Table of Content
Throw in the Dolby Atmos implementation, and you have a package that will bring a big smile to your face. Theo Nicolakis Onkyo provides color-coded speaker cables with its HT-S7700 to make setup easier. Having said that, the cabinets feel sturdier than Yamaha’s speakers.
If you own a turntable, the A/V receiver in Onkyo’s HTIB system is the only one we reviewed to be equipped with a phono input. I liked the included microphone to automatically balance the system. I was disappointed with the very thin, small gauge speaker wires. Very Nice System - Has plenty of inputs and works very well with new 4K TV - Make sure you go into set up on the TV screen - The sound had an echo until I did the complete set up on screen . I was pleasantly surprised at the performance of Onkyo’s subwoofer. A 10-inch subwoofer won’t deliver deep bass, but the Onkyo sub gave me a top-to-bottom, thoroughly satisfying experience.
Klipsch Reference Cinema System 5.1.4 with Dolby ATMOS
This is where color-coding is such a nice touch – it is easy to ensure you have the proper connections for each speaker with just a quick look. The included guide gives a nice visual and textual description of speaker placement. The front Dolby-enabled speakers should be about ear height for best imaging performance.
Best of all, the Onkyo sub didn’t try to reproduce bass beyond its means. When manufacturers try to do too much, they just make a muddy mess. Theo Nicolakis There are two pairs of spring-loaded terminals on Onkyo’s front left and right speakers, because the speakers on top of the cabinets reproduce the height effects in Dolby Atmos soundtracks. This home theater in a box includes just about every modern feature you could want in a budget-priced system. Gravity was released with an absolutely amazing Dolby Atmos soundtrack, and has become one of my go-to test discs.
Pro-Ject Phono Box S3 B Phono Preamplifier and X2 B Turntable Review
At the beginning where Dr. Stone is working on repairing/upgrading the satellite, the camera is constantly floating around as if we are one of the astronauts in space. The audio follows the action around the room so precisely, that you immediately notice how much Dolby Atmos adds to the experience. A phono input connects a turntable so you can enjoy your record collection, and we’ve also added easy-to-use universal Hi-Res Audio compatibility as well. Just use our phone app to find your 192/24, 96/24, or 5.6 MHz DSD albums on PC/NAS and relish the clarity and detail on your Onkyo home theater. Onkyo Onkyo’s receiver delivers the most flexibility connecting outboard audio and video equipment. Due to a policy of continuous product improvement, Onkyo reserves the right to change specifications and appearance without notice.
Most people will find listening to music on the Onkyo system to be a highly satisfactory experience—especially music with good bass lines. The system imaged well and presented a well-developed soundstage. Nevertheless, there was persistent image smearing–especially when I wanted to focus in on individual instruments during songs. The HT-S7700 is a real winner for the first-time home-theater buyer and technology novice. It’s a solid, feature-rich package that delivers a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying movie experience at home.
BenQ TH690ST Projector Preview
This is not the actual cinematic film, rather, a mixture of concert performance, cinematic scenes, and on-stage performance. The height channels in this case are used to expand the live music sound stage, and it comes through very well. I put on the title track which begins with the on-stage performance and cuts into one such cinematic scene, all while keeping the music track intact from the performance. In addition to Chromecast built-in and AirPlay, you can stream virtually any audio from smartphone, tablet, or laptop to your home theater via Wi-Fi® or Bluetooth. Available internet radio and music subscription services include Spotify, Deezer and many more.
The small surround speakers are supposed to be just above ear height. Finally, Onkyo recommends placing the subwoofer between the front and center channel speakers for the best performance. Onkyo aims to dispel confusion while delivering solid performance with its $899 HT-S7700 HTIB package. The HT-S7700 delivers a full 5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos experience without requiring you to install speakers in your ceiling .
After allowing some time for the speakers to “break in,” I fired up the setup routine and was pleased to find that it nailed everything accurately. I did not have to make any adjustments to the crossover levels or distances. Because of the Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers, the front part of the room plays much larger and deeper than you might expect given their size. While those speakers were no substitute for discrete, in-ceiling speakers, they did contribute positively to the overall experience.
Lastly, I will briefly touch on the control aspect of the system. The included remote control is as basic as it gets these days, but this is expected with a budget unit. When there are options such as the aforementioned smartphone app or a bevy of universal remote options, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense for companies to spend a lot of money on this. It has buttons for direct access to sources, and will allow you to directly choose a surround mode , though you will have to cycle through each to get to the desired sub setting. This was an improvement over what I was hearing with the Dolby Atmos demo disc. The subwoofer plays a particularly significant role with this soundtrack, and I was pleasantly surprised by the clarity and balance of the bass, especially at the crossover frequency.
Firing up Fury Road I immediately noticed that the Onkyo makes it a point to try and envelope you with sound with a very aggressive approach to reproducing the surround mix. Given the potential target audience, I think this will go over favorably. If you’re new to surround sound, you probably want to hear every speaker getting a workout.
Each solidly crafted speaker in this 5.1.2 package reproduces next-generation sound as its creators intended. Midrange frequencies, on the other hand, came across a bit dark and muddy. Comparing the Onkyo to Orb Audio’s Complete Home Theater, the Orb setup sounded much more open and nuanced. The guitar at the opening of U2’s “Song for Someone” from Songs of Innocence lacked a natural, full-bodied presence on the Onkyo system, and I missed the delicate sense of fingers striking the guitar strings. Comparatively speaking, through the Orb Audio setup I had a much better sense of the guitar’s body and its individual strings being pucked and strummed.
While the Atmos effect was noticeable, the Dolby enabled front speakers sounded slightly less natural as compared with a fully separated speaker system. For example, in the falling leaf trailer, while the sound still seemed to shoot around me as the leaf did, the overall effect seemed slightly less natural as the leaf moved from front to back. I was certainly able to tell that these were phantom ceiling speakers rather than actual speakers firing at me from above.
Especially considering speakers are included; getting everything cabled properly should be something even the non-technically minded person can accomplish. In my case, I was able to use a combination of my existing in-wall speaker wiring for my surround and subwoofer channels as well as the included speaker wire for L/C/R/LH/RH channels. The included Dolby-enabled speakers have separately cabled ceiling-firing speakers that require a second speaker wire pair.
Most people will place the front speakers closer to the receiver; as such, Onkyo provides longer cables for connecting the surround channels. My listening position was 13 feet from the receiver, and I had plenty of cable to accommodate that scenario. The included subwoofer, which sports a 10-inch driver, was larger than I expected.
No comments:
Post a Comment