Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 56
 Amazing Entry Level System June 5, 2009
John Tisza
52 out of 53 found this review helpful
OK, first off, every previous reviewer did not research before buying the unit. "HDMI pass-through means" that the HDMI only produces video, not sound. Therefore, this system (if you are using HDMI) will transfer the video through an HDMI cable and the audio through a separate optical or coaxial cable.
That being said, the unit works flawlessly. I have used it for about 3 weeks and it is everything i expected. The speakers are a piano black, which match my Samsung DLP perfectly.
Set-up was very easy, though you may consider changing the included speaker wire (especially considering that the speaker wire for the rear speakers won't even reach). Another plus of the set-up was that the menu for the receiver is on the receiver's lcd itself, not shown on the tv.
If you are planning on using HDMI, and don't mind using optical or coax audio, this system can't be beat.
Great system October 20, 2009
D. Webb (Waterford, WI)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
After thorough research on the subject I decided to go with Onkyo. It was difficult to decide between models, but I decided to take a chance and get the budget model. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. The receiver and speakers are substantial, and the sound is very good. I expected that the speakers would be fine for tv use, but not for listening to music. When compared to my large Klipsch speakers they actually hold up quite well. One of the reasons that I wanted a receiver rather than a basic home theater in a box was that I could hook up a second set of speakers. While you cannot play different sources through A and B speakers, you can run them both at the same time on the same source, or switch between the sets. Since the sound quality of the Onkyo is so good, I find that I pretty much use them for all sources, including music. While not quite as good as the Klipsch speakers, they sound suprisingly full for the size and price. One downside is that you must run separate audio and video cables to the receiver, since the HDMI ports are pass through only, but I don't find this to be a big deal. I run an HDMI cable from my cable box directly to the tv, and an optical cable from the box to the receiver. That way I can use the tv with built in speakers if I don't want the receiver on, and I can use the receiver for bigger sound. If sending the video signal through the receiver via hdmi, I believe you need to always have the receiver on to run the tv. This way I avoid the problem, and the passthrough issue is not a factor. I only have a few minor issues. First, when playing music through the PS3 I cannot get the B speakers to work. I'm guessing it's because the system is viewing this as a video source rather than audio. Maybe I just haven't found the right setting. The B speakers work for radio and the ipod input just fine. I also find the manual a bit weak on explaining the different audio settings. There are many different settings such as surround, dolby, dts, etc and it's difficult to know which to choose. Those minor issues aside, I think this is a great system. I use the system with a 52 inch lcd tv in a large great room (26'X18'X18'high), and the sound is great. I personally wouldn't see a need to go to a more expensive system.
Sweet sound October 11, 2009
Stephen Chan (Seattle, WA)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
Bought this system from NewEgg, so hopefully my comments still apply.
Positives:
- Sounds beautiful
- Easy setup. The receiver, speakers and the entire wires are all color coded. No thinking involved at all, just match them up.
- Intuitive menus and controls. Simple to adjust the amount of bass, and switch between surround sound and music modes. All the functionality is accessible from the buttons on the receiver and the remote control.
- Large one line display is clear and can be read from afar.
- Receiver supports 7.1 if you ever want to get more speakers.
Negatives:
- Most connections are useless. HDMI passthrough defeats the purpose of making the Onkyo receiver the main hub of cables. Instead, I hook up all my systems to my TV using HDMI cables, and run one optical audio cable from my TV output to the receiver.
- Cables are short. Specs from the manual are: 11 ft (front), 10 ft (center), 13 ft(subwoofer), 26 ft(surround)
- Cables are very brightly colored. Its a little weird having bright red, blue, purple and green wires running all over the room.
All the shortfalls can be rectified by getting your own cables and wires. The rest of the system works perfectly and sounds great.
Great value!!! January 14, 2010
D. Moss (Pacifica, CA USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Wow.
This system sounds great! When you get right down to it this is, after all, a SOUND SYSTEM and sound quality should be (IMHO) your first consideration. That is quite a challenge, I know, because I went around town to a half dozen retailers to listen to HTIBs and none of them had systems hooked up properly, if at all - sometimes only one or two of five speakers. So many of these things operate fully only with their remote controls, yet only one store had remotes available. I almost gave up in despair. One store had Onkyo; only one of the front speakers working, but I thought I could detect that it had a possibility of sounding good with proper support (the rest of the speaker package). So I took a chance and trusted the many reviews I had read - both expert and users - universally praising Onkyo's unsurpassed sound quality. I am so glad I did.
Amazon got this to me in two days - before my digital audio cables arrived. So all I could do the first day was listen to CDs and my IPod. Music sounded very, very good. One reason I chose the Onkyo route was that their receivers (you get an honest-to-goodness receiver) allow for a second stereo speaker setup ("Speaker B"), but these new speakers sound just as good as my old stereo! Don't get me wrong; the sound cannot be described as "breathtaking". I have friends who have invested as much in their Monster cables and speaker wires alone as this whole system costs ($299 on sale). But overall, the sound here is very, very good.
Digital audio cables came the next day, and I will only say that if you haven't had theater surround sound before (as I had not), it's worth it. Not quite as earth-shattering as getting your big screen HD TV, but it certainly completes the package. There's a reason all the rest of your gear has digital audio outputs. We were grinning ear to ear watching our first movie.
A word or two about a few of the choices Onkyo made in designing this system. Much has been made in some user reviews about "HDMI pass through". Yes, this requires a couple of digital audio cables. If this means you have to jump in the car, drive to the mall, and lay out $30 each (plus tax) at Big Box, you just might feel a little disgruntled. But buy what you need online; both my cables - one coaxial and one optical - set me back $7.72 with shipping, combined. And yes, "HDMI pass through" is the cheap way to manufacture; that's why they did it... "and pass the savings on to YOU!"
There is no nifty little setup mic to measure the relative sound of the different channels from your listening position. No, you make those measurements with your trusty old tape measure and log them in. Not sexy, but the same result... and once again, a money saver.
And of course, there is no DVD player included here. Most any DVD player of the past several years has digital output (generally coaxial). I was surprised to learn that mine did! Most of the other systems in this sub-$500 price range lure you with an upscaling DVD player - sometimes even with a 5-disc changer. Nice... but that's just money taken away from the sound quality. An upscaling DVD player can be had for $50, and then there's Blu-Ray...
All this adds up to a system that, to my mind, places its emphasis where it ought to be - the sound.
By the way, I found setup to be quite easy and straightforward - which surprised me after reading some reviews. Nevertheless, my maiden voyage produced no sound from the front speakers. This threw me for a loop, as I concluded that this was, indeed, hopelessly complex. A little troubleshooting revealed, however, that BOTH supplied, color-coded speaker wires were defective. What are the odds? Happily, I had some 16 gauge wire lying around, so in no time at all I found myself up and running. Now there is no looking back.
excellent low-cost home AV system February 23, 2010
Terry R. Nye (Kingsport, TN)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I have a very high-end home AV system in my living room. I wanted something inexpensive to use in our bedroom so my wife and I could watch movies while lying in bed. The Onkyo HT-S3200 home AV system is exactly what I was looking for.
Onkyo packs a lot of features and quality into such a low-cost system. The product specifications speak for themselves, so I won't post them here. This is not an audiophile system, so I would not compare it with one. That being said, this system provides a lot of features and very good sound for so little money spent.
The 110 watt per channel receiver has ample power to fill a bedroom or average-sized living room with sound. The subwoofer provides very good bass and compliments the smaller satellite speakers very well. The satellite speaker enclosures are plastic, but there is no rattle from these speakers even at high volume, and they provide very acceptable clarity. I used the included speaker wire for this setup, which looks like it is probably 20- or 22-gauge wire. Speaker inputs are color-coded to match the provided speaker wiring making connections very simple. Even better sound might be obtained using 14 or 16 gauge wire, but for my purpose it was unnecessary.
The receiver has two optical inputs for better sound. I used these for our satellite TV and blu-ray player. It would have been nice to have more optical inputs for other things, but that's a lot to ask for this price range. The HDMI input is pass-through -- it does not provide sound to the receiver -- so you will want to use either coaxial or optical inputs for best quality sound.
My only complaint with this system is the volume has to be turned up about half way to get good sound for movies. Playing CDs the sound is ample at much lower settings. But there is no sound distortion even at higher volume settings, so mine is a minor complaint.
If you are on a budget, or simply don't want to spend a lot of money, but want a good home AV system the HT-S3200 is well worth a look and listen. I have been very happy with this purchase. And after seeing the quality Onkyo builds into their low-end receivers I will definitely give their products a look if I ever decide to update my high-end audio system.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 56
|
![AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters) [Supports 3D + Audio Return Channel]](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B001TH8UUA.01._AA75_PU_PU-5_.jpg)
![AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (6.5 Feet/2.0 Meters) [Supports 3D + Audio Return Channel]](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B001T9NUJE.01._AA75_PU_PU-5_.jpg)
![AmazonBasics Toslink Digital Audio Optical Cable (6 Feet/1.8 Meters) [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B001TH7GSW.01._AA75_PU_PU-5_.jpg)
