Review by J. Liou for Onkyo HT-S9100THX 7.1 Channel Receiver and Speaker Package
Rating:
Excellent sound quality for HTIB. Faithfully reproduces everything from music, to movies, to video games. Great surround sound accuracy/immersion. The speakers are well constructed and easy to set up… the Audyssey EQ microphone makes for quick calibration. I love the variety of inputs on the receiver… there’s also a great selection of decoders to choose from. Though I don’t use it, there is the capability to add a second Speaker group B to the receiver. You can output a different source to speaker group B, or use it for the rear surrounds.

Video upconversion quality is nice (if you are using the HDMI output for your HDTV). The picture from my DVR box seems to have improved since running it through the stereo. There are probably many more PROS that I will find as I use this system over the years. I plan on upgrading the front speakers one day, and I think this receiver can handle them.

WARNING! THe shipping box is HUGE… probably 5′x3′x3′!! FedEx sent over TWO guys to help bring this up the stairs to my apt.

Buy your own speaker wires: Onkyo’s included speaker wires are very cheap.

Also, the sound settings need to be tweaked even after running the microphone set-up utility. I had to turn up the subwoofer and the front L-R speakers. I also slightly adjusted the EQ for a fuller low range and a boosted treble. The “THX” setting on the subwoofer is not nearly powerful enough… I have it dialed up about 20% past that level. This could be due to the carpeting on my floors.

The system is not as loud as 1200w implies. You may need to turn up the gain from your sources. Thankfully, the receiver makes that very easy, and you can set different gain levels for each input. I must say though, it is more than loud enough for my 1400sq/ft apt. Even at -20db, I have plenty of volume for movies with LOTS more headroom to go.

For the last 4 years, I’ve been using a mediocre $400 HTIB and have waited for a good product to upgrade. I chose this setup for numerous reasons: 1) Speaker drivers are large, which is necessary for producing accurate low-mids. It would not have been worth the money to get another HTIB with small 3″ speakers. Even the surrounds are bigger than my old mains! 2) The included receiver is loaded with features equivalent to $700 receivers on the market right now. With its 1080i upconversion and TrueHD/DTS-HS decoding capabilities, this investment won’t be obsolete for YEARS to come.

Overall, I spent more than $1100 including the ONKYO9100, Belkin 16 gauge speaker cable, Vantage Point SATS05B satellite mounts, and Lovan Affiniti 29″ Speaker Stands. Do not go cheap on the accessories… you may as well buy a lesser HTIB if you’re going cheap on the other stuff. I am running it with a 52″ Philips 1080p LCD, PS3, Blu-Ray, and TWC DVR and couldn’t be happier with my home entertainment system.

Review by J. V. Gussev for Onkyo HT-S9100THX 7.1 Channel Receiver and Speaker Package
Rating:
I recently added this product to my living room for my Sony 52XBR5 and PS3. I must say, after setting everything up, which did take quite a bit of time, I am stunned at the level of performance. I purchased this product for $750 and there is absolutely nothing I can say that could give this HTIB justice. Runs DTS-MA and TrueHD with ease through the PS3 w/ the use of an HDMI cable. Plenty of connectivity options w/ 4 HDMI-in so my PS3, Xbox Elite, DirecTV, and Wii and easily connected. I will work on getting a few pictures. I did however have to purchase 3 sets of stands (AS240B) for the speakers being that I did not want to wall mount. Sound is clear, crisp, distinguished, and mesmerizing; just as long as you know what you are doing during set-up. Compared to any other 2k-5k surround sound systems, this is clearly the best option.

To sum up my thoughts and experience with the product: Simply Amazing!