dalesky's Full Review: Sony HT-CT100 Theater System
Having recently purchased a new big screen TV, I found the sound lacking that mid and lower end punch needed for realistic viewing experiences. I feel that sound is at least 40 percent of the total package when watching TV or movies. I also wanted equipment that was reasonably priced, well made and designed, and unobtrusive.
The new TV is located in my living room, which is part of my eating area and kitchen. This area is not intended to be the best place in my house to watch movies. I have a separate room upstairs, with full surround sound, including 2 subs for room-shaking effects when needed. Yet, I need good sound wherever I am in my house, so as I mentioned already, I needed to go shopping for a sound system.
The possibilities for me were limited to something that would be as invisible as possible, and would allow me to avoid wiring issues as much as possible. I did not want real surround sound, with 5 speakers and a sub woofer. Also, having spent a considerable amount on the TV itself, plus the credenza to put it on, my budget was pretty small.
I had heard of, and seen some sound bar speaker systems. I knew they were at best 3.1 capable, meaning discrete speakers for center, right and left, plus bass. A sound bar incorporates the '3' part of this system in one enclosure. Some also include amplifiers, DVD players and even radios within the bar itself.
I went to 3 places to audition sound bars, with Wal-Mart being the best one. Here's why-- at Wal-Mart their display area for sound bar systems included a set up that closely approximated an actual home setting. I was able to tweak the system, increase and decrease the volume, and listen to various types of input, from classical music to games. Perfect for what I wanted. Also, being Wal-Mart they stopped short of displaying or selling any system that was out of my budget range. Costco and Best Buy both had more to choose from, but their listening areas were not as good. Only Best Buy had the Sony setup by the way.
By being able to hear the system with various sources I felt that it would suit my needs nicely. I brought one home, in a very large box I might add. The actual sound bar is small, and the sub woofer is fairly tall and narrow, but the box was a very big rectangle. In any event, getting it in the car was more difficult than I would have liked. I managed to get it in the back seat of a two door convertible.
I also needed to get some HDMI cables to hook it up, which is not a cheap proposition any more. Seems that every merchant that sells them has realized that they can ask close to $50 for short cables, up to near $100 for long ones, or for the more 'prestiguous' brands. The reason I diverge here on cables is that my research has shown that basically ANY HDMI cable is adequate for use in any home theater. There is no reason to pay any more than you have to. Check out Amazon or monoprice.com. Also, read some reviews at Amazon or cnet.com for more info about cables. Save your money for movies or pizzas, not HDMI cables. Seriously, they can be cheap online. They will NOT be cheap locally, even at Home Depot, where they used to be fairly priced, or at KMart.
Once I had the cables, I took another quick look at the connection diagrams in the manual and went to work. I have an upconverting DVD player, an HD DirecTv DVR and an LCD TV. The Sony Home Theater system allows you to connect everything through it, and it becomes a switching center of sorts. I needed two HDMI cables for this part of the job. I used 12 foot cables to give me flexibility to easily move the sub around.
In other words, each HDMI connected component is cabled directly to the sub woofer. The speaker bar is connected to the sub woofer with a cable much like the one used on a computer monitor. In other words it is a multi-pin connector. I didn't take a close look but I suspect that you could use any computer monitor cable if you need more length. It is fairly short, but as I'll explain, that is OK for my installation.
With a 3rd HDMI cable I connected the sub woofer output to my TV's input. Seemed a bit odd, but that's what the manual said to do. I plugged in the sub woofer to the AC outlet, loaded the batteries in the remote, and pushed the on button for my TV, DVR and the home theater system.
My TV found the source it needed, the Sony system showed on its display that I was hooked up to a satellite receiver, and everything came to life nicely! I went to a recorded HD movie on the DVR and when it started, the display on the sub showed 5.1 sound was available. This speaker system will process DTS, 2 channel, 5.1 sound and more. All automatically if everything is hooked up via HDMI cables.
I lost the sound through my TV speakers completely. Everything was going through the new Sony system now. Made no difference if I muted the TV, or chose to turn off the TV speakers. It is designed to do this, and I prefer it now.
I was able to place the sound bar directly behind the TV screen, which is out of the way visually, yet still good for the system remote to "see" it. Yes, the remote works via an infrared sensor in the sound bar, not one in the sub woofer/amplifier. That actually is the best location, given that the sub will be on the floor, and can be hidden if necessary. Reminder-- if you are going to hide the sub be sure to buy HDMI cables that are long enough for your needs.
There are a lot of adjustments that can be made on this unit, including the center channel level and the sub level. Every location is different, so I won't try to describe how I use it. One very useful feature is a number of preset levels, or soundfields. These are labeled 'movie' or 'sports', etc. By trying them out you will determine which is to your liking.
My listening room is fairly open, with high ceilings, and a large archway to another large room. Even in this less than ideal room the volume is more than adequate. Sony sets a fairly low maximum level, at least using the standard of my larger system upstairs. If you want tight bass though, this system will deliver. I have tried out a couple of DVDs with great sound, and have not been disappointed. You will not get wrap around sound of course, but you knew that going in, right? This is a 3.1 system, with no back channels. It will not process signals in such a way as to try to fool you into thinking that you have back channels. I think that is a good thing. What you do get is clear accurate sound, with no distortion, even at high volume levels.
I had mixed results trying to program other remotes to control this new component. I am now using one remote for both the TV/DVR, and one for this unit. I would love to be able to use 1 remote, but maybe later for that!
I am now looking into a switcher device that would allow me to choose whether or not my TV went through the Sony system or just used the TV's speakers and went from the DVR to the TV. I don't always like the enhanced sound of this system for some TV programs.
Here are the specs on this unit as described by Sony: 250 Watts (RMS) (50W x 3 + subwoofer 100W)1080p HDMI Active Intelligence - (3 in/1 out)Digital Cinema Auto CalibrationS-Force PRO Front Surround SoundHDMI RepeaterDigital Media port for MP3 playersDesigned to work with Sony Bravia systemsHDMI™ Active Intelligence (3in/1out) The HT-CT100 can detect and receive the best possible video and audio signals from all connected devices–making connection and performance as simple as plugging in a single wire. Sony®’s HDMI™ Active Intelligence, transmits both audio and video signals through one HDMI™ cable. LPCM Playback LPCM is a method of encoding audio information digitally which can have up to 8 channels of uncompressed audio. This wider bandwidth allows for high resolution audio which is closer to the original.
BRAVIA® Sync As a leader in products with HDMI™ connectivity, Sony has created BRAVIA® Sync to go beyond simple audio and video transmission. When combined with a select number of BRAVIA® televisions and other Sony audio and video products, control functions will be transmitted via the HDMI™ cable. With “One Touch Play,” operations that took several steps have been reduced to one. Press the PLAY button on the remote, watch the audio and/or the video component(s) turn on then the BRAVIA® television turn on and switch to the correct video input. Portable Audio Enhancer A powerful Digital Signal Processor expands the quality of sound from any connected device. DIGITAL MEDIA PORT The demand for digital audio and video content continues to be strong. Sony®’s DIGITAL MEDIA PORT (DMP) interface is a proprietary interface that adds networking and connectivity options to your home theater system. Just connect optional accessories (sold separately) which provide the ability to control and power devices while making set up easy and operation simple to use. The DMP will be compatible with various accessories which will include a PC Client ready device, Bluetooth® adapter and Audio Docking stations compatible with select Network Walkman™ and iPod® products. Regardless of where you store your music.
Overall, and everything being considered, this is a very pleasing way to get a psuedo home theater experience with minimal expense and wiring. For watching sports and most TV shows I find the sound to be a LARGE improvement over the Television's built-in speakers. In terms of bass, there is no comparison. I am very pleased with this purchase.
UPDATE 1 week later--
I wanted to get my TV sound back, through the TV's speakers. I decided to hook up my DVR with a second connection in addition to the HDMI one I used for this home theater. I used what is called component audio and video connections. This consists of 5 cables- 3 for video and 2 for audio, from the Directv DVR to the television's component input jacks. Worked like a charm! Now, when I just want to use the TV's speakers and not the home theater setup I turn on the TV and DVR, select the input 2, component input, and I have my sound control back on the TV itself. Just wanted to pass along this alternate method of NOT using the home theater I described in such detail! Go figure!
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