The Best of Both Phone, and Tablet
The system is sold as a 5.1 configuration (five speakers plus a subwoofer), but the receiver includes amplification and speaker connections for a 7.1 system. Happily, the receiver uses standard five-way binding posts instead of proprietary speaker connectors, so you can upgrade to any standard set of home theater speakers down the road.
The AS730 can only decode standard Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks, not the Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS Master Audio tracks found on Blu-ray Discs. However, the unit's analog 7.1 audio inputs allow it to play those advanced soundtracks from Blu-ray players with built-in high-definition audio decoding. (Whether you can hear the difference is debatable, however.)
The speakers are constructed out of molded plastic and feel hollow. You can't remove the grille coverings on the speakers nor on the subwoofer. Speaking of the woofer, its build is much more solid than the satellite speakers--there's some weight here. The powered subwoofer is hardwired, terminating in a proprietary connection. The only control you have over it is volume.
Setup
Beginners may be intimidated by the setup processes, which are similar to that of a full AV receiver. While you can assign separate video and audio sources to one of four labeled sources, devices that aren't preprogrammed take some time to get working properly. Since a source can have different audio and video connections, you're going to have to manually cycle through two different laundry lists of connections--and don't forget, you'll need to be up close and personal with the receiver to see what you're doing. Also, don't look for a lot of help from the manual--with its listings of "setup menu trees," it's downright mind-boggling.
Prior to using the system's audio setup, the five speakers' volume levels were completely out of whack as the center and surround channels were much too low. Thus, we strongly recommend performing the auto or manual setup to get the best possible sound from the all five channels.
Since the AS730 owner's manual doesn't specifically describe the auto setup procedure, we first explored the manual setup. It's a little tricky, mostly because menu navigation was far from intuitive. Since there's no onscreen display, we were forced to stare at the receiver's LCD screen. Auto Sound Calibration takes just a few minutes to complete--afterward, we felt that the subwoofer volume level was too loud so we turned it down.
The subwoofer's volume can be adjusted with the remote or manually with the volume control knob. We found that it's extremely sensitive to even the slightest adjustment. To achieve the best possible blend between the subwoofer and satellites, we had to turn the subwoofer volume knob almost all the way down.
Performance
When it comes to evaluating sound quality, first impressions can be hard to shake. The HT-AS730's sound was lifeless. There was always a lack of detail and sparkle, but at least it wasn't brash or grating the way some HTIBs can be.
We listened first to the Rolling Stones "Shine A Light" concert Blu-ray in Dolby Digital. Mick Jagger's vocals sounded like he was singing through a blanket. Ron Wood and Keith Richards' guitars were hard to hear, and Charlie Watts' drum kit lacked punch. On a more positive note, the satellite speakers and subwoofer were well matched, so bass quantity was consistent from disc to disc.
The "King Kong" DVD didn't change our feelings about the AS730's sound quality. Clarity was in short supply so dialog in the jungle scenes was harder to follow than any HTIB we've tested in recent memory. It wasn't all bad; the speakers didn't sound as small as they look, and Kong's growls and grunts were menacing. Also, the surround channels' dense mix of birds and insects came from all around us.
When Kong rampages through New York City streets and tosses cars and trains out of his way, the AS730's dynamic oomph was lackluster. Bass was abundant in quantity, but bass definition was mushier than average.
CD music sound fared a little better. On Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis' "Two Men With The Blues" CD, Nelson's vocals were big and warm, somewhat more natural than what we get from the average HTIB. Marsalis' trumpet was less terrific, muffled in fact, without the presence we expect to hear from a horn.
The HT-AS730's receiver can be used with other manufacturers' speakers, so we tested that capability with our Aperion Intimus 4T towers. No surprise, the towers were better than the HT-AS730s' little satellites, but the Aperion 4Ts' sound was far from what we're used to when they're hooked up with even the most budget priced receivers. Again, the HT-AS730 receiver's treble was lacking in detail, bass was loose, and dynamics fell flat.
