Aiwa HT-D780 550W Home Theater System

Rating:
Summary: Excellent value
Review: A home theater system for 300 bucks? Not a bad deal at all. Don't expect Bose or other high-end system-type sound from this Aiwa, but unless you are a true audiophile, this system does nicely.
The receiver has ample inputs for anything that you'd ever want to connect to it. It has a few GEQ files built-in and the Dolby Pro Logic isn't too shabby. It fails slightly in reproducing surround effects like Live, Hall, etc... I've owned Aiwa system before, and they all seem to have this issue. There are a couple of surround effects that work very nicely in this one though - such as the 'stadium' and the 'arena' settings. But then again, how often will you use those?
I've hooked up an extra pair of speakers (from a previous Aiwa system I had) to act as side speakers to complement the 6 in this system. With the 8-speaker configuration, most DVDs sound ssubstantially better.
All in all, this is a great value and is perfect for someone looking to set up a basic home-theater system in a smaller area.

Rating:
Summary: Great value and name
Review: I'm a complete newbie when it comes to home theatre systems. I've owned Aiwa products before so their name and the price were my main reasons for buying this system. Both movies and DVD's sound amazing on this system. My only complaint has been that the user guide doesn't clearly explain the set-up and some of the options.

Rating:
Summary: Think first before you buy it
Review: It sounds like a good system with low cost -- Dolby digital surround sound system, 5.1 channel, optical digital input, etc.

However, you have to buy a DVD player to set up the whole system. The subwoofer works well, but the satellite speakers ... a lot. They sound just like my $... desktop speakers. It seems that Aiwa wants to play a good sound solely by enhancement of a subwoofer. Even the center speaker needs to be improved much before it is put on the market.

So don't expect this system can generate some special effects like that Bose, pioneer could make. Just check your pocket and think about it first before you want to buy such a system.