Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 Channel Home Theater Speaker System

Very satisfied with these speakers. They look nice and sound great! Bought 14 gauge wires and would recommend upgrading the wires since the ones included are really cheap. With the larger gauge wires, the sound is amazing. Would highly recommend these speakers and any Onkyo product.

Once you realize, Home-Theatres-In-A-Box (HTIBs) just won't do because their sound quality is mediocre at best, you realize that separate speakers and AV receivers run the gamut from reasonably expensive to unbelievable. And buying 7 speakers and a subwoofer can quickly cost you over $2000 dollars. When I was looking at putting together a home theatre system, I wanted an AV receiver with future compatibility that was also fully featured (I settled on the Onkyo TX-SR605). For speakers, I wanted reasonably priced quality. Despite the fact that these speakers were originally part of a HTIB they are of surprisingly good quality for the price.

The Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 speakers are neither stylish nor ugly. They are functional looking with black wood grain cabinets and removable covers. I like their looks because they are classic and not flashy. I wanted quality over looks. When it comes to low-to-medium priced speakers, stylish looks usually mean a drop in performance and sound quality. These speakers don't try to look trendy, they just produce great sound. If you're going for styling in your speakers to match your decor, look elsewhere.

Another feature of the Onkyo SKS-HT540 speakers is that they are large. And I mean large. These would not be too small to be used in a huge great room. I have them in a cramped little apartment, but I love them anyway. You need large speakers to produce fuller, deeper sound and these have no trouble doing that.

The speakers are well made in that they have wood cabinets. Read up about materials and you'll learn this is great; most HTIBs and speakers at this price are usually made with plastic cabinets. The Onkyo SKS-HT540 use spring clips as connecters, which don't give the best possible sound, but few speakers in this price range offer banana clips.

Overall, the Onkyo's give surprisingly clear, deep, and rich sound for the price. These are very affordable speakers that give great sound. Sure there are speakers that give better sound, but they will cost you over a $1000. These speakers are the best quality sound you can get for the price. (And Cnet agrees. Check out their review.) They are powerful and the sound they produce is realistic and varied.

I use my 7.1 system to play video games on my XBox 360, PS3, and PC gaming system. This is where these speakers really shine. Few DVDs or Blu-Ray discs take advantage of 7.1 yet, but many games do. Guns and explosions sound insane! on these speakers. I mean it. The subwoofer is huge and provides plenty of sound for a room of up to 800 sq feet. I've heard musical instruments I didn't even know were there in my music while listening on these speakers. I'm an audiophile and I'll admit there are much better speakers out there, but not for anything near this price. So if you want an affordable surround sound system these speakers are it. Get them now.

Oh and the included subwoofer cable is kind of short (8ft). I bought an extension for about $5. Very worth it.

You can purchase better speakers than the HTIB Onkyo SKS-HT540. Of course, if you're looking to upgrade your home theater to 7.1 and are on a budget, the SKS-HT540 is a gem. Easy connection, especially if using an Onkyo receiver and the sound is pretty good for the price you're paying. The speakers look good paired with an Onkyo receiver, plus they look nice with an HDTV 40" or larger. The center channel is strong which is a great plus for dialogue. The bass isn't the strongest available, but it's strong enough for small rooms. (ie: 16x13 or smaller) Setting the speakers properly through your receiver will make all the difference in the world. If you've hit the correct setting and pop in 3:10 to Yuma on Blu-Ray, the incoming train near the end scene will make you feel like you're standing at the train station. Now that's a true plus!!!!

These speakers are awesome with Onkyo TX-SR605 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black), I adjusted the EQ to an audio CD and the sound is amazing for movies as well. Plenty of sound as long as you know how to set them up right. I was amazed with the size of the speakers. This is my first 7.1 system for home theater, but I have a stereo in my car that is pretty amazing by itself. But the Onkyo setup is awesome when watching movies, gaming, or music. The speakers give a great all around sound and I am glad I bought them. Only problem I have is that people sleeping get woke up.

The sound from these speakers is awesome. I was never big on movies until I got my Onkyo 605 and these speakers. What a difference! The only reason I gave it four stars is becuase they are very big and heavy.