Electronics Gadget Reviews

Sony HT IS100 BRAVIA Theater Micro System Set of Six Black

HT-IS100 is the perfect surround-sound add-on system to existing Blu-ray Disc or DVD players.For those consumers who already have a Blu-ray Disc player or a DVD player/recorder, the perfect upgrade solution is the HT-IS100, combining all the surround processing and amplification into a single hideaway subwoofer unit.Within the subwoofer is powerful s-master digital amplification and sophisticated surround-sound processing, able to handle all the surround-sound formats on DVD and also accept high-definition audio from Blu-ray Disc for an even more thrilling home cinema experience.The system can also accept video signals from all your existing sources, either via HDMI connections or component and composite video sockets, and then will up convert for a single HDMI cable connection to your BRAVIA TV.It has the same digital cinema auto calibration as the other ‘IS family’ systems, and also features the digital media port for fast and easy hook-up of portable devices. If you’re looking for a simple, great-sounding system to take you from just watching TV to truly experiencing it, look no further.

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars I’m not picky but…..
PROS:

Audio: I’m not picky, so in terms of the audio, it’s fine to be. I just wanted an upgrade from the tv speakers. This is loud enough!

Looks: I also didn’t want huge speakers. These tiny speakers are cool and unobtrusive. You find plenty of universal stands for the speakers.

CON:

Notice my con is not plural. I’m just going to summarize. I own a Samsung LN52A850. You might want to consider what brand tv you have before buying this. There is no on-screen menu for me. Nobody else has mentioned this in their review. Because if someone has a Bravia and the HT-IS100 and still don’t have on-screen menu, I would imagine that someone would have mention this “con” by now. So I’m assuming that those with Bravia TVs do have on-screen menu. Or, maybe people just don’t mind not having an on-screen menu. Why am I making such a big deal about this? Because the LCD display on the sub woofer faces the ceiling. Then engineers who made this should realize that if you make the display face the ceiling, then you better provide an on-screen menu. So I’m surprise I’m the first person to complain about this. Like I said, I have a Samsung, those with a Bravia may have onscreen menu. I don’t know, I can’t confirm that. I hope the next reviewer will confirm this. So for me, it sucks that I got to walk to my sub woofer every time to look at the display when I want to play around with the functions. Another con is that the accessories to make the rear speakers wireless is expensive, hard to find and quite frankly, confusing. You need to buy a transmitter, and you also have to buy a subunit. That’s right, it’s not totally wireless. You need to buy another subunit to place in the back of your room and the wires of the rear speakers will go into this subunit. Tricky marketing!!

Man, writing this review has made me more angry and determined to return this.

4 Stars Great for a Small Room/Apt/Studio
I live in a 1bd Apartment and my living room is fairly large (for an apt) The sound that this System produces is truly beautiful. I have my HD Digital Box, PS3, Xbox and Wii hooked up and they all sound great. I had a Pioneer Elite VSX-01TXH (paired with POLK speakers) and although that receiver is far superior in features and sound effects (as well as total watts) This little system worked out better for me because it’s far more simple and practical (and won’t get me kicked out of my building. For those looking for a good Surround System that won’t take a lot of space, Offers simple menus and won’t cost too much $$$$, this is it!

1 Star HT-IS100 micro system
Can only give one star right now because the systems center speaker and remote did not work. Called Sony and they had me send the center speaker and remote to Texas for repair. After a week they sent back still not repaired. Call Sony and they said to send the complete system back for repair. Looks like I will receive tomorrow (3/4/09). I have been waiting over a month now to hear this system. I will review later if it works this time. One thing I can say is the ease of setup, and no wires from front to back for the speakers using the SA1. Also, purchased two stands for the back speakers. They look great and enable you ease of hiding wires to each of the back speakers under the carpet.

It is now 3/7, received system back from Sony repaired and ready to go.

However, they forgot to enclose the remote, so I am waiting another 4 days for the most important part. I can say now that this system sounds great, of course mine is not tuned because of no remote. But, it really makes a difference in watching blue rays. It puts you right in the movie, what a great sound from such small speakers. I now rate this a 4 star system

3 Stars It would be a great system if wireless accessories could be bought…
Its a great system from looks and sound wise and I first purchased it without the wireless accessories to see if I need them. After a short time I decided to opt for the wireless amplifier for [...]. When it arrived in the mail I was first excited but then quickly realized that additionally an EZW T100 is neede for[...]. First of all I find this to expensive to have to add 200 dollars to a 700 dollar system to make it wireless, if 400 dollar systems are available that already have that function included. But the real dissapointment was that the EZW T100 is sold out for 2 months and I have invested 850 bucks in a system that is still wired and the required accessories are not available. That is not acceptable.

5 Stars HT-IS100
I’ve been back and forth about home theater systems for the last month or so and I finally came across this bad boy at frys for 549 promo sale and got it after hearing it at best buy and all I can say is WOW if your considering this system dont be afraid to pull the trigger on it. The system feels my room full of sound just like the movies. I’m glad I did a little research and went for this with all the connectivity it offers you cant go wrong. Amazing hooked up to my kdl52-wl140 is not enough for this system.

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Sony BDVIS1000 5 1Ch Blu ray Disc DVD Home Theater System

Fusing full 1080p high definition with Blu-ray Disc performance and S-AIR wireless technology, the BDV-IS1000 is ultimate choice in home theater systems. In addition to a great picture and BD-Live capability, this home theater system delivers amazing sound from one subwoofer and five golf ball-sized speakers. With Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD sound formats and dual HDMI inputs, you will experience astounding HD video and audio performance. Clear the clutter and enjoy wireless rear surround sound as well as music in multi-rooms. You can also expand your listening options via the digital media port input and enjoy music stored on select Walkman and iPod MP3 players, PCs and Bluetooth devices. This home theater system is equipped with automatic calibration for fast and easy room set-up.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars S-Air works— Tinfoil- Sounds good, small footprint-
I bought one elsewhere and it works great for the price and the included Blu-ray player. Not Top of line but over all a good box for normal people with modern inputs.

For those who are having S-Air problem. (It is not Broken, its your enviornment)

1. HDMI cable causes interference, route away from S-air card and Wrap in tinfoil.

2. Turn off Wireless, WII, Home,etc due to interference.

3. Sync S-Air plugged in next to reciever. You can unplug the S-Air Rear Receiver after it is synced up when i moved it to the back of the room, plug it in and it still should keep its Wl-Partner.

One i got the S-air to link it has been stable for over a month.

1 Star Buyer Beware
I have been buying Sony products for 40 years and this is my first disappointment, although it may turn out OK. I bought this system because the DVD player seemed to rate very highly (one glitch with Warner Brothers DVDs noted in another review but that is all), when compared to other models and brands, including less expensive ones from Sony, and the extra cost for the speakers seemed to make sense. Most of the setup was easy, but at the end I had the same paring problem for the rear speakers that lots of people have noted. The quality of the sound on the front four speakers seems to be quite good. On my second call to Sony, which lasted about 45 minutes, they finally agreed to send me the part after trying to get me to try the paring routine again, which I was not willing to do. The arrival of this part should take care of things. I am not willing to keep the set without that part no matter what, because the problem seems to recur without the signal booster. I don’t have it yet. We’ll see.

Post script: I got the extra part (signal booster) after way too much follow up time, and it worked like a charm. On another front, in the manual it says you can upgrade to 7.1 system by buying an extra receiver and two remote speakers. I tried to do that by calling Sony parts (I had the part numbers) and customer service and tech support, and no one had any idea what I was trying to do and there was no way to get it done. So, there is a lack of coordination at Sony between what their manuals say and what is communicated to their people. I would rate this product a 5 if they included parts to make it work right and had their act together on responding to what the manual says, but they now get a 3. Also, the price is really coming down – I paid close to $700. If you can get past the one or two glitches it is worth it. For a company like Sony, though, this shouldn’t happen.

5 Stars All in One Theater without wires
Works great – once you set it up – out of the box settings will do the trick. Very full sound for such tiny speakers, with just a touch of directionality from the mid-range in the subwoofer. Most important, use high quality HDMI cable (Version 1.3b Cat 2), if not, the interference will prevent the wireless from acquiring – also helps to wrap the HDMI and calibration mike connector in tinfoil.

The Bravia Sync is a little finicky – you’ll need to play around a bit to get the Sony TV and BDV to react to the remotes the way you want.

Won’t process 5.1 broadcast sound, though I’m putting free cable to the TV and optical from the TV to the BDV. Cable/Sat box might be able to pass full 5.1 sound to the BDV.

Great Overall Value – highly recommended.

4 Stars VERY GOOD SYSTEM!
Before buying this system, I had read all the reviews and still had decided to go for it. I have liked Sony for some time now, and think they put out great products. When I got all the components out of the box it looked quite intimidating to put the system together. The main unit is gigantic – don’t be fooled – it really is the biggest thing I have ever seen. On the other hand it is also the most beautiful piece of equipment I now own. After about 45 minutes of hooking everything up, it was finally time to sync up the wireless rear unit to the main unit. I was getting very nervous as everybody said how much trouble they had with it. First try – nothing. Second try – nothing. I turned off all the wireless devices that I had around and had the units next to each other — still nothing. I restarted the whole thing — still nothing. Beautiful sound from the three front speakers but nothing in the back. I called Sony to tell them that I was clueless as to what to do next and they just reiterated everything I had already done. No help! I hung up. I had bought a cheap HDMI cable from Amazon and thought maybe that was it. I finally switched that cable with the one Microsoft supplies with the Xbox Elite and voila —- works fine. The wireless rear speakers synched in 10 seconds and have never since lost connection. So people — it really is the HDMI cable. You have to have a decent quality shielded cable when using this system.

I’ve had this system for about a month now and I love it. Everything sounds amazing. Blu-Ray works great. 5.1 surround sound is really cool. Get this system. You won’t be sorry!!!

5 Stars Happy with Sony BDVIS1000
Bought the Sony BDVIS1000 for a good price on Amazon. Ordered it along with a new Samsung LCD TV. Everything arrived on-time, undamaged and all works well together in house family room.

Thanks a bunch,

Mehrdad

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Onkyo HT S5200 7 1 Channel Home Entertainment Receiver Speaker Package with Dock for the iPod Black

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. Includes dedicated RI iPod dock (UP-A1L) Audyssey 2EQ to Correct Room Acoustic Problems DOLBY Decoder – PLIIx, DD, DD-EX; DTS Decoder – DTS, ES, NEO6, 96/24 AM/FM 30 stations Preset Memory SIRIUS Radio Ready 4 Digital Inputs (2 Optical/ 2 Coaxial) 4 HDMI Inputs and 1 HDMI Output 6 Audio Inputs and 2 Audio Outputs 2 Components Input and 1 Component Output Front-Panel Portable input (stereo mini jack) Front – 2-way, bass reflex speakers (5 cone woofer and 1 balanced-dome tweeter) Center – 2-way, bass reflex speakers (3 1/4 cone woofer and 1 balanced-dome tweeter) Surround/Surround Back – Full-range, acoustic-suspension (3 cone) Woofer – Bass reflex (10 cone) Front Speaker – Dimensions – 6 1/8 W x 14 5/8 H x 7 13/16 D; Weight – 6.4 lbs. Center Speaker – Dimensions – 17 3/16 W x 4 1/8 H x 5 3/16 D; Weight – 5.7 lbs. Surround/ Surround Back – Dimensions – 5 5/16 W x 10 11/16 H x 3 3/4 D; Weight – 2.86 lbs. Subwoofer – Dimensions – 11 1/8 W x 19 5/8 H x 15 11/16 D; Weight – 25.4 lbs.

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Sony HT SS2300 Component Home Theater System

Upgrade your entertainment room with the HT-SS2300 component home theater system. This slim receiver, designed to look great alongside your Blu-ray Disc player, combines great styling with unparalleled performance and includes a 5.1-channel A/V receiver thrusting 1000 watts of power (RMS). In addition, the A/V receiver’s HDMI interface transmits both audio and video while offering 1080p resolution and full bandwidth sound tracks (LPCM) support through a single cable. You can also integrate your portable music into a traditional home theater system while providing enhanced audio quality with the portable audio enhancer. Designed to sync with Sony Blu-ray Disc components, the HT-SS2300 offers one-touch operation which eliminates the need of multiple remote controls.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Powerful System, Can not beat the price.
At first I wased worried because the speakers were small, but it delivers great sound,10 times better than my TV’s. The code for universal remotes for this system is 1758. You will need it if your TV or DVD/BD player does not have Sony Bravia Sync. 3 HDMI inputs is terrific, no need for a switch box. It upconverts the signal of your old DVD player to 1080p so you do not need an all in one combo. Do not go for products that have DVD players built in, get this one. Black finish matches my TV great even though it is not Sony.

1 Star Sony HT-SS2300 Home Theater Piece of Junk
Don’t waste your hard earned cash on this piece of junk. I hooked this unit up and it worked for about 4 Hours. The unit died with a protect message on the screen. I tried to do a factory reset as per the owners manual with no success. Doing a quick research on the internet I found I was not alone. I must have gotten at least several hundred hits with people getting the same problem. I ended up returning this and buying the Yamaha Home theater in a box. The Yamaha blows the quality of this unit away for about $50.00 more. Sony should be ashamed of its poor quality. They should yank this unit from the shelves immediatly.

4 Stars Terrific system for the price
The sound quality of this product is great, especially for an under $300.00 system. Plenty of bass as well. My only two issues are, as other people have found out, that the auto sound microphone that’s supposed to automatically adjust all speaker volumes simply doesn’t work. No big deal, just use your ears. The other issue is the very lame instruction manual, but that’s pretty much the norm nowadays. Simply put, if 5.1 is being implemented to its fullest extent with the movie you’re watching, the experience is incredible!!

4 Stars Way less $$$ than in stores….Great Price and Value from Amazon
I researched several Home Theaters and went with this one based on the additional HDMI Inputs and I trust Sony. The sound output is great. I use this HT in my Family room and the sound quality is awesome. It’s not a BOSE, but for $299…I can’t complain. Going back and forth from different HD Components is very easy (just a touch of a button on the remote). Shop around…after I purchased this, I saw a multiple HDMI Input system on Sony Style for a little more money. I would encourage anyone to purchase this item.

5 Stars Wow

I was a little skeptical that a home theater in a box would be able to produce the kind of bass that you need to recreate the experience of going to a theater, but this product is excellent. I decided to give it a try because of the positive reviews I saw here and on other sites. It has not disappointed. My only caveat is that I’m using it in my bedroom, so I can’t really say how it will work in a bigger room. The small size for the reciever is a big bonus for me because I didn’t have a lot of room for it.

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Sony BRAVIA 52 Inch HDTV Blu ray and Home Theater Bundle Save 400

Step up to the complete HD Experience for less. Enter promotional code SONYCOMP to save $400 when you purchase a 52-inch V-Series Sony BRAVIA LCD HDTV with a BDP-S350 1080p Blu-ray disc player, and an HT-SS2300 component home theater system.

The BRAVIA V-Series HDTVs offer 16:9 1080p resolution with BRAVIA Engine video processing, 24p true cinema capability, Sony’s award-winning Xross interface, S-Force front surround sound, and robust connectivity features. (Learn more)

The BDP-S350 Blu-ray player comes with an Ethernet port for firmware updates, BD-Live capability, and a USB port so you can expand onboard storage to take advantage of the growing number of special features available on Blu-ray discs. (Learn more)

The HT-SS2300 system is built to match the Blu-ray player, and combines great styling with unparalleled performance. It includes a 5.1-channel A/V receiver with 1000 watts of power and an HDMI interface that transmits both audio and video while offering 1080p resolution and full bandwidth sound tracks support through a single cable; a sub-woofer, center speaker, and four surround speakers. (Learn more)

Promotional offer ends September 27, 2008. Some restrictions apply (see details).

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