Customer Reviews

Denon DHT-591BA Home Theater System with Denon AV Receiver and Boston Acoustics 5.1 Speaker Package (Black)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I ordered this for Father's day at the time Amazon did not have it available directly so went through one of the listed vendors EE. I actually called them directly and they were exceedingly helpful. Also gave a great deal.

The system is well packaged and very nice for the price---I'm not an expert audiophile but it sounds great to us. The Audyssey set-up is very easy. (although there are plenty of manual controls for those who like to tweak). The manual may be helpful to those who know what they are doing but for us it was confusing and we ended up calling for help. (One of the front speakers was not hooked up correctly and therefore none worked--once we resolved that the rest was pretty easy). Those who have set up surround sound before should have no problem.

The whole system is quality build not cheap HTIB. Of course this is not a thousand dollar or more system but for the average buyer it is a great sound and great price. Similar systems for the same price cannot compare. Speakers are nicely made and fit just about anywhere. Again Boston Acoustic makes a very nice product. The speakers are well matched to the reciever. Our Room is 16 X 22 feet, very high ceilings, hardwood floors and lots of glass. It also is part of an open floorplan. Plenty of full-bodied sound for us.

We set up cable box to receiver and then HDMI to TV. We can run TV without turning the whole system on which is nice. You will need 3 HDMI cables. One for the cable box to receiver, one Receiver to TV, and finally one from receiver to your DVD or blue-ray player. There are also plenty of conventional jacks.

This unit has a USB port for ipod and optional dock is available. The system uploads/coverts older VHS to almost HD quality. There are very few reviews out there on this system (as I write this) but the DHT-590BA is last year's model and this is an improvement. (new on screen menus and three quick-set buttons on remote) You can also find reviews for just the Receiver AVR-591BA (old model AVR-590BA)

I went with the EE recommendation and I talked to many retail salespeople before selecting this. I have an old Denon receiver that worked great that I have passed on to kids. They build a quality product.

One advantage this has over many comparable Receivers is it runs cool. Over time this adds to the longevity of the unit.I hope this helps others make a decision.

The number one problem with most "home theater in a box" offerings is the manufacturers usually pair a low-end receiver with even lower quality cheap speakers. The larger the number of speakers (5.1, 7.1, 7.2), the even greater likelihood you'll end up with the cheeziest possible speakers and a home theater receiver that just barely offers a decent range of features. We had a Kenwood HTiaB, bought maybe five or six years ago, and in that short time the sub-woofer blew out (okay at low levels...but raise it to normal movie volume and it crackled), some of the inputs never worked right (optical was hit-or-miss), I have $100 computer speakers which sound better than the Kenwood set, and the front display on the receiver sometimes worked and sometimes didn't.

Most of the time there's no offering in the price point above the discount junk, but below the hyper-expensive audiophile-level hardware. The low-end stuff just gets features added to it (hello Onkyo) -- but it's still not very good, and I saw from reviews that these systems were prone to failure, sometimes right out of the box. Meanwhile, most of us don't have a few thousand bucks to blow on a high-end home theater system. I nearly went with a Yamaha receiver, but leery about the comments noting it ran hot...plus then I'd still need to get speakers, which would've pushed the cost much higher (esp. since shipping for speakers tends to be insane).

This Denon / Boston Acoustics pairing is one of the few exceptions. Over the years, I've only owned a few Denon components, but they were always the ones that lasted the longest and sounded the best. As for the speakers -- okay, these aren't Kef or Klipsch -- but Boston Acoustics makes a fine speaker and this set is well-matched to the Denon receiver. I appreciated the fact the center channel speaker wasn't just a satellite turned on its side, but has two 3" drivers with a dome tweeter.

Why a 5.1 set-up instead of the newer 7.1 or 7.2? First, the Denon can support 7.1, so if later on we want to add the extra surround speakers, we can. Secondly, we're in a house situation right now where running a ton of wires just isn't going to happen, plus I've been told that most people can't tell the difference between a 5.1 and a 7.1 system anyway. Heck, most of Bose's market is based two or three speaker systems, and they're not hurting for business. Again, just as I wanted a 'happy medium' on cost, I figured I'd go for the same on the number of speakers.

The shipping packaging is solid, with the BA speakers and Denon receiver each in their own product box and these inside a larger, very sturdy box. (As I write this, if you have Amazon Prime, you can get it shipped free, or $3.99 for overnight.) Everything was there, including surprisingly adequate lengths of pre-trimmed speaker wire (most times the supplied surround wires are way too short). I had my own 16ga wire, but this was welcome anyway.

Set-up was easy and hampered only by my existing rat's nest of cables (now much less due to the receiver's HDMI capabilities) and the fact I had only short 6' HDMI cables (I've ordered a longer 3-meter one from Amazon Basics). The automatic Audyssey sound leveling took a little effort & time, and one might need to chase curious talkative family members away so as not to interfere with the tests. One note: Audyssey reported a phase error with the center and surround speakers; I checked the wires and they were correct. The manual mentioned certain kinds of speakers could produce erroneously detected phase errors.

After that, I checked the connections, fixed some input assignments, set the remote control codes, and boom, it was ready to roll. I popped in our Avatar blu-ray disc and it sounded and looked amazing. Even a regular DVD in our Yamaha region-free player looked better than normal.

Cons:
- Wish there were some straight RCA stereo out connections, so I could route non-HDMI sound to my TV, which is an older DVI-HD model (Hitachi projection set...approaching due for replacement). On the other hand, the Denon/BA sound combination is so much better than the old TV speakers, I'm not sure why I'd want to use them anyway.
- The speaker connection posts on the back of the receiver are very awkwardly placed, making it rather difficult to get wires on securely. I've ordered banana plugs for future use, but why they didn't put the entrance holes at the top and bottom of the posts rather than at the 2pm/8pm positions, I have no idea.
- The programmable remote couldn't control our Yamaha 5-disc DVD changer (ON UPDATE: Tried another code, for some reason it worked), and there's no way to program it to run our media player (plays AVIs, WMVs, MP4 video files off an attached hard disk). Minimal learning capabilities would've been appreciated.
- Also, for some reason, the media player doesn't retain its 1024i video setting between switching or powering up; it'll pass through fine if I reset it, but I think the player keeps defaulting down because it's confused as to the receiver's capabilities. Not the receiver's fault, I'm sure, because the blu-ray player doesn't lose its setting.

Pros:
- Excellent sound; our living room is very echo-y (stone floors, high ceiling) and even without the Audyssey compensation, it was a vast improvement. Afterward the adjustment, it only got better. Previously unintelligible movie and TV show dialog is now totally clear.
- Both the speakers and the receiver look and feel like high-end equipment
- The receiver runs surprisingly cool
- Loved the assignable inputs, a huge help when connecting non-HDMI equipment with a variety of optical, coax, and/or component cables
- The remote main controls glow in the dark, and the most used buttons are large enough to see and operate easily (the numbers/letters at the bottom of the remote might be problematic for those with large fingers though)

That old Kenwood HTiaB set? Recycled.

I recently sold a very expensive B&W, JL AUDIO & Sunfire home theatre to save some money and had to replace it so I had something in my room. I have a ps3 and apple tv. I ordered this Denon and Boston setup. I am SHOCKED at how great this thing is. My set up I sold was over $7,000 of sound and YES it was better but, for the difference in money I would never do that again. This system is simply AMAZING for the money and could really be sold for much more. I am truly happy with my decision and I have absolutely no remorse of my downsizing. My living room has more space and less for someone to steal now.. LOL.... I am extremely pleased so here are my pros and cons.

Pros:
Sound quality of speakers and sub. Mids are a tiny bit lacking but, the sub actually makes up for it as it has a cross over for your liking. once I set that. HAPPY!
Really very immersive sound.
Build quality of all items is tremendous.
Ease of set up.
Ease of sound set up. Mic does it for you on screen in minutes.
It is simply awesome.
Denon unit is simple in design and use. looks great.

Cons:
I only wished I had never bought the expensive system to begin with. This one rocks loud and clear with plenty of bass.

We just received our Denon DHT-591BA Home Theater System and couldn't be happier! My wife and I are both "fifty-ish" and had grown tired of not being able to discern dialogue in movies and TV programs. I do, however, have a mild, high frequency hearing loss that makes some speech sounds hard for me to hear which doesn't help the matter. Furthermore, the sound effects and ambient sound track in movies often "muddy" speech dialogue to the point I am left guessing what someone said. My wife, who does not have a hearing loss, experienced the same problem. We quit going to the movie theater because of this. What's the point in going to a new movie when you can't clearly hear the dialogue?! And movie theaters seem to have the worst sound systems made.

Initially, we connected our 52" LCD TV to our home stereo system. While that was better than the TV's speakers alone, it still was lacking. We then bought a sound bar that had great ambient sound production, but speech dialogue was still weak. (It is so hard to judge a sound system in a store because you rarely have the store to yourself and cannot block out all the competing sounds of people talking and others fiddling with stereos all around you.) Have you ever tried to listen to a movie soundtrack at BB while a teen is testing a boom box?!

So I got busy researching home theater forums for systems capable of giving good clarity of dialogue especially for movies. This Denon DHT-591BA Home Theater System kept coming up as recommended so we took the plunge. I must say TV/movie sound and speech dialogue have never sounded better! To be able to discern dialogue in a movie like AVATAR is truly music to my ears. We are hearing sounds that we never knew were there. I still have some difficulty with speech detection at times. After all, I cannot make my hearing loss go away. But I am able to pick up easily 90% of what is being said in movies even with sound effects and music score playing simultaneously.

The Audessey mic with this system pretty much made setup a breeze. I did find it helpful to label the cable ends with masking tape as I read the manual. That way, once I set the speakers and receiver, cable hook-up was a cinch. Also, the Denon receiver "reads" the type of sound input from our hi-definition satellite and sets the sound scheme automatically. So when NCIS (broadcast in 5.1 sound) comes on, the Denon sets the sound to Dolby 5.1 without any help from me and you see "Dolby" listed on its display. During a commercial, you'll see the Denon display change to whatever sound scheme "IT" is such as "PCM," but then switch back to Dolby 5.1 when NCIS returns. It doesn't get much more idiot proof than that! Sure, you can experiment and make your own settings/sound scheme, but the beauty of it is you don't have to.

We are so enjoying our Denon DHT-591BA Home Theater System that I wish I had stock in the company!!

This was the first 5.1 surround sound I have ever purchased so I have nothing to compare it to - but what I can tell you is that to my ears, it sounds great.

This system is used in a loft style apartment - room dimensions for the living area are roughly 14' x 21' and we have 14' high ceilings - despite these room dimensions, this system completely fills the room with sound and leaves nothing to be desired. Great sound, full bass with plenty of room to get louder should I move into a home - then I can crank this thing. I use this system for everything - watching TV, Bluray movies, and probably most importantly, my Xbox360...set up was pretty painless, but what I would recommend is that you manually set up your speakers if you are using this in any kind of weird shaped apartment or space - the little microphone that is included to help auto-set the sound and distances for listening couldn't quite get it right in my space. Plenty of factors play into this - the city noise, appliances, room dimensions etc - but I just wanted to mention it.

After months of constant use, I have not experienced a single issue. I simply cannot go back to standard issue TV speakers ever again after listening to sound from this system.

My only other recommendations are to do it right the first time (if you can) - I bought an insulated bass cable from Belkin (great price, high quality), and also got higher gauge speaker wires - they DO make a difference. I set this system up with the 20 gauge that it comes with, then wound up replacing it with 14 gauge (front, center) and 12 gauge (back) even though it was probably overkill for the distances I was running. The sound that came across was, in my opinion, clearer and cleaner.

My only real gripe is that I wish that the remote control lit up when a button was pressed for night time use - it glows in the dark, which gets the job done most of the time...but in a perfect world, I'd like the buttons to light up.

I have gotten many compliments on this system from friends and family - I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a complete, matched system to watch tv, movies and play video games.

I was planning on buying a home theater right around thanksgiving and stumbled on this system at Best Buy. Got absolutely no help from BB. They did not even setup the system for demo after several requests. I've decided not to anything from BB in future though I will still use BB to get a feel for the product before I buy it online.

Coming to the HOME THEATER System:

1. Setup was simple. I bought my on speaker wire 16 gauge and installed the speakers as shown in the Manual.
2. Ran through Auto Speaker setup "Audessey" which calibrates the power delivered to all six speakers automatically.
I moved the audessey mic(comes with the system) around the 6 listening positions in my room.
3. Connected my DVD player to its designated input and ran the HDMI out to my TV's HDMI input.
(I use media bridge HDMI cables bcoz they are hdmi version 1.4a 3D ready and great value for the price $10.00 vs $49.99 Rocketfish.)
4. Slid in the "Clash of the Titans (2010)" DVD into my DVD player and kicked my legs onto the ottoman let Boston Acoustics + Denon
transform my living room into a home theater unlike anything.

My wife was so bent on buying a Bose Cinemate GS 2.1 for $800.00 but I somehow managed to talk her out of it. and she is glad we bought the Denon+BA and is blown away by the sound quality. She has decided not to go to cinemas anymore and rather enjoy the pure audio bliss of Denon+BA at home.

This is a great value for the money and for a guy like me living in a apartment this system just exceeded my expectations. I have to set the gain in the receiver to -40 dB in order to keep the neighbors happy but I am still not missing a single beat of audio. My room is just filled with sound and it's addictive.

I've one gripe though, the receiver doesn't have 3.5mm jack input to connect a mp3 player. But I worked around it by connecting the audio RCA cable that has a male 3.5mm connector(connects to mp3 player headphone jack) into the V.AUX Left/Right audio input of the receiver.

This system just compels me to give it a 5 star rating.

I will simply echo what other people have already abundantly written about this HTIB unit: Denon hit a home run with this receiver/speaker/price/quality combination. That is exactly what you get out of the DHT-591BA: an easy to set up (had mine up and running in 15 minutes flat) and easy to operate receiver that is solid and versatile enough with an edge towards today's entertainment options (3D, HDMI 1.4etc...); a speaker set that, while not the high end stuff (that will set you back a few thousands), delivers crisp tones and bass as heavy as you want it without dulling the sound; a price that is well worth the investment, especially for the surprising quality this unit delivers (I can see myself paying a bit more and still be satisfied, though I am not suggesting this to Denon or any of the retailers out there); overall build quality has me very satisfied and feeling like this was a steal! I currently own a Pioneer, a Kenwood, and an Aiwa systems (don't ask: long love story between sound, music, and me). I paid several thousands for each of these units because I believe that you get what you pay for, especially when it comes to audio equipment... until now. While these higher end units still outperform the Denon DHT-591BA in terms of overall sound quality, my perception of the price/quality equation has definitely been recalibrated by this Denon unit.
I hesitantly, in spite of all the reviews and the 2 weeks worth of research, bought this unit yesterday, ready to take it back at the 1st dull sound I hear (Sales staff at my local BB is probably still shaking in their boots at the thought of having to answer more questions from me?). As I mentionned earlier, I had it up and running in 15 minutes. I sat speachless for a few minutes listening at the incredible sound quality (which confused my wife because, she too, thought it sounded really well and was not sure what to make of my reaction). I went from ACDC, to Andrea Bocceli, to Josh Groban, to Black Eye Peas, to Tito Puente, Bob Marley, Eric Clapton, Bethoven, and Bach: still speachless.Turned on the blu-ray player: still speachless. Cranked Black Ops in the Xbox360: still speachless. Turned on the DVR unit: still speachless (now well after midnight). So I woke up this morning and decided, for the 1st time ever, to leave a review on Amazon.com.

If you need an entry level HTIB, this is the one to get. I know this is a strong recommendation for a unit that I only purchased yesterday, but I give it with full peace of mind and confidence. There is no way you go wrong with what this unit delivers at this price. I leave the technical details to the techies. The auditory experience holds as much value for me as the technical details so I thought I would share just that: my experience.

My final words on this unit: I am impressed! Two thumbs up to Denon/Boston Accoustics for putting this more than decent HTIB at a decent price. Don't waist 2 weeks like me doing research: buy it, set it up, and enjoy it! (I am now thinking about selling one of my higher end units). I hope this helps another sound lover.

I purchased the system after reading many reviews and checking prices. I purchased it wholesale, but the $600 retail price was reasonable, even though I bought it a little cheaper. I ordered the system and downloaded the instruction manual on my computer and started reading how to hook it up. It sounded easy enough and the manual described how you could hook up the microphone provided and set it in 6 locations in your listening area and go through an automated process to set up the system. Sounded great. Also, the television display sounded good too.

When I picked up the package from the distributor, I was impressed at the packaging. It was well packaged with the speakers in one box and the receiver in another. I had also ordered a spool of speaker cable (I was told the cable that comes with the equipment is usually cheap, and my friend was right; the speaker cable that came with the system was cheap, however, Denon does provide ample wire for an average size room).

I installed the speakers in my home. The sub-woofer is floor mounted and must be plugged into a wall outlet so make sure you have a power receptacle near the sub-woofer. It also takes different wire than the other speakers. I used a coax cable with an RCA plug installed on both ends.

Once all the speakers were plugged into the receiver, you go thru a series of steps described in the manual to set up the microphone and do a test to balance the sound and check the wire connections. One of my wire connections was not good and the system notified me of that. Good job. However, after running the automatic sound set up, the sound was awful. I started reading further in the manual and found that it was written terribly. Half of the items it told you about didn't give you an explanation as to which setting would be best for you. It just said, "set such-and-such to setting 'a', 'b', or 'c'. You have no idea which of those setting is best for your room, so I just guessed.

After setting everything up, I started listening to it. It sounded terrible. The sub-woofer was way too loud and the surround sound was too loud and I couldn't hear any of the voices trying to come out of the center channel. Also the way the manual describes the speakers as "small" or "large" was confusing. It didn't really tell you how to adjust the volume of each speaker. I hated the sound and found a way to set it up for multi-speaker stereo instead of surround, because it sounded better that way. I was very unhappy.

Finally, a friend who knew I was struggling, sent me a link to a easy to understand blog that explained everything and allowed me to set up the system properly. The link is

[...]

The first paragraph read: "We all know that the Denon manuals are worthless, soul-sucking torture tests. Plus, the menus are filled with cryptic terms with nary an explanation to be found. Thus, I present you with an easy, step-by-step guide to hooking up and setting up your shiny new Denon receiver. Enjoy, and I hope this helps you get up and running with minimal pain!"

Once I went through that narrative, I set my system up manually and now it sounds very nice. Full, clear, with high fidelity. Great system. Terrible manual.

Buy it, but find an expert to help you set it up, or use the above mentioned blog to learn how to set it up.

Good luck.

Pick up the Denon DHT-591 a few weeks ago. So far zero regrets.

This is my first home theater system. It is replacing a Bose 321 DVD system (not the GS, the original) I've had for almost 10 years and no, I don't consider that a home theater system. I had planned on spending 3 or 4 times the money on a home theater system. I ended up with this system for a number of reason but simply stated I am glad I did. My reasoning is (1) quality of the brands, both Denon and Boston Acoustics (...knock on wood...), and (2) as my first home theater system I didn't know exactly what to expect or plan for so go for a good (not good, Great!) entry level system. I can 'donate' the system to the kids if I want to move up in a couple of years. So, for me, no way to loose on this decision.

The Denon has numerous features including 4 HDMI, iPod docking system (an additional purchase but I'll be doing that soon!), great surrond sound, etc.
I have this Denon system, a PS3 for everything it does (netflix, games, accessing my computer for media, etc) and a 65" Panasonic plasma as well as a DVR with cable service/access from my local hench men.

I am not writing a technical review. I just wanted to say that the receiver and the speakers have meet and exceeded my expectations. Sure, I'd like the super fantasic high end stuff but I think this is the way to go for now. So much is happening in the world of media, internet, wireless technologies that I didn't want to invest a ton of money and some how have "missed the boat". This Denon unit has just about everything except for internet access. Well, that's what the PS3 is for and, when I get the Denon wireless iPod station, that is what the iPod touch will be for.

hmmm... I guess one negative comment is that the power cable to the subwoofer could fit a little tighter.

-----a few days later---

By the way, the room I have the system in is 20X40X10 with open access to a large dining room and an open loft. No issues filling the area with sound.

I have now received and installed the Denon ASD-51w IPOD docking station. Zero problems, works as advertised for playing off of the IPOD. I have not yet set up the wireless capabilities of the unit. I'll send a full review after I do that.

As for the 591 - I have now mounted my speakers and finished the Audysey (sp!) set up. That was very, very easy. The manual on the process was quite confusing but I ended up just plugging in the mick and followed the menus. No problem at all. Just don't get hung up on what the manual says as it takes about all the adjustments you can make, well, forget that - at least for the first time.

A final comment for today - My rear speakers are not in optimal positions. Due to the room configuration they are high (about 9 feet) and pointed down. In addition, I picked up and have installed the Amphony 1550 wireless unit. Better than Rockfish in that you get two receivers where Rockfish only provides you with one for both rear speakers. Also, the transmitter and both receivers have seperate amp's on them. That's cool. The amp;s are rated at 50 watts each so a little week but I've not really noticed a problem at all. A really great solution for me. Also, after completing the Audysey set up all works in balance, truely a noticible differance.

A final review on the DENON IPod Docking station once I complete the wireless set up! Nice stuff!

Great system, great feature set, Stop reading, stop splitting hairs. Buy it!

-----a few more days later---
I could not get the ASD-51W IPOD docking station to hold my wireless network security key. I spoke with customer service for about 40 minutes. The indidivual I spoke with took me though the same steps I performed with the same results. He suggested returning the unit to the retailer I purchased it from. No, I am just going to return the unit and look for something else. Denon! You let me down!

I wrote a seperate review on the ASD-51W unit you can find on that product page.

However, I still "love" the DHT-591.

I purchased a Onkyo "system" about three years ago which had the Onkyo speakers. The Boston Accoustic speakers are smaller and produce a better sound. The Denon system is the perfect combination at a bargain price. The factory supplied speaker wire was aluminum so I used the RCA wire sold by Amazon and also used the cast iron rear speaker stands which are rock solid and easy to assemble. I did see this unit online for a cheaper price but it did not include free shipping and the customer service at Amazon has always been exceptional which has to be worth something. My son has the premium Denon amp and claims that my entry level amp has all the things you need and not all of the more expensive accessories which makes his amp higher maintenance. Save your money and keep it simple.