Home > Consumer Reviews > Onkyo HT-S990THX 7.1 THX Home Theater Entertainment System

I've actually had this for almost 2 years, but came here because the price went down and I'm thinking of picking one up for my dad. I'm not sure why the reviewer above me says you'd get better sound with Denon. Onkyo and Denon are in the same exact class of Audio products, and Denon doesn't offer anything that comes even close to this quality at this price point.

The sound quality is the best I have ever heard from a HTIB set up. The speakers are made solid and don't feel flimsy like most HTIB speakers and deliver a very crisp and clean sound. The 12 inch powered sub delivers very rich and full bass, powerful enough to shake your room while your watching a good action flick but clean enough to listen to your favorite music without much distortion. If your limited in space, the speakers and sub may be a bit bulky for you, but they are by no means an eye sore in your living room or family room. If your looking for something the size of a Bose system, this isn't the one for you. If your looking for something that sounds fantastic (better than Bose in my opinion) without breaking the bank, this is the system for you.

Set up was a breeze. Even the most inexperienced person should have no problem following along with the user manual. The directions are written very clearly and in easy to understand language. Diagrams are also included for virtually every step of the process. If you choose to use the included speaker cables, they are all color coded to help you with speaker placement. However, I recommend spending the extra money and buying some heavier guage monster wire. Your system will only sound as good as your weakest link and many people make the mistake of using inferior wire and then wonder why they are disappointed with sound. If the speaker wire is not in your budget for now, the included wire is definitely adequate until you spend the money. All other wires (digital/optical cables, etc.) are sold seperately.

The receiver is powerful and very feature rich. It has multiple inputs for all your components, with multiple types of input jacks for each. The only type of input this receiver is lacking is HDMI, which is a minus if you hate cables, but not a big deal. If you're worried that you'll have 5 remote controls, don't... The univeral remote included operates my T.V., DVD , VCR, Digital Cable Box and of course the receiver itself with almost no loss of functionality. Once you program the device you wish to control, a little experimenting will lead you to find that almost every feature on the original remote is available at one of the buttons of the universal. My only gripe is that there is no On-Screen viewing that I've come to expect with a receiver of this level. If you've never had it, you won't miss it. A multi-zone function is also available, for listening to your favorite music or movies in other rooms of the house.

There are a ton of listening modes to choose from. You can find one to suit any person, mood or environment. Music, Movies or Televisiion all sound excellent. The user manual is very easy to follow and gives some very helpful hints on which sound mode best fits which scenario. It also gives good advice on setting proper speaker distances which is key to any surround sound set up, especially a 7.1 system. Last but certainly not least of all is the THX modes. THX certification isn't just handed out to anybody, and as of right now, this is the only HTIB system that is THX certified. When you watch a THX movie, you'll see why it's so important. I watched Star Wars Episode 3 and was blown away. The sound was amazing! Dim the lights and pop some popcorn and you'll feel like your sitting in the movies.

What attracted me most to this system was the price. I shopped around for quite some time, and resigned myself to the fact that I would be spending well over $1000 on just the receiver and speakers, never mind the cables and sub-woofer. When I started reading some of the reviews on this system (which was not widely available at the time) I decided to give it a shot and ordered it online. I was not disappointed. The sound quality and features offered for under $1000 is amazing. If you're not familiar with Home theatre, in can be a daunting task trying to put together a quality system on a budget. Well, Onkyo has taken the guess work out of it for you and put together a great system for a great price. This system still leaves room to grow if down the line you decide you want some full size front speakers in favor of a sub, or even in addition to. Overall, I highly recommend this system.

I hope you don't like the paint in the room you intend to use this system... because it will peal it off the walls! I bought this system primarily for gaming and it didn't disappoint. I was able to clearly hear people walking behind me! Having precision surround such as this system provides really gives a player an edge.

For movies it is great. The fact that it doesn't have an HDMI input is no deterrent whatsoever since you can just plug the cable from the HDMI device straight into your TV and still have the audio run through the system. The THX demo disc was fun to play for guests.

The only thing I wish this system included is one of those self-adjusting microphones that allows the system to automatically adjust the intensity levels of the speakers from different locations in your room.

Overall this system is great if you want an outstanding sound experience without shelling out thousands of dollars. Even then I would argue that this system would perform just as well with some cable upgrades.

I do intend to replace all of the speaker wires with high-grade, banana clip wires. Even without them though, great stuff here.

When it was shipped one of the woofers was blown in the left-front speaker. I called Onkyo and they directed me to a service center that had it fixed, free of charge, in less than two days!

This system is incredible, regardless of the great price (just short of $700 delivered to the door). I have a 13' wide x 30' long x 10' high living room and had a hard time finding a place for all the speakers! This is as simple as I can say it. If you have a favorite movie that you think you have grown tired of, run it through this system and it will seem as though you are watching an update to the movie! AWESOME! FYI, I have it hooked up to my Mitsubishi 73" 1080P series DLP HDTV, which of course makes it all that more the pleasurable experience. The ONLY con I can find is believe it or not the speakers are too big.

I was going to buy Bose 38 series and after listening to this system in a friends place, I changed my mind. The subwoofer and the receiver alone is worth the money. Bought 849.99 in Circuit City. Highly recommend it... The only drawback is the speakers are heavy and big.. If onkyo could fix it and replace them with, bose like, small speakers it would have been better for me..

Great price, great sound, easy set-up (takes a little time, but that's normal)
I don't see how you can do better for the money.