Onkyo HT-S580 Home Theater System Conclusion

Performance

In a world of increasing home theater technology choices, it is a daunting task to decide which combination of receiver and speakers will sound good together. Onkyo has made it simple by combining a terrific-sounding set of speakers and a capable receiver.

As the gunshots flew by and the cars swerved back and forth in the highway chase scene from "The Matrix Reloaded," the surround effects were highly detailed and accurately produced as the action panned from left to right.

The satellite speakers do suffer in the middle-bass range of 150 to 250 Hz, but the bass frequencies produced by the 8-inch subwoofer were sufficiently strong and deep. The onscreen dialogue was clear and distinct, and the overall sound quality produced by the HT-S580 was excellent.

The Verdict

With easy installation and excellent sound, Onkyo has raised the bar for all-in-one home theater systems. You will be hard-pressed to find an HTIB in this price range that sounds better than the HT-S580.

Onkyo HT-S580 Home Theater System

Specs: 5.1 channel AV receiver with 100 watt-per-channel power; four satellite speakers, one center speaker, and 8-inch subwoofer; Dolby Digital; Dolby Pro Logic II; DTS; 192 KHz/24-bit DA converters; adjustable crossover; multiroom speaker switching.

Pros: Excellent sound; easy installation; stylish.

Cons: No S-Video or component-video switching; meager middle-bass response.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Price: $299