Onkyo HT-SR800 7.1 Home Theater Entertainment System (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)As you can see from a quick search this is almost always reviewed highly and is also highly rated by Consumer Reports. I recently got my own and I wasn't disappointed. The system was easy to set up and a quick browse through the instructions gave me all the info I needed. I have listed the 3 most common complaints about the system below.
1. The HDMI is just a pass through you have to connect the sound to the unit separately (not really that big a deal).
2. The included wire is too thin: this is true you can replace it cheaply with wire bought on Amazon, so its not devastating. I recommend the METRA Ltd S14-100 MTA 14 Gauge Clear Speaker Wire which you can get here for $21.53 and will really improve things.
3. Onkyo doesn't make speaker stands for this system and the speakers only have keyhole style brackets on the back for mounting which can make buying wall brackets difficult.
I'm not positive how to resolve this, B-tech makes some screw in mounts you can put in if you dont mind putting some wholes in the speakers B-TECH BT1 Universal Speaker Bracket for Small Speakers (Pair per box). They also make a wall mount that clamps the side of the speakers if youd prefer not putting holes in your new speakers B-Tech BT77 Speaker brackets Black.
But both of those solutions are kinda expensive (30 per pair for screw in, 70 per pair for the clamps).
I recently bought some universal mounts (Premier Mounts PSPK-5B Universal Speaker Mount for Walls and Ceilings with 2.5-Inch Extensions (Black)) that supposedly work with keyholes so we'll see.
UPDATE: the speakers are great, make sure to use the microphone to calibrate, this is part of the value of the system and makes a big difference in the sound quality.
About the mounts:
The cheap universal mounts, were ok.
They worked fine on the Satellite speakers but there were some design flaws and they don't have the strength to hold up the big front speakers. One of the pieces broke during assembly but as I had 5 and couldn't hang the front speakers with them anyways that wasn't too big of a problem.
I used the 29.99 B-Tech mounts mentioned above (the ones that have to be screwed in) for the front speakers and they worked perfectly. Enjoy!

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When it comes to all-in-one home theater, the HT-SR800 has made a clean break from the pack. You're looking at packaged home theater that neatly integrates your high-definition entertainment and your HDTV through an HDMI channel that transports video with a resolution all the way up to 1080p.Ably supported by component video switching; the HT-SR800 will handle most of the A/V components or formats currently available, as well as the spectacular quality of high-definition discs. Also, reinforcing the convenience of matched components, this package is the first to use an Audyssey room-correction technology specifically designed for integrated systems. The options--XM Radio (including 5.1 surround sound radio with Neural Surround decoding), and iPod integration--can really extend your reach, making the HT-SR800 one of the more complete home theater packages available.

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Sony STR-DG800 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI Passthrough Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a follow up to my previous review on Sony STR-DG800 Receiver with HDMI Passthrough. I mentioned that if a HD DVD is plugged in to the DVD HDMI port on the Sony Receiver, there will be no audio coming from the Sony Receiver audio system as all audio and video signals are passed-thru (hense by-passed) directly to the televison. Consequently, you do not have the quality sound from your home entertainment center.
Well I found a work-a-round for this problem but it still require either an Optical Audio Cable or a Coaxial Audio Cable. It is similiar to the SAT/TV solution using the Optical Audio Cable that I memtioned in the previous review.
Coaxial Cable: You can plug a Coaxial Digital Cable coming from your HD-DVD player into the Coaxial Digital input port on the Sony receiver. This coaxial input port will work with the DVD HDMI input port to give you audio through the Sony receiver. Obvioulsy you will have to have a Coaxial Digital output on you HD-DVD Player.
Optical Cable: If your HD-DVD player only has an "Optical Audio Output", then plug the Optical Audio Cable into the "Optical Digital Video 1" port on the Sony receiver. After that, use the Sony Remote Control and follow the "re-assign" insturctions in the Sony Receiver Manual. You will be able "re-assign" the audio input from "Digital Video 1" to the "HDMI DVD" port. It takes patience, but in this way, you can overcome the drawbacks of the "HDMI Passthrough".
So now I do have audio to my home enterment system from both the Satellite HDMI port and the HDMI DVD Port, dispite the fact that these ports are designed to pass-through the audio to the television only.
Is is odd that the nice people at Sony Technical Support could NOT help me with this or any other solution for the problem. But I DO want to thank the fellows at J&R Electronic for brain storming these solutions with me.
Now that I have this work-a-round setup finished, I am raising my rating to four stars for this receiver. As of now, both the video and the audio from this receiver are everything I had hope for. Happy Birthday to me.


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Harman Kardon HK 3490 120 Watt X 2 Stereo Receiver with XM Radio-ready Tuner and Dolby Virtual Speaker Review

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(More customer reviews)I used the HK 3480 (the precursor to this model) for five years and loved it. The 3490 is even better. The sound is more robust and full, not different, but just more refined. It easily powers my Klipsch Synergy speakers and would pair well with any mid-level speakers. With 120w even inefficient speakers will have more than a enough power to move air.
Further, the 3490 has an important new feature: digital inputs. This is a very nice option for those who have made the jump to an all digital music library and use a digital jukeboxes like the Roku Soundbridge or the Squeezebox. Both players have digital outs and pair up nicely with the 3490.
The difference in quality from digital inputs or analog is debatable, but to my ear, going from the 3480 with analog cables, to the 3490 with optical TOSLINK, there was an immediately improvement in clarity. Songs with delicate sound work came alive. Soft details were more apparent. It's been a great upgrade for me.
It's important to note that the 3490 doesn't leave analog fans in the cold either. It has a very nice tape loop and a wonderful gold plated stereo pickup. In short, whether you're library consists of vinyl or mp3s this amp will do it all.
I have always been a fan of Harmon Kardon, and I bought the older 3480 because I'm a strict fan of stereo music listening. The 3490 is a very smart update to the 3480, bringing it into the 21st century with a host of digital options. For those who rely on an iPod for music, there is specific iPod cradle for this amp that allows you to play your iPod's music effortless over the stereo while controlling it with the HK remote. This amp is also XM Radio ready, just plug in your XM receiver and the HK will allow you to control it.
It's very hard to find a subtle, high powered stereo receiver with these features. The market has sadly moved away to the home theater, multi-channel world, but I'm glad Harmon Kardon is still loyal to their stereo listeners.
Build quality is very nice. It's not a flashy amp, it doesn't light up the room with needless LEDs. It's very understated, and handsome. HK even includes two little inserts that hide the front inputs and bass, treble, and balance controls (nice if you don't want people messing with your settings, or you appreciate a clean look.)
Other than the digital options, the tape loop and the phono pickup, the amp does allow video switching and pass through should you want to integrate into your home theater. The other notable detail are the speaker posts. They allow the use of banana clips or allow you to secure naked wire in two different ways to the posts. This is nice if you don't have a lot of clearance behind the amp.
At this price point, there is simply nothing out there that can compete with this amp in terms of quality, performance, or features.

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The HK 3490 is a high current stereo receiver that will give you the best possible audio performance. You can use the optional "Bridge II" to control and navigate your Ipod'. The power rating is 120 watts times two at 8 ohms and 150 watts times 2 at 4 ohms. It has 45 amps of current. It is also XM Ready. It has speaker A/B switching.

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