Great entry level way into the Digitial World
Written: Jun 16 '00 (Updated Jun 24 '00)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Price, Center Speaker, Watt/Channel
Cons: SubWoofer, Remote
|
|
|
| rtange's Full Review: Aiwa HT-D390 Home Theater |
So you are tempted by Digital Dolby? Well if you enjoy high fidelity sound with good picture quality, then you should be. So will this little Aiwa system be the answer to your technolust? Well maybe... Hate to be wishy washy but let me break it down for you.
Cost. For all the pieces, this sucker can be considered a bargain at a paltry $300 at Best Buy. The speakers alone could have cost nearly that much. I was infact about to buy some Sony Speakers with the same Watts and Specs for the same price when I saw these. I already have a Prologic receiver, but 5.1 surround sound came a calling. Anyway, the price is great for what you get.
Ease of setup. It took me about 1 hour to get it all working together. The manual isn't fantastic, but it does a good enough job. It will give you a poster which has good basic instructions. You do have to cut your own speaker wiring, as it only gives you one long piece. But this is to your advantantage as you can customize lengths.
Quality. Well, while 75 watts per channel is certainly respectable, this smallish speakers produced only decent sound. The subwoofer isn't bad, but don't look for your room to shake. I think that the center speaker works well, which is arguably the most important piece. If you crank it loud enough, it sounds pretty good but not great. If you already have good speakers, consider using those.
The Remote. This is perhaps the worse part of the machine. I understand that Aiwa is owned by Sony, so I assumed that the remote would be compatible with my DVD player and CD player, but no dice. Many remotes will let you program the remote, but none of that here. So you might want to get a universal remote if you don't like technical clutter around your living space.
The Verdict. I am happy with it. I love the Digital Dolby and the 5.1 Surround Sound. It really only makes sense to get this system if you have a DVD player or digital cable, as this is where you will benefit from these technologies. And for the price you might even have some left over for a DVD player. I have decided to use my floor speakers, which work well with the system.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
rtange
|
|
Member: Rick Tange
Reviews written: 50
Trusted by: 13 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.