Compact and stylish

Editors' Top Home audio
updated May 15, 2006

Home-theater-in-a-box systems, or HTIBs, come in many shapes and sizes, but the most popular shape is "sleek" and the most popular size is "tiny." That's why our list of compact and stylish home-theater systems remains anything but compact. Despite their numbers, each of these systems has a lot in common, namely five speakers and a sub plus an integrated receiver/DVD player.
-- David Katzmaier, senior editor

More top HTIBs:

| Full-size components | Virtual surround | Specialty and wireless

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Compact and stylish

Home audio	Editors' rating	Price	Summary
Denon S-301 Released: 10/15/2005	8.3 Excellent	$1399	With its abundant feature set, great sound quality, eye-catching design, and superlative ease of use, iPod-friendly Denon S-301 2.1 home-theater system is the best we've reviewed so far. Specs: Home theater system , Main unit , Speaker system , DVD player , CD ( PAL ) , DVD ( NTSC ) , CD-R , SACD , CD-RW , DVD+R , DVD-R , DVD+RW , DVD-RW , Video CD , DVD-Audio , Kodak Picture CD , Stereo , 140 Watt, 70 Watt, 140 Watt, Remote control (Infrared)

Sony DAV-X1 Released: 07/01/2005	7.4 Very good	$999	Sony's DAV-X1 virtual-surround Dream System can unleash a full, enveloping sound from DVDs, but it's less satisfying with CDs. Specs: Home theater system , DVD player , Speaker system , DVD player , CD , DVD , CD-R , SACD , CD-RW , DVD+R , DVD-R , DVD+RW , DVD-RW , Video CD , Surround Sound , Remote control (Infrared)

Cambridge SoundWorks - SurroundWorks 200 Released: 07/25/2005	7.4 Very good	Email me when product is available	If you'd rather not deal with surround-sound setup hassles, a rats' nest of wires, and a room full of speakers, the SurroundWorks 200 will be music to your ears. Specs: Home theater system , Speaker system , DVD player / AV receiver , DVD player , CD , DVD , CD-R , CD-RW , DVD+R , DVD-R , DVD+RW , DVD-RW , Video CD , DVD-Audio , Kodak Picture CD , Surround Sound , 75 Watt, 150 Watt, 225 Watt, Universal remote control (Infrared)

Sony DAV-FX100W Released: 07/15/2005	7.3 Very good		Sony's revamped wireless Dream system ups the ante with cutting-edge features and improved sound quality. Specs: Home theater system , Speaker system , DVD player / AV receiver , DVD player , CD , DVD , CD-R , SACD , CD-RW , DVD+R , DVD-R , DVD+RW , DVD-RW , Video CD , Silver aluminum , Surround Sound , 1000 Watt, Remote control

Panasonic SC-HT930 Released: 05/01/2005	7.1 Very good		Panasonic's SC-HT930 offers a winning combination of exceptional sound quality and impressive features--including a wireless rear-speaker option. Specs: Home theater system , Speaker system , DVD changer / AV receiver , DVD changer , CD , DVD , CD-R , HDCD , SVCD , CD-RW , DVD+R , DVD-R , DVD+RW , DVD-RAM , Video CD , DVD-Audio , Surround Sound , 1000 Watt, Universal remote control (Infrared)

Sony DAV-FX10 Released: 05/08/2005	7.0 Very good		The Sony DAV-FX10 delivers the goods as an affordable and attractive home-theater solution, but competitors offer more for less. Specs: Home theater system , DVD player , Speaker system , DVD player , CD , DVD , CD-R , CD-RW , DVD-R , DVD-RW , Video CD , Surround Sound , 143 Watt, 285 Watt, 1000 Watt, Remote control (Infrared)

Boston Acoustics Avidea 610 Released: 01/05/2005	6.4 Good		Boston's lifestyle-friendly Avidea 610 delivers home-theater thrills and still sounds sweet on CDs. Specs: Home theater system , Speaker system , AV receiver with DVD player , DVD player , CD , DVD , CD-R , SACD , SVCD , CD-RW , DVD+R , DVD-R , DVD+RW , DVD-RW , Kodak Picture CD , Surround Sound , 200 Watt, Universal remote control (Infrared)

Pioneer HTP-3600 Released: 05/15/2005	6.1 Good		The Pioneer HTP-3600 combines flexible setup versatility and good sound quality at a very affordable price. Specs: Home theater system , Receiver , Speaker system , None , Surround Sound , 1000 Watt, Universal remote control (Infrared)