- Stereo sound at 80 watts per channel
- 4 HDMI inputs and 1 output, with HDMI Support for 3D, Audio Return Channel, Deep Color, x.v.Color, LipSync, and more
- Direct digital connection of iPod/iPhone via front-panel USB port
- Advanced Music Optimizer for compressed digital music files
- Easy to use On-Screen Display (OSD) via HDMI
- 4 HDMI Inputs and 1 Output, HDMI Support for 3D, Audio Return Channel, Deep Color, x.v.Color, LipSync, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, DVD-Audio
- 80 Watts per Channel at 8 Ohms, 20 Hz20 kHz, 0.7%, 2 Channels Driven, FTC
- Easy to Use On screen Display (OSD) via HDMI
I wasn't able to do a standard 7.1 setup because of lack of room, so for awhile I had the system in a 5.1 configuration, that was before I figured out I could set the system up for Dolby Pro Logic IIz. What this does is it allows you to take the rear surrounds and mount them above the front speakers as front-highs. By setting the PLIIz configuration (which you can actually do through Audyssey) you add a sense of height to audio which allows for a more airy sort of sound as well as moving certain audio channels above your head, so if you're watching a film with helicopters or rain or whatever, you actually hear that above your head as you naturally would rather than in front or behind you at ear level. Its really cool, and I've watched a couple of films where its really shined.
As others have mentioned, setup is super easy. Colored wires allow you to figure out what goes where, and mounting was a piece of cake. Finding cheap speaker stands for my surrounds was a bit complicated, but I ended up going with some 15 dollar Walmart brand and using an adhesive that comes with the speakers to sit them on the stand. It sounds precarious, but its more stable than you'd think.
All in all I've very happy. Great price. Great sound. Easy setup. I couldn't ask for much more I don't think.
Buy Onkyo HT-S5400 7.1-Channel Home Theater System Now
As of 5/29/11 (After using system for 2 weeks)Let me begin by saying that this Onkyo Home Theater system is the first surround sound system that I have ever owned. I am not what one would call an "audiophile". So if you're looking for a more in-depth, technical review, I can't help you.
I was surprised when the gigantic HT-S5400 package arrived at my house. The speakers, sub-woofer, and receiver were all a lot bigger than I thought they would be. After being briefly overwhelmed, I got to work setting up the system and finished faster than expected.
Although I am a beginner, I found this system really easy to set up. The wires are all color-coded and installing the surround speakers is simple. There is no need for mounts or brackets and you can let the speakers hang on a nail or screw. This gives it a clean look. There are 4 HDMI slots are enough for your Blu-ray players, cable boxes, game consoles, and any other media players. I didn't know how to set up the sound levels for each individual speaker but the Audyssey function did this for me. I just had to do some minor tweaking afterwards.
I've tested the system for two weeks now and it sounds great with DVDs, Blu-rays, music, and videogames. I watched Inception and How to Train Your Dragon on blu-ray and the sound completely blew me away. Even the slightest movie noise comes through crisp and clear. And at less that half the max volume, my floor was already rumbling. I also tried it on an old favorite, Firefly, and it felt like a whole new experience. I don't think there is a reason to spend more money on a more expensive system unless you really can hear the difference. I initially had a problem with the audio and video popping in and out but I fixed this by replacing my HDMI cable.
One thing that I did not like about the front and surround speakers is the keystone hole. If you want to angle your surround speakers, you have attach them to a mount. This might be difficult because the depth of the keystone holes is very small so it is hard to get a screw head in there. This problem also arises when you try to attach the front speakers to a stand. This is a minor issue and can be easily remedied.
So to summarize:
PROS
Incredible sound
Really loud
Attractive setup
Simple installation
Plenty of HDMI imputs as well as component and AV
Audyssey really helps beginners
CONS
Questionable keystone design
Speakers may be a bit large (Front speakers are more than a foot tall)
Can't connect to HD antennas
Like the other reviewer, I would rate this 4.5 stars if I could. There are minor problems, but overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking to buy a Home Theater in a Box.
Read Best Reviews of Onkyo HT-S5400 7.1-Channel Home Theater System Here
Overall, I'm very happy with this system, however I really wanted to give it a 4.5 rating.Sound quality is very good, but finding the right sound mode for a source is imperative.
Bass is incredible, I can feel the vibrations clear across the house when bass rich music is playing.
LOTS of input options, I could hook up every piece of AV equipment I've ever owned.
Lots of different sound modes to get a particular source sounding the way you want
Audyssey was easy to use to get sound settings configured for my room and speaker setup
I only have three disappointments with this system, but they're pretty minor.
It does not up convert non-HDMI video inputs to HDMI which I hadn't thought of when buying this and wish I had.
The Subwoofer gives off a quiet electrical hum, like power lines or old fluorescent lights.
OSD only works with HDTV resolution signals 480, 720, 1080. Only bothersome due to my projector being 1280 x 800
Want Onkyo HT-S5400 7.1-Channel Home Theater System Discount?
So far this receiver / surround speaker package has performed well. I've had it up and running for 3 days and haven't had any insurmountable problems. Be sure to READ THE MANUAL, as it has critical information that will walk you through the device setup. If you decide to "wing it" you will most likely end up thumbing through the manual anyway, as this receiver has hundreds of ways to output sound, based on the selected input device and your desired result.Pros:
Good sound quality:
Will play as loud as you like with minimal distortion occurring at ~80% (guessing, I'm no expert) of maximum output.
Simple physical setup:
Speaker wires & connectors (on speakers & receiver) color coded. You will however need some dexterous fingers for hooking up the wires to the back of the receiver.
Ridiculous amount of options:
Lots of listening modes to customize individual outputs from different input devices.
Automatic EQ:
Very simple program that has you plug in and place a microphone (included) in certain listening areas and will adjust frequency responses, decibel levels, crossover points & individual channel delays. Basically, if you don't want to spend days fine tuning the EQ and repositioning speakers in perfectly symmetrical locations, it will automatically adjust the sound from each speaker so that the sound reaches your head from all sides at around the same time and adjust the volume of speakers that are less than optimum distance away from the listening position.
Cons:
Flashing video:
If you have a PlayStation 3, Blu ray player, XBOX 360 or any other device that uses a large amount of HDMI bandwidth, BE WARNED. I got very frustrated when the video output from my PS3 to my TV started flashing / cutting in and out / turning off altogether for seconds at a time immediately after hooking up the system. It turns out that you will need to either play with the display output settings on your PS3 (Turn off / down one or more upscaling video effects) or buy higher bandwidth HDMI cables (I didn't have to buy new cables but some online sources recommended it as a possible fix to the problem). The solution for me was as simple as turning off the "Deep Color" setting in the display settings on my PS3, and the whole thing just went away. The only real "con" is that there is no reference made to any of this in any of the technical support sections of the literature provided with the system. This seems to be a common issue, based on the amount of content available online describing the exact same problem, not only with this Onkyo receiver in particular.
Short speaker wires:
If you have a large room (surround & rear surround speakers more than 10'-12' from the receiver and want to hide the speaker wires, you will likely need to buy longer wires. That is, unless you are comfortable with the speaker wires running directly out to the speakers in a straight line.
Reports of similar units overheating:
This isn't really a "con" as I have not had any problems with my unit overheating, but there are some reports online of similar units experiencing problems with overheating. I happened to set it up on an open wire rack (all sides of receiver exposed to air) very close to an air conditioning register, and already had an improvised cooling system rigged up for the PS3. Most larger AV units do get quire warm while operating, but the situation can be helped with a little planning and attention.
Overall, if you really want to watch your windows shake, wake your neighbors, or just enjoy blu-ray movies or video games with 7.1 sound, i would have to recommend this system. Just be ready to rearrange your furniture, keep track of yet another remote (or get one of these: Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote with Color Touchscreen), put up with jealous friends and annoyed spouses, spend some money on speaker stands, wall mounts, HDMI cables & longer speaker wires. Enjoy =).
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First off, you don't need an HDTV thru HDMI to enjoy the Onkyo HT-S5400. When I got this system, almost a year ago--still smiling!--, I had a 29" Sony Wega TV (man, that thing was heavy!) connected to it via component video and was able to do everything by reading the display on the Onkyo receiver.Second, you don't need Blu-ray to enjoy it either. I used to have a Sony DVD player hooked up to this via coaxial digital audio cable, and that was all it needed to sound its best.
Third, you don't need space behind your viewing area: placing the back surround speakers as front heights is all you need when you have Dolby PL IIz. I did have the back space, but first required wall/ceiling speaker mounts to take advantage of this, so I first used front heights and, man, do they more than compensate--made me think twice before deciding on getting those mounts! Oh, and yes, you will need longer cable runs if you want them behind you--a minor caveat, considering front heights do the trick just fine.
Fourth, you don't need an extra-large living room, though you DO want that kind of power, and power it delivers! I think the volume can go up to 70, but I've never needed to go further than 50-something, and at that point it sounds real juicy, my friends! Plus, you can always upgrade this to more powerful higher-end speakers if you find that's your thing sometime in the future, it's built for it--I haven't found that necessary, though, these speakers are a treat!
Fifth, you don't need a dedicated piece of equipment for playing sweet-sounding music. This thing is packed with multiple options for that as well, regardless of the source--simply...sweet!
Finally, and most importantly, you don't need to be rich. Under 400 bucks, hey, what have you been waiting for? Sure, there's a newer version about to come out, but it'll cost you more. The only difference is the newer one comes with Onkyo's own WRAT technology for cleaner sound. I would not pay the extra 150-200 bucks for it sounds superb without it, IMHO. BTW, the design is about the same; only visible difference is the receiver will now include the WRAT logo on the front, and the glossy top panels on the front speakers and side panels on the center speaker are of a slightly different design--really, not much of a distinction to win one over the other in the looks department. The 5400 already looks plenty stylish!
My point being that you ABSOLUTELY have to get the Onkyo HT-S5400, no matter what, because what you DO want is a system that gives you a real movie experience AS WELL AS one that delivers the goods for playing all your music and gaming needs at a good price. You don't even need fancy cutting-edge equipment hooked up to it to get it sounding awesome, and you can always get all that later on since it is ready for it as well! That's what I did...let me elaborate:
Before this, I had owned two HTIBs, the type that includes the DVD player with the amp and 5.1 surround--first a Samsung, and later a higher-powered Sony. Trust me, you don't want to get any of that. The former didn't turn out that good, and the latter did sound better with movies--or so I thought!--but didn't have a fair enough sound when it came to playing music. All in all, I found those HTIBs lacking pizzazz (I couldn't even hook up our PS2 to enjoy the surrounds while gaming, for one thing). I then saw some advertising in a movie magazine that told me the best way to go was to get a home theater receiver and hook up separate stuff to that. I didn't know the Onkyo brand back then but wanted it, based on all that convincing publicity, so I started to save up for an upgrade...
I did a ton of research and was now doubtful on whether to get 5.1 or make the jump to 7.1. I chose the latter since--of course, pricing WAS a factor, but most importantly,--I had always wanted to get the most out of the more sophisticated DVDs in my collection (no Blu-ray Discs back then) which included better soundtrack options than DD 5.1 or even DTS. E.g. The Lord Of The Rings Special Extended Editions all contain DTS-ES 6.1, Star Wars Episodes I VI all have Dolby EX 6.1 (the packaging reads 5.1, but the Onkyo's display will tell you it's actually 6.1!), and most PIXAR movies (WALL-E, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille) also have that 6.1 channel capability, which you could not enjoy UNLESS you have a home theater such as this. And, let me tell you, even when your DVDs' 2.0 or 4.0 or whatever inferior sound can be processed thru the 5400's 7.1 channels, it really shines when being fed native 6.1 sound--it does pay to finally hear what you've been missing. Besides, if the 6.1 track is there, why not be able to enjoy it, right? Of course, this IS the one thing that helped me decide on setting up surround backs instead of front heights: to listen to these fancier soundtracks the way Peter Jackson or George Lucas or Brad Bird etc had intended, and...they...sound...just...sublime! Don't worry, as I stated before, front heights sound really, really good, too. Furthermore, it was a question of time before I got a large HDTV and Blu-ray to complement such a great home theater, though in the meantime it was fan-tas-tic! On a side note: I recently had the chance to make use of the 5.1 version at a vacation house we stayed in for a few days and was able to compare both and, boy, the difference is night and day both soundand feature-wise. Made me even happier for getting the 5400 and all its 7.1 glory! So, don't hesitate to do the same!
Music sounds just as excellent--truly, truly excellent--, especially uncompressed (original studio) CDs and USB-FLAC audio. It'll really blow you away! Home stereos are a thing of the past for me now that I own this baby. Again, you can always connect a dedicated CD player to it if you think it'll help. And, iPod content cannot get much better! With the surround backs, the mode I enjoy most is "DTS Neo:6 Music" for most sources, and I toy around with treble, bass, and subwoofer levels to get it just right every time. At first, when I had front heights, "Dolby PL IIz Music" gave whatever I played an extra something--the same something "Dolby PL IIz Game" gave that PS2 when gaming--plenty of choices for your particular tastes. Moreover, people complain the sub "isn't powerful enough." Well, consider THEY didn't want to spend more, and add to that the fact that YOU want to enjoy this system for yourself, not your neighbors (and they still may be complaining!). The bass is rich, period, and my family and I really like it. It's a pleasantly large, independently powered, active 10" sub, do you really need more? Not me! I also love how it turns on and off by itself as needed and switches its light from red to electric blue to red again--gorgeous!
Of course, by the end of 2011, I'd entered the realm of high tech video full throttle: I got my LG 47in LW5600 1080p LED Cinema 3D Smart TV (yeah, all that--what a beauty!) bundled with an LG 3D BD Player (nothing to write home about, but works well enough) and 4 pairs of Cinema 3D glasses ("passive" 3D rocks, BTW! In my POV, there's nothing "active" has that merits paying so much more, it's the other way around, in any case!). I got my High-Speed HDMI cables and threw in some 3D Blu-ray movies and--whoa! I'm so pleased I had this more-than-decent Onkyo to complete the experience! For a taste, you should hear Francesco's engine roaring thru your living room with lossless 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio on PIXAR's Cars 2 Blu-ray!!! A bonus: the display can now show the "DTS-HD MSTR 7.1" and "DOLBY TrueHD 7.1" readings--how cool is that! Oh, and I didn't strike it rich or anything, I just waited for the right moment. I've been doing a fair amount of bargain-hunting for Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray movies since then and it's proven a fest for family and friends!
I don't know, folks. You're reading this, so get the Onkyo HT-S5400 while supplies last!!! You will not be disappointed. I hope you have the same great experience I'm still having...thank you, Onkyo!
For those interested, is this brand reliable? People seem to agree it is. Almost a year later, mine is working just fine...and, it does come with a 2-year parts & labor warranty, so I'm looking at 5 years of quality sound at the least. Add one more Onkyo devotee to the list! Thanks for reading! 5 Full-fledged Stars!!!
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