This system is simple to set up and usually takes about thirty minutes to be completely functional. The front speakers are 2 way bass and the center speaker is also 2 way with a dual woofer. The surround speaker is 1 way and the subwoofer is 8 inches. The cabinet design is plastic with a black finish.

The Onkyo HT-S3100 has a headphone jack, coaxial digital input, optical digital input, a fluorescent display, a sleep timer and a bass and treble control. It will play CDs, DVDs, digital music files, TV and Satellite broadcast. It also has all the gaming capabilities. You can add Blue Ray to the mix and HD DVD as well. It has a 2 year warranty from Onkyo.

This system is a great second system or perfect for the consumer who is in the market for the first time. It will perform all the basic function of a home theater system. Like all systems the pros do outweigh the cons. Some of the cons include: no HDMI input or output and the speakers are larger that necessary. The bass is weak at any level of volume. The big pro found in all the reviews about this product is the great price. Anyone on a budget should consider this system.

The other great standard feature included in this system is Onkyo High Current Power Supply concept which ensures that there always is enough power to respond to the surround sound dynamics. The signal is never tainted and signal noise is greatly reduced.

Like all home theater systems, the Onkyo HT-S3100 has competition. The Onkyo HT-S4100 and the Onkyo HT-S5100 are competition in the mid- price market. There are distinct differences between these systems but they do attract the same consumer. Sony, Samsung and Phillips all make home theater systems that compete with Onkyo, but Onkyo is able to maintain a slight edge over the competition because of the overall quality of the system and the price.

This popular price market is driven by the dollars available and as long as all the features are similar, all the home theater systems in this market will do well. The motivating factor seems to be: How much performance can the consumer get, for as little an investment as possible.

With that kind of report card, it’s no wonder that Onkyo plays an important part in the home theater market. True innovators like Onkyo often stay in the background for years before they hit the mass market. Onkyo’s HT- S5100 7.1 Channel Home Entertainment System, which is a set of nine pieces, is an awesome investment. It measures 20.2 Wide x 30.7 High x 31.2 Deep. The total system weighs 88 pounds. This system gets the best performance out of high-definition sources.

The Onkyo HT-S5100 has 1200 watts of power and has Audyssey room correction technology incorporated into the system which creates a perfect surround-sound experience. It’s the first system to include a dedicated dock for iPod playback. The video and the audio features included in this system are incredible and you can even hook up to Sirius radio if you purchase some minor optional equipment. The 7.1 speaker package is designed to give the listener a truly great audio sound no matter what video venue is operating.

This Onkyo system includes 7 speakers and a subwoofer in black or silver. The receiver has 2 HDMI outputs and 1 output, 2 optical inputs and 2 components in and 1 out input and one coaxial. The system also includes a 130 watt magnetically shielded speaker terminals which are color coded along with speaker cable that connect to the full range front and back speakers. It has a preset Sirius/AM/FM music optimizer. The 5 OMF woofer and balanced dome tweeter make this system sound like a million dollars.

Like any other system there are always things that consumers want to correct about it, this system has a microphone that seemed to be flat and there are reports that the overall system runs hot. That could be because the area that the system was placed in was not ventilated properly. The wires are to thin and should be upgraded according to some consumers. Some consumers say that you can’t get true 7.1 outputs with this system unless you have a separate Blue Ray player. Other consumers suggest that the Onkyo HTS-6100 is the system to buy because all of these issues have been addressed and corrected in that system.

Like all systems the Onkyo HT-S5100 has some great features and it has some perceived issues as well. The Panasonic Sc-PT760 does give this system a run for the money when you compare price and some extra features. The Panasonic has wireless rear speakers and a five-disc changer which makes it an attractive alternative to the Onkyo HT-S5100, but it all depends on consumer needs and preferences.

Overall, this home entertainment system gets very high marks from the consumers who have purchased it. In its price range, the only real competition it has is from other Onkyo models. That’s good news for Onkyo but it’s no surprise. With a track record like Onkyo they will continue to produce quality products that offer value, dependability and performance for a variety of consumers. They have mastered that ability and as consumers we should appreciate that service.

The Onkyo HT-S5100 does have a few drawbacks. One major disadvantage is that it doesn’t actually decode the 7.1 digital audio, instead it lets the TV do the work by passing the sound through. If you’re a true audiophile looking for a 7.1 system or someone who is interested in “future proofing” their home theater system, then a detail like this might make all the difference in the world. If you’re someone that wants a good surround system and has a limited budget, then the Onkyo HT-S5100 7.1 is a great purchase for you.

The HT-S4100 has 5.1 channels and delivers approximately 750w of sound. 4 Composite inputs and 1 out, 2 digital optical and 2 coaxial along with the 3 component video.

It has a nice large powerful sub, which some of you know the HT’s are pretty famous with the customers as having a cheaply sub, so this is a shocking thing in itself.

But the gleaming beautiful look didn’t fool anyone. It is reported by customers that the speaker wire which comes with the HT-S4100 has commonly been found to be faulty. “But only in some cases.” In the event that this should happen its pretty cheap to just go out and get some good speaker wire.

The sound quality found on this system is reported by even disgruntled customers due to the wire issue, to exceed the HT-S4100’s value.

So in either case their is still a satisfactory state. One customer even claims that the sound is likely to “blow your mind.”