Customer Reviews

Onkyo HT-S3100 5.1 Channel Home Entertainment System (Set of Seven, Black)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was nervous about this purchase; so many choices for Home theatres.. component or all-in-one, how much to pay.. what are all these cables types/formats..

For my needs, this was a low cost (at $240) and effective solution. Setting things up was easy; lots of color-coded speaker wires. Needed only to purchase one TOSLINK cable to connect my Xbox 360 to it and I'm done.

The only (potential) downside is that this device does not have any HDMI ports; so if you have multiple HDMI sources (console+dvd+cable?), you will start to have troubles down the road unless your TV has enough HDMI inputs for them all. Also, there are only 2 TOSLINK (Optical Audio) ports.

The speaker cables look quite standard however and it looks like it will be quite easy to upgrade the receiver to something fancier without needing to buy speakers again.

I'm generally of the opinion that trying to buy "future-proof" electronics is expensive and/or futile. But I'm glad that this time, I've gotten a system that uses standard speaker wires (unlike my last cheap 5.1 system). I may regret the HDMI decision.. but at this time, I can't imagine needing more than 2 HDMI sources (which my 2 year old HDTV has).

Fantastic home theatre in a box. I was always fearful of this type of home center. I used to sell Denon products and own a Denon amp and a large home theatre set up in my basement. I wanted something for the living room that I could hook up a DVD, DVR, and X-box to. This product does it all. I was a little leary of a non-powered sub woofer. But this system comes through, big time. A friend of mine will be ordering one soon, and I would recommend this to everyone. Sounds as good as it looks.

I bought this with hopes it was going to be able to fill my living room with full sound. Since I have a very open floor plan, my ceiling in the living room is about 20 feet high and flows into the second floor of the house over a large balcony. This stereo definitely has the power to fill the room with sound. I can easy fill the entire house with sound.

I haven't yet used this for music, only movies and T.V. I tested it out using a few DVDs like Star Wars Episode II, III and to me it sounds just like the theater. Overall I'm very happy with this stereo and the price was just right.

I can't really think of any complaints.

I must disagree with the assessment of the review dated 03/08/09. This system offers great sound whether you're watching a DVD, playing PS3, listening to CDs or digital music channels. The previous review was way too harsh on this great item. Crisp highs, thundering bass, and the mid range is there. Strongly urge use of a digital optical OR digital coaxial cable to achieve true 5.1 surround. NEVER run the digital cable from your TV to the receiver - each component should be connected to the receiver individually. There are many settings involved in the set up of this system. *****THIS SYSTEM IS NOT READY TO GO RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX*****YOU HAVE TO READ THE MANUAL SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS SYSTEM!****** An absolute great value is to be had by purchasing this system at a good discount price. It was only $230 when I purchased it back in December and I got $30 off of that for signing up for the Amazon Visa. $200 for this system made me very, very pleased when I set it up and realized just how great a system it is. Just because it doesn't cost $500-$1000 dollars DOESN'T mean that it does not sound good - quite the contrary. This is a budget system which delivers quite good sound when set up properly!

I bought this set for my parents who're not sophisticated users, but want good sound quality for music and movies. After comparing more than 10 different sets, the HT S3100 was probably the best I could get in the price range. The installation is fairly easy. Overall sound quality is great, although I wish the bass could be a little for stronger. It doesn't have HDMI port, but that's probably why the price is highly competitive on Amazon.

This is a pretty good system. I love electronic "toys", but I am not super high tech savvy. I needed a new surround system because my old one (total 150 watts!!!) crashed. I also wanted one that I could plug my PS2 into, because God Of War kicks quite a lot of butt in surround sound. Got it fairly inexpensively (with shipping, I think it came to $[...]. Set up was NOT easy, contrary to what I've read elsewhere -- it took me forever to get it to surround sound mode -- was having trouble with the back speakers being mute until I clicked it over to "multi CH SP" or something like that. Sounds simple, but it really wasn't. There is a slight hiss for the speakers that major tech guys will probably find annoying, but I don't really notice it except when there is a moment of silence, like between commercials or whatever. The instruction manual was not very helpful, but I finally got everything hooked into it, and I'm very happy. DVD's/CD's sound AWESOME on it, but you may need to adjust so that the bass is a little louder than the factory settings. The funny thing is, I haven't played my PS2 on it yet, but it should be just as good as DVD's. So overall, very happy with the system!

I was on a budget and decided to take a look at a variety of HTIBs (Home Theater In Box). After reading through a few reviews, I decided that this unit would be perfect for my bedroom. Purchasing this unit through Amazon Prime was simple and I received it within 2 days. After taking it out of it's neatly organized box, I hooked it up to my PS3, 50 inch LCD TV, cable box, and was blown away by the sound quality this system pumped out.

The sound is crisp, the bass is solid, and the surround sound is PERFECT, especially when playing games on my PS3. I wish the receiver would've come with an HDMI port, but considering the price I paid for this system, I can't really complain about that. Also, I can see how it might be weak in a bigger room, but if you're looking for a 5.1 system to put in your bedroom, you won't be disappointed with this one. I give the Onkyo HT-S3100 a 5 out of 5 simply because it's perfect for the bedroom.

I have owned this system for about 4 months now and I feel that is an adequate length of time to give an accurate review.
I read reviews and did in store tests for just under a month before buying this. I originally was interested in the base Sony model, but after testing it at the now discontinued Circuit City, I saw the Sony was no match for this Onkyo. The Sony wattage is always over-exaggerated, with it being extremely evident when doing a side by side comparison.

Here is a quick breakdown on the pro's + con's.
Pro's:
Amazing sound for the money
-Blu-Ray live concerts will blow you away
Above average bass (but not the best for the $)
Extremely easy setup
Lengthy wire cords (Have to buy extra wire w/ the Sony)
Easy to use remote

Con's:
No HDMI's
-This can be overcome by using HDMI from your source (PS3 or cable box) to your TV and optical cable from there to the console. I have it set up this way and no signal quality is lost, guaranteed...a optical cable does carry Dolby Digital and DTS signals.

Large main console (You may face placement issues)


I am very pleased with my purchase and have 0 regrets to this day. I know you won't either.

It comes with a decent price and all the ins and outs you want for your home theater needs. The A/B speaker controls allows you to set up that extra set of speakers outside for the afternoon bbq. Clean and clear sound as expected. Very happy consumer.

Josef
Audio engineer

We needed a new speaker system when my DVD surround sound system kicked the bucket after 5 years. The speakers wouldn 't work with any other system, so we decided to buy something that we could plug everything into. This system is great. It 's nice to be able to hear our Playstation, VCR, and DVD's all in surround sound. Easy to assemble. I did a lot of shopping around before buying. I found that Onkyo is the best low-end system around here and what I paid was lower than average price for a refurb system. Works great. We're very happy with it. Delivery was within 7 business days.