Customer Reviews
Still can't quite make my mind up on this one. 
2008-08-01
I purchased this after careful review for one main reason - the HDMI hookups. I had looked at the BOSE and other Sony systems that work well with DVD but don't do anything else. I'm not a techno-geek....I can just about keep up with Pro Logic vs. DTS vs. Dolby Digital.....
I've had it up and working for 3-4 months now using Rocketfish wireless rear speakers and connected to a Sony XBR TV, PS3, Comcast box, DVD player & Roku soundbridge media streamer (I love my toys).
There are some good points:
- it does give you more powerful sound. Against the XBR's built in sound (which is no slouch I might add), you REALLY notice the difference in bass, volume and surround effect.
- the hookups are excellent........many, many options.
- It's unobtrusive looks wise.
- there are many, many, menu options to play with.
What I don't like so much:
- On a very few occassions I started to notice a slight lag in the sound when it was ran through this (as opposed to the TV) so that the lip synching was slightly out. Mucking about with TV settings seems to have cured that.
- I couldn't (and still can't) get the auto-calibration to work, keeps erroring out for a variety of reasons.
- I must admit to being underwhelmed by the sound. Even on Blu Ray discs it doesn't quite have the surround sound "wow" that those demos in the store have. It's loud enough, but lacking, even on Blu Ray.
- with the different sources you find yourself wanting/needing to change the bass/treble settings. Lack of a dedicated button on the front means you need to wade through menus....bit of a pain.
- as others have commented, you really need to crank up the volume to 80% or above to make it good listening.
It may look overly negative, but the negatives are all relatively minor.
To me, it boils down to price. For the price this is a good system and better than the crap below it. Will it give you the "wow" factor the +$1,000 systems do.........no.
Great System for the money (on sell $269 shipped) 
2008-03-28
This is great I purchased it for my second PS3 setup and couldn't be happier. It has HDMI plus a mic and self calibration feature, which is very nice. The display could be a little more up to date or have more graphic capabilities, but what it has gets the job done, and is no different then most other systems on the market. The stock speakers worked gret for my application, and in the smaller room (15x15) it is plenty loud even on low settings such as 15 I have never went about 20 on the volume and it goes to like 60+, great for a PS3 setup, or Blue ray setup in small room or large rooms, can't beat the price on Amazon for a entire system in one box with free shipping and no Tax. Great quality as always from Sony, nice looking, would purchase again.
A good buy for the money 
2008-03-25
I've had this system for about a month and for the money it does a good job. My living room is pretty big (18x16) and was concerned that it wouldn't be powerful enough when I really wanted to crank the volume, but was pleasantly surprised and it definitely has more than enough power to fill the room with great sound. The powered subwoofer is a plus, and I really like the whole system itself because it's an actual receiver, a real subwoofer and speakers, and could be used interchangeably with other system components (which is different from other traditional HTIB systems where the components are exclusive and if the sub or the receiver dies then all the rest is worthless).
Excellent Home Theater System 2008-03-20
If it were not for the difficulty in hooking this up, I would have given it 5 stars. the instructions included are confusing, they don't tell you in plain simple detail how to connect components, needless to say I have been installing audio systems for 20 years, so I had to figure things out on my own. When I first connected everything, my cable box via HDMI, and my Panasonic DMP-30 blu-ray disk player, I could not get sound, only picture, I kept trying only to reach the point where I was about to pack it up and return it, finally after trial and error, I got it to work.
Well I must say that this system ROCKS!! With the sound coming through HDMI, it is plenty loud, I read other reviews saying the volume had to be at 50-60 to hear it, that's true if your audio is output via analog or coax audio, but through HDMI it did not disappoint.
Other than the crappy instructions the only thing I don't like about this system is you have to turn the power on and off on the Subwoffer manually
which is pretty annoying. Bottom line, if you have patience I highly recommend this home theater system, for $359 you can't go wrong.
Not bad for the price 2008-03-11
I am not up on electronic technology, but I know how to make comparisons and the Sony system seems to offer much more bang for the buck. Systems in this range did not tend to offer the 1080p resolution as does the Sony.
There is Dloby digital, HDMI capability and plenty of input/output connections to do just about any hookup. The sound is great. I tested my DVD player through the receiver by watching the "Bourne Supremacy" DVD and believe me, the system will rattle the walls. The only thing that is kind of annoying, is the sub-woofer is powered seperatly, so you have to turn it on or off when you use the system.
The strangest thing is the volume control. On a scale of 0-65, you have to get it up into the 45-50 range to hear it, but as I said, it has plenty of power to bring down the walls. I just don't understand why all the dead air below 40.
I highly reccomend this system. For the price you will definetly get your money's worth.
Great system 2008-03-05
Bring the cinema experience home. The HT-DDW995 component home theater system brings your favorite movies to realistic, Hollywood-studio quality life with thrilling digital surround sound.
Sony Home Theatre System 2008-02-08
Product is perfect for video applications. If you happen to be an audiophile, and enjoy listening to music, this is not the best for music. Does a wonderful job of enhancing videos. DVD's, regular TV channels, VHS tapes etc. all sound good, but modes are not available, and system is not specifically set up for music. Good product, just not quite what we were looking for.
Bang for the Buck 2008-01-23
I've had this system now for about a month and I can't imagine not having it!
I wanted to hook my PS3 up to my LCD the best quality (HDMI) I could get without breaking the bank, and this HTIAB did the trick.
I can only imagine that this isn't the best sounding system available, but if you aren't an audiophile like me, it's a great place to be in.
For about $250 shipped, I have a nice setup I can watch TV, movies and my PS3 on.
As for the other reviews about the sound not getting too loud, that is true. I live in a condo with all hardwood floors and havn't heard a complaint yet. It won't rattle the windows off but I don't really like that anyway.
Overall, best system for the price I would imagine.
Okay, but not for me. 
2008-01-09
I ordered this system for about $270, which I thought was a pretty good deal at the time. I actually tested a system that was similiar to this model at Fry's and it sounded good. After setting it up, I quickly realized that standing directly in front of it at the store with all the speakers grouped together, and setting it up at home with all the speakers spaced out did not produce nearly the same results. The lack of bass is what really disappointed me. In the store it thumped pretty good, but in a large game room, the bass was barely noticeable. I re-positioned the subwoofer several times trying to find the "sweet spot" but to no avail. I cranked it all the way up and still couldn't feel the noise. Don't get me wrong, the sound was pretty crisp and clear, but if you're watching a movie and you want to feel the rumble of an explosion....forget about. I think the system would perform better in a smaller,enclosed room, but in a larger open space, I wouldn't count on it. I wound up repackaging it and shipped it back to Amazon a couple of days later.
Sony HTD-DW995 Home Theater System 2008-01-08
The Sony HTD-DW995 home theater system gives you alot of bang for your buck. The speakers are compact but put out great sound. It was easy to set up with the help of my teenage son. I like the component system because I plan on buying a BLUE-RAY player down the road. I can't believe how much I've missed out on while watching movies, sports, or Dr. Phil. I would spend $1,000 or more on a system if I felt it was worth it, but I don't see that much difference.
