What HTiB is best (1 Viewer)

[Riker64]

I am trying to decide between the following 3 HTiB systems:
1) Samsung HT-E5500W HTIB 5.1 Channel 3D Blu-ray 1000-Watt Home Theater System
2) Sony BDVN790W Blu-ray Home Theater System
3) Panasonic SC-BTT490 3D Blu-Ray Disc 5.1 Surround Sound Home Theater System
I love Sony products, but for whatever reason, reviews on this Sony system have not been great.
I can get the Samsung for just over $300.00, the Panasonic is almost $400.00, the Sony is the middle ground.
Any help deciding would be greatly appreciated. Thx.

 

[Jason Charlton]

All of those systems have two HDMI inputs - so understand that you're limited to two other devices for surround sound (cable/satellite plus one more).

That's actually better than most budget HTiB systems.

Still, the usual caveats apply here - all three systems have low-impedance speakers that cannot be used with any other device, and you will not be able to upgrade the speakers without replacing the whole system. If any part of the system breaks, you're out the whole thing.

All systems use small, passive subwoofers that will not offer great performance. If you are looking to simply get "better" audio than the TVs built-in speakers, then these systems will fit the bill. If you're looking for decent surround sound and the "movie theater experience", they won't deliver unless your room is pretty small.

Hard to pick a winner, but I'd lean towards the Panasonic.

ALL THAT ASIDE:

If you're looking at a roughly $400 budget, however, I would strongly recommend this Onkyo 5500 system from Amazon. It does not include a blu-ray player, so you'd have to add about $50 -$100 for a player, but you'd wind up with a superior system in every measure.

This system is built around a real A/V receiver that will work with "regular" speakers should you decide to upgrade later on. It comes with a powered subwoofer, so the bass performance will literally blow the other systems out of the water. It has 4 HDMI inputs, so you're much more future-proof.

Again, this assumes your goals are to get more of the "movie theater experience" with a system. If that's not your main goal, then this may be overkill - but opting for one of the smaller systems will guarantee that you won't be able to expand or grow your system gradually.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

^^^Couldn't agree more. Jason's recommendation is far superior in terms of audio quality and flexibility both for current and future needs.
I liken the typical "plastic box" HTIB to tv sets with built in dvd players--huge sacrifice in performance for the sake of simplicity.

 

[Riker64]

Thx for the advice, I really appreciate it.
I'm not really looking to turn my house into a movie theater, just like to have a nice, simple system. But if I was, I would definitely take the Onkyo setup.
The Sony setup I have currently is really sufficient for my needs, (TV: KDL-40V4100, Blu-Ray: BDP-S570, and A/V Receiver: HT-SS2300) but it doesn't have 3D. My daughter and son in law have purchased a 55" Sony 3D TV for me for Christmas, so I want one of these systems I listed above, as it has what I want all in one. They are middle ground systems, which will actually be a step up for me too.
I guess I have decided on the Samsung system though. The price TigerDirect has for it today was just too good to pass up. We'll see how it goes. I do like all it has to offer though, just hope it plays well with my new Sony 3D TV and sounds as good as my current Sony setup.
Thx again for the advice.