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Sony BDV-N8100W 3D Blu-Ray Home Theater System Preview
Steve Munz — May 16, 2013 23:00

Not to be outdone by rivals, Sony has updated its packaged home theater system lineup for 2013, with the BDV-N8100W Premium 3D Blu-Ray HT System leading the charge. Priced at $699.99, which is less than the cost of a foot of some snake oil infused speaker wire, Sony has packed a veritable cornucopia of features into their latest and greatest home theater package, including a 3D capable Blu-Ray player, 4K upscaling, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Of course with so many features packed in for the money, how good could the audio experience be? Read on to find out what we think.

Samsung 2013 Home Theater Systems: More Features Than You Can Shake A Stick At
Cliff Heyne — March 25, 2013 05:32

I got to fly up to the recent Samsung event where the company debuted, among other things, their new home theater lineup. This year it looks, on the surface, pretty thin, consisting of only three models: the HT-F6500w, HT-F5500W and HT-F4500W. But there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s much better, in my opinion, to make three good products than many mediocre products; and it looks like Samsung put in the time and effort on these three models. Seriously, it's like like Santa's bag of toys with these systems: wireless rear speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3D, Internet browser, vacuum tubes, Smart Hub, auto setup mic...you name it. Read on for a full report on each unit and you'll feel like it's Christmas in HTIB land.

Bowers & Wilkins MT-60D Mini Theatre Preview
Tom Andry — March 14, 2013 04:56

Bowers & Wilkins have a great reputation in the world of high end audio for a reason—they put out very solid offerings. The MT-60D looks to continue that tradition by adding a great sub to an already great satellite system. While that better sub will cost you a bit more, we think of it as an investment in the future. A future that will be full of bone-crushing bass. Today the MT-60D may be rocking your small home theater. Tomorrow the PVD1 subwoofer may be the backbone of a larger system in a much bigger room. Regardless, you'll have a system that will make you the envy of your friends.

Klipsch HD Theater 600 HTiB Preview
Tom Andry — August 20, 2012 16:00

If we had to describe the Klipsch HD Theater 600 is a few words, we'd call it a solid offering. While the 33Hz low end rating seems a bit optimistic to us, the price tag certainly is right. At $600 for a full 5.1 system, the Klipsch HD Theater 600 is sure to introduce a lot of people to the Klipsch brand and, more importantly, the Klipsch sound. And once they get a taste for it, they'll be more likely to stick with it. With included wall mounts, a center stand with 45-degree movement, and a real sub, there is little not to like here.

Yamaha YHT-697BL HTiB System Preview
Tom Andry — August 16, 2012 12:18

We're guessing that looks alone will sell a lot of YHT-679BL home theater systems for Yamaha. The curvilinear front speakers really draw attention. But looking closer, you'll see a really powerful receiver (for a HTiB) at its heart. The Yamaha RX-V473 is a receiver that you can grow with, not the sort of throwaway units we see with other HTiB offerings. At $750, consumers will end up with a great receiver with included speakers that they'll be able use until they decide to upgrade. And, really, that's all we want out of a HTiB.

Onkyo HT-S6500 and HT-S7500 HTiB Preview
Tom Andry — June 20, 2012 22:22

The new HT-S7500 and HT-S6500 Home Theater in a Box offerings from Onkyo have reaffirmed that Onkyo is dedicated to staying at the very top of the HTiB game. These offerings differ little on the feature front and include many features we're only now seeing in receivers from other manufactures. While the Audyssey 2EQ is a bit outdated and we question the logic of adding a Zone 2 to a HTiB solution, you can't argue that 4K upscaling, InstaPrevue, a full suite of streaming features, and 6+ HDMI inputs are very attractive. Add in speakers and a price tag under $900 (under $800 for the 5.1 channel HT-S6500) and color us impressed.

Bowers & Wilkins Mini Theater MT-50 Speakers Review
Clint DeBoer — April 29, 2013 12:22

This is Bowers & Wilkons MT-50 system which we reviewed. It includes five M-1 two-way speakers and an ASW608 8" subwoofer. Most people who are into home theater and speakers will have heard of B&W. The company is known for its high performance speakers and they have a reputation for quality products. Recently, they've demonstrated a knack for making smaller speakers that sound bigger than they are. For example, we reviewed their MM-1 multimedia speakers and found them to be absolutely astounding. I mean, they're "this big"... Now, they've taken that same approach with their new M-1 Mini Theater Speakers.

Denon DHT-1513BA Home Theater System Preview
Tom Andry — May 03, 2012 21:07

What is key with the Denon DHT-1513BA is that you are getting a full fledged receiver (the Denon AVR-1513) along with a set of speakers from Boston Acoustics. If this sounds more like a package deal than a HTiB, you are right. The AVR-1513 is on sale, separately, for $250. While the speaker system hasn't changed from previous DHT-1312BA, neither has the price. At $600, the DHT-1513BA has a lot going for it. While it is a bare-bones receiver, it has discrete amplification (75watts x 5), 3D pass-through, and multiple HDMI inputs. That's more than you could expect from a lot of HTiB solutions.

Onkyo HT-S5500 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver/Speaker Package Preview
Tom Andry — March 12, 2012 06:50

One thing we've always liked about Onkyo's HTiB offerings is their perchance to include full receivers. No funny proprietary connections, no funky speaker wires that can't be changed or lengthened, just a simple receiver connected to inexpensive speakers that a user can, later on down the line, swap out for something better. This is the perfect solution for the newbie and we often recommend Onkyo HTiBs to our friends that won't listen to reason. Onkyo has some very high end HTiBs and some that are very budget. The new HT-S5500 is a middle of the pack offering (as far as price) with a lot of very attractive features.

Denon DHT-1312BA HTiB First Look Tom Andry — May 02, 2011 06:44

Harman Kardon BDS 800 HTiB System First Look Tom Andry — April 11, 2011 06:15

Yamaha YHT-494 Home Theater in a Box First Look Tom Andry — September 23, 2010 23:29

Onkyo HT-S9100THX Home Theater System First Look Clint DeBoer — February 28, 2010 20:26

Onkyo HT-S6200 Home Theater System First Look Clint DeBoer — February 21, 2010 19:51

Onkyo HT-S5200 Home Theater System First Look Clint DeBoer — February 11, 2010 09:00

Onkyo HT-S7200 Home Theater System First Look Clint DeBoer — February 11, 2010 09:07

Onkyo HT-S3200 Home Theater System First Look Clint DeBoer — February 11, 2010 09:03

Yamaha NeoHD YMC-500, YMC-700, YMC-S21 Media Controller First Look Gene DellaSala — February 08, 2010 06:05

Onkyo Home Theater Systems with ProLogic IIz Tom Andry — August 16, 2009 20:01

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