Customer Reviews
Onkyo SR700 cables 
2008-04-21
If you have heard Bose in a showroom and are expecting
that kind of music/clarity i have two words for you..."price tag" -
at 299 bucks its totally worth it as an entry level-not an audiophile-I live in a rented apartment-kind of a situation.
Just 2 small issues No HDMI - I knew it did not have that going into it but its worth repeating for eveyone once again.
2nd Do not expect "all" the cables as a first time buyer I was expecting everything to come in the box, uhh ohh I was in a surprise...so here's the list of cables you can order from monoprice.
these should cover connections from your dvd-to-onkyo receiver -to digital cable box and of course the TV..
1. 6FT Optical Toslink Cable x 1(if your cable box has a digital input)
2. PREMIUM 2 RCA Plug/2 RCA Plug M/M 22AWG Cable x 2
3. 6ft Coaxial Audio/Video RCA Cable M/M RG59U 75ohm x 4
Get a power strip surge suppressor if you dont have one and a 2 way Splitter F type Screw for splitting your cable and internet from the wall (comcast for sure needs it - I do not know abt the other guys)
The instructions for the connections are fairly intutive and easy to understand and I got it all connected and running the first time i turned the system on....
One crazy annoyng feature - it took me 10-15 minutes to figure it out
there's a A and B option on the receiver... even when you have it on A sometimes all the 5 speakers wont work that should be a cue for you to change the "listening mode"
Ohh btw i know the review is to buy or not to buy a system if you have not got my opinion by now.... BUY IT!! for 300 bucks its pretty cool.... but I wonder if the sony hdx500 would have been better will wait till the time comes to buy a new one ;)
hope this helps
Replacement System 2008-04-20
I purchased this unit as a replacement for a JBL speaker & Kenwood Receiver system. The hook-up was very easy, partly because of the replacement. I used my existing wiring rather than the included since I had bought it from a local Audio store & is much heavier than the shipped product. Am very pleased with the sound, much better than the previous product. Price was very satisfactory & system was received very quickly from Amazon. My one complaint probably is not a fault with the product, but may be my wiring configuration. I have a static situation in speakers when there is a heavy bass sound from TV programs. I have rerouted the speaker wires thru' a seperate opening in the back of my stand and to each speaker, but still have the static occasionally. I was hoping that I might read about a similiar situation in all your reviews, which are very positive as is mine. Perhaps someone reading this will respond with a "fix" to my situation. Hope so. Vince.
If your running component video and want good sound without breaking the bank...... 2008-03-31
Maybe like you, I was considering all the what seems like an endless line up of sound options. While originally intending to purchase a Sony system to go with my PS3 & Sony Projector, I ended up going with the HT-SR700 system and have not been disappointed. Here's why...
- Powered Sub. The comparably priced systems from Sony and the other guys all seem to have passive subs, and the review reflected the need for a powered sub.
- Component Switching. Yes, if you're running HDMI, this is not the system for you. If you're running component video (arguably just as good as HDMI), this system eliminates the need for an external switch, unless you have more than 3 HD periphials. Note there is only 2 optical audio inputs and 1 digital Coax. There are plenty of RCA (red & white) audio inputs for other stuff.
- Price & Reviews. These two speak for themselves.
A few more notes.
Speaker Wire:: I do agree that the speaker wire appear a little skimpy, but I have not replaced mine yet. Not complaining.
Speaker Mounts:: Go ahead and order the Premier Speaker Mounts pn PSPK-5B (available on Amazon). These are the most cost effective and easy to install mounts. They come with the appropriate size screw to fit the mounting hole and are simply to install.
Hope this is of help.
Simply Impressed 2008-03-28
Onkyo is one of the best Home Theater systems available in the market for the price. Denon & Bose systems are almost triple/quadruple priced to Onkyo. Setup was very simple. They have colored wires and same color coded speaker connections. The system can be calibrated in multiple different ways for different kinda movies. The subwoofer is good. the volume should be really high to feel the subwoofers vibrations on your seat
Sounds great with my XBOX 360 2008-03-25
I did a lot of research of budget HTIB and this seemed like the best choice for my budget. I was blown away with how well they perform. Out of the box these sounded a lot better than my friends Panasonic HTIB that includes the DVD changer and the wireless back speakers. (I do not recommend wireless back speakers for 2 reasons. 1. The speakers hiss and once in a while do not produce sound. 2. Wireless speakers broadcast over the same wavelength as wireless internet, often causing my computer to go off line.)
After I got the Onkyo I did what a lot of other people have said to do, I upgraded the speaker wire. I bought some Belkin 16-Gauge Speaker Cable from Amazon. Once I hooked up this cable the sound system came to life. Do not stick with the standard cable that comes with the system.
I hooked up my XBOX 360, and the attached HDDVD player, with a digital optical cable and the sound that comes out is chillingly realistic.
