dts, cdr/cdrw capable, great unit, learning remote,am/fm tuner

poor cd audio quality

This machine rocks for movies, especially in DTS mode. The sound is great in a small to medium sized room. The cd audio, however, is terrible. I am going to try an upgrade to some considerably better speakers. Sub is adequate but distorts at moderate volumes when introduced to complicated busy music (rock, jazz). All in all an excellant value for the money. Has some the a most advanced options I have seen compared to its competitors.

Similar Products Used:

panasonic

Beautiful design. Compact system, compact speakers. CDR/CDRW capability. DD5.1, DTS. FM tuner with RDS. Backlit, learning remote.

No SCART or RGB outputs. Fuzzy remote. Normal audio quality CD/tuner is, I think due to the small satellite speakers, not at same level as with full-fledged speakers. Although it features a clock, the clock cannot synchronise with the RDS-clock signal. Also when standby the clock cannot be put on the display. When selecting the FM-tuner the display is default displaying the frequency, I would have preffered the RDS info if that was available.

DVD playback rocks! DD5.1 sounds great! Good sound details, crispy sound. Video is great too. No fancy GUI to setup the system though.

Much better then the Sony DAV-S300.

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Sony DAV-S300

Small enough to not look ugly,multi remote Dolby Digital DTS radio tuner S-VHS port

none that I have found so far

This unit is so GOOD that they cannot keep up supply I had to wait 2 months for my unit But the wait was worth it
This machine realy does the job down to a TEE!!!The volume scale has never been cranked up to full as it gets slightly a bit to loud.
The speaker setting distance helps to match the system to your listening room The set up navigator is great for first timers,and the sound modes can get you realy in the pitcure so to speak.

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none

Very simple, very elegant looks; programmable remote; plug and play

Remote inevitably a little bewildering

Love it! This is the perfect machine for anyone who enjoys listening to music and not the absence of negligible distortion. I am happy with my ears, they work very well in general, and I was delighted to discover that CD's sounded better playing through the Pioneer's 5.1 channels than they ever did from the ugly stack of black Hi-Fi separates it replaced. DVD playback is great, but having little experience of this medium, I don't feel qualified to rate it. What impresses me most about the Pioneer though is how well designed it is - how well specced the package. I believe it is an excellent idea to separate amp from source and Pioneer have stuffed the amp in the subwoofer, indirectly making cable management a bit easier. The display is separate too and looks perfect on top of my TV. The remote control is fully programmable - not as difficult to set up as I thought - so I could lose the ridiculous Sony VCR and Samsung TV remotes for a start. The digital lines are a very welcome touch, if like me you have an MD recorder with a digital Line-In. The build quality is superb and the instructions are easy to follow. There is room for improvement in one or two areas and Pioneer have just released the DV88 which I imagine may address these, but for the money, the DV55 is a gorgeous bit of kit.

Easy to set up, easy to use out of the box home theater system.

None so far

I did my homework, comparing this system to others I have seen. Bought this as an early Christmas present for my family since we've never had a nice all-in-one-system. Tossup between this and the new BOSE 3-2-1, but the $1,000 pricetag and unavailability of the BOSE system made this an easy choice.
Took far less time setting up than I thought, as running the speaker cables was the most time consuming part.
Felt a little daunted as I picked up the user's manual, but realized it was well designed and fairly easy to understand. (50% of it is in French - that's why it seemed so big).
For me the clincher was the look on my kids' faces when I fired up "Shreck" on the DVD player with the surround sound. Good purchase that I expect will yield a more than adequate return for the meager investment

compact design, awesome power and clarity

CABLES!! somewhat ordinary radio reception. The inabilty to put the subwoofer more then 1 metre from the groovy silver box

I am a big listener of music and a rare television viewer but do dig the odd movie. I bought this because of the design but also because of the DVD aspect to "futureproof" the stereo. I figure if you buy the latest and spend some money it lasts much longer.
I own a small terrace house and the size and power of the system is a big plus. The downside is the subwoofer drives the speakers yet you cannot put it away from the main DVD player. The speakers have a mile of standard speaker cable but the processing cables from woofer to silver box are too short. I wanted to have the woofer under the lounge and it was all too hard.
5.1 ( DVD ) surround rocks as does the units ability to extract every last ounce from your current CD's. I am a convert and watch DVD's all the time now......all I need is a bigger TV

Buy one, they are great, have loads of power and really are the way forward.

out.

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none....first such system. Used to have a Sony shelf system so this is a totally new toy

Excellent DVD-picture & -sound quality! Dialogue sounds very crisp and clean and the subwoofer is like your very own little earthquake. 30 Watt speakers is way more than my neighbors can handle. Very slick and compact design (the silver/wood combination really fits in with my furniture), lots of features (for a mini-system) such as: DTS & Dolby Digital 5.1, many sound options like Virtual Surround Sound, independent speaker volume adjusting, bass & treble adjusting, RDS Tuner, "Midnight" listening mode, and CD-RW compatibility!! (At the moment of purchase this was the only all-in-one home-cinema system (that I know of) that featured this compatibility.)

Complete control with the RC. This is somewhat a strength, but it doesn't make things easier. Some functions are hidden within a maze of tiny buttons. Also the design of the remote control could've been better, so it would match the rest of the system. Now it's just another big, bulky black thing, although the luminous buttons are actually pretty cool. Furthermore, the clock is not displayed in standby-mode and, on some recordings, CD audio lacks some depth.

If you're looking for Home-Cinema-In-A-Box, look no further!! This system has it all!
It especially exceeds its competitors because of its CD-RW compatibility. DVD playback is awesome and drags you right into the action. Last night I watched "Top Gun" for the zillionth time and again I was stunned by the rumbling sound of F-14's and MIG's speeding through in my livingroom! It has some minor weaknesses but, overall, the strengths exceed them by far. Great value for the money!

Great sound for movies, compact, beautiful design

Ever seen a more complicated remote??? Sound for CD's is mediocre only.

When I was shopping around, I was hoping to eliminate my old Onkyo Pro-Logic system (due to a lack of space). However, upon listening to a few CD's, I think I'll keep one for audio purposes, and the Pioneer strictly for video.

Watched two movies so far... Sounds great for movies! Very involving and much superior to my Pro-logic system. Never thought two channel rears would make such a difference!

But using this unit is not easy... If you just want to play DVD's, sure, that's easy. But if you want to take advantage of the full system capabilities, it'll take some time. The manual is pretty hefty, and I still haven't taught my wife how to use the system...

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Tested Panasonic SCT-80 (something like that), Sony DAVS 300

Size, features, design cleverness, video and sound quality, plays CDR, CDRW, VCD, tuner, bass and treble, solid construction - all a Pioneer trademark

Remote and manual - also a Pioneer trademark

Looking to improve the sound of my Pioneer DV 414 and Sony 29" I ended up fascinated by this new category of systems. They save lots of space and money. Would they deliver the quality I was looking for?
After searching the web, showrooms et all, I ended up with a new Pioneer, the HTZ 55DV (NS 55DV in Europe).
Here's why:
Video Quality - Top. Betters the DV 414, which is already a top performer. Doesn't have component output. Not a problem to me since my TV doesn't have component inputs. It shows every bit that has been printed on the DVD. So, if the transfer is not the best you'll notice every scratch. The DVD speed is amazing with mostly instantaneous navigation, loading and chapter changing. Even with a full featured DVD like T2 The Ultimate DVD Edition.
Sound Quality - Top with DVDs, specially DTS and DD 5.1 ones. Bass and treble that works with DTS and DD is a plus. Sound with CDs and FM is normal, nothing more. Since this is primarily a DVD unit, I don't consider this a fault. Separetes certainly will do better here. I bought it to replace my mini-system also, to save even more space, and am happy with it. Subwoofer shakes my sofas, nice! Better than the competition, specially Sony's DAV S300. Distortion occurs if you push it to the limits, but your neighbors wil come over you before you can hear any. But power is sufficient to change your DVD experience: 30 w RMS x 5 plus 50 w RMS to the sub at 8 ohms. But power, per se, is not all. The way it fills the room is what counts. To my ears, there's no other HTIB that sounds better. A pair of stands for the rear surround speakers help a lot.
The design is amazing, with the display separated from the unit and the power amplifier inside the subwoofer. This way the unit doesn't heat and is very compact.
The remote's problem is that they tried to put everything on it. This way things can get complicated easily. But we can get used to it. One thing missing: the open button.
If you want to save space and improve your video and sound experience without drying your pocket, this is the system. Don't buy one without looking and listening to it first. But make sure that the salesman knows the unit so that a bad setup don't ruin the experience.
Its quality easily overpass its minor inconveniences.

Similar Products Used:

Sony DAV S300, Panasonic (2 models), Onkio - all on the same Home Theaters In A Box category

sound, subwoofer and size. easy to hide. doesnt take up any space.

at the moment having a tuning problem with vcd's

this is a great system for those who do not want to spend heaps of money on a home theatre system. this more than meets my needs. the sub woofer is very good, the control is pretty easy to use and the speakers are easily hidden in any room, but still provide a fantastic sound.

i listened to a few home theatre systems "in a box" and nothing compares to the looks and the performance of the pioneer.

im am though having a little trouble playing vcd's. it appears to be a tunning problem have sound but a flickering picture. any ideas?

overall this system is a great buy for those on a budget. paid $1400aus from retravision

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sony dav 300, jvc in a box.