Entered CNET Catalog: 11/09/2002
SKU: LS-V500C
Manufacturer: Onkyo USA
Manufacturer description
Looking for the perfect balance between convenience, good looks and performance? Onkyo has the answer. Stylishly designed to offer a solution to for all your music and home theater needs, Onkyo is proud to offer the LS-V500C. The DR-C500 receiver gives you 100 watts x 5 and built-in Dolby Digital / DTS / Dolby Pro Logic II decoders provide decoding capability for engrossing surround sound enjoyment. Around back you'll find an impressive collection of digital, component and S-Video inputs and outputs to easily connect with your other components. For your speakers, Onkyo even gives you color-coded speaker terminals for fast and easy connection - and for easy re-connection if you ever have to move the DR-C500 to a different location. Inside, you'll find 192 kHz/24-bit D/A converters and audiophile-grade parts that maximize your audio and video experience. With the built-in 5-disk DVD/CD carousel you play back your favorite movies, music and even MP3 encoded CDs for an evening of entertainment. Don't worry about sacrificing picture quality for convenience for performance, Onkyo has seen to it that the video quality is what you would expect from a leader with the latest in progressive scan technology. Add in the HTP-102 speaker package and you get an unbelievably realistic 360° soundfield. All speakers are two-way bass reflex design for extended high frequency response and great mid-range punch. And those low bass frequencies come through loud and clear for a true home theater experience thanks to the 150 watt powered subwoofer.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 11/11/2002
Design
It seems like most current kits are either decked out with more chrome than a '58 Buick or go for a straight-edged, component look. The new LS-V500C kit's receiver/DVD player dares to be different; the undulating curves gracing the front panel are distinctive yet tasteful. It's too bad that the plastic feel of some of the controls breaks the elegant spell. The unit is also rather large and hogs 17 by 18 inches of shelf space.
The sats' fiberboard cabinets are plain, silver-finished boxes, but their gently bowed grilles add a touch of class. On their backs, you'll find keyhole slots for wall mounting, but since ports also grace their derrieres, these speakers sound best when positioned out in the open. These two-way sats boast 4-inch woofers and 1-inch dome tweeters. The center speaker is larger than the other sats and features a woofer/tweeter/woofer driver complement. A full-sized, 150-watt powered subwoofer--with an 8-inch driver--rounds out the group.
Features and connectivity
The potent receiver delivers 100 watts per channel and features Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS, and MP3 decoders. The carousel-style, five-disc changer welcomes DVDs, CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, and MP3 CDs. Its smooth-running mechanism needs about 15 seconds to swap discs--that's pretty quick.
Connectivity options are lavish by kit standards. We noted component-video outputs and inputs, so you can connect another component-video device; such as an HDTV set-top box. Other useful jacks include A/B speaker outputs and S-Video inputs and outputs. Digital and standard analog A/V connections will accommodate modest systems, but the lack of front-mounted A/V inputs may frustrate folks with video cameras and game consoles. There's one other notable omission from the features list: bass and treble controls.
Performance
CDs, such as Peter Wolf's soulful new release, Sleepless, sound warm and sweet, with none of the strain that we usually hear from kits with tiny sats. Wolf's duet with Mick Jagger on "Nothing but the Wheel" was surprisingly laid-back, and the drums' and guitars' transient responses were muted. Since the V500C lacks even the most basic tone controls, there wasn't much that we could do to change the soft tonal balance.
We picked up our home-theater evaluations with the Spider-Man DVD and found that the V500C has what it takes to fill even large listening rooms such as ours with sound. In the boxing scene in chapter 10, we could almost feel the body slams and the punches, and we felt that the roaring crowd erupted from the surrounds with scary ferocity. On the downside, we thought that the dialogue, especially Peter Parker's narration, sounded somewhat chest-heavy and thick. Then again, that richness might appeal to some listeners.
A cruise through the Talking Heads concert DVD Stop Making Sense quickly demonstrated that the V500C's athletic sub runs deep and has definition that is above par.
The LS-V500C carries a suggested retail price of $900. While we liked this Onkyo's combination of features and style, we prefer the more detailed and alive sound of its slightly more expensive sibling, the HT-S755DVC. That utilitarian-looking system is built around a separate receiver, a DVD changer, and a larger speaker package.
User opinions
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User Rating: 
3/10
Spend your Money Elsewhere
Pros: Nice all-inclusive features - one box does it all.
Cons: DVD player - doesn't actually play. Service/repair issues are severe - 4 months trying to fix, swapped for another "new" unit that also had issues.
Review:
User Rating: 
10/10
Great Sound for the Price!
Pros: excellent sound, and you can customize the sound to you space. u dont need bass and treble with this sytem..
Cons: remote buttons too small for us folk with bad eyes!
Review:
User Rating: 
6/10
Nice product for the right price!
Pros: I hesitated to pick up this unit after reading CNET posts. Particularly given the $899 MSRP. That said, I picked my unit up for $350. For $350 or less I don't think one can go wrong for a HTIB with 5 disc changer. In my case I needed a DVD player, CD
Cons: The auto on when you turn on the TV. My experienced differed from instructions. Turned it off Speakers are a bit big
Review:
User Rating: 
5/10
Great unit, but...
Pros: The system is really cool looking, and the idea of one unit to cover DVD and receiver is great, I just wish it wasn't so buggy. When it works, it performs really well, video looks great and it sounds awesome. It's very easy to use, my wife really likes
Cons: While watching DVDs, the unit will randomly shut off. It's annoying, but not too bad. Sometimes it plays CDs at the wrong speed, this one sucks. I don't want to hear every album as if the chipmunks were singing it. It also decides, on a whim it seems,
Review:
User Rating: 6/10
Bad first impression
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I brought the LSV500C thinking I was getting a great name at a fair price ($700); however, it didn't take long to be disappointed. While watching the first minute of my very first DVD, the receiver completely shut down and powered off with the standby light blinking. It happened again with a different DVD and music CD. I called Crutchfield's Tech support line and they tried to offer advice, but nothing helped. I then tried Onkyo's customer service line, but they were closed. Crutchfield is sending a new receiver, but I am extremely dissappointed and worried about future problems (especially after reading the other reviews on CNET). I'll give this system one more chance, then I'll try to exchange it for another system from Crutchfield. Hopefully it was just a lemon, but it makes you wonder. Not a good first impression at all.
User Rating: 
9/10
These are very good speakers
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I have tryed out yamaha speakers and more and these have a very good sound and the sub is just amazing is shakes my whole house and the satelite's are very good. When plying Reign Of Fire this sound system is awesome when gragons are going by fell's if you were their in the movie i cant say enough about these speakers they are very good I sugestion these speakers to any who want very good homw theater speakers.The dvd player is very good seeks fast play very good picture looks very good cant say anything bad about these they are just goodhope you enjoy.The only thing that may be bad is no treble adjustment's.
User Rating: 3/10
Great Sound but DVD Skips & Bad Remote
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The letter written by Mr. Krewer says a mouthful. Onkyo knows about the problem with the remote not working once you program in a VCR and it's up to you to request a replacement remote. I had a flyer inside that warned me about it but after being so excited about finally receiving it and getting it hooked up, I completely forgot and programmed in the VCR. I would think that if they could find the time to put a slip of paper in the box to warn you about the remote, why didn't they just put a new remote in the box? It boggles the mind. My other issue is that after about an hour of play, my DVDs skip. The picture flickers and tiles and the sounds flickers and goes out. The whole receiver stopped working on one movie. I tried 4 new DVDs and 2 old and the same thing happened on each one but in varied degrees of distortion. I'm very upset that I have to pack this huge thing back up and ship it out and PAY for it to be returned, but I'm not giving up on Onkyo yet (I don't think). When it was working well, the sound was great. I think I'll try the larger HTS650 and purchase a seperate DVD player.
User Rating: 5/10
Solid, but do u pay $900 for solid?
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I purchased this system without having read any reviews, but given CNet's praise of Onkyo's other systems here, I thought it was a safe bet, plus this is their only 5-disc changer, or at least in silver, and has very good connectivity options (dissuading me from the SONY-DAVC990). So of course, as it's being shipped, the review gets posted, and is slapped with a less than inspiring 7.3. And human nature being what it is, when you read a review of something before you get it, it often influences your thinking. My first CD in the left me pretty disappointed. I know it's a HTIB, but i was expecting high high quality sound to emit from this $900 piece of machinery... it didn't. Monster speaker wires helped (for another $120), but as Cnet notes, the lack of Bass and more importantly treble, put you at Onkyo's mercy.. How bass & treble controls became so hit and miss over the years with these electronics companies is a joke.. you can find them on $20 boom boxes, how can they omit them here? So yeah, the sound could be a little more crisp and higher frequencies dont shine enough. My only other beef is the progressive scan picture. It is worse then interlaced, on my HDTV-ready Panasonic 32inch, with component cables. Can someone explain what I might be doing wrong? I though progressive scan was supposed to look, um, better? The picture is signifcanty less crisp and bright, and there's a slight bounce to it. Is this Onkyo's $900 DVD player? My $1500 TV? Or my "average joe" sense of vision that's at fault here? I havent tested too many HTIBs, but the treble and prog scan. cons irk me here. Otherwise, it's solid, and I'll keep it.
