Rs 49,900
Specs: 5.1 channel surround; Sub-woofer; 1000 W RMS sound;HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi; 3D, Blu-ray player.
The latest from Samsung to come to our test room was theirnew 3D-ready surround sound system called the D5550. This one is not like theregular stuff peddled by some companies. The D5550 is built for the seriousmovie enthusiast-it delivers the best surround sound, almost cinematic in itsreach.
This 5.1 surround setup is hearty enough to shatter windowsif not blow the roof off the room. Lookwise, there is nothing that makes yousay, "Wow!" Glossy panels adorn the speakers and the BD player. The woofer isslim (and so easy to store). However, due to its tallboy speakers, this setupis best for large halls. One really cannot set it up in small rooms. The soundis bombastic. The highs and lows are very audible and the surround works reallywell. On the picture front you really cannot ask for more. The Blu-ray playerimpresses and, well, 3D is just good 3D.The D5550 also has Wi-Fi so you can quickly connect to theInternet if you want. Once done, enjoy and stream content over Wi-Fi. It canplay back media from a single slot optical drive or the USB port on the player.All the popular ports like component, composite and HDMI are present forconnectivity to LCDs and CRT televisions alike. Together, the speakers canproduce 1000 watts RMS. The power consumption is low too. Overall this HTS hasgot the sounds to rock anybody's world.
Rs 70,990
Specs: 5.1 channel surround sound; 800W RMS sound; CD, DVDsupport; Dolby Digital HD; Full HD resolution.
This is a super small yet extremely gifted HTS from Philipshas lots going for it. If we look at the design, it is very futuristic. Thequality of the metal and other materials is excellent. Being small, thesespeakers can be accommodated in all room types. They do not take up much spaceand the sub woofer isn't all that big either. This too is a 5.1 channel systemthat can produce 800 watts RMS sound.
Now to the fun part. The sound is out of this world. Givefull marks to Philips on coming up with such great speakers. The idea behindthis envious technology is the 360 degree sound, which we have seen in the pastfrom some other makers like Bose. The speakers have both front firing and sidefiring speakers, which produce better sound waves and also are clearer.Surround sound is really nice and you can hear a plane fly by, a bullet rushpast your ears or crazy toons jump around you.
The 9520 supports Full HD resolution and can play CD and DVDmedia, upscaled to 1080p resolution. Other features include FM radio, USBsupport and Wi-fi for wireless streaming. The picture quality is quite nice andcrisp. There are no hard edges visible on screen. But above all we definitelyrecommend it for audio use. Movies and music at home will be a betterexperience with this one.
Harman Kardon has launched a new range of home-theatresystems. We reviewed the 5.1 channel system BDS 700 that can play Blu-raydiscs. The system consists of four small side-sound speakers, one front middlespeaker and a subwoofer. These look very nice and can easily be placed aroundthe room. Together they are quite loud and impresses with its thumpy bass. Itis perfect for small-to-large rooms and halls.
Setting up the HTS did not take too much of time and wequickly had it going. Packed with the latest features that a basic user willneed, the BDS 700 comes prepared for a lot of tasks. It plays MP3s, DVDs andBDs. It also has USB to play back popular media files from a pendrive. Itsupports Full HD resolution and HD television sets. The picture quality arecrisp, bereft of ghosting. The images are natural and avoid the cakeyappearance of some HTSes. The BDS 700 has HDMI, composite and component portsfor connectivity with most devices. For discreet use, the system also has aheadphone jack.
Plug in your favourite headphone and enjoy music withoutdisturbing others. The BDS 700 speakers are compact, like Bose systems, yet arepowerful for a lifelike movie, gaming and music experience.
Maybe the companies have decided to price their home-theatresystems similarly. This one from Sony, despite 3D capabilities, still comes ata sub-40K price tag. The design is pleasing in the black and grey combo, andone cannot but fall in love with it. As for the audio, the BDV 980 comes withspeakers that are exceptional, whether it is movies or music. The ouptut of1000W RMS makes these speakers right for large rooms. The supplied Blurayplayer also has USB functionality to play media from external USB sources. Itis wireless ready, which means you need to add a wireless adaptor for you toenjoy media over a wireless network. We had great fun watching movies andtesting out its 3D capabilities.
You do need a 3D-ready thin picture tube with it, but thatis required with about every 3D home cinema system around. Ports include thepopular HDMI, composite and component, which are sufficient to start with. Youcan connect it to any HD TV with ease and it will display great images on it.You can be sure the image will complement the excellent audio. This is a greatHTS for the audiophile in you.
Rs 39,990
Specs: 5.2 channel speakers; 2 sub woofers; USB, HDMI; 800 WRMS sound; Sound equaliser.
If you are just looking for excellent music experience, thenLG has something that ends the search. Its AR 805STS has an array of speakersthat can be put all around the room to send sound waves that are good formusic, movies and games. Unlike the usual 5.1 channel system, this LG set-upone consists of 5.2 channels, which means it has two sub-woofers.
While we admit the 805STS consists of a bulky set ofspeakers, they do look quite nice. They give a powerful feel and they certainlyperform. Together these big boys can produce a sound output of 800W RMS. Theaudio is good-but do not crank the volume to full, otherwise you will hear abit of cackle. Keep the volume to around 80 per cent and you will be inharmonics heaven. The 805STS also has an AV receiver that has both HDMI inputand output. You can easily connect it to HD ready DVD players or BD players.The receiver is also compatible with most media players and an stream musicfrom them as well.
Another feature is USB playback-connect a USB drive and playthe latest formats like MP3, JPEG, WMA and more. It also has equalisationoptions to enhance the audio quality according the genre of music you arelistening to and according to your preference. Ultimately, this is a greatproduct with good audio, maybe except for the price.
PAR EXCELLENCE
($4,000)
Bang & Olufsen is known for its beautifully designed andfinished products. The BeoSound 9000 amazes with its artistic form and sound.It comes in two appealing colours: aluminium and black. It holds six discs thatcan play and can be hung on the wall horizontally or vertically.
The Bowers & Wilkins CM8 should leave no onedissatisfied. It is a tall column and produces the sort of sound that says inno uncertain terms, "No compromise". Sleek and in wood quality in white andblack, the system comes with two cones and an aluminium dome tweeter.
(Rs 36,000)
Onkyo's 5.1 channel system, SKS-HT728, immediately lifts theaudio to celestial levels. It comprise a pair of tallboy front speakers with atwo-way centre, two full-range surround speakers and a 290 watt subwoofer. thiscombo delivers the best of all the high, mid and low frequency tones.
