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So far, so good, but the resulting sound won't duplicate the spaciousness of a 5.1-speaker array. If that's what you want, detach the surround speakers from the towers and place them in the back or sides of your home theater. Pioneer supplies caps to cover the naked tops of the towers and bottom covers for the surrounds.
The ultracompact center speaker will look swell on top of your TV. And the remarkably slim 3.5-inch-wide subwoofer is roughly the size and shape of the receiver. The entire ensemble is finished in matte silver with chrome accents.
One small knock: The svelte receiver/DVD player's setup and menu navigation chores aren't as intuitive as those found on Pioneer's receivers and DVD players.
While most of the competing models feature a multidisc changer, the HTZ-740DV is a single-disc model. Connectivity, meanwhile, is stripped down to the bare essentials: two stereo inputs, one stereo output, one optical digital input, and a headphone jack. We think $800 HTIBs should do better.
The tower speakers are two-way designs featuring a woofer and tweeter while the center and surrounds get by with just a woofer. The surround speakers' woofers are mounted on an angled baffle to project the sound up to enhance the surround effect. The subwoofer boasts a side-mounted 6.5-inch driver.
If you're enticed by the 740DV's flexible setup options, keep in mind that Pioneer is extending the design to its newer models, the DVD-less HTP-3600 and HTP-4600, available in April 2005 for $425 and $650, respectively. Similarly, the $499 Panasonic SC-HT930 is a 3.1-speaker design that interfaces with an optional wireless rear speaker package (sold separately).
Things picked up when we popped on The Bourne Supremacy DVD, with the HTZ-740DV's surround sats still attached to the front towers. The soundstage was deeper and more expansive than it would be with regular tower speakers, but if you want true surround envelopment, take our advice and deploy the little sats in the back or sides of your room. The sound was more spacious and less boxed in. The nice thing is, you can have it your way: virtual surround or the real thing. In either case, the little center speaker belted out a rich sound, and the subwoofer didn't rein in the action. Once again, we felt the sound was lacking in detail overall, but it wasn't harsh or grating. Ultimately, the 740DV will do its best in fairly small home theaters--say, less than 300 square feet or so--where it will play loud enough to get a rise from your neighbors.
Product Specifications:
Product Description:
Pioneer HTZ 740DV - Home theater system - 5.1 channel
Product Type:
Home theater system
Components:
Speaker system
,
DVD player / AV receiver
Surround Sound Effects:
Front Stage Surround
,
Headphone Surround (V.S.S.)
Surround System Class:
5.1 channel
Output Power:
600 Watt
Radio:
Radio tuner - AM/FM - 30 preset stations
Cassette System:
None
DVD:
DVD player
CD System:
None
MD System:
None
Speaker(s):
2 x Right/left channel speaker - External
,
1 x Center channel speaker - External
,
2 x Right/left channel speaker - External
,
1 x Subwoofer - External
Microphone:
None
Remote Control:
Remote control - Infrared
Product Basic Spec:
Components:
Speaker system -
,
DVD player / AV receiver -
Built-in Decoders:
DTS decoder
,
Dolby Digital
,
Dolby Pro Logic II
DVD type:
DVD player
Tuner Type:
Digital
Station preset qty:
30
Driver Details:
Right/left channel speaker . 1 Woofer driver
,
Right/left channel speaker . 1 Tweeter driver 25 mm
,
Center channel speaker . 1 Full-range driver
,
Right/left rear channel speaker . 1 Full-range driver 70 mm
,
Subwoofer . 1 Subwoofer driver 160 mm
Manufacturer Warranty:
1 year warranty
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