What Key Qualities Make Up A Good Home Theater System
If you are in the market for a home theater system, you will be lost for choice, with countless products to choose from. In this review, we tested just three of the systems available, starting with the Panasonic SC-XH170 DVD Home Theater System.
The three systems we looked at have the same basic setup. All of them use five speakers, consisting of a subwoofer, one front speaker, two surround speakers and two central speakers. They are all 5.1 channel home theater systems, and use Blu-ray players.
This is a superb system given all the built-in features it contains and the retail price. You can be the proud owner of the Panasonic SC-XH170 Home Theater System for around $175. There is a built-in USB connector for iPods and iPhones.
The system is supplied with Viera technology, allowing it to be connected to other devices like mobile devices, digital cameras and camcorders that are also Viera enabled. Sound presence from the SC-XH170 is stunning with a 1000 watt total output.
The system has an automatic sound equalizer, which eliminates those annoying volume increases during advertising breaks. Color coded wiring makes it easy to set the whole system up. Sound quality is excellent for the price.
There is not a lot to complain about with this system. It does not support wifi, which some people will find a nuisance.
The Yamaha YHT-897 Home Theater System is the most expensive of the three systems we looked at. Retailing at around $750, it is not going to appeal to people on a fairly limited budget. Its appearance is the most stylish of the systems, and it does come with technology not available on the others.
Yamaha's proprietary technology, AirPlay, is included with the YHT-897. AirPlay allows users to stream directly from iPads, PCs. Macs and Android devices. The YHT-897 can automatically configure sound settings based on an in-built acoustic analysis of the room the system is set up in.
The YHT-897's subwoofer only outputs 100 watts. Some people may find this a bit disappointing when reproducing music with heavy bass lines.
The Samsung HT-E3500 is the most basic system reviewed in terms of features provided. This is evident in Samsung's own description of the product, which is quite muted. The company provides only barebones information about the system. It does not state what devices can connect to the system through its USB.
Priced at around $215, the system offers reasonable value for money. Sound reproduction is of good quality. The Samsung HT-E3500 Blu-ray Home Theater System is very easy to set up.
The cables for attaching the speakers are very short, and this severely restricts how they can be placed. Outputting just 500 watts, the HT-E3500 is not terribly powerful.
Of the three products reviewed, the Samsung would have to be the lowest rated. It is more expensive then the Panasonic, yet has fewer features and lower output. The Yamaha system is very good, and has some future proofing built in, but the key question is whether it is worth spending almost five times more on this than on the Panasonic.
The three systems we looked at have the same basic setup. All of them use five speakers, consisting of a subwoofer, one front speaker, two surround speakers and two central speakers. They are all 5.1 channel home theater systems, and use Blu-ray players.
This is a superb system given all the built-in features it contains and the retail price. You can be the proud owner of the Panasonic SC-XH170 Home Theater System for around $175. There is a built-in USB connector for iPods and iPhones.
The system is supplied with Viera technology, allowing it to be connected to other devices like mobile devices, digital cameras and camcorders that are also Viera enabled. Sound presence from the SC-XH170 is stunning with a 1000 watt total output.
The system has an automatic sound equalizer, which eliminates those annoying volume increases during advertising breaks. Color coded wiring makes it easy to set the whole system up. Sound quality is excellent for the price.
There is not a lot to complain about with this system. It does not support wifi, which some people will find a nuisance.
The Yamaha YHT-897 Home Theater System is the most expensive of the three systems we looked at. Retailing at around $750, it is not going to appeal to people on a fairly limited budget. Its appearance is the most stylish of the systems, and it does come with technology not available on the others.
Yamaha's proprietary technology, AirPlay, is included with the YHT-897. AirPlay allows users to stream directly from iPads, PCs. Macs and Android devices. The YHT-897 can automatically configure sound settings based on an in-built acoustic analysis of the room the system is set up in.
The YHT-897's subwoofer only outputs 100 watts. Some people may find this a bit disappointing when reproducing music with heavy bass lines.
The Samsung HT-E3500 is the most basic system reviewed in terms of features provided. This is evident in Samsung's own description of the product, which is quite muted. The company provides only barebones information about the system. It does not state what devices can connect to the system through its USB.
Priced at around $215, the system offers reasonable value for money. Sound reproduction is of good quality. The Samsung HT-E3500 Blu-ray Home Theater System is very easy to set up.
The cables for attaching the speakers are very short, and this severely restricts how they can be placed. Outputting just 500 watts, the HT-E3500 is not terribly powerful.
Of the three products reviewed, the Samsung would have to be the lowest rated. It is more expensive then the Panasonic, yet has fewer features and lower output. The Yamaha system is very good, and has some future proofing built in, but the key question is whether it is worth spending almost five times more on this than on the Panasonic.
About the Author:
Adam Roell helps with a Home Theater System Review Site that educates people about the different benefits associated with various Home Theater Systems. For a quick preview watch this video about the Panasonic SC-XH170: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwJJKX5vdKY. Also, be sure to watch the video about the Samsung HT-E3500 Blu-ray Home Theater System as well.
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