crisp & clean sound from speakers, kick-ass sub, excellent receiver

none found till now

UNBELIEVABLE QUALITY FOR SUCH A LOW PRICE.
JUST LIKE BEING IN A THEATER WHILE WATCHING DVD. SUB ALONE IS WORTH THE PRICE. you get other hi-tech toys for FREE.

go get this before they all are gone. this is selling like hot cakes cause i spent 3 days hunting for one.

Similar Products Used:

sony boombox

Price

Speakers, Wires, Manual, No Component, Relatively little manual configs, Remote

This review is for HTB 504. (The speaker review can be used for HTB 503)

If you buy this packaged home theater system, you are buying it for the price. You will not get the best sound but you'll get something. The rear speakers supplied is only ONE-WAY speakers...which is crap. You can't hear detailed sounds like footsteps etc. Furthermore, the center channel is created for dialogue and nothing else. When strong sound effects need to be recreated for the center channel, it comes out muffled. The front two are okay...considering the price. Subwoofer is decent.

The terminals for the rear speakers are crap on the receiever. There is NO component video out or in. The remote is crap...no backlit, plain looking. Wires supplied is worthless. You have to buy some monster XP which will cost you...so take that into account when you buy this package.

Now for the positives. It's cheap. I bought this because I have no budget but I wanted to enjoy some of the surround sound effects of my DTS dvds. I also wanted Prologic 2, with DTS/DD. So, I had the opportunity to buy it cheap so I bought it. If you are looking for High Fidelity, buy each component separately. Spend at least $1000. But, if you want a simple system, buy this bargain.

Similar Products Used:

Sony, Onkyo, and others

speaker wire

This is for HTB-504.

I paid around $618 for this system plus a cheap VCR (~$68) and two DVDs (Dumbo and Shrek). BUT I will get $100 back from MSN deal (http://eshop.msn.com/) and ~$125 from American Express Blue card price match plus $75 800.com gift certificates.

For the money I paid, I am very happy with the system.

AMAZING home theater sound for the money! Worth many times more.

Modes and remote could be better in some settings and control areas but very minor complaint.

AMAZING home theater sound for the money! Worth many times more.

I bought this with some reluctance about "out of the box" systems to go with a new RCA 38" HDTV widescreen I bought for the bedroom. My main system in the living room is a Mitsubishi 55" Diamond HDTV Widescreen projection set tied into a Yamaha DTS capable receiver and upper end Polk speakers. I had nearly $3,000 tied up in the speakers and receiver for the main system and thought I was getting good sound - until I installed THIS system in the bedroom.

I was so overwhelmed by the home theater sound from the HTB-504 that I dumped my Yamaha receiver downstairs and replaced it with a Kenwood VR-510 receiver. I'm happy with both setups, but I swear the sound from the HTB-504 setup is cleaner and fuller.

I cannot recommend this product any more highly.

Similar Products Used:

VR-510 Kenwood receiver.

Price, Features, subwoofer

Speaker wires, parts of manual

This is for the HTB-504.

This is my first venture into the "home theater" field. As such I wanted to thread lightly and get something that worked well with my newly acquired DVD player and yet wasn't going to break the bank (wife factor). Having done numerous and extensive research I chose the HTB-504 system over the Sony HTD DW830 based mainly on features. After identifying the system I wanted, the next search was for the best price. I came across MJSHOW.com out of Michigan. They are an internet only outfit. Excellent prices and terrific service with very knowledgable staff. Unit came to my door in ~1 week from time of order. Overall the unit is very easy to hook up, although I wish they identified specifically which components go where, as opposed to simply labeling them Video 1, 2, etc. Also, it was not very clear how my RCA satellite receiver should be hooked up. It took me about 3 hours to set up this system. Keep in mind this includes the disassembly of the old stereo, moving furniture, drilling holes in the floor for running the surround speaker wire through the basement and then fine tuning. The provided speaker wires never made it out of the bag, instead I used some 16 AWG wire I had from my other system. The remote is not that bad as others have made it sound to be. It can be programmed to control the other components in your set up. Once set up the unit delivers unbelievable sound from all sources but especially DVD ( I have it hooked in via optical cable). The video also is astonishing. Even some of my old VHS tapes sound great. It makes watching movies that much better. TV sounds are great especially watching football in STADIUM mode. Overall I think it's a great system that can grow with you as your needs/components change. I cannot directly compare it to anything similar but I think you definitely get a great bang for the buck.

Similar Products Used:

Technics Stereo (~15 yrs. old)

receiver, subwoofer

surround speakers (little weak but adjustable from receiver) and remote (no back lit but I can live w/o it)

After losing couple nights of sleep and anticipating buying the system due to the good reviews on here and from a fellow co-worker, I finally got the system up and running.

After comparing several systems from Harmon Kardon to Kenwood HTB-504, I realized I can get a prett good system for 2/3 price of Harmon Kardon speakers.

The speakers sounded great from playing music of Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserable to playing DVD Meet the parents in DTS mode.

Everything is more than what I expected. I just wish I have more DVDs to play on this new system of mine. :)

The quick guide was very helpful in setting up the system.
It took me about an hour of unpacking, and wiring but most of the time I was trying to decide where to place the speakers.

Similar Products Used:

none

100W powered sub woofer - Reasonable pricing. Best bang for your bucks (under $500). Probably the best entry level Home Theater in the box.

Quirky remote control.

This review is for the HTB-504. Sears matched the web price from Etronics.com at $384.99, plus I got 10% off for using Sears special promotion credit card deal. Grand total of $346.50 + tax ... Incredible bargain !! even my wife (the accountant !) nodded with approval :)

Our family room was pre-wired for surround sound, so the speaker installation was relatively painless. However, it took me a while to optimize all the video hook up (DSS, DVD, & TV), I had to make a few trips to the local Radio Shack to purchase addition accessories such as: Optical cable, better gauge speaker wire, component video cable, speaker mounting kit.

Once the set up is completed, I popped in the Matrix DVD and went straight to the front lobby/elevator shoot out scene ... I was astonished over the sound coming out of this entry level/bargain in the box system. The bass from the sub was deep, thunderous yet very tight, the front and the surrounding speakers sounded like Kenwood should have priced this system at the $1K plus range. The music was true, and as the volume attenuated, the highs were a bit bright, but not to the point of blaring. All of the speaker channels are @ 0.7% THD, which is pretty incredible for this price range.

I have a Bose system in the game room which I've paid over $1K for, and I've now realized that I've been had by Bose and their marketing propaganda ... oh well, live and learn.

For those who are looking for a sub $500 HTB system, I would recommend the Kenwood HTB-504. Most sytem in this price range either do not have a powered sub woofer with built in cross over, or the entire system is under powered.

My two cents on this system, hope it is informative for those who are on the hunt for a Home Theater in the Box system.

Similar Products Used:

Panasonic, Sony & JVC

Sound, ease of setup

Cables, manual, remote lacks illumination

This review is actually for the HTB-504. I purchased this system from www.crazyeddie.com and ended up buying new cables and speaker wire as a package deal. The system was incredibly easy to setup and the sound is AWESOME. I scared myself the first time I threw a DVD in the player and got the full surround sound effect. The speakers are a little bit bigger than what I was expecting but very managable. I have coupled the system to be used as my primary music system in addition to Home Theater and the sound quality is outstanding. This is a great bang for the buck if you are a first time buyer or interested in getting started in a Home Theater system for a smaller room. Great price, great sound and glad I bought this over the $1000 Pioneer Elite receiver and $1500 Boston Acoustic speakers as it fits the bill for my needs for a fraction of the cost.

Receiver and speakers

speaker wire

Like the others, this is for the HTB-504.

I got a website price match from Sears and later from Circuit City. Decided to buy there since it's closer to home, (you never know when you'll have to go back for one thing or another)

I agree with the other's, this is the best sounding system for the money. Yes, you can spend more money, but the difference in the sound compared with this system wouldn't be worth the investment.

The sub woofer has built in pre amp rated at 100 watts and will boom your room! Incredable sound from all DVD's, especially those encoded with DTS. Listened to Saving Private Ryan and couldn't beleive what I heard.

This is a major upgrade for me, my previous system was almost 20 years old. I already had a Toshiba DVD player and the difference between what I had and now was well worth waiting for.

Way to go Kenwood!!!!!!

Full Featured Receiver, all in one convenience, GREAT Subwoofer. Clear Speakers. The center channel is actually shielded adequately!

Included speaker cab... er, wires. To output S-Video, you have to use all SVideo inputs, no composite video devices will be output to the SVideo Monitor out! :( Speaker cones are made out of paper?

First of all, this is for the HTB-504. Until they get an entry for the unit, I'll just put this here.

Where to begin... This unit was a surprise gift from my parents. They knew that I was shopping around for a system, but didn't know what model. Oddly enough, this was the one I had settled on based on reviews, but never told them. Apparently, Mom and Dad have been reading the reviews!

First opinion: This is probably the BEST home-theatre-in-a-box you can get under $500. The receiver has an impressive list of features, including both co-axial RCA S/PDIF digital inputs and optical S/PDIF inputs. There are two of each of these, which is very convenient if you've more than one digital outputting device, such as a DVD player and a Playstation 2. The receiver has a lot of options, including the ability to set speaker distances and individual volumes to tailor your home entertainment experience to the dimensions of your room/setup. The receiver also has gobs of inputs for just about any device you could throw at it, from CD to Vinyl to Tape and beyond, it's got room for it. The two most attractive features of this unit were the DTS ability and the Dolby Prologic II. I am aware of the advantages of DTS, but was amazed by how much this system added to just my daily television watching experience! Even TV sounds top quality with the HTB-504!

Now to the speakers: Front R/L speakers have 2 "full range" 4" drivers and a 1" domed tweeter. The center channel has the same cones in it, just a smaller cabinet. Surround speakers are two small 4" "full range" drivers. To round out the package is an 8" powered (yes, I said POWERED) sub! The sub even has a built in active adjustable crossover! Now, the receiver has a crossover on the sub's output channel, but it's nice to see the feature included. Most of these all in one box systems have an unpowered sub, so this was a very nice feature to see. As to the sound of the speakers, well, I must say, they are very clear. I get no distortion near full volumes, and all the frequencies seem to be well ballanced, no destructive or constructive interference from the cabinets. Really, I'm used to having speakers made out of kevlar, or some other such material like in my car, or for my studio monitors, so, I thought I'd be disappointed by the paper (I think they're paper), but I'm not. They are better than other speakers that I've heard from other box sets, and while not the best in the world, for certain they are best in their catagory. The surround speakers have built in mounting brackets, similar to those found on the back of a framed picture. Very handy, and very thoughtful.

I do have a couple of complaints though. First, the manual for the receiver isn't that great. I had everything hooked up correctly yesterday, but was only getting input on Video 2, and not the other three video sources. Well, I found out why. I was using SVideo to connect to my TV, and Video 2 was using SVideo to connect the DVD player. Well, when using SVideo for monitoring, only SVideo sources make it through. The same goes for composite, if you want to see it on the tv, all the video sources have to be composite. This point was not made clear in the manual. Everyone complains about the speaker wires that come with it, and for good reason. They're like 22 guage or something, you'll want to buy some 16 guage speaker cable. I got 100ft from Radio Shack for $10. Other than that, not really anything else annoying.

To finish up this review, let me tell you that I'm a college student living in an apartment. Our living room is not very big. This system in my living room sounds better than my parent's Bose lifestyle system (sorry Mom and Dad, but I guess we learned who has the best marketing department in the industry!) Now, if I took this to my parent's living room, it might not sound so good. I was worried that the surround speakers would not be adequate, but for my setup they are, for a larger room, they might not be. In any event, if you're looking for a one shot deal to get a decent home theatre system, I say go for this one. The receiver has some real lasting power. If you outgrow the speakers, you've still got a good receiver and a good sub to help you go the extra mile. I'd say if anything you'll replace the surround speakers, but, that's for you to decide. I'm quite happy (and pleasantly surprised) with their performance.

Good luck!