Customer Reviews

Kenwood HTB-307 Home Theater System

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

 

 

(Added comments - Feb. 17 2006 - Well 1 yr. with this system and I am very satisified with it's performance and quality craftsmanship for the price. It took me over 12 hrs. to spec. out this system on paper as the best value for my dollar before I even purchased it. Never heard it until I got it though. I did not fail this time. So maybe I did some of the work for you. No problems. Sounds great. Does exactly what it says it does. Don't buy the Magnavox, RCA or anything similar from $150-200. Spend the extra $50-$100 bucks and move up to almost a midlevel system when you but this one. Other than the full range speakers this system comes with and the lack of S-video inputs it does everything a $400-$600 system can deliver. Now you can change the speaker types you use. For example, the system comes with full range speakers but the SS processor has settings for 3 way speakers if this is a basic requirement for you. The subwoofer is overpowering which is a good thing since you can adjust it to your liking using a control knob on the woofer (or by adjusting the processor's subwoofer output volumn - this cannot be saved so I usually just adjust the woofer to the type of audio source I'm listening to). You can also define the distance from where you sit to where the speakers are installed. The processor automatically makes speaker output adjustments based on your settings. There are also separate volumn adjustments for the center and surround speakers - but these changes cannot be saved - so set the distance properly. The center speaker also has a field width adjustment. This can come in handly when trying to determine From speaker placement. I recommend listening to your system for a few weeks before doing any permanent mounting of speakers. There are adjustments for the volumn level of your inputs like your DVD, CD or cable in - these cannot be saved - so set the output levels of your sources to the best signal where possible. The manual is pretty good but it did take me about 4 hrs. to master the SS processer functions and to really understand how to get from point A to B during the configuration process. The remote is kinda small but layed out very well. I have a digital coaxial audio out from my DVD player set to 5.1 channel out and RCA stereo line out from my cable box set to stereo out plugged into the processor. Yes you can rely on the system to produce good quality sound and do the DTS or Dolby conversion or emulation depending on the source - Like your CD's or stereo line inputs such as cable concerts or Digital Music choice. It does well in all SS modes and EQ modes for both movies and music. Heaby unit not cheaply designed. The speakers are also heavy and nicely designed. Shipped in very well designed packaging. (Original Review - Mar. 2005 -Quality is excellent. Everything worked right out of the box. You will need to consider that no cables are provided, no S-video inputs or outputs, speaker wires are too short for an average size living room, and that the speakers are full range meaning they do not have separate tweeters and woofers. This is noticable in the resulting sound. Also, I'm not sure whether the speaker and amplifier are designed to match with efficacy (yet to be determined. I'm a bit confused though I'm just a novice. For example, the amplifier spec's indicate 100Watts of effective surround power (whatever that means) but the speaker spec's indicate 35watts nominal power, 70 watts maximum, and 120Watts peak input power. You will not find a manual on the Kenwood website although you'll ironically find the marketing pitch for the HTB-307 system. You can't even find the indivual system component manuals either. They are by the way VR-804 (Receiver), KS-2100HT (Surround speakers), and the SW-38HT (subwoofer). Good luck finding them in advance of purchasing this system. Registering the product is tedious in that you have to register the individual system components by their respective serial numbers. Get this, they don't even confirm whether registration was completed so I don't know if I actually registered anything after all that work.

The HTB-307 has everything you need for great home theater sound: an A/V receiver, five matched speakers, and a powered subwoofer. A powerful receiver (100 Watts x 5 channels) is the systems command center, providing Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby Pro Logic II 5.1-channel decoding for life-like surround sound -- and its perfect for your music, too. Active EQ matches the receivers performance to the systems five speakers (left, center, right, and two surround speakers) for maximum impact and detail, and the powered subwoofer provides the explosive bass sounds that add depth and drama to movies. The receivers coaxial and optical inputs provide high-quality connections for digital components like your DVD player and satellite tuner, and the HTB-307 comes with a Kenwood System Remote.

Pros:

1. Good Build Quality

2. Decent Audio Quality

3. Using the KAM-1 Power Amplifier Circuitry The heat is evenly distributed (no hot spots), Efficient use of Power is just one more reason that Kenwood receivers sound better and last longer.

4. Good sounding Bass with included Subwoofer (SW-38HT)

5. Nice to have array of RCA Analog inputs and REC outputs to connect all your Audio epquipments.

6. DSP effects are pretty good.

Cons:

1. Remote is too small and buttons are laid out very close to each other, also programming a Learning remote from the original remote was very cumbersome.

2. No Component Video Switching!

3. No S-Video Inputs!

Note:

When Speakers (FR,FL,C,SW,RR,RL) Audio levels are set independently using SP Menu, The overall main dB levels max at -10dB instead of -00dB which bugged me for a while, But now I understand that it is designed that way! (Go Figure!)

Overall a decent product.

I also bought this Kenwood HTB-307 in Nov. 2004 and now it has blown it's fuse. Apparently there's some kind of short as the replacement fuses I install are immediatly blown when power is turned on. Since someone else has also had this problem, I'd be warry of buying this again unless Kenwood can be sure to their service centers able to quickly fix this at no cost and little hastle.

I have a HTB307 Home Theater System since november 28th, this product has been working great but yesterday 2005/4/4/ after a fast interruption from energy service the subworffers dont power on again and checkit for see a blow fuse but the unit dont have the fuse, irremedialy the unit die and smell so bad.I dont recomend the system because this was only electric equipment fail in my house with this energy interruption.

There is not a think lacking from this system if you already have a DVD player.