Entered CNET Catalog: 04/06/2008
SKU: 0027242729605
Manufacturer: Sony Electronics, Inc.
Manufacturer description
With three HDMI inputs on tap, this system is tailor made for the gamer looking for an easy, quick and great sounding solution for their next gen gaming system. It can playback LPCM from the HDMI connection, plus you can listen to your favorite music from the digital media port that works with various accessories (sold separately). The HT-CT100 can also control a select number of BRAVIA televisions with BRAVIA Sync via the HDMI interface. With "One Touch Play," operations that took several steps have been reduced to one.Product summary
The good: Superslender soundbar home-theater system eliminates the need for an AV receiver; comes with a potent subwoofer; three HDMI inputs; supereasy setup.
The bad: Subwoofer-based connection jacks may require creative placement or cable runs; only supports four AV sources (plus Sony's proprietary DM Port accessories).
The bottom line: Sony's HT-CT100 soundbar/subwoofer audio system is a phenomenal value that sounds great with movies and music.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 06/05/2008
Editors' note: The rating of the Sony HT-CT100 has been changed since publication to better reflect its value compared to competing home theater systems.
It's a familiar story in consumer electronics: Start with a luxurious, expensive, and exclusive product category, and within just a few years, you'll see a sea of imitators delivering the same basic item with more features, less money, and--ideally--better performance. Take single-speaker audio. Once the exclusive domain of Yamaha Digital Sound Projectors, the category is exploding, with boutique brands (Zvox, Soundmatters), home-audio stalwarts (Polk Audio, Definitive Technology), and major manufacturers (Samsung, Sony) all throwing their respective hat into the ring. But even in this hotly contested category, the Sony HT-CT100 home-theater system is a standout design. The two-part (speaker plus subwoofer) 3.1-channel system is one of the smallest soundbar speakers we've tested to date, and it boasts better-than-average connectivity highlighted by three HDMI inputs. Best of all, it costs just $300, and--considering that modest price tag--it sounds great. And because the HT-CT100 handles power and surround processing, you don't need to buy an AV receiver--just plug in your components and enjoy some powerful audio with more than a hint of faux surround.
To reiterate, the Sony HT-CT100 is a two-part system: a small soundbar designed to sit under the TV, and a modest-size subwoofer that also houses all of the electronics and connections. The skinny speaker is a mere 2.75 inches high and 2.6 deep. Its 31.5-inch width is also smaller than most soundbars and will make a nice match with TVs with 32-inch screens or larger. The speaker sports a satin-finished black plastic cabinet and perforated (nonremovable) metal grille; it's a no-frills look that won't win any beauty contests, but it's unobtrusive enough. The soundbar has three oval-shaped 1.6- by 2.8-inch drivers (left/center/right). You can wall mount the 4.4-pound speaker with its keyhole slots, so long as you account for the permanently attached 10-foot umbilical cable that connects it to the subwoofer. The cable terminates with a 9-pin serial connector that plugs into the subwoofer--if you need to run it a longer distance, check out our related tip.
The medium-density fiberboard sub feels more substantial than the speaker and its black-matte vinyl finish looks a bit more upscale. It's 19.75 inches high and 14.25 deep, and weighs 22 pounds. A black cloth (nonremovable) grille covers the 6.5-inch woofer mounted on the sub's right side. The front edge of the top panel has power, input, and volume controls; the display on the front baffle offers info about volume level, the selected source, and surround processing. There's a bass port smack dab in the middle of the 6.4-inch-wide front baffle. The subwoofer's built-in power amplifiers deliver 50 watts to each of the speakers' three drivers, and 100 watts to the sub's woofer.
All of the system's connections are found on the subwoofer's back panel. There you'll find three HDMI inputs; four digital-audio-only inputs (three optical, one coaxial); one analog stereo input (red/white RCA jacks); and one Digital Media Port connector. However, not counting the DM Port (it's a proprietary connector that works with only a quartet of proprietary Sony accessories), those inputs are really limited to just four AV sources--three audio or HDMI, and one audio only. In other words, you'd use the optical audio inputs (for instance) in lieu of, not in addition to, the HDMI inputs. Obviously, HDMI is the preferred connection, since it allows you to toggle audio and video at the click of a button on the HT-CT100's remote. (And, with the addition of a sub-$50 HDMI switcher, you could more than double the unit's HDMI capacity.) For non-HDMI sources (anything from a Nintendo Wii to a VCR to a non-high-def cable box), you'll use the TV for video switching, and the HT-CT100 for audio.
The unit includes standard Dolby and DTS surround processing modes. For Blu-ray, it can accept uncompressed PCM soundtracks, but it won't decode Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, nor any DTS HD flavors. (The better Blu-ray players, such as Sony's own PS3, decode those soundtracks internally and output PCM anyway, so that's not going to be a big deal for most folks.)
After we had everything hooked up and ready to go, we couldn't get any sound out of the thing. The controls on the sub brought the HT-CT100 to life, but it didn't respond to the remote's commands. We changed the remote's batteries; still no luck, so we thought the remote was defective. Turned out our mistake was pointing the remote toward the subwoofer--the sensor is in the speaker. With that hurdle out of the way setup was easy, and the remote allows for adjustment of the speaker's center channel and subwoofer volume levels. The remote can also control Sony Bravia televisions.
The HT-CT100 strutted its stuff when we fired up the Blu-ray version of ZZ Top's Live From Texas disc. The band's sound filled the CNET listening room, so we could hear the hometown crowd was clearly having a great time, Billy Gibbon's trademark guitar thrash was in fine form, and Frank Beard's drums kicked pretty hard. Clearly, the Sony soundbar's gutsy sound was a force to be reckoned with. Surround ambiance was huge, extending well into the room. And when we stood up and walked around, the surround held up pretty well. That's not true with most single-speaker surround systems; their surround collapses back into the speaker for listeners not seated directly inline with the speaker.
We next popped on the Talladega Nights Blu-ray and pummeled the HT-CT100 with a full dose of pedal-to-the-metal NASCAR horsepower. Between that and the heavy metal score, we expected the HT-CT100 to cry uncle. But no, it sounded awesome! Dynamics and power were on par with some of the better budget priced 5.1-channel home-theater-in-a-box systems, and ahead of some far more expensive soundbar systems. The HT-CT100 didn't hold anything back when the cars smashed into the racetrack's retaining walls.
We did notice one important key to maximizing the surround effect: beyond the overall volume, you can control the subwoofer and center channel levels. The more you crank the center up, the narrower the soundfield became. In other words, keep the center channel level at the baseline "zero" setting or below for the most pronounced surround effects.
CD sound was also far better than average. The acoustic tunes on Cat Power's Jukebox CD were natural and clear, which was all the more impressive when we stopped to remember the speaker doesn't have any tweeters! The HT-CT100's refined sonics with the orchestral score to the movie Birth were again beyond what we've come to expect from soundbar systems. True, the score's big bass drums didn't have their full weight and impact, but the Sony's low bass oomph was respectable. Not quite the equal of much pricier soundbar/sub systems, but not at all bad. Stereo imaging stretched out beyond the edges of the speaker.
In the final analysis, we suspect that the Sony HT-CT100 may not have the gravitas to anchor a primary home theater--don't expect it to deliver the same pronounced surround effects you'll find on the Yamaha Digital Sound Projectors, which use a sophisticated beam system. But those systems cost two, three, or even four times as much. The Sony is certainly well-suited for smaller dens and bedrooms, and it easily trumps rival soundbar/subwoofer models, including the Boston Acoustics TVee Model Two, delivering better sound and more features than both for less money. As such, the HT-CT100 is an easy pick for the best sub-$300 soundbar/subwoofer system we've heard to date.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64out of 64 user reviews
Great sound for small rooms
Pros: Easy set up. Good bass. Bravia theatre sync.
Cons: Won't support high bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP).
out of 64 user reviews
Awesome sound for the size and price
Pros: Small sound bar which can be placed neatly under the TV or mounted on the wall/TV unit.
Cons: None at this time.
out of 64 user reviews
Great Product. Just to need set everything up properly.
Pros: Minimalist design. Great sounding straight out of the box. Super easy to set up !
Cons: There could always be more HDMI ports =) ! Great if they could provide a longer Optical Cable..
1.Low volume.
You need to set the source output volume first before you plug it into Sony. If your TV volume was set too low it will be low out to the Sony as well. My Sharp Aquos link even works with this Sony.. and it can get very loud.
2. BlueRay settings.
For the PS3 you need to go into the Video Settings and set your Audio to output BITSTREAM and not PCM. Once you do this correct you will see the DTS light up when you are playing the actual movie. You can also switch this on / off while watching the BD movie on PS3 by press
3. Surround not fantastic
Thats true, but its not completely flat. You cannot expect this to sound like a Yamaha YSP4000.
Overall a great upgrade for those looking to move up from TV speakers while on a budget.
out of 64 user reviews
Does not give enough sound
Pros: Easy set up.
Cons: Sound negligble. Had it turned up ALL the way, only a bit more than the regular tvs speakers. Wanted to improve the sound of the tv.
out of 64 user reviews
Best system Ever
Pros: Great Sound, very few wires!!
Cons: must know what your doing!!
out of 64 user reviews
Beware of this product
Pros: There is nothing good about it Sony Should be ashamed it ever marketed the HT-CT 100
Cons: Bravia Sync is non-functional. Converts Hi-Def signals to standard Def. Remote will only control the Audio Unit and no other components.
out of 64 user reviews
Big Sound For Small Room
Pros: The soundbar is so small and unobtrusive you barely notice it's there and the sound it delivers is great, like a decent stereo hooked up to your TV rather than a true surround system.
Cons: TV volume was low even at max and only after research did I realize you can use the supplied digital audio cord from the dvr/cable box to the TV rather than the proprietary demand from Sony that it go from TV to Subwoofer only.
out of 64 user reviews
Very good, but faux surround = no surround
Pros: Compact, powerful, lots of inputs uh ... good looking
Cons: Surround effect isn't really there, despite any other claims.
Set up was a breeze. Unboxing the unit took longer than setting it up. As a rule of thumb it pays to always have some extra hdmi cables on hand, and when you're buying what is essentially an av/receiver and speaker system in a box, this is doubly true. Bear in mind you'll need one hdmi cable per connected device, and one to connect the unit to your tv as well. Connected to my soundbar are a directv hr22-hddvr, ps3, and xbox 360. The 360 is the only device not connected via hdmi, as it's one of the archaic grandpa models with component-only connections. Running a single optical cable to the tv input bypasses the 360's glaring hdmi deficiency.
Once everything was plugged in I hit the power button and the system fired up. Total setup time, minus unboxing, was approx 5 minutes ... no joke. Navigating the menus on this thing isn't the most intuitive experience around. Actually scratch that, navigating the menus works fine, but the nomenclature on many menu selections are terribly vague. The various "sound modes", think of them as eq presets, all handle their respective source material fairly well i.e., the music setting handles music well, the movie setting movies etc. I find that standard is the best all around with the center channel at +3.
The quality of the sound output by this little wonder is pretty amazing. Highs sound pretty clear (again with minor center channel adjustment) and the lows come through nice and hearty with little distortion ... depending on source material. I'll just say this right out, while I'm deeply impressed with the overall sound quality of this sony soundbar, any claims of surround sound reproduction (simulated or otherwise) are patently false. The sound field is pretty well delineated between the three front channels. You'll hear people walking up from the left before they enter the on screen frame, and while this is a pretty convincing effect, there is still a soundless void behind you. Don't get me wrong, I love this system and would recommend it to anyone looking for a high quality sound solution for a small room at a great price. That said, if you're expecting the performance of a traditional 5.1 system, then buy a traditional 5.1 system ... or you'll be disappointed. Now that the gorilla, so to speak, has been addressed, let me get back to the praise. Just about everything I've watched/listened to on this system is amazing for both senses. Blu ray discs, dvds, video games, and other "pre-recorded" media fare the best by far. Check out the opening scenes of Star Trek (2009) and The Watchmen with the sound cranked to a comfortable level and you will be amazed. Bass is nice and rumbly without breaking up into nasty noise, even at higher levels. Dialogue and other high range sound effects sound clear and exhibit great directionality (again though only in the front channels, but exquisite nevertheless). Television seems to be the black sheep of the bunch in terms of audio quality, although this is most likely due the satellite source than any problem with the Sony. All things considered, when weighing the sound producing abilities of this unit and nothing else, I can't recommend it enough. If you're looking for an upgrade of a 2.1 setup or even just stepping up from the built in speakers the sony ht-ct100 will blow you away. Period.
Some other things you might want to think about. I have a sony bravia television, and the soundbar is also a sony ... you know what that means! That's right hdmi smart sync, or happy handshake, or whatever it's called works between both devices. What this means is when I turn on my tv, the soundbar turns on as well, and switches to the correct input. What can I say it's neat, and prevents me from adding yet another remote to an already crowded lineup (stupid bluetooth). I'd also like to state that the volume output of this thing is huge. 20 is about the limit for me, unless I don't care at all who I'm disturbing with my noise. Anything beyond that is getting into neighbors-pounding-on-my-door territory. Also, and this is something I should have mentioned earlier, the soundbar performs as well at low volumes as it does at the high end. So if you want to watch movie late at night while the kids, wife, or whoever is asleep, you can do it without sacrificing any fidelity. Good stuff.
Bottom line for me is that this system is too good to be passed up. I purchased this for a small bedroom set-up, which happens to be my primary entertainment center, and I couldn't be happier. The only complaint I have is that the ht-ct100 does exactly what it says it does. It doesn't do my laundry, cook me breakfast, or anything else. But you know what? It does exactly what it claims it can do, and it does it in a supremely capable fashion.
out of 64 user reviews
Piece of Garbage. Please don't waste your money.
Pros: It's great for listening to your iPod via optional bluetooth adapter.
Cons: Sony sync is unpredictable on my unit it favors the bluray player. Often when I change channels on my cable box the sync powers up the blutay. Sometimes it won't let me switch to the TV speakers. The surround effect is non-existent.
out of 64 user reviews
Great Product once you understand how to tune it.
Pros: Good price, simple set up, good sound.
Cons: None: Once you figure out how to set it up and use it. Manual is not helpful; trial and error is necessary.
out of 64 user reviews
Walmart online has these for $250
Pros: Yeah for the price it's not a bad system and walmart.com has them for $250 now.
Cons: Not sure yet but hoping these will last a while.
out of 64 user reviews
Great Soundbar, Excellent Price, Connectivity Galore
Pros: 3HDMI's, 3 Opticals, 1 RCA, 1 Sony DM, Quick set-up, Nice Highs and Deep enough lows.
Cons: Remote sensor is on the bar, but read out is on the sub.
I was first in the market for an ipod docking radio, then thought for $100 more I could pick up a low end HT system. I am so glad I went this route.
out of 64 user reviews
Wonderful minimalist system!
Pros: Design; versatility; simplicity
Cons: Time consuming audio tweaks from function to function
out of 64 user reviews
Amazing sound for small spaces
Pros: super solid sound. cool look, can place it right in front of tv.
more suitable for small rooms.
Cons: Did not find any, for the price.
out of 64 user reviews
Great product for a low price.
Pros: HDMI Connections make the set up very easy. I have a Sony Bravia Flat screen and the Bravia sync works as intended. Adjust automatically from 2.0 to 5.1 when HD movies/programs play or games on the xbox. Center speaker and sub woofer are adjustable.
Cons: No EQ and sound quallity is not consitent, volume is limited.
out of 64 user reviews
Just what I was looking for!
Pros: Love the ease of setup and the sound is AWESOME without having to run speakers and wires all over the room. Perfect for our needs because we are typically in front of the screen anyway.
Cons: Wish the menus were on screen.
out of 64 user reviews
Great System for the Price
Pros: 3 HDMI inputs, Dead Simple setup, Sounds Fantastic, DMPORT connection
Cons: Cord from Amp/Sub to soundbar is short and uses VGA type connection, Input from iPODs can sound poor via stereo line in. Connection names may not match your setup.
However, I found this great trick that works and sounds fantastic. I ditched the iDOCK and bought the Sony DMPORT Blue tooth receiver (TDM-BT1). I have a 2nd gen Touch, and I stream right from the iPOD to the receiver via Bluetooth. Any audio that plays on the iPOD will stream, including internet radio. The bonus is that the iPOD is then the music remote. This works and sounds fantastic!
Botom line, this sound system is a steal if you have a small room, get creative with the connections, and have a small budget.
out of 64 user reviews
Good system and does not require a lot of wires
Pros: No wires running all over the place
Cons: The system does not come with an HDMI cable, but no one seems to tell you this until you get home and realize it and then have to drive all the way back to the store to spend an additional $35.00 plus dollars for the cable
out of 64 user reviews
Sound level is horrible!
Pros: Has great HDMI capabilities.
Cons: Max sound level, depending on the source, is horrible.
out of 64 user reviews
Good Sound at a Good Price
Pros: Unobtrusive, clear sound, 3 hdmi in's, decently priced.
Cons: Menu requires the manual to understand, no on-screen display, remote must be pointed at the sound bar, sound quality not as rich as the top rated models.
The Sony provides clean sound that fills the space well. It provides some surround sound simulation, which is nice. The bass is more than I need in my condo. I keep the subwoofer set at -2 to 0; this provides some rich lower frequencies without transferring sound into the surrounding units. The sound bar provides much better sound than provided by my new Samsung LN52B750 TV. I hooked up my system (PS3, satellite, Xbox360) with HDMI cables.
The control menu visuals are on the subwoofer, not the TV screen so it's more difficult to read.
I think it's well worth the $247.99 that I paid. I recommend the Sony HT CT-100 sound bar for providing good sound in its price range.
out of 64 user reviews
cheap, easy to set up, but weak spoken dialogue volume
Pros: This soundbar is the probably the best I could get for $250. Soundtracks, music and effects sound pretty good -- especially when watching movies. Surround sound is decent for what you can expect to get at such a low price.
Cons: Volume issues with spoken dialogue, well documented by other reviewers. lip sync issues. Acts as receiver, but doesn't no Universal remote functionality except for Sony. A good speaker bar is still worse than a mediocre traditional surround system.
out of 64 user reviews
Great value for price
Pros: Great design and ideal for smaller rooms, the price and excellent sound.
Cons: not so easy set-up
out of 64 user reviews
Just not enough top end volume.
Pros: I love this unit, Price/performance can't be beat. Simple to install, and produces very good sound.
Cons: It doesn't have enough guts. The max volume is not loud enough. Particularly bad for DVD and some TV programs. If you have a large room, or are hard of hearing, you will not be happy with this product.
out of 64 user reviews
Great value, powerful little system
Pros: Very attractive looking, no wire clutter, sub doubles as a receiver, perfect for medium to small sized rooms, very inexpensive
Cons: Navigating menus is difficult, can't hide the sub because you need to be able to see the display, took some tweaking to get sound levels set up the way I wanted them
out of 64 user reviews
Mediocre at best
Pros: The 3 HDMI inputs and auto switching were a huge reason for this purchase.
Cons: The sound is no better than the simulated surround sound that many flat panel TV's offer as a built in feature. There is absolutely nothing remotely "surround" sounding about this system.
out of 64 user reviews
For the price this cant be beat.
Pros: Great sound, no wires, stylish and has thump that got the cops called on me twice!
Cons: Cant hookup your Zune or any other mp3 player with a extra fee. The 5.1 is nothing more than a gimmick imo.
out of 64 user reviews
Forget this if you want to use your head phone
Pros: Simple setup, ok sound, hdmi
Cons: You cannot use a headphone...no way
Volume is low
pictures/sound missing unless you power it on in sequence tv folowed by the amp
out of 64 user reviews
Great sound at a great price
Pros: 3 HDMI inputs, easy to set up, sounds great with movies and music, great price
Cons: Could use one more HDMI, but that might be a little picky.
out of 64 user reviews
great sound small package
Pros: has alot of inputs, works perfect with all my hd devices, 3 hdmi in 1 is amazeing for the price of this unit
Cons: for the the price i coudnt find any
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=15172017&postcount=745
out of 64 user reviews
Great but voice levels a little low
Pros: - HDMI Switch
- Few cables
- Nice sound
-Easy to Setup
Cons: - voice levels get drowned out a little
out of 64 user reviews
Blew away my expectaions
Pros: I can not believe the sound that comes out of this product. This is perfect alternative to a 5.1.
Cons: The remote is a little suspect...
out of 64 user reviews
Amazing Sound to Dollar Value
Pros: - Impressive overall volume level, without distortion
- Good, powerful bass
- Tons of connections; yay for HDMI's!
- Priced for value
Cons: - Not great for a larger room
- Not enough tweaking options; once in a while I can't get the voices to shine through over louder background music or noise on some shows
out of 64 user reviews
Unbeatable for the money.
Pros: P-R-I-C-E. If that's not enough its very easy to hook up, it looks great, I am running a HD cable box, Xbox 360, and i-pod through it and it sounds great. I bought it on sale at Best Buy for $269 and got them to sell me the i-pod hook up for $30.
Cons: Volume and not true surround sound. If you have a really really big room it may be to quiet and it does not have rear speakers but it also does not have rear speaker wires.
out of 64 user reviews
Great, inexpensive home theater system; I paid $255.
Pros: Inexpensive, easy to set up, does the job in a family room (18 X 24) and doesn't take up much space and string wires everywhere.
Cons: Has somewhat limited volume and you need to buy cables (up to 3 HDMI or 2 optical digital).
out of 64 user reviews
Excellent sound, no more wire clutter.
Pros: Easy to set up
Lokks great
Sounds superb
Cons: Paying $70 for the Sony Digital Media Port to play my iPod.
What stops me from giving it 5 stars is having to buy Sony's proprietary DM Port accessorie to play my iPod (retails for $129 but I found one on Ebay for $66) when some of Sony's surround sound packages come with it already.
If you have been thinking about buying one for a while don't worry you won't regret it.
Updated on Feb 6, 2009In reply to some of the negative posts. It's a $300 soundbar people! Of course it's not going to sound like Concorde going over your head, you get what you pay for.
out of 64 user reviews
A Sony, Sham Wow!
Pros: An excellent value. Conserves space where needed. Sound surpasses and accels to replace traditional so so sounding TV speakers (even HDTVs). When another Sony (i.e. a HDTV, Blue Ray, DVD, etc...) component is used, the Bravia Sync function useful.
Cons: Initial set up can be tricky and a bit confusing at first. SAT? Whats SAT function on this system mean? I think it means for satellite box OR cable box function(s). You see? HDMI cable(s) not included.
Updated on Jan 29, 2009Also, one more thing here. Buy the HDMI cables from the likes of monoprice.com. The service is fantastic and the cable prices aren't ridiculously expensive. Add to that, the quality is just as good as those rip off other cables.
out of 64 user reviews
Small package, impressive sound, modern connections
Pros: ·Plentiful and modern connections - better than any other soundbar:
Video ports: 3 HDMI inputs, 1 HDMI out (to TV)
Audio ports: 3 Optical, 1 Digital coax, 1 composite (RCA)
·Built-in receiver
·Large sound from a very small footprint
·Virtual 5.1
Cons: ·Optical in for TV supercedes composite audio in - which can be a problem if you watch OTA HD TV and have a device with antiquated connection (e.g. Wii or older laptop)
·Surround effect diminishes further away you site from unit
out of 64 user reviews
Big upgrade over TV Speaker. Surround effect minimal.
Pros: Relativeley low price. Lot's of HDMI connections. Good sound from bar and sub. Big upgrade of TV speaker
Cons: Surround effect is minimal. Subwoofer placement is limited and can be tricky depending on your setup. User manual is not great.
Updated on Jan 26, 2009Added a harmoney remote to my setup and it works great with the HTCT100. Still happy with the sound although surround effect is still minimal even with tweaking. I am not disappointed with my purchase and would recommend this to anyone looking for a big improvement over the TV speaker and an inexpensive way to control a few devices through one component.
out of 64 user reviews
Great sound for the size/money.
Pros: Great sound
3 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output with HD pass through video
Great sub woofer
Cons: Small for bigger rooms
Limited actual surround sound effect
out of 64 user reviews
question (rather than a review)
Pros: can't wait to receive it ~
Cons: availibility sucks (in Canada at least)
I am planning on hooking all my components (HDMI) to the receiver than 1 HDMI out to the TV (as recommended). However, one question comes to mind. Does the unit have to be always powered on to pass through video (only) signal? One scenario would be that I?d like to (sometimes) play a DVD for my 1 year old but use TV speakers only.
Can that be done with the setup described above?
Thanks in advance.
out of 64 user reviews
I wanted to like it
Pros: Good sound, small footprint.
Cons: The product caused the picture on my television to flash on and off. This occurred two to three times a week, It made watching the tv impossible while it occurred. It would settle down if I rebooted my cable box which takes approx 3 minutes.
out of 64 user reviews
good to replace your tv's speaker
Pros: wide range of usages and decent sound for the size
Cons: the remote control IR seems to fire down at a very acute angle. the closer you are to the unit the higher you have to point the remote control for it to work. for music, certain note resonate the speaker so bad i can detect with very low volume.
out of 64 user reviews
For the price, an awesome littele system!
Pros: Fantastic Price, punchy bass and crisp, clear mids and highs. Very easy set up too.
Cons: Bass won't wake up the neighbors, but for this price, that is expected.
out of 64 user reviews
Very nice, affordable product.
Pros: Simple install, price, sound, hdmi capability.
Cons: Need more flexibility with sound.
out of 64 user reviews
Excellent Value
Pros: Budget priced, clear sound, great for small room theater, excellent for controlling multiple devices that use HDMI (BD, DVD, Cable Box, Sat Box).
Cons: If your TV has a DVI connection, you cannot use an HDMI to DVI conversion cable to your TV.
My family have all been impressed with the little speaker bar. My brother's family came over to watch a college football game and were all impressed with the 5.1 sound of HDTV audio signal. You could hear the fans cheering, the band playing in the back ground and every little noise so clearly. Before the game, I played a digital recording of a Rush concert and the sound was awesome.
As mentioned, this system isn't going to compare with a $700 multi-speaker system or a Bose system. But for $200, I'm extremely happy with my purchase and my family is too!
out of 64 user reviews
I should have listened to the personal reviews (Argghh)
Pros: Lots Of Inputs, Good Bass, Nice looking Cabinet, Easy hookup and contrary to other reports, it can be very loud.
Cons: No High End Sound, Just lots of Bass and muddled Low Midrange. Forget surround sound. The Menu system is counter intuitive
My Panasonic 46" Plasma's internal speakers have much better sound than these speakers, the sound from the CT100 is muddled and low toned, you won't be hearing glass breaking or any high pitched sounds, just a low rumbling kind of audio. In order to get even half way decent sound I have to keep my TV speakers "ON" so I have some highs and then use the CT100 as basically a Subwoofer only.
Trust me on this one, anyone who says this thing sounds even reasonably good has never owned a real 5.1 speaker system or has never heard a good stereo system.
It's not that I am picking the CT100 apart based on comparisons with $1000+ systems, I am comparing it to straight sound coming out of my Plasma TV and I can also tell you that even in the Bass Category it does not compare to the Sound my old Sony 36" XBR Tube TV had. The XBR's internal subwoofer was on par with the CT100 and the treble was 10x better.
The Menu system on the CT100 is a real mess, but in the end that does not really matter much because you will rarely use it.
Using A Bluray Disk of Transformers I tested the different Audio setting on the CT100, I tried "Concert", "Movie", "Standard" etc. all these settings dont make any difference to the overall sound, it still sounded exactly the same no matter which setting I used.
There is no Bass or treble controls so your pretty much stuch with whatever sound the unit produces.
The Sub woofer is very nicely built, I have cranked it up ver high and it still has not buckled or distorted, so I can overall say that the Sub is very good, the LCD display etc is very nice and informative although most people won't ever be able to see it since there sub will most likely be hidden away. The inputs are numerous and very good, this may be the single most attractive part of the CT100.
My Advice:
If your Tone Deaf to the high end spectrum the CT100 will be great for you, everything above about 4 Khz is attenuated to almost zip. (The human voice goes up t0 about 3 KHz) so you get an idea that even a womens voice starts to sound a bit bassy on the CT100. If your willing to open the Speaker Bar and maybe replace some of the speakers with better quality speakers you may get much better sound, this is the option that I think I am going to go with because quit frankly I cant afford a Yamaha system so if I spend another $50 on the CT100 I may be able to get it to reproduce sound up to 10-12 KHZ which would make it ideal. Your best bet if you have not already bought these speakers is to just look else where! While the Price, the cabinet and everything else looks great, the sound will disappoint.
Updated on Dec 18, 2008So after 3 weeks of playing with this system I have some better news. What I have found is that if you can change the device you are using to PCM audio output you will get much better sound from the speakers, but if your device will only output 5.1 or AC3 sound you will be stuck with the flat sound and no highs.
For some really stupid reason the amplifier inside the subwoofer seems to decode 5.1 or Dolby sound and de-emphasize all the high notes while pumping up the Low Bass notes. When you input a PCM signal the signal processor in the Amp seems to be in a custom mode so you can change the sound using the Soundfield options and at least get a jist of treble from the speakers. Overall I would still say that these speakers are never going to be impressive just OK at best.
out of 64 user reviews
Good Value, Compact Package, Impactful Sound
Pros: Only 2 pieces produce good, full sound in my mid-sized, echo prone room
Cons: No cables (1 optic cord), No IPOD doc
I set up the CT100 in under 2 hours. At least half of the time was running to and from the store buying and exchanging HDMI cables of increasing length. At first I couldn't a TV picture or sound. I re-read the instructions. SAT isn't shorthand for SAT/Cable. SAT exclusively means satellite. The optic cord is all that's necessary for the TV signal (the instructions don't mention TV from Cable.). Once that hurdle was cleared. Everything worked fine.
The remote took some time to learn. It's OK, but not great. Looking at the subwoofer makes it hard to remember to point the remote at the sound bar. Intuitively I wanted to point the remote at the sub-woofer.
The sub-woofer produces big, booming, sharp, percussive bursts. They shake the walls and ceiling. My wife came tearing downstairs warning me to turn it down. That's cool. The sound bar produces good clear sound. The sound isn't separated enough to call it "surround", but it is much better than the sound produced by the TV.
I was able to find the CT-100 for under $200 (it was a "door buster" type of sale to kick off black friday 2008.). It is a great value.
out of 64 user reviews
No Volume - No Reason to purchase!!!!
Pros: None - The lack of volume defeats all other features in this unit.
Cons: Don't buy this unit unless you have the sharp hearing of an owl. This unit is a joke. I even went to the Sony Shop and the salesman complained about its lack of volume.
What a screaming joke - STAY AWAY FROM THIS UNIT IT STINKS
out of 64 user reviews
Great Soundbar System
Pros: Great sound, easy to set up, minimalist styling, low price.
Cons: Doesn't decode Dolby HD
out of 64 user reviews
Disappointing
Pros: Aesthetically pleasing, good sound quality, and simple set-up
Cons: Audio does not pass through receiver to television, a serious limitation when one must keep the volume low ..and no 3.5mm line in or line out, forcing the use of the Sony proprietary jack.
For instance, the speaker bar cord can only go in the downward direction (due the the way the backside is recessed and because speaker is flush mount to wall). This is a serious design flaw for those of us that need options to conceal cables.
out of 64 user reviews
I wanted to like this product, I really did.
Pros: super easy setup.
Cons: Very bad for videogames, Very little additional options.
out of 64 user reviews
Underwhelming sound quality
Pros: -Conveniant
-Svelte
-HDMI inputs
Cons: -Tinny sound
-Weak subwoofer
-Uneven sound, some thing worked relatively well, other movies were muddled.
-Don't even bother with music, the range is limited.
out of 64 user reviews
Great overall value & good sound
Pros: Easy setup, especially if connecting to other Sony components via Bravia sync. I did not want the small living room to be littered with wires, but also wanted small / discreet components. Small package, decent price, and very good sound.
Cons: None really - this is a small, compact home theater in a box NOT a 7.1 THX surround sound system. Sony did a nice job!
out of 64 user reviews
Small package. Amazing sound!
Pros: Amazing sound for the price. No extra clutter. It fits neatly under my 42" flat screen. Lot's of sound settings and features to choose from.
Cons: The only issue was I had to rearrange my PS3 and cable box to have enough wire to connect to the subwoofer box.
out of 64 user reviews
Nice looking
Pros: Save space and use less wire
Cons: Sub woofer is too large. Doesn't sound as good as I thought. Remote control mainly design for Bravia TV, only a few bottom for the HT-CT100. You have to press the remote control at least 7 time to get to the sleep timer.
out of 64 user reviews
Good sound, lacks features
Pros: I didn't want cables everywhere. This does it. The sound is clear. I suggest taking the bass to its lowest output at -6 and upping the treble to its highest at +6. Even at those levels, there is enough bass.
Cons: There is no headphone out jack, which means late-night movie watching is out. Just ask my neighbors or girlfriend. Other than no headphone jack, there isn't much wrong with this set-up -- especially considering the price.
out of 64 user reviews
GREAT SOUNDBAR!!!
Pros: GOOD SOUND, HDMI CONNECTIONS, SPACE SAVER AND GREAT VALUE.
Cons: VOLUME MAY NOT BE ENOUGH FOR SOME PEOPLE.
out of 64 user reviews
It's Going Back...
Pros: aesthetically and physically a perfect for my ht needs - sleek and well made.
Cons: extremely signal dependent. absolutely shines with some signals and provides all of the volume range you would ever require - but also fails miserably with far too many other signals while providing extremely weak volume even when set to max.
out of 64 user reviews
Great sound in such a small package
Pros: Smallest sound bar you can find. Great Sub Woofer for such a low cost.
Cons: Surround Sound effect is minimal, but expected.
out of 64 user reviews
Not Enough Volume
Pros: Connection Options, sound clarity
Cons: Volume is limited
I went to a Best Buy and had a rep set up a new ht-ct100 for me to test. With the manual in hand, and the ht-ct100 connected to a Blu Ray player, then out to a new Samsung HDTV, everything worked and sounded fine.
However, I could only get enough of a full bodied sound by turning the system to it's maximum volume level, and even then, it was not very loud. I triple checked the manual and the components. I also walked across the store and tried out the Yamaha YAS-70 and the Boston Acoustics Tee Vee system to see if these units could produce ample volume - they can, but their fidelity is not as crisp as the Zvox, Soundmatters or Yamaha YSP systems.
The bottom line is that this unit has limited, constricted volume levels. It's not that you need to play a system like this at a loud/high volume, but that you need to be able to produce a full sound at moderate volume and have a bit of capacity to spare.
The overall tonality and balance of the ht-ct100 is fine, but it still needs to produce a larger/fuller level of sound.
If I had to pick another product in this price range, I'd probably look at the soundmatters or Zvox systems. The Yamaha YAS-70 would be an option, too, but it is not as crisp as the other systems mentioned. The Tee Vee system does not sound that good, I would pass on that one, too.
out of 64 user reviews
Bang For Your Buck!!!
Pros: Powerful Sub , Attractive sound bar, excellent price, plethora of inputs! no receiver required, oval shaped speakers give more sound and use less space than circle speakers.
Cons: Wish there were more sound tweeking options
Highly recommend the purchase of this unit. If you have an HDTV without speakers yet and a HD source (PS3, bluray, xbox, sat box, upconverting dvd playr, etc.) get off your butt from your computer/or go to ********** and purchase this item! out of 64 user reviews
Great surround System
Pros: Very clear and crisp sound
Cons: No DVD...but who cares
out of 64 user reviews
Good, affordable system
Pros: Works with Xbox360
Cons: Maybe not so good for large rooms
I purchased the system because I live in a condo, needed something for my HDTV/Xbox 360, didn't want to spend a ton of cash, and my better half does not like wires and clutter.
The sound bar is small and powerful. The bass is impressive. Default settings are nice, and you get a pretty crisp range of sound considering the unobtrusive size of the unit. I set it up in five minutes and played with GTA IV, Halo 3 and a few movies. All sounded much better than they did off the HDTV's speakers.
It may not be true surround sound, but for a smaller place, this bar is an exceptionally solid value. And unless you're a huge audiophile, this system is a good value. You probably won't find a better system at this price that doesn't have a lot of wires.
out of 64 user reviews
Bye, Bye wire clutter! Bye , Bye good sound?
Pros: Three HDMI inputs , one HDMI output capable of 1080p. Extremley easy setup. No rear speakers to have to run cable for and no drilling.The price is seductive.
Cons: No speaker calibration tool to tweal the speakers to your particular room dimmensions. Surround effect is negligible.
