Onkyo HTS6100

This isn’t your average Home-Theater-in-a-Box (HTiB) system. It is more like you sent the neighborhood audiophile to the stereo store with your wallet to hand-pick a crème de la crème system. Especially since most true audiophiles would break out in hives at the mere thought of owning an HTiB, this is as good as it gets for a prepackaged system—especially when it comes to the well-featured A/V receiver.

Standout Features

• 7.1 Channels (1,200 watts total)
• Outstanding A/V Receiver
• 4 HDMI (1.3) Inputs
• Audyssey 2EQ™ Automatic Speaker Calibration
• iPod® Dock

Features

Receiver – The receiver is one you’d be more apt to find on a store shelf being sold solo than in an HTiB setup. Because the HTS6100’s A/V receiver is more advanced than virtually all its competitors, upgrading your speakers in the future or adding a plethora of additional components is no sweat. Upgrading and add-ons can be problematic for some one-size-fits-all A/V receivers so this is a great relief and will provide piece of mind.

Remote Control – No need to purchase an “universal remote” since the Onkyo remote control can be programmed to mastermind your entire system—including your Blu-Ray, HDTV, set-top box, iPod, and other hardware.

Upscaling – Faroudja DCDi Edge™ powers the 1080i upscaling to bring out the best in both HD and SD video content.

Speakers – Power and clean sound bellows from every direction via the high-gloss shine of all eight speakers. The 1,200 watts are divvied up by sending 130 watts to each of the seven speakers and a whopping 290 watts to the subwoofer.

Video – The Faroudja DCDi Cinema™ video processor drastically reduces video noise without sacrificing the image sharpness and quality you’ve come to expect from HD media. DCDi has the capability to upscale incoming sources to 1080p for output to your HDTV.

Set Up/Install – With four HDMI inputs you can hook up any HD piece of equipment you’ve got in your arsenal. Set up is first-timer friendly with color-coordinated hookups.

Equalizer – The receiver uses Audyssey 2EQ to counter distortion created by furniture, walls, and other objects in your home theater Mecca. This incredible technology detects the distance your speakers are from your receiver and then sets levels, delays, and crossovers—all the while measuring room acoustics.

Summary of Reviews

The expert reviewers were most impressed with the A/V receiver’s quality and feature set noting that Onkyo is known for stuffing top-shelf units into their HTiB systems.

Users liked the price-for-product ratio and felt the HTS6100 was an impressive piece of machinery for the price tag. Some users wondered why Onkyo didn’t splurge on some better quality speaker wire when everything else seemed to be so well put together.

Summary

One possible drawback to this system is that Onkyo tends to include larger-than-life speakers in their HTiB system (14 inches tall for surround speakers and nearly 20 inches tall for subwoofer). This means you’ll need to find enough real state in your home to install seven speakers plus the subwoofer. If you live in a small house or apartment, you might find yourself weighing the pros and cons or needing a couch or loveseat to make way for speaker city. If you can find room for the dimension-heavy speakers, it will be well-worth the sounds you’ll hear and feel.