- Average user rating:
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
-
15 out of 15 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"Why haven't they made more HTIB's like this before?"
Pros: Wireless rear speakers, HDMI, sleek looks
Cons: Limited connectivity options, slow disc changing
Summary: It's about time that (relatively) affordable wireless home theater systems have started becoming available. As someone who's never been thrilled by running wires across the living room--or even worse, under carpet or through walls--to the rear speakers, this system really was a dream come true. I chose the Sony system over others on the market because it sends infrared rather than RF signals to the rear speakers. Other RF-wireless systems use the same crowded 2.4GHz frequency band shared by Wi-Fi networks, cordless telephones, and microwaves, so the IR technology really cuts down on interference if you (like me) have a wireless home network.
The sound from this setup is great for an HTIB, and I haven't noticed that the wireless aspect of the system degrades rear-speaker sound quality at all. An earlier reviewer complained about the low-end power (or lack thereof) of the non-powered subwoofer, but I've actually noticed the opposite--sometimes the bass actually seems a litte *too* powerful.
My only two complaints aren't major and are to be expected, given the type of system this is. First, even though the system offers an HDMI output (quite rare among HTIB's, for the most part), it only offers two composite (yellow, red, white) A/V inputs. There are, however, both optical and coaxial digital audio inputs. Also, as another reviewer has noted, the slot-loading disc changer takes quite awhile to switch between discs, and the proper method for inserting and switching discs takes a little while to perfect. Overall, however, these are minor gripes which are to be expected from a "lifestyle"-type HTIB.
