Onkyo SKS-HT740

Onkyo speakers are usually boxy and blandly styled--look at the 7.1-channel Onkyo SKS-HT540, for instance. That's why we were surprised to see that the SKS-HT740's are attractively curved, thin-profile designs, set off with high-gloss end caps and tasteful black cloth grilles. This system includes seven identical speakers that deliver a smoother surround imaging than the differently sized front, center, and surround speakers found in the HT540 package. They're 13.4 x 6.3 x 3.6 inches (HWD); the center channel speaker is identical to the others but is intended to be placed horizontally rather than vertically. It can be set in its cradle-stand, or like the others, wall mounted via keyhole slots. Since they're less than 4 inches deep, the speakers will look right at home next to a flat-panel TV. The speakers feature a pair of 3.1-inch woofers flanking a 1-inch dome tweeter. The spring clip speaker wire connectors accept stripped, bare wires.

The subwoofer's medium-density fiberboard cabinet feels nice and solid. (It is, in fact, the same sub that's packaged with the HT540 system.) It has a front-mounted 10-inch woofer powered with a 230-watt amplifier. The sub's port is located up front, just under the woofer, so the bass won't be unduly affected by corner placement. The rear panel houses a single RCA line-level input and a volume control. The 18.6 x 10.75 x 16.8 inches (HWD) sub is finished, wood-grain black vinyl with a black cloth grille. It weighs 25.4 pounds.

To test the SKS-HT740's ability to get down and boogie, we spun James Brown's Live from Montreux 1981 DVD. The Onkyo's steadfast lock on the jazz, funk, big band, and soul grooves never faltered, and the sub's definition was flab-free. The brass instruments' clear articulation was free of harshness. Brown's grunts and screams punctuated the music with a power that belies the speakers' wee dimensions. The seven satellites produced a seamless surround, effectively placing us inside the enthusiastic crowd.