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| Date Reviewed: 09/11/2007 |
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Strengths: Price - Under $200
Completeness - Comes with an Optical Cable, Speaker Wire, wall mounts, etc.
Ease of Use - Great setup manual
Remote - Control your XBOX 360, TV, and of course the Pioneer HTS-GS1
Weaknesses: 1-Way Speakers - Still sound pretty good though
Thin speaker wire - Doesn't look upgradable
No video inputs - Let your LCD do the switchin' for ya
Summary: When I first looked at this system I dismissed it at first because I was under the assumption that it was just a virtual surround sound system based off of the pictures I had seen (a center channel, sub and 2 front swivel speakers). I'm glad I eventually read some reviews about how it can be set up as a virtual surround system or a real 5.1 system with the rear speakers behind you. Setup is easy with the included microphone, but you can tweak the settings yourself as well. It includes everything you need to hook it up to an Xbox or basically anything else that has optical digital output. It includes 1 optical cable but has 2 of those inputs as well as a coaxial digital input as well. Also included is one analog input. The sound quality is very good, it probably could be better if the speakers had separate midrange drivers and tweeters. That would obviously increase the overall cost quite a bit though. I wish the speaker wire was a little thicker. It doesn't look like it would be possible to upgrade because of the way the wires plug into the subwoofer/amplifier. The bass is very good especially considering it's only a 6.5" driver. I've had a Velodyne CHT-10 subwoofer which produced ridiculous amounts of quality bass, needless to say this system isn't to that level but it's pretty close to my Polk 8" 50w subwoofer which I like quite a bit. This system is going to be used with a 24" LG LCD hooked up to a mac, an XBOX 360 and maybe even a PS3 someday. Gaming, movie watching and music. For the price I think it's a great buy! One last thing the Pioneer HTS-260 is basically the same thing but doesn't match the XBOX 360, this might be a good option if you like this system but not the styling.
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| Date Reviewed: 07/02/2007 |
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Strengths: Option of a front surround setup. Good sound quality and bass. Easy setup. Supports Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, and DTS.
Weaknesses: None
Summary: Designed to match the style of an Xbox 360, and the remote will function with the Xbox 360 along with the receiver itself. Bought this mainly for gaming, and I've been very impressed with it. It has 2 optical, 1 digital coax, and one set of analog input jacks. If price is a concern for you like it was me then this is a great deal, as it can be found for a cheap price and it sounds great. Highly recommended.
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| Date Reviewed: 12/11/2006 |
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Strengths: The receiver is hidden away in the subwoofer box
Handles Digital and Analog audio very well!
Display and Infra-red control unit is tiny...will fit anywhere
Great surround sound
Weaknesses: Odd looking remote
Summary: This system works and sounds Great. I purchased it to use as a home theater system to be hooked up to my TV, DVD Player, And VHS deck. I don't even have an Xbox 360. I love how all of the amps and tuner is integrated in with the sub-woofer unit that can be hidden out of sight. All display and control functions are through a very small but stylish display panel that can be put just about anywhere with a one cable connection. The size of the display unit is approx. 7" x 4".
The rear speakers can be left on top of the front L&R speakers in a configuration that yields quite good surround sound without running unsightly wires to place these speakers in back of you.
There are a plethora of settings for DTS, Dolby Pro-Logic and Dolby Digital. Unit has three optical digital inputs, one coaxial digital input, and one analog input.
The icing on the cake is the inclusion of an "Auto-Calibration" feature which tunes the system for wherever you placed the speakers and the acoustics of your room. The package even includes a microphone for this feature!
If it sounds like I have nothing bu praise for this unit, that's right.
The only downside is that the remote doesn't exactly appeal to my personal tastes but it does have buttons for every available function of the unit.
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| Date Reviewed: 02/23/2007 |
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Strengths: Great Home Theater System easy to set, Easy to hook up all cable color and speakers with info. Great Sound it really rocks the Home
Weaknesses: Setting Remote is difficult
Summary: Just do not look at XBox 360 take a try no harm can return to store if not fit to your system.
Worth for the Price No need of extra reciver.
Complete system is Built-in.
For DVD Player PS2 & Digital Input can configure the whole system in an hour and running.
Sound Qlty is really very good
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| Date Reviewed: 06/06/2007 |
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Strengths: NA
Weaknesses: NA
Summary: This is my first surround sound system that I have bought. For what I paid, I thought it had excellent sound quality. I have never heard such sound as clear as what I am hearing now. I would recommend this for a person who wants rich sound for a small to medium sized room
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| Date Reviewed: 02/29/2008 |
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Strengths: Great value, easy setup
Weaknesses: N/A
Summary: I bought this for my boyfriend along with the Xbox 360 HD-DVD player. I'm not an audiophile, but to me the sound quality is good and setup is easy. It enhances our game playing and movie watching experience. Definitely a great value for $100 shipped.
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| Date Reviewed: 02/25/2008 |
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Strengths: ease of set-up, versatile option of positioning rear speakers on top of the front speakers for surround sound
Weaknesses: instructions say xbox 360 comes with HD AV component cable with optical audio input, but need to buy this separately
Summary: A fine solution to quality game audio/home theater sound. The fact that subwoofer holds the receiver/amp and side speakers are stackable makes this an option for small as well as medium-sized rooms. Instructions are very clear, but make sure you have the right HD AV component cable before you begin.
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| Date Reviewed: 02/21/2008 |
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Strengths: Great price and sound for a price
Weaknesses: None
Summary: I bought this system for my xbox 360 and I only paid $87.Thats less than some games on the 360.It took me about 45 minutes to set up the speakers and mount them to the wall and the sub is not weak by any means, and if you tweak it with the simple instructions it sounds even better.Games like call of duty 4,Rock Band,Guitar Hero, and Halo 3 are given a new edge when heard in surround sound.
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| Date Reviewed: 02/17/2008 |
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Strengths: Good sound, nice features, great price!
Weaknesses: Colored white to match Xbox 360, remote is a bit suckish.
Summary: This Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby Pro Logic II system is very nice for the price I paid (< $100 shipped). Sound quality is great with minimal distortion even at loud volumes. Good bass from the subwoofer, which, coincidentally, also has a majority of the electronics in it saving space (also a drawback, as it limits the locations where you can place it since it'll normally have to be somewhere near the source). Aside from decoding the aforementioned formats, it also comes with a FM stereo
tuner. The system allows for multiple inputs, including optical and coaxial digit and RCA jacks for analog signals. Also note that while this was designed around the Xbox 360, you do not need one. I use the decoder with my DVD and HD-DVD players, and it works great!
The only real drawbacks I've encountered are the color (which isn't really all that bad and, in fact, works decently well in my living room) and the remote control that is awkward to use. I've had a couple instances where it didn't immediately recognize the digital stream type, but turning it or the DVD player on and off always fixed it....not a big deal.
For the price, it can't be beat!
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| Date Reviewed: 02/09/2008 |
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Strengths: Great Sound, compact, easy to set up, inexpensive
Weaknesses: remote control is not user friendly. No HDMI
Summary: This compact 5.1 speaker system produces great sound. It works great with the Xbox 360 giving gamer that extra excitement. I bought this set because I want to fully benefit my Guitare Hero playing experience. It indeed does it and more.
Right out of the box, the setup is pretty easy and straigh forward with color-coded wire for color-coded speakers. The built-in microphone making the sound-calibration a snap. However, the romote control interface could (need to) be improved. It's confusing, and hard to find where all the buttons are, and what the buttons do.
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| Date Reviewed: 12/23/2007 |
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Strengths: Sound is amazing
Great Brand
Best value for the price
Weaknesses: not for the audiophile
Summary: I wanted to buy this system because I was growing tired of my mediocre samsung home theater. Upgrading to Pioneer was a great decision by me. Enjoying it fully with my tv and 360. I suggest you buy it now because the price its selling at is making it a huge bargain. Enjoy 5.1 surround now!
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| Date Reviewed: 12/21/2007 |
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Strengths: excellent sound, compact size, multiple digital inputs, setup options, speaker wire length, not just for Xbox
Weaknesses: no mute button, no headphone jack, unprotected subwoofer
Summary: I really like my HTS-GS1 system. For its compact size, it pumps out plenty of sound. The subwoofer/receiver unit is about the size of a mini pc tower so it doesn't take up much space. The unit has multiple digital inputs (two optical, one coaxial), so I don't have to manually switch between devices. The length of the speaker wires should be more than adequate for most medium-sized rooms. The setup menu provides plenty of options for sound effects, but I usually leave mine in "auto". As others have mentioned, the HTS-GS1 works fine for non-Xbox applications. I don't even have an Xbox.
The HTS-GS1 does have a few shortcomings. The unit doesn't have a mute button, although I can switch to an unused input fairly easily. A headphone jack would have been nice. Also, the subwoofer has no speaker grille to protect the speaker cone from puncture damage.
Overall, I would recommend the HTS-GS1 to anyone looking for a compact home theater system, especially if you can find it on sale for 100 bucks or less!
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| Date Reviewed: 12/19/2007 |
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Strengths: Powerful. Simple. Small. Remote control is effectively a Windows MCE remote with extra audio buttons. The subwoofer houses the receiver and has a connection for the display.
Weaknesses: Color scheme specific to XBox 360. The display is a little light (weight) to have buttons on it, you have to hold it while you press the buttons. The display can't be far from the sub.
Summary: This is a great little system even if you don't have an XBox 360. Sure it will match better with an XBox 360, but you can use it if all you have is a TV with a DVD player, which is mostly all you need these days. Better yet with modern TV's that have a crap load of inputs to handle all the audio AND video switching and pass the audio through to the Pioneer.
I'm currently using the system with a DirecTV receiver and a HTPC I built. The TV handles the video switching, the Pioneer effectively handles the audio output. If all you had was a HTPC, it'd be the ultimate perfect companion as the remote's XBox controls are compatible with MCE remotes. All you have to do is add an IR receiver and you're good to go.
This thing actually has a ton of inputs: 5 total (if you count the radio tuner as an input). 3 S/PDIF inputs (2 optical, 1 coax), 1 set of RCA stereo inputs, and the Radio Tuner. It is really versatile and I think Pioneer is hitting on a great idea with it.
The only thing that kinda sucks is that the display head and the Subwoofer have to be within x feet of each other (I didn't measure the cord). This sucks if you like your sub far from where you want the display unit to be.
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| Date Reviewed: 12/17/2007 |
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Strengths: Sound, Price, remote works with xbox/tv/system, PIONEER, etc.
Weaknesses: not good for larger rooms, not wireless...oh well
Summary: I received this system a couple of weeks ago after ordering it on buy.com for 89.99 after google checkout. I had been wanting a 5.1 system for awhile since I had already gotten the HD-DVD player as well as a high def LCD TV in the past year. When I saw this system, I saw that is was pioneer and it had to be good! I ordered it and have not looked back ever since! The sound is excellent, especially for my room I use it in. Though the system can't be changed to wireless, then cables are quite long, and I have actually been able to keep all cables out of site because they have enough room. Overall, a great buy, especially for a cheap college kid who is short on money! Pick it up and you won't be disappointed!
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| Date Reviewed: 12/16/2007 |
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Strengths: Small Footprint, Good Sound for a non-audiophile bedroom surround, Pleasant Appearance, Low Price, 1 coaxial and 2 toslink inputs, Doesn't Have to be used with XBOX, AM/FM Radio.
Weaknesses: -If used without XBOX, the remote and hookups is somewhat counter intuitive.
- Speaker wire is as thin as dental floss.
Summary: I bought this because I wanted better sound in my bedroom than what was put out by my 32" LCD's on board speakers. Buy.com had it for $100 so I figured I would give it a try. I am very happy with this purchase. It is designed for the XBOX so there are lots of remote buttons that I don't use. It has 3 digital inputs (a Coaxial that is assigned DVD, and two Toslink inputs, one labeled for XBOX 360 and one is labeled "Digital" So it can deliver 5.1 sound to 3 sources. Read the instructions and play with the different audio settings. Out of the box the center channel was too quiet but there are all kinds of sound adjustments that can be made. The manual will walk you through this. Overall I'm very satisfied considering the price. Original MSRP on this was $499, which is a joke. It's probably a good $250 unit and a steal for under $100.
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