The Onkyo HT-S3400 5.1-Channel Home Theater System helps take the hassle out of owning a home theater system. It has a full featured AV receiver and high end six speaker set up. This makes it an incredible value. It can process the latest blu ray, 3D, gaming and satellite boxes. It has four hdmi inputs and can handle the latest digital audio formats like dolby and DTS. You can have it connected to an ipod or iphone.
The music optimizer is useful when playing your compressed music. It enhances the sound. The home button brings up the onscreen display for easy navigation through it's many options. Onkyo is engineered towards great sound and this HT-S3400 is priced right for what you get.
Here's a review from a happy customer:
First thing my fellow non-audiophiles should know is that I really don't know squat about audio systems. I couldn't tell you the difference between this and another system beyond the obvious and only from personal experience. But I did have a small list of features I was looking for. I wanted a quality 5.1 theater system, with a real receiver component like you would buy for an audio system, that didn't include a blu-ray player (because I already have a Playstation 3), including all the speakers and cables, for about $300 tops.
Impossible you say?! Well, here it is.
COMPONENT: It seems to me what Onkyo did was provide a 'powerful enough' receiver (but by no means low power) for the general consumer but with all the functionality of a component that would cost you far more money--including the ability to connect any standard speaker set you like to it instead of making the normal, annoying manufacturer blunder of proprietary connectors so that you can only use their brand of speakers and other components. That alone would have been worth my $333 (including New York State Sales Tax). So you can set this thing up like you would a stereo component in the 90's or earlier with the addition of several HDMI inputs for your HD and Blu-Ray pleasure. I have my HD cable Box/DVR, Playstation 3, and Wii hooked up to it, with plenty of room to spare for all sorts of other components.
SPEAKERS: They also include 'just right for the person who wants performance on a budget' speakers to go with it.
I will probably replace the surround speakers eventually with something better (maybe not); but as far as the subwoofer goes, I'm extremely happy, as it is far larger than I expected and plenty powerful. The subwoofer could 'rock the house' but it can also be set via the component so that it simply gives depth to the sound without causing the walls and floor to quake.
SETTINGS: As far as the functions and settings of the system, my favorites are the Dynamic EQ and Dynamic Volume because these allow me to be able to hear everything even at a quiet volume, while not rocking the house every time there's an explosion, climactic music, or yelling on the program or movie I'm watching. So basically you can have it just like the theater or set it so that you get the theater experience without disturbing the neighbors (if you live in an urban apartment). It even has a Late Night setting.
I also love how it matches the output of the system to whatever it's receiving from the input (according to your settings of course). So for instance, when I'm watching a program broadcast in 5.1 Dolby that's what I get; when the program goes to commercial and the sound switches to Stereo for example, I have my system set so that it automatically plays in Stereo on all speakers rather than just the front. The component will automatically switch between the various audio modes for you.
BROADCAST TV HAS COME A LONG WAY: If you have never had a 5.1 surround system you might think it will only be good for watching movies on Blu-Ray--so why bother. I was blown away by the fact that all but a few programs--and even commercials--broadcast in 5.1 surround sound these days and make full use of it. I was watching Fringe on network television for instance, and during a scene where a disembodied Peter is speaking from some sort of limbo, the voice came from various speakers alternating to give the effect of a ghost-like presence--which, frankly, was freakin' awesome.
BOTTOM LINE: I enjoy this system far more than I thought I would. I even was having a bit of buyer's remorse before I set it up and turned it on. But once I had a working, quality home theater there was just no going back to stereo coming out of the TV speakers. I have actually been watching a bunch of movies I've already seen before because I didn't have 5.1 surround when I watched them the first time.
Far better than I imagined, and the price for functionality and quality simply blows me away.
- end review -
What home cinema thinks the Onkyo HT-S3400 is a great value for the price. Under $300 is a great deal.
Buy it now by clicking Here
The music optimizer is useful when playing your compressed music. It enhances the sound. The home button brings up the onscreen display for easy navigation through it's many options. Onkyo is engineered towards great sound and this HT-S3400 is priced right for what you get.
Here's a review from a happy customer:
First thing my fellow non-audiophiles should know is that I really don't know squat about audio systems. I couldn't tell you the difference between this and another system beyond the obvious and only from personal experience. But I did have a small list of features I was looking for. I wanted a quality 5.1 theater system, with a real receiver component like you would buy for an audio system, that didn't include a blu-ray player (because I already have a Playstation 3), including all the speakers and cables, for about $300 tops.
Impossible you say?! Well, here it is.
COMPONENT: It seems to me what Onkyo did was provide a 'powerful enough' receiver (but by no means low power) for the general consumer but with all the functionality of a component that would cost you far more money--including the ability to connect any standard speaker set you like to it instead of making the normal, annoying manufacturer blunder of proprietary connectors so that you can only use their brand of speakers and other components. That alone would have been worth my $333 (including New York State Sales Tax). So you can set this thing up like you would a stereo component in the 90's or earlier with the addition of several HDMI inputs for your HD and Blu-Ray pleasure. I have my HD cable Box/DVR, Playstation 3, and Wii hooked up to it, with plenty of room to spare for all sorts of other components.
SPEAKERS: They also include 'just right for the person who wants performance on a budget' speakers to go with it.
I will probably replace the surround speakers eventually with something better (maybe not); but as far as the subwoofer goes, I'm extremely happy, as it is far larger than I expected and plenty powerful. The subwoofer could 'rock the house' but it can also be set via the component so that it simply gives depth to the sound without causing the walls and floor to quake.
SETTINGS: As far as the functions and settings of the system, my favorites are the Dynamic EQ and Dynamic Volume because these allow me to be able to hear everything even at a quiet volume, while not rocking the house every time there's an explosion, climactic music, or yelling on the program or movie I'm watching. So basically you can have it just like the theater or set it so that you get the theater experience without disturbing the neighbors (if you live in an urban apartment). It even has a Late Night setting.
I also love how it matches the output of the system to whatever it's receiving from the input (according to your settings of course). So for instance, when I'm watching a program broadcast in 5.1 Dolby that's what I get; when the program goes to commercial and the sound switches to Stereo for example, I have my system set so that it automatically plays in Stereo on all speakers rather than just the front. The component will automatically switch between the various audio modes for you.
BROADCAST TV HAS COME A LONG WAY: If you have never had a 5.1 surround system you might think it will only be good for watching movies on Blu-Ray--so why bother. I was blown away by the fact that all but a few programs--and even commercials--broadcast in 5.1 surround sound these days and make full use of it. I was watching Fringe on network television for instance, and during a scene where a disembodied Peter is speaking from some sort of limbo, the voice came from various speakers alternating to give the effect of a ghost-like presence--which, frankly, was freakin' awesome.
BOTTOM LINE: I enjoy this system far more than I thought I would. I even was having a bit of buyer's remorse before I set it up and turned it on. But once I had a working, quality home theater there was just no going back to stereo coming out of the TV speakers. I have actually been watching a bunch of movies I've already seen before because I didn't have 5.1 surround when I watched them the first time.
Far better than I imagined, and the price for functionality and quality simply blows me away.
- end review -
What home cinema thinks the Onkyo HT-S3400 is a great value for the price. Under $300 is a great deal.
Buy it now by clicking Here