Customer Reviews

Samsung HT-TZ515T 5.1-Channel 5 Disc Home Theater Surround Sound System (Set of Seven, Black)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this system to use with my Samsung 61 inch TV(model A750)and am delighted with it. Aside from matching the TV perfectly, it is easy to set up, easy to use, and produces great sound. I feel like I am at the movies.

The wireless receiver for the rear speakers worked like a charm.

I offer the following suggestions:

1. To hook this system to your TV you will need both a video cable(I use an HDMI cable) and audio cable(I use a standard red and white cable). Neither cable comes with the system(which is the norm), so make sure you buy them.

2. Before using the system, press the menu button on the remote(your TV must be turned on), go to audio setup, and do the tone test to make sure that each of your speakers is working. Initially I did not insert one of the speaker wires enough, and did not get a sound.

IMPORTANT: The tone test will not work unless you use the Mode button on the remote control and choose Matrix as your setting. I learned this the hard way when I could not get tones from all the speakers and called Samsung tech support, who were helpful.

I use this system in an 18x14 room with lots of windows and skylights and get great sound. If you hook your ipod into this system(an adaptor is provided) you will think that you are at a concert. I highly recommend this.

What detered me from purchasing it's brother system, the HT-TX75, was that the wireless rear speaker module was included. The setup is very simple. The wireless rear speaker module means no more tripping over or trying to hide wires. The woofer puts out quality bass. Earlier today, I put in a cd and put the volume on 32. My neighbor from 2 HOUSES DOWN asked me to cut it down. The 5 disc changer makes it easy to enjoy a day of watching movies. The system is also has an ipod/mp3 dock as well as one for XM satelite radio. The remote can be programmed to control your TV as well. Great product.

For starters, as soon as i took this system out of the box i was blinded by beauty. Every piece is glossy black and sleek. Very nice.

Hooked it all up and everything was very straight-forward. The instructions are very simple to follow. All screws and such were there. No problems...yet.

Now, the main problem i had that almost caused me to pull my hair out is the wireless reciever. When i first got the system fired up and running everything worked great. Watched a movie and got about 3/4 the way through and the rear speakers went out. Got the flashing CHK REAR. So i checked everything and all was connected fine. So, i turned off the system and turned it back on and the rears worked great once again. So, i decided to play some Xbox 360 using this system. Again, worked great for about an hour or so and then got the CHK REAR flashes again. by this time i got really frustrated. I went through all the troubleshooting steps in the manual, looked everywhere online for help and found nothing. I moved the wireless reciever to different locations thinking mabye it wasn't getting a clear connection to the main reciever. No luck! I did not want to call Samsung because i knew they'd make me go through all the steps once again, but i was at wits end and thought it was my last resort. So, before i decied to make the call i started fooling around with the wirless card that plugs into the back of the main unit. I noticed that if i pushed in and held the card that the rear speakers would connect and remain connected. So, i got some clear shipping tape and put a couple strips on the card positioning it so that it is being forced into the main reciever. After doing this i haven't had 1 issue out of the rear speakers. Everything sounds beautiful. I use my PS3, Xbox 360, Cable TV with it and they all sound superb. Its a great system, but the wireless troubles need to be addressed with Samsung.

All in all, i would definitly recommend this system but beware of the rear wireless hacks that may have to be done to get it to work properly. Also, the rears aren't really wirless as they are wired to the wireless reciever. Saves from having to run wires from the tv to the rears though. If anyone has any questions or would like pics then message me and i'll be happy to assist ya. :-)

Well I read a lot of reviews of the HT-Z515T, other Samsung models, the Panasonic and Sony models of similar specs. This is a really good sounding unit with some really silly flaws that make daily use bothersome. Still a great bargain and would recommend if you don't mind the flaws I list.

Pros
*Excellent sound, especially for this price range. I don't think there is a product with comparable sound without paying several hundred more.
*Very good dvd/cd playback. It doeas have some difficulty with dirty or moderately scratched disks that my Sony 5 disk player had no trouble with, but this may be a function of the higher quality of the reader.
*small footprint of speakers, player and wireless unit.
*mostly good coordination with Samsung tv
*Excellent combatibility with ipod

Cons
*1st problem is it is really difficult to compare the various models of Samsung ht's.
*terible remote - no backlight, small buttons that are pourly laid out.
*sometimes disconnects from Samsung tv when changing from dvd to cable input.
*no hdmi input
*does not display the track number in cd play (just stupid!!)
*displays static samsung logo while playing cd's. No screen save in this mode.

It is great 5-DVD Home theater system. Great Sound for the money. However, I was really disappointed by the Quality Control and Cheap Fans used on this system.

The Main fan on the DVD module failed in less than 3-weeks. The rear wireless speaker amplifier fan is very noisy.

THe unit is now shipped back to Samsung for Repairs. I love Samsung products. However, I am pretty sure that Samsung has a lot of work to be as same Quality level as Sony. Sony is just works like a Rolex watch!

Edit: (1/25/09)The system has been "fixed" by Samsung. I paid only some $20 fee to provide UPS packaging while shipped for service. The main unit fan is replaced. However, the rear wireless unit was returned as is with an extra little wireless transmitter card.

Now I really frustrated with wireless module. It so noisy after just 20 minutes of action play of "Dark Knight" blue ray movie that whole experience of listening to great sound goes down to the hill in a hurry.

I contemplating of returning this unit and look for higher model. I would like to stay with Samsung, however, amazon is sending me a great deal link for: Yamaha-RX-V663BL-7-1 with free speakers. It is just $499

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-V663BL-7-1-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B0013ZGOWY/ref=pe_23650_11070760_fe_txt_1/

I purchased this product off of eBay after doing plenty of research. What attracted me is the price, wireless module, 1080p upconversion and tall-boy speaker. The product arrived within a week of ordering it. Installation was fairly straightforward and simple (prepare to spend about 2-3 hours installing this giant system).

First the negatives:
* I was very disappointed to find out that you cannot adjust the equalizer when you hook this system to a DVR box. I watch majority of my shows on DVR and TV and needless to say I was disappointed that I cannot tweak equalizers in this mode.
* For the size of the subwoofer I expected way more bass than what it is capable of. I had to tweak the setting to +4 dB (+6 dB is the max) to get decent bass. The bass works halfway decent only at higher volumes.
* The LCD interface is a little short of pathetic. For a system worth $400+ Samsung could have put a little bit more effort into the interface. This is the deal...You have to have the TV on to maneuver between folders if you are playing MPs. This is a huge disadvantage if you compare other HTIB system. I have a 40 inch LCD TV which is illuminated with an expensive lamp that I don't intend to burn anytime soon. Samsung has not made the maneuvering any easier by having a complex interface that works ONLY in the DVD mode. So if you want to adjust the equalizer you can only do so in the DVD mode which required you turning on TV just to listen to MP3 songs. That for me sucks!
* I am disappointed that the tallboy speakers, which look gorgeous, deliver mediocre performance. Or I am just expecting way too much for a system worth $400.
* Inputs: The system has only 2 types of inputs; traditional and optical. I believe that is short of standards compared against other HTIBs.
* Performance: At low sound levels, this system doesn't perform any better than my Panasonic TV with 2-10W speakers.

Now the positives:
* Once installed, this HTIB unit gives a hi-tech look to the living room. The tallboy speakers look gorgeous (but get a B- on performance) and the subwoofer unit looks like an alienware CPU.
* The wireless units were a breeze to install and surprisingly, produce very impressive performance. I noticed no audible lags though I feel when I watch live TV, the wireless lags behind a little. It doesn't happen when I watch HD movies. The wireless receiver looks a little bulky for my taste but nevertheless looks like a piece out of Star Wars set.
* Performance: The HT-TZ515 delivers outstanding performance at high volumes. I am yet to crank it up all the way and even at the level of 20-22, the performance is appreciable. I noticed no hums or other noises but that is because I use a high-end optical cable. I am yet to be impressed by the "upconversion" razzmatazz but that is because I believe blue-rays are the way to go! The upconverted DVDs look pretty decent when I play DIVX or DVD movies.
* MP3 hookups: You can connect your MP3 player in a breeze and enjoy great sounds from this system.

Summary: Overall, a mediocre system. I got this system for $300 which costs over $400 elsewhere. For the money I paid, I'm pretty satisfied with it. But if I had paid $400 I will be very disappointed with the performance of this unit. I read rave reviews about the Sony Bravia HTIB and would probably stick with Sony.

*** UPDATE *** 2/20/2009 **
This machine has stopped working - the drive motor won't spin the discs. Samsung will only repair if I ship the entire unit to LA (about $100 in postage) so I'm putting the whole thing in the trash. I bought a Philips system last week which has been infinitely better for half the price. I'm tempted to say I'll never buy Samsung again...
***

I really wanted to like this unit, since the sound is really excellent for the price, and the speakers and small and unobtrusive. But after all the problems I've had, I definitely wouldn't buy this again.

- The wireless speakers disconnect continuously. I've tried turning off wireless routers in my house and it makes no difference. The only thing that works is resetting the rear speakers and entering a "secret reset password" on the main unit to get everything back in sync. I do this every time I watch a film. If I don't do this the unit flashes "REAR CHK" and pauses the sounds every 30 seconds until I do.

- The "secret reset password" is something you'll only find by Googling problems with the unit (turn off, type 0-1-3-5 and everything resets). There's nothing in the manual or on Samsung's support site. In fact, all the documentation has as much value as firepaper.

- There's no input for cable TV - why?

On the plus side, here are the steps for unlocking the unit to become multiregion (you have to follow the steps precisely):

1. Remove disc from tray.
2. Switch off player and unplug from mains.
3. Wait 30 seconds, then reconnect mains.
4. Turn on player with remote. Wait for player to finish loading and display 'no disc'.
5. Press enter on remote. (There will be no on-screen response.)
6. Press 8, 4, 2, 6, 9 on the remote. (There will be no on-screen response.)
7. Press enter on the remote. Player will automatically shut off.
8. Turn player on.
9. Turn off.
10. Turn player on then off again.

I was given this home theater system last year for Christmas. I was so excited! I think the sounds quality was great, etc but problems began right away. My roommate and I would have to turn off the system for 30 seconds at least once a month because it would freeze. Then in early October I couldn't get the dvd player to even open. I contacted their service department and ended up sending it in. Two weeks later I got it back and it was still broken! I called and they said I needed to send it in to another center, so I did. I just got it back and it is STILL BROKEN! I'm a patient person, but I've been without my dvd player and system now for almost 2 months and aggrivated is hardly the beginning of it!
PS. I don't even know why they have the "chat" function on the website. All they say is to call during regular business hours. And when I call I end up having to follow the "troubleshooting" instructions for 10 minutes that I already tried because they are the only thing in the manual.
Boo Samsung. Boo.

Owned this product for over a year now. The sound is excellent BUT ever since I recieved my unit every time I try to play a divx movie it completely stops halfway through and will not restart. I turn the unit off and on again then it tells me there's no disc or something like that. It does this on any of the 100+ divx discs I have (which incidentally all play fine on my Toshiba Divx DVD player). Divx playback is the main reason I bought this surround system and was very upset when I would only get halfway through a movie and it stops and WONT restart, even from the begiining!! SO, if you want something to play divx on DO NOT buy this product. I contacted Samsung and they can not help, I get the runaround. Wish I hadn't wasted the $500 on a Samsung, I should've just stayed with Toshiba. Also, another tidbit I didn't find out until I bought the system: When using an HDMI cable to connect it to your television it will stretch the viewing image to fit the screen and there is no way (that I could find in the settings) to make it work. When using Component or Composite connectors it works perfect but for some reason when using the HDMI connection it stretches and warps everything.

Very nice system - 3 screws hold the speakers to their base and 1 screw hold the top speaker in place - Rear wireless speaker system worked like a charm on first hookup - have not had them go out like others have had.
Would have preferrered RCA cables for the speakers instead of bare wiress which makes swapping another DVD player impossible unless you want to splice. With this system I have to have have 2 DVD players turned on to watch Blu-ray ones. This one has an optical input which comes directly from my TV. So to watch a Blu-Ray I have to have both DVD players turned on. Annoying but not a deal breaker. Also the 5-disk DVD player that came with this unit is 16 inches long and does not fit in my TV stand which has glass doors on the front. I will have to cut out the cheap carboard back of it to have it sit in. The wireless card adds another 2 inches or so as it sticks out the back of the unit. Minor things on a fantastic system. I would still buy it again.