Yamaha YPAO wouldn't automatically calibrate my subwoofer (but Audessy does!) and would give HDMI HDCP errors about every other time I turned on the receiver. The Denon has been working flawlessly for a week.
I would recommend going online and downloading some of the Denon setup guides from avsforum, they are *much* better than the weak excuse of a manual that comes in the box with the receiver.
Highly recommended for an entry level 7.1 receiver!

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Dolby Pro Logic IIz introduces a new dimension to home theater entertainment through the addition of a pair of front height channels. Compatible with stereo, 5.1 or 7.1 content, Dolby Pro Logic IIz provides enhanced spaciousness, depth and dimension to movies, concert video and video game playback while maintaining the full integrity of the source mix.Vibration-resistant construction has been reviewed to thoroughly suppress the adverse influence of vibration on sound quality. The power transformers, a source of vibration, have been securely mounted on the highly rigid bottom chassis.

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Harman Kardon AVR 240 7.1-Channel A/V Receiver, Silver Review

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(More customer reviews)My previous system consisted of the Sony STR -DE698 which powered two polk bookshelves and center with an Onyko sub. I've always been a fan of the Sony brand...but have been consistently disappointed with the reliability and performance of the products in the past five years. In terns of the 698, performance wasn't noticeably lacking until I walked in to a Worst Buy and heard the reproduction of a Yamaha receiver with a sub par three speaker system. To say the least, I repeatedly questioned myself on why I even had a Sony receiver while driving home with my very board girlfriend. So I reacted by researching three different receivers at Amazon- Pioneer VSX-1015TXK 7.1 Channel, Denon Denon AVR-786S 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver, Yamaha HTR-5850 XM-Ready 6.1-Channel A/V Surround Receiver (Black), and of course the HK AVR-240.
The Pioneer and Yamaha looked great due to the fact that they offered THX certification. The Yamaha looked even better when I realized that it offered XM radio (which should be offered on all receivers within the next two years). Those were all great reasons to buy HK's competitors, but I decided to go with the 240 due to the following reasons: 1) Great price at Amazon 2) The overall style 3) Great reviews 4) High current reproduction - 50 watts sounds like 100 watts, or rather a 110 Sony watts = 50 HK watts.
Once I set up the 240 I instantly heard a huge difference of clarity through my center Polk. Instead of repeatedly turning up the volume to hear the dialogue, I could hear a balanced tone of dimensionally through all four speakers. Movies that included crashes and bombs of all sorts seemed to come natural to my four speaker setup through the Dolby vs Ref mode. This mode seemed to turn three speakers into five speakers (adding two invisible side speakers) which created a greater surround feeling within my 1 bedroom apartment.
If anything from my experience, I would consider the Sony as a Datsun and the Harmon as a Mercedes. Just my thoughts....food for thought that will hopefully help in your future buying experience.

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Harman Kardon's AVR 240 7.1-channel A/V surround receiver is among the best receivers in its class, as it harnesses many of the company's latest features and technologies to go with its near-universal surround-format compatibility. Internally, the receiver is engineered for extraordinary sonic performance, with an amplifier section that delivers seven channels of high-current (+/-35 amps), wide-bandwidth amplification--50 watts into 8 ohms, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, with less than 0.07 percent total harmonic distortion--in addition to employing state-of-the-art 192 kHz/24-bit audio digital-to-analog converters.
The receiver also offers a wide range of digital and matrix surround modes, including Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx (which provides an expansive, full-range 7.1-channel program from any stereo or 5.1-channel source), DTS, DTS ES Discrete and Matrix, DTS 96/24, and DTS Neo:6. Listeners will also delight in the Virtual Speaker mode, which creates an enveloping sound field when fewer than six speakers are available, and Dolby Headphone, which provides a much more open and realistic presentation through a pair of ordinary headphones.
Adding to the receiver's versatility are such sound-enhancing features as Harman International's exclusive Logic 7 processing in both 5.1 and 7.1 versions, which creates a wider, more enveloping field environment and more defined fly-overs and pans; and VMAx, which uses proprietary processing to create an open, spacious sound field even when only two front speakers are available. The receiver's extensive bass management options, meanwhile, include four separate crossover groupings.
Other receiver essentials include high-bandwidth, HDTV-compatible component video switching with assignable inputs, an onscreen menu and display system with the choice of a blue or black background screen, and compatibility with the Bridge, a Harman Kardon device that works with most iPod models. The Bridge lets you operate your iPod from across the room using the AVR 240's remote control, which has been preprogrammed with several iPod control codes. As a result, listeners can select tracks and navigate most iPod functions, charge the unit, or even view track information on the AVR 240's LED display or onscreen menu.
The receiver's variety of audio and video connections include three wide-bandwidth, HDTV-compatible component video inputs, five S-video and five composite video inputs, and two analog audio inputs. Digital audio options, meanwhile, include three coaxial and three optical audio inputs, including one of each on the front panel. Other jacks range from 6- and 8-channel direct audio inputs to 7.1-channel preamp outputs that accommodate a DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, SACD, or universal player.
Anyone that's ever suffered from technology overload when setting up his or her audio/video system can rest easy with the AVR 240. The unit's intuitive onscreen menus coordinate with the system's EzSet/EQ function to provide automated system calibration and room equalization, thus greatly simplifying installation. The resulting speaker output compensates for the effects of a room's acoustics to improve the overall system performance. In tandem with EzSet/EQ--which comes with its own microphone--the AVR 240 also includes a full set of manual configuration settings for those who wish to custom-trim their system even further.
Lastly, the AVR 240 comes with an AM/FM tuner with 30 station presets. The AVR 240 measures 17.3 by 5.9 by 13.8 inches (W x H x D) and carries a two-year warranty on parts and labor.
What's in the Box AVR 240 receiver, remote control, power cord, AM and FM antennas, EzSet/EQ microphone, user's manual.

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Harman Kardon AVR 247 Home Theater Receiver w/ HDMI connectivity Review

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(More customer reviews)Great sound and power to burn, even at 50w per channel. Harman Kardon is well known for their marriage of tone and power, and this receiver delivers on that promise. Bright and distinct high end, clear and robust mids, and punchy, clean bass. Most of the lower rated reviews here knock the user friendliness of the receiver. But people, don't leave the comfortable confines of entry-level receivers unless you're willing to spend some time learning to operate your purchase. Very happy with this receiver. Sounds great. Looks sharp too.

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Harman Kardon's AVR-247 receiver incorporates a number of genuine engineering breakthroughs. These include innovative iPod connectivity and HDTV and multi-room capabilities to take audio/video receiver design to new levels of performance and functionality. It features an exclusive iPod interface that, with a compatible iPod connected via The Bridge (Harmon Kardon's optional iPod docking station), displays menus on a connected TV or video display and the receiver's front panel display. The iPod can also be operated via the receiver's remote control. It pumps 50 Watts of power through each of its 7 channels, employing Logic 7 processing and EzSet/EQ technology to ensure that you always have crisp Dolby Digital audio. The AVR-247 also allows you to upscale incoming analog video signals to high-resolution 720p output.

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Yamaha HTR-6090BL 7.1-Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)I was a previous owner of the Yamaha 5990 and recently purchased the 6090 as a replacement for it. I wanted to highlight a few of the differences between the two in features so that you can make an informed product buying decision. In the next few weeks 5990's will be going on clearance in order to make room for this new piece. Maybe you'll decide to go higher up on the Yamaha product line to the RX-V series, or try a different company. You decide
- Specifications -
As it sounds right now, just listening with my ears there seems to be no audible difference, but there are a few specs that a different inside from the last model to this model.
Dynamic Headroom 1.1 dB on the 6090. The 5990 had 1.03dB
Dampening Factor (IHF) 150 or More on the 6090. The 5990 had 140 or more
Maximum Input Signal on the PHONO is 60mV on the 6090. The 5990 has 100mV
The total weight of the product from the 5990 to the 6090 has dropped by 1 pound. From 37 lbs. to 36 lbs.
- Features -
The 6090 does have a couple of impressive new features which were the main reason I decided to purchase it.
Full pass through of 1080P video signals. The 5990 can only do 1080i.
Yamaha's proprietary iPod docking system. Using Yamaha's YDS-10SL iPod docking system you can connect your iPod to the receiver, control it, and charge it all at once. It works flawlessly and charges even when the unit is turned off (Although you can turn that off).
- Losses -
With all those new items older features have to go in order to make room and keep the pricing bracket.
The 6090 looses THX Select 2 Certification. As I said, the system seems to sound on par with the 5990 so I think this may have simply been used to save money by forgoing the expensive process of getting the branding. But if you see some of the slight differences above in specifications these maybe where the receiver fails to pass (I'm technical but not THAT technical).
The Front Speaker "B" Channel is gone.
Advanced Install Controls are gone. This included RS-232 input for advanced remote control systems, and the 12V triggers used to trigger other electronics in the room to turn on or off (such as a drop down screen, or lighting controls).
Those are the major differences between the two pieces. I hope this helps you out when attempting to decide what to purchase.

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Make an investment in your surround sound home theater set-up that you'll enjoy for years with the Yamaha HTR-6090BL 7.1-channel receiver with 840 watts (120 watts x 7) of total amplification. The receiver is built around Yamaha's digital ToP-ART (Total Purity Audio Reproduction Technology) design concept, which maximizes digital signal quality and minimizes analog circuitry to ensure the best possible sound. ToP-ART receivers include such defining attributes as ultra-high-current amplification, high-performance 192 kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog converters, an upgraded Pure Direct listening mode that provides terrific signal purity, and an impressively wide frequency range of 10 Hz to 100 kHz that helps digital audio sources like DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD reach their full potential.
This receiver incorporates the HDMI 1.2a specification, which transmits pure, crystal-clear digital audio and video via a single cable as well transmit a 1080p signal from any 1080p component. And with the upconversion feature, your S-Video and composite video signals will be converted into higher quality HDMI/component signals to ensure the highest-quality picture on your HD monitor from any source. No more switching inputs according to which source you're using--rather, they can all go through the same HDMI/component connection. The receiver also offers the ultra-convenient Yamaha Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO), which employs an optimizer microphone at the listening position to pick up test tones from your speakers. The HTR-6090BL then analyzes the test tones to let you know which speaker configuration is best. It's like having a professional audio engineer tweak your system.
What really makes the HTR-6090BL special, however, is its number of high-end functions, such as the 480i to 480p de-interlacing, the superior multi-zone control for listeners with multi-room speaker systems, the assignable amplifiers for users who want to create bi-amped speaker connections, and the pair of HDMI inputs for high-quality digital audio and video data handling. Plus, the HTR-5990 not only includes a standard AM/FM tuner, but it's also XM satellite radio ready, making it fully compatible with any separately sold XM antenna.
Additional features include an accurate touch-volume control, an enhanced dialogue mode for movies, a selectable nine-band subwoofer crossover, a night listening mode that helps you clearly hear all the surround programs at low volumes, and a full-function learning remote control.
With a bevy of digital and analog inputs, the HTR-6090BL can accommodate a ton of digital sources such as DVD players, CD players, video game consoles, digital satellite systems, and much more. The rear panel options include the aforementioned pair of HDMI inputs and one output, four optical digital audio inputs and two outputs, two coaxial digital inputs and one output, three component video inputs and one output, five S-video inputs and three outputs (two assignable), five composite video inputs and three outputs (two assignable), and four analog audio inputs and two outputs. Also present are a 5.1 multichannel input, a full 7.1 surround pre-out, and a set of front-panel A/V inputs for quick connections.
The HTR-6090BL measures 17.1 by 6.75 by 16.7 inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a two-year warranty.
What's in the Box HTR-6090BL receiver, remote control, four AAA batteries, power cable, speaker terminal wrench, optimizer microphone, AM loop antenna, indoor FM antenna, user's manual

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