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My Overall Rating : ★★★★½

Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 Home Theater Speaker System Review

Onkyo is one of very few manufacturers of home-theater-in-a-box systems (HTIBs) confident enough to sell its speakers separately. The eight-piece speaker package we’re reviewing here is included with the $500 Onkyo HT-S790 HTIB, but if you already have an A/V receiver, Onkyo sells the speakers separately as the SKS-HT540. Available for less than $300 online, the 7.1 package is a truly exceptional value.

The first thing you’ll notice is the speakers and subwoofer is that they are a good deal bigger than the silver-plastic models packaged with most HTIBs. They’re finished in black ash, and the front three speakers’ rounded, metallic-silver front baffles are hidden behind curved grilles. The front-left, -right and -center speakers measure 17.1 inches by 6.25 inches, and they’re nearly 8 inches deep. The four wall-mountable surround speakers are 10.5 inches tall, 6.8 wide, and 4 deep. If you don’t want or need to run all four surround speakers, go ahead and stick with standard 5.1 channel surround; you can hook up the extra two speakers to your receiver’s B speaker outputs and put them in another room. The 25.4-pound subwoofer, meanwhile, is comparable to separately sold models that go for the price of the entire SKS-HT540 system. It’s 18.6 inches tall, 10.75 wide, and 17.75 deep. All of the speakers and the subwoofer are fitted with black cloth grilles, but only the front three speakers’ grilles are removable. (Unlike the silver or black flavors of the HT-S790, the standalone speakers come only in black.)

The front-left, -right and -center speakers feature a pair of 5-inch woofers and a 1-inch dome tweeter–by comparison, many HTIB speakers typically make do with a single 2- or 3-inch woofer, and some don’t even have tweeters. The four surround speakers use a 3.1-inch woofer and a 0.75-inch ceramic dome tweeter. The one budget-imposed limitation we noted was that speakers rely on spring-clip wire connectors instead of higher-quality binding posts.

The SKS-HT540’s subwoofer boasts a 10-inch woofer and a 230-watt amplifier. The sub’s port is located up front, just beneath the woofer, so it won’t be adversely affected by corner placement. The sub’s single RCA line-level input is your only connection option, but line level is always our first choice for subwoofer hook up–so make sure your receiver has either a subwoofer output jack or “pre-output” jacks. The subwoofer is available separately as the SKW-204, for about $120.

If we didn’t know the MSRP of the Onkyo SKS-HT540, we would have pegged it closer to $600. Music of all types sounded natural, so we could freely indulge without considering the system’s rock-bottom price. Acoustic jazz sounded especially good, so we spent some time listening to Duke Ellington’s big band swing CDs. The brass had just the right balance of presence and warmth. On Duke’s smaller group sessions, you get to hear his piano more, and again, the Onkyo speakers nailed the instruments’ scale and power.

Rock music via the Onkyos had plenty of kick, so Sonic Youth’s new Rather Ripped CD could be enjoyed at high volume without strain. These speakers and subwoofer can easily fill even a large room–as big as 500 square feet–with sound for parties. Don’t expect that sort of performance from minisatellite speakers and 6-inch subwoofers–they won’t get remotely close to the SKS-HT540’s big sound.

Action packed DVDs’ chest-thumping dynamics were a treat. The speakers and subwoofer blend was exceptionally smooth–the system had the weighty impact that we associate with tower speakers. The center speaker treats dialogue well, sounding resolutely full-bodied and natural. The subwoofer’s low bass and definition are decent, albeit no match for the better $500 subs we’ve tested.

Summing up: If you’re on a budget and want the best bang for your home-theater buck, these Onkyo speakers are an easy recommendation. If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, consider the HT-S790, which includes a capable A/V receiver; if you already have a receiver, the speakers-only option of the SKS-HT540 is the way to go. The only real caveat is that they don’t look as great as they sound; anyone more concerned with aesthetics may want to spend a bit more for the Onkyo SKS-HT240 speakers, which offer a more stylish design.

Let’s take a look at all of the Onkyo SKS-HT540 features/specification:

  • 130 watts total output on 2-way bass reflex front, center, and surround speakers
  • Bass reflex powered subwoofer with 230 watts output
  • Front and center 2-way speakers feature 5″ diaphragm woofers and 1″ balanced floating tweeter
  • Surround speakers feature a 3 1/8″ cone woofer and a 3/4″ balanced dome tweeter
  • Subwoofer construction includes a 10″ cone driver

If you want to buy Onkyo SKS-HT540, you can get it cheap online through Amazon.com here. They offer special discount price and reliable shipping service.

Let me show you what current owners have to say about it:

“…Once you realize, Home-Theatres-In-A-Box (HTIBs) just won’t do because their sound quality is mediocre at best, you realize that separate speakers and AV receivers run the gamut from reasonably expensive to unbelievable. And buying 7 speakers and a subwoofer can quickly cost you over $2000 dollars. When I was looking at putting together a home theatre system, I wanted an AV receiver with future compatibility that was also fully featured (I settled on the Onkyo TX-SR605). For speakers, I wanted reasonably priced quality. Despite the fact that these speakers were originally part of a HTIB they are of surprisingly good quality for the price.

The Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 speakers are neither stylish nor ugly. They are functional looking with black wood grain cabinets and removable covers. I like their looks because they are classic and not flashy. I wanted quality over looks. When it comes to low-to-medium priced speakers, stylish looks usually mean a drop in performance and sound quality. These speakers don’t try to look trendy, they just produce great sound. If you’re going for styling in your speakers to match your decor, look elsewhere.

Another feature of the Onkyo SKS-HT540 speakers is that they are large. And I mean large. These would not be too small to be used in a huge great room. I have them in a cramped little apartment, but I love them anyway. You need large speakers to produce fuller, deeper sound and these have no trouble doing that.

The speakers are well made in that they have wood cabinets. Read up about materials and you’ll learn this is great; most HTIBs and speakers at this price are usually made with plastic cabinets. The Onkyo SKS-HT540 use spring clips as connecters, which don’t give the best possible sound, but few speakers in this price range offer banana clips.

Overall, the Onkyo’s give surprisingly clear, deep, and rich sound for the price. These are very affordable speakers that give great sound. Sure there are speakers that give better sound, but they will cost you over a $1000. These speakers are the best quality sound you can get for the price. (And Cnet agrees. Check out their review.) They are powerful and the sound they produce is realistic and varied.

I use my 7.1 system to play video games on my XBox 360, PS3, and PC gaming system. This is where these speakers really shine. Few DVDs or Blu-Ray discs take advantage of 7.1 yet, but many games do. Guns and explosions sound insane! on these speakers. I mean it. The subwoofer is huge and provides plenty of sound for a room of up to 800 sq feet. I’ve heard musical instruments I didn’t even know were there in my music while listening on these speakers. I’m an audiophile and I’ll admit there are much better speakers out there, but not for anything near this price. So if you want an affordable surround sound system these speakers are it. Get them now.

Oh and the included subwoofer cable is kind of short (8ft). I bought an extension for about $5. Very worth it…”

If you want more info on this Onkyo SKS-HT540, I suggest you take a look at the Onkyo SKS-HT540 reviews on Amazon here. A lot of consumer positive response to this Onkyo SKS-HT540 here.

Here is why Onkyo SKS-HT540 is worth buying:

Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 Home Theater Speaker System : Pro

  • Excellent front three and subwoofer
  • Excellent music and movie reproduction (from these speakers)
  • Excellent dialogue reproduction (even male voices)
  • They look kind of pretty and are great in proportion to a 46″ screen (I’ll try and post a pic)
  • Surprisingly tight and powerful bass from the sub for its price
  • Astonishing price for all of this together (turnkey 7.1 ain’t cheap anywhere)

Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 Home Theater Speaker System : Con

  • Weak surrounds comparatively, but still as good or better than many other satellite systems
  • Thin wire included (but many don’t even include wire so not much of a con)
  • Sub has no phasing switch

Conclusion

The Onkyo SKS-HT540 is the best-sounding surround-sound speaker package you can get for less than $300.

This Onkyo SKS-HT540 can be ordered directly from Amazon.com today. CLICK HERE for the best price and get your Onkyo SKS-HT540 today! They are 100% secure site so you can be rest assured that your details are protected when ordering.

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