Home > Consumer Reviews > RCA RT2500 Dolby Digital Home Theater System

After the many positive reviews here, I decided to purchase this system...thanks everyone for the input (especially the "electronics fan from Austin Texas"). This system is amazingly simple to hook up...the most complicated matter was that the receiver was deep enough that I had to operate on my entertainment center. Check your dimensions!

The audio quality is absolutely phenomenal...the 700 watts and the RCA smarts of this system really makes a big difference in the audio quality. When I first set this system up, I had basic RCA style (red, yellow, and white) cables from the dvd player to the receiver...I thought it sounded great already. But then I decided to take advantage of the additional digital optical input the receiver has so I swapped the audio RCA cables with one fiber optic digital optical cable...holy cow! The sound quality is now even better...plus, the surround effect is now perfect. The surround sound goes to each of the 5 speakers EXACTLY as it was meant.

There are some comments in the reviews about boosting the bass by adding another subwoofer...I am sure that is a good idea but for me, I haven't had any problems with the bass.

If you want a great sound system for less than three hundred bucks (I got it from dynadirect), I highly recommend this system...and definitely add the digital optical cable if your dvd player has this type of optional output.

I recently received this item as a gift for Father's Day from a SC member warehouse for three Benjamins. In my bedroom, I had the system up and running in less than an hour. Most of the time was spent figuring out where to place the speakers. Hooking the system up to my DVD/CD player, TV, super vhs vcr, tape deck, computer's graphics card TV-out and computer's sound card was easy. The sound quality blew me away. It was magnificent and system is extremely loud without distortion. My biggest gripe with the system was the subwoofer hence 4 out of five. The 200 watt in receiver amp was not given justice by being hooked to a subwoofer with only two small 5" drivers inside. In a corner of a small room it is sufficient for those who do not like a lot of bass, but I really wanted to feel T-rex coming, explosions, and fight scenes in movies. I am thankful that the receiver has a pre-amp output for an additional powered subwoofer. I currently have an Audiosource SW Fifteen (15" driver and 200 watt amp) subwoofer lined with two bucks of polyfil attached that gives more total bass than I now know what to do with (volume past half-way up shakes entire house!). I got lucky and discovered the item for less than a benjamin at america's number one online auction site. The receiver is also excellent with multiple s-video ports, digital coax, digital optical, as well was multiple RCA inputs with one set on the front for convenience. I love the analog to digital signal processing that can be used to manipulate the sound in multiple ways to simulate club, concert, theater, church, stadium and arena environments. Other minor gripes that I have with the system is that it does not support any component video so if you have it on your DVD player, digital satellite, and/or HDTV receiver then your TV must have multiple component video inputs or you will have to use one only at a time or a separate switch box. The receiver also could have been made to upgrade RCA video to S-video for better picture quality, but it does not do this so I use another super vhs vcr connected between the receiver and the television for this purpose. Other recommendations for more serious audiophiles include using heavier gauge speaker wire and a better FM\AM antenna. If you are an expert you could probably build your own passive subwoofer and attach it instead of the one sent with the unit. For a 900 watt bedroom home theater with a powered subwoofer attached by a shielded subwoofer cable for less than five benjamins, this system is simply awesome. One of my friends is currently in the process of getting this system as well. If you are a member of SC warehouse then you are in luck but even at Amazon's ... higher price this system is a steal.

Update: I decided to replace the subwoofer that came with the system with a Pyle Audio PLTB12 12 inch subwoofer bass tube (needed one to handle at least 200 watts RMS of power from the amplifier.) The 200 watt subwoofer amp in the receiver was finally done justice. After this I did not even need my Audiosource subwoofer with the system because the bass this tube put out had my whole house shaking with the Audiosource off. I must admit the round tube is not very aesthetic so I hid it in a corner behind a few things. For less less than seventy bucks off the net including S&H, this is probably the cheapest solution to getting more bass from the system.

If you want a really good system and you don't wanna pay a lot, this is the system to go with. I have become a "Home theater fanatic" and just cant get enough of this system. For once in my life I'd rather stay at home and watch a movie, as opposed to going out to the movies.I checked out several other systems in comparison with the RCA RT-2500 and none of them compared to this one.The subwoofer lacks bass power, but that you can always replace with another subwoofer.

the only thing I have a problem with is making it play in pcm cause my dvd does not have digital input on the back of it so I have to use a coaxial cable please help if any one can

This system is great! After spending a lot of time searching for a HT system, i found it. It's excelent. The set up was really easy and the sound is amazing. I live in Mexico and i have to pay taxes to import the system, but really worth it.