I was skeptical I admit
I moved out of my house into a much smaller townhouse and I had to give up my Klipsche 2 series 5.1 system.....I HATED giving up surround sound. I have been bouncing back forth between this one and the CT350 model. I was scared that this wouldn't be as loud as I would like it........wow was I wrong. The room I have it in is only 11 X 15 (system on short side) and this thing is fantastic. It has a max volume of 50 and I find 24 to be more than enough. Is it true 5.1....no... but it has great surround effects and very full sound.....you will feel like the action is going around you which is what we all want anyway isn't it?
I tested it with Avatar Blu Ray..... Lord of the Rings ROTK Disc 2 DVD......Invictus ON Demand (for the accents.....hard on TV speakers).....was blown away each time
I turned up the center to +5 to bring out the dialog a little more and set the sub at +2
I also mounted the speaker ABOVE the TV which I feel really helps to bring out the surround effects because they don't get lost down near the ground around the furniture
It is a little slow switching inputs but that is to be expected......the remote will only control Sony products....so if you have non Sony stuff invest in a Harmony remote
If you are planning this for a really large room and you are going to be sitting 17 or more feet away maybe you should consider the 400W 350 model..... but for a normal room you will be thrilled by this unit.
I couldnt be more happy with this purchase Sony HT-CT150 3D Sound Bar System
i was really skeptical about going with a sound bar at first, but all of those thoughts were out the window as soon as the system got broken in (about 1 or 2 day period to fully break in the system). coming from the traditional 5.1 systems (have had systems ranging from home theater in a box-type of setups to bose lifestyle 5.1's to martin logan set ups), i was really surprised at how well this 1 speaker set up simulated "surround sound". i found myself looking over my shoulder every now and then, while watching movies, because i was hearing things from alot of different places, other than just in front of me. the CT150 was supposed to be a temporary set up for me, but after about a month of use, i'm really considering sticking to soundbars. the simplicity and ergonomics just cannot be compared to by big, traditional 5.1 systems.
as for sound quality, the vocals are nice and crisp. i know the CT100 had a vocal problem, but i can hear everything crystal clear on my CT150 (center channel set at +5). i have my CT150 in a very open living room (about 20x35), so i have my subwoofer level set at +5 (settings go from -6 to +6). the bass levels would be comparable to my bose lifestyle 25 system, with the CT150 having a slight bass advantage. all in all, a great little package. i really couldn't think of a better, more ergonomic set up for a smaller living room or bedroom. i might just stick with soundbars from now on and just upgrade to bigger/better soundbar set ups.
Background: I am an audio enthusiast with 3 small children. My previous audio system, run by 3 Carver stereo amps, is in boxes in the basement, as I did not want little hands breaking things or blowing up pieces. The old system had more spent in Monster Cable wiring then this system cost. Life changes and the wife did not want speakers and wires everywhere so I made a compromise.
Current Setup:
Sony Bravia TV (2006)
Sony HTCT150
Sony Digital Media Port TDM-iP10
Sony PS3 - Original 60gig
Nintendo Wii
Leap Frog - Zippity
At the time of this review I have owned the HTCT150 for just over 2 weeks and have been quite impressed with the results. The main reason I got the system is for movies and TV watching and being able to hear and control the sound. The output range is good and it does a nice job with lows and high end. I liked that the system could be passive as the PS3 is our main DVD player and entertainment source, i.e. Netflix streaming. I have the PS3 hooked up via HDMI. HDMI up to the TV and from the TV I have both optical out and RCA. The TV will not do ARC (audio return channels) though HDMI and the TV will not convert analog audio (Wii and Zippity) to optical. I let the TV handle the analog audio, RCA switching and have the RCA's go into SA-CD/CD, seems on the HTCT150 the TV RCAs will only work without optical in hooked up.
I have both an older 80gig iPod video and the iPhone 3G that I have hooked to the system using the Digital Media Port TDM-iP10. I use the video iPod for audio only and have full control over it using the remote for the HTCT150. I did a brief test with the iPhone by putting it in iPod mode, it worked as an audio source and had control of it with the remote. I did try to display pictures and it would not pass images or work as a video source. It seems the TDM-iP10 is audio only but you do get control with the HTCT150 remote.
One of the big reasons for my purchase was for nighttime watching and dynamic compression. The system has 2 layers of compression you can use to keep the sound even and not wake the kid. Woke the oldest already before turning on the compression. The system has NIGHT MODE, this is compression in the digital amp of the HTCT150 and limits all sources. Audio DRC (Dynamic Range Control) only works in Dolby Digital, but that covers the TV and PS3 and has 3 levels, None, Standard, Max. With turning both NIGHT MODE and Audio DRC on I can watch TV or movies and hear no volume difference between show and commercial or dialogue and explosions, this is important for us Mom's and Dad's.
Audiophile Time: I have played with the system with the LPCM and BluRay audio out and have been able to hear a difference. As they say " you are only as good as your source" . Dolby Digital bit rate out is around 960Kbs and Dolby True is around 7Mbs. By going into the Video Setup of the PS3 (go figure) and changing the audio output from bitstream to LPCM you can get the better sound. Bitstream outputs the encoding on the DVD/BluRay, LPCM has the PS3 do your decoding.
Overall impressions: The audio performance for a system under $300 is very impressive I feel. The surround effect is very weak, however if you have a good 5.1 or 7.1 mix as source there is a more open feel to the audio. I just have not felt like it has replaced a true 5.1 system. It completely has met the "Wife Acceptance" Factor that we all know is very important. I am very happy with this system and I am not afraid that little hands will destroy it and if they do, oh well it wasn't that expensive.'
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