Customer Reviews

Coby CSP96 300-Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Speaker System (Black)

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Length:: 2:37 Mins

Best value for the price. Nice sound, good looks and durable.

Update 12/21/10: Still working well. I had the chance to listen to some of the better ($200+) units and I can tell they sound a lot nicer, but this one comes very close! Remember, it is not going to sound as amazing as the expensive ones but it is worlds ahead of any standard TV speaker.

This system arrived as ordered. The system looks good, and performs way better than my TV speakers. While I do not get real surround sound (see below), having speakers all around the room definitely makes you feel in the movie, game, show, etc. I don't get real surround sound because I do not have an amp/receiver or DVD player with separate outputs for each speaker. I just plugged the system into my TV with the dual cables. I don't have the resources to buy a nice receiver with an HDMI input/output (My TV is 1080i HD capable).

I do get great stereo sound quality, which with two left/right speakers gives a surround sound quality to whatever I am watching (less so on TV shows).

Just on the internal amp I can get these speakers loud without distortion. The bass is weaker than I would like, but I am in an apartment complex and have neighbors below! Although, I was in my dining room working on paperwork when I started listening to my fiance playing a PS3 game (Ratchet and Clank) and the bass quality sounded great. The bass also sounds great when watching action movies with gun fire (ex. Live Free or Die Hard). But the bass will not shake your windows, if that's what you are looking for.

The cords for the rear speakers are long enough to go under my rug/coffee table, under my couch, and up on the window ledges behind me. The speakers are also able to mount on the wall. What I was upset about was the length of the front Left/Right speaker wires. With the bass next to my PS3 on the ground, the speakers barely reach the top sides of the entertainment center (which isn't very big, I only have a 32 inch HDTV). I might be able to reposition them to get better stereo sound at a later date.

Having no remote is also a bummer, but for the price... whatever.

Overall the speaker system is a great upgrade for those looking for "false" surround sound in a smaller room. The speaker sound is crisp and clear. If you are looking for true surround sound (using HDMI cables, for example) this home theater speaker set may not be for your. But if you aren't picky about your surround sound, are light on cash, and want something better than your TV speakers, this just may be for you!

Thanks for listening! Will let you know if anything happens with the system that warrants immediate attention!

Nothing less than a nice solid set of cheap "powered" speakers. I bought these because I've been wanting something a bit more powerful than my TV's speakers. For the price the product is five star. My TV is in a smaller room and these sound great when set up properly. You will need some type of output (receiver, DVD player, etc) that puts out a 5.1 signal to achieve surround sound, but you can also just run a standard 2 channel stereo signal through it as well and still get a nice sound. I bought these specifically for use with my Xbox 360 (which puts out Dolby 5.1 via optical cable). I have the optical out on the console running into my Tritton AX360 5.1 system and the surround out on the Tritton running into the speakers. Great purchase, great sound!!

csp94
I placed a bid on this model not knowing what it was. I received the unit and when I first saw the unit I thought I had bought a pig in a poke. but now that I have installed the unit it is perfect for my dvd and cd player.The wires are to short that is true but that was no problem. I placed the speakers in the room where the drawing called for them to be and replaced the short leads with longer wires to the unit. I have surround sound with this unit that is great for the price. If you want better surround sound then you will have to pay a lot more, as for me this unit is great for what I am using it for. thank you

I agree with most of the reviews about this item. I would like to first state that I am a musician and feel pretty confident in my audio prowess. But I have to review these from a consumer perspective. I should also consider the cost of this system as well as the application.

I could have lived with the speakers on my TV, but the added lift and fullness that these bring is very nice. I currently have only hooked up the center, left front, & right front due to the size of my living room. But the system is WAAAAAYYYY loud enough. It's such a boost that I have to barely turn the volume knob up to just above all the way off and it gives plenty of sound. I have yet to drop in a really thunderous action flick yet and tried it, but I live in a 2nd floor apartment, so I want to keep my neighbors happy. But I can tell, just from the ultra-low level that I have been playing them at, that this system will kick. For the price, I was thoroughly impressed. The sub-woofer is not thumping, but it gives a nice deep aspect to the overall sound. Unless you are a hard core, die-hard home theater buff and you have a huge visual system already in place, this audio system is great. I have had these for a week and have been nothing but happy with them. They were crazy easy to set up. The speaker wires are color coded so that you know which speaker goes to which connection on the back of the sub. We were watching "Up" the other night and even with only those three speakers, the directionality was very nice. When the character was on the left side of the screen, there voice came out of the left speaker a lot stronger. I was impressed by that. Maybe some more hard core audiophiles would laugh, but hey, I'm a family man who is happy to get rid of the tinny, thin sound of my LCD speakers.

These speakers are a great value for anyone who is trying to save money putting together their home theatre. I bought these speakers for my LCD monitor which had no speakers of its own.

Pros:
-The speakers are very easy to set up. Plug it in and connect the (red and white) audio composites.
-The system is surprisingly well designed. You wouldn't know they were only $50. They aren't something you'd need to hide when company comes over.
-There is no "tinny" sound from these speakers. The sound is very clear.
-Amazing value, cheapest surround sound I could find.
-The set includes several composite (red and white) audio cables so you can connect 4 (I believe) more devices to the sound system (PS3, VCR, DVD, Wii, Xbox 360, etc)

Cons:
-There is no way to mount the speakers to the wall.
-Though the sound is clear, the bass is not as full as it could be. This is something I didn't mind because I live in an apartment and I can't have loud booming bass anyway.
-The volume is touchy near its lowest point. Its lowest setting is a little on the loud side, but barely nudging it should get you the results you want. On the other hand, the speakers are more than loud enough.
-There is no remote.

Conclusion: These speakers will give you the most for your money. Because I am a college student, I am always looking for the lowest price for the best I can get. Words of advice, stuff online is almost ALWAYS cheaper than in store and often you can get free shipping if you look hard enough.

I was anxious to get it because the sound on my computer/TV was so bad. I've never owned a home theater speaker system but I've seen a few of them in other people's homes. I've had the Coby ststem for almost 2 months.

For the price Coby does a decent job. The sound, tone and volume are adjustable. I was able to get the tone I like. The sound quality could be better. But like I said it didn't cost much and it's good for the price.

It was a lot more complicated to set up than I thought it would be. It's not exactly plug-and-play but it wasn't rocket science either. I don't like that I have to turn them on and off manually. I'm not sure if there's a way to configure them that makes manual operation unnecessary.

The speakers are attractive. They fit in with my decor very well. I'd like to see longer wires on them. It's a little difficult to position them so the sound surrounds due to the short wires.

Overall I'm very pleased with the Coby Home Theater Speaker System. It's contributed to an increase in enjoyment of my computer (which is also my television).

I ordered this product because my HDTV speakers sounded terrible and I wanted and external source. When I received this product I immediately hooked it up. Everything was hooked up, I turned it on and nothing. I tried everything contacted, Amazon, Coby, and Toshiba (tv manufacture) no one had a cure. Amazon was willing to refund my money, Coby said to contact Toshiba and Toshiba told me how to increase and decrease the volume on the TV (DUH).
I got curious because everything seemed to be in perfect order, the satellite speakers were humming. The Power light was on but still nothing. So I disconnected everything, unplugged it from the power source and unscrewed the back panel which I discovered a wire that wasn't plugged in. Everything is working now and it sounds OK.

I do not recommend unscrewing the back panel, which might void the warranty, user discretion advised. Problem solved.

Updated January 20, 2012: As of today the unit is still working with no problems, I'm very pleased with the unit. Its now been 2.5 years and it is still working. Even with it being turned on 24/7. Rerated product from 3 stars to 5 stars. :)

As I write this review I am immersed in the heat of battle. As I write this review, bullets are flying past my head. As I write this review I run beneath a harrier in hopes that I am not seen. The sounds that my newly installed Coby CSP96 are emitting are beautiful. No longer do I need UAV - for I have my Coby CSP96. The sounds are dedicated nicely. A battle has just ignitied to my rear right.. I turn.. I run.. and I make a kill.. without UAV.

The crakel of fire is as real as a July night under the stars with some marshmallows and the company of good friends. The base is steady and deep. Explosions cause you a slight jump.. and then bring a smile to your face. You realize "I have experienced this before".. but where.. then it comes to you.. it was your last visit to the Theater, the opening week of
Iron Man. Boom! Boom! Talk about a lot of BANG for your buck.

When we installed this unit we understood that we would have to purchase extra speaker wire. 22 gauge at our local RadioHut was sufficient, at 100ft for $10. The unit was completely installed in a little over 1 hr, thats including mounting, and hiding the wires. There was no guess work with the audio. Find the audio out on you TV - red, white - send it to the audio inputs on the sub. Wala.. it is done!

We purchased this directly through AMAZON, we ordered after 7pm on the 2nd, it was in our home at 3pm the 4th. Never in my life have I ever had a product arrive so quickly, and thats with Free Standard Shipping. The packaging was perfect. The unit was boxed in orignal boxing, then placed in another box to insure protection from both the elements and handling, it arrived via UPS.

This is a value at $50, a sophisticated surround if you will, with 5.1 sound, including a base that is deep amd smooth. It is not one to shake the neighbors out of thier house, but rather a surround that blankets you in true volumns and clean noise.

There is going to be one more purchase made of this unit in the future and that will be for our game room. For now, I will set in my living, surrounded by crisp, solid, sound, that of which my walls have nevered experienced. I invite you to purchase this Coby CSP96, and experience for yourself, a theater in your own home!

This is a horrible surround sound system. I previously had a cheap 99 dollar surround sound set. It got fried during a lightning storm and I had to get something cheap and quick. However, you are better off with nothing than this. I am not an audiophile by any means (I listen to Mp3s and CDs, sacrilege for audiophiles who prefer DVD-A and Vinyl Record), but these sound lifeless. They are like a pair of headphones turned up very loud. The subwoofer is supposed to be 100 Watts, twice as powerful as my old 50 watt one yet it produces almost NO audible bass. The 50 watt one made the music come alive.

The people who gave it 4 or 5 stars have likely never heard anything better than cheap headphones or computer speakers and hear how loud these get (and boy, do they get loud), and think THATS GREAT AUDIO QUALITY. Well, loudness does not equal quality.

Another huge problem is if you use the stereo input, it crams most of the audio into the center channel. The only way around that is to put the audio wires into the surround sound part and use the front left and right speakers. Then you don't get anything from the rear or center speakers, and NOTHING AT ALL from the subwoofer (whereas stereo gives you next to nothing, at least it's sort of still something).

These will most likely be going back to amazon. Even for 50 dollars there's no excuse for this sort of quality. If RCA could crank out a less than 100 dollar one that sounds fantsastic five years ago, then Coby should be able to do the same but cheaper here in 2011.


As other reviewers mentioned, it lacks a remote and since DVD and CDs often have different sound levels, it's a pain. The volume knob is EXTREMELY sensitive so if you put in a CD louder than the last one you'll find yourself running to the subwoofer to turn down the volume.

Steer clear of this. If you really must have sound, you're better off using a pair of 20 dollar sony headphones.