ONKYO SKS-HT240 Home Theater Speaker Kit Reviews

• Optimum blend of price & performance

  
  By AOI61SEQNEOSR on 2007-02-05
  I spent a great deal of time researching a home theater system that fit my requirements. Online reviews were the single largest source of information and the biggest input to my decision. I'm hoping this review will aid someone in the same manner in the future.
  
  First, a few words about my situation - we have a largish (20 X 20 X 25) family room with a 50 inch DLP (a Samsung HL-R5067W) in a corner. The room has large floor-to-ceiling glass windows on the right side, solid walls on two sides, and an open back, which overlooks the kitchen area. In short, a difficult acoustic situation. I needed a system that could fill this large space with sound, yet be crisp enough for dialogues. Plus, this was going to be our main music system as well, so it had to do a good job with music CDs and MP3s, with a large mix of genres and styles.
  
  Since this is the family room (roamed by our curious 2 yr old, with spillover noise from the kitchen etc), we didn't want to spend the world either. The understanding was that we'd budget about $1000 for this system, reserving the future 'media room' for the _really_ good system.
  
  Other requirements were: speakers should be medium sized (not as small as bose, but not large either), preferably in silver.
  
  As mentioned earlier, I looked at many systems online, ranging from HTIB systems (Home Theater in a Box) to separate speakers that ran to hundreds of dollars each. We went to Best Buy, Flanners, American etc to listen to some setups, comparing Denon, Yamaha, Sonys and eventually this Onkyo set.
  
  This Onkyo set has almost a 'perfect' review everyplace you see them online. That's what really made me take notice. And when I actually listened to them at American TV, they beat everything comparable, and then some. So we bought them online (from Vanns.com, actually), and haven't regretted them for a moment.
  
  They do have a couple issues - one, and this is highly subjective, is that I don't care for the stainless steel top, bottom and linings (a little too flashy for our taste). They are a little on the large side, with the subwoofer being pretty big. Also, more importantly, you'll need a few tweaks to get them to play up to their full potential. But that's about it.
  
  As many others have attested before me, the sound from movies will change your movie reviews, and to really top it all, Dave Matthews sounds like he's pretty much sitting in my family room (well, I'm exaggerating, but only a little). The subwoofer is beyond good - it produces a low rumble that's almost visceral.
  
  I paired these speakers with an Onkyo TX-SR574S receiver, and the results are delightful. You will need a good receiver so that you can change the sound levels and distance to different speakers individually. I needed to do that before they started sounding really good. You also will need good, thick speaker cables. Not Monster cable - they are a waste of money - but good (16 gauge at least) speaker wire and a better subwoofer cable than what comes with the set.
  
  The entire set cost me about $700, including $100 for good cables. So we have $300 left over for a HTPC I'm building.
  
  And now for the most important measure of all - my wife, who hates sci-fi movies, sat through 'The Fifth Element' from the beginning to the end, including the credits. This one's a keeper.
  
  
  
  
  

• Awesome speakers

  
  By A1PCXC78X7IR2Q on 2005-09-27
  These speakers look and sound fantastic! The speakers are all very easy to mount right on the wall with regular screws. You do not need any fancy speaker mounts. You can also mount the speakers vertically or horizontally in case you are limited by the shape of your room, as I was. Their low profile makes it look like you spent a fortune on your system. The sub-woofer is huge and puts out amazing bass sound. They are far better than other HTIB sets. The sound is rich and is perfect for a small/mid size room. If you want a step higher than these I would recommend the Paradigm CT series, but for the money these speakers are a bargain.
  
  

• rich,clean sound

  
  By A36YEXBORT0N30 on 2006-07-04
  I wanted to get a new surround system that did just as good or better on music as it did on movie surround tracks since I'm an avid music lover of all types. Small speaker surround systems tend to do movie surround ok, but sound a little anemic when it comes to playing good old fashion music. I was impressed when I heard the ONKYO's at Circuit City due to their rich and clean sound. They also look great on the wall next to the ever popular flat screen TVs. Their brushed aluminum finish and accurate natural sound real makes a statement in style and performance. One online reviewer said that they have the gravity of a larger more expensive speaker system.
  The powered sub is also fairly clean and deep though you might have to set the crossover to 100hz or more to get a good match and set the power output a little lower than normal cause of some booming at high volumes. With my test setup disc from Sound and Vision magazine the bass produced palpable bass down to the middle to lover 30's at least in my medium size room of 15 by 13 with very strong output in the middle 40's.
  The wire connections are spring loaded and are adequate for larger size wires, but it would have been nice if they were gold plated binding post on such a fine speaker. They work well with my ONKYO AV receiver which does have binding post. In my room, I get room filling and lively sound on most discs using less than half power.
  These speakers work well on Jazz, acoustic, classical and classic rock music but may not be for head bangers that live on heavy metal crunch. They're well worth the money for the discriminate listener. I'm listening again to all my CD's and DVD AUDIO/SACD's to hear what I may have missed over the years.
  
  

• Modest home theater? Look no further.

  
  By A25NCR4LJ62EZN on 2007-12-11
  I have a small setup in a small living room, so I don't need house-filling sound. However, I also didn't want to spend much because I will be buying a better system in the future for a larger room. The Onkyo HT240 set more than satisfies my every desire for clear, crisp, substantial sound. It is no wonder this speaker system has received so many excellent reviews both from customers (such as the ones here at Amazon) and from professionals and audiophiles.
  
  Set up is a breeze due to color-coded wires that are long lengths for larger rooms. The instructions are well-written, with easy-to-follow diagrams (fairly unusual for electronics equipment) if you need more detailed guidance. The spring-tabbed connections work very well and have a strong, high-quality feel.
  
  The subwoofer is large and fills the room with a wonderfully substantial and deep bass and the control knob works smoothly and is of very high quality. You can adjust the bass all the way from silent to overwhelming. The rest of the speakers have a clear sound that enables the smallest details to be heard -- it's just amazing the amount of clarity you can detect with and between the various combinations of speakers when you adjust your receiver. The response is instantaneous and the highs are clean, with absolutely no hiss. This excellent quality is found within the entire range of sound; I've not been able to find any weaknesses, although I'm no expert. I listen mainly to classical music and classic rock and watch a wide variety of movies. I can hear things in all these formats that ordinary speakers simply wouldn't pick up and many old CDs sound as if they've been remastered. My receiver is a mid-priced Denon and the power output is a perfect match for this Onkyo system -- never too much, never too little. Even at extremely low volumes, every single satellite picks up the signals sent them and renders the sounds beautifully.
  
  These speakers are also very attractive. The housing of the satellites is matte extruded aluminum, with polished chrome caps on the tops and bottoms. The chrome accents are continued on the grilles of black fabric and the Onkyo label is subtle in a dark gray. The subwoofer is large and will overhang a standard bookcase cabinet, so measure carefully. Its finish is in a slightly metallic dark gray with standby/on light that changes from orange to green, standby to on. (This light is small and very subtle.) I purchased two sets of matching speaker stands made for this set as well as an additional satellite, making my configuration a 7.1 setup.
  
  I shopped around for several weeks for a good set of inexpensive speakers. I listened to brands such as JBL, NHT, Yamaha, Sony, Infinity and when I compared prices to sound, these beat them all hands down. The sound is better than many far more expensive systems and although they aren't for a large room, they are perfect for a modest-sized and modestly priced home theater system. Good speakers are one of the most important features of a good system and I cannot recommend these highly enough. That they look really great is a welcome bonus.
  
  

• Incredible Sound

  
  By A3IKRNH7OCKCSV on 2006-05-17
  When I first started putting my Home Theatre together I relied heavily on user reviews found at a number of different sites. These speakers received high grades at all sites where my alternative, Bose, were just average. Unbelievable value for the amount they cost, I would gladly pay two to three times their cost given the result.
  I purchased these speakers unseen, unheard and as stated above the sound is just amazing. They are powered by a Pioneer VSX1015TXO.
  I write this review so others may benefit from user reviews as much as I have during my Home Theatre project.
  
  
• Great sounds for the price
  By A2FJSDEH7M73GF on 2006-12-11
  These speakers look and sound great. For the price, I am very pleased with my purchase. The left, right, and center channels look awesome hung next to my flat screen on the wall. I purchased Onkyo speaker stands ( which were made specifically for these speakers) for my rear channels. Even the speaker stands are very attractive. The sub woofer was a bit larger than I expected, but it sure does shake the house. Great buy!
  
  
  
  
• I love them too!
  By A28AB1KHOGMOUO on 2007-02-05
  Although I don't have much to add compared to the other reviews, I wanted to chime in to indicate I think these are great speakers for the price. I've had them installed in my home theatre in my basement for the last two years. Hooked up to an Onkyo AV receiver and DVD player, Xbox, and Cable TV, I have been very happy with the sound. I'd consider myself an "average" homeowner. I've got a 42" plasma TV kind of a setup. Unless you are VERY selective about your sound, I think most anyone would be very happy with these speakers. The subwoofer seems to be of high quality... I noted at that time (2 yrs ago) that this seemed to be a point of weakness with some other speaker sets -- folks weren't happy with the highs & lows of some home theatre speakers. These seem to perform very well with the full range in my opinion... again, from the point of view of an "average" person.
  
  
• Can't beat these speakers for the price!
  By A1HF04UYM1I7HU on 2007-01-15
  These speakers look sexy and of quality built, even the subwoofer is of elegant design and a pleasure to look at.
  I have them connected to an Onkyo TX-SR804 and right out of the box the sound did not impressed me but with a little bit of tweaking I was more than happy with my new speakers. The subwoofer delivers well-defined and punchy lows. The mid and upper frequencies are clear and crisp.
  I listen to a wide range of music and these speakers have delivered all that I was hoping for; classical and jazz sound reproduction is outstanding. Action movies and video games sound is really nice as well.
  Bottom line: awesome sound but need a little tweaking, beautiful aesthetics. I don't think you can buy better speakers for less than 2-3 times of what you are paying here.
  
  
  
• It Sounds Better than BOSS..
  By AWJ1GTN5W2R6W on 2007-08-18
  I own this speaker system and I LOVE IT!!!
  I think it sounds better than Boss system or at least same level with the Boss but at low cost.
  You don't need to buy expensive & fancy sound system. If you get this, I don't think you will regreat it.
  Only thing that I don't like is that cleaning clothes parts (the black parts are not plastic or whatever. it is very thin fabric. Therefore, you might need to take it easy when you clean or dust) of the speakers. Overall, you will be happy of this speakers and it will look very nice in your livingroom... :)
  
  
• Nice Matching High End Looking Speakers and its a BARGAIN !!
  By A5U4U05WSFJ3R on 2007-10-12
  Enough said, this is as close as you can get to a high end system without spending a bundle. Though the center speaker is a little weak, so I supplemented it with a Polk Audio bookshelf speakers. Then I paired it with the Onkyo TX-SR705S and it sounded impressive. It is an excellent home theater speakers for the money without a doubt. Whoever have this speakers already, just add bookshelf speakers on the center channel and you'll hear what your missing. Other than that, with a good reciever your definitely good to go.
  
  
• Put it this way...
  By A10S2828684IPT on 2008-02-29
  I had a friend over who has Bose 3-2-1 speakers in his living room and when he clearly and loudly heard birds chirping behind his head he became instantly jealous. For the rest of the night, every few minutes when he heard the clear sound effects coming from the back speakers he commented on how cool it was and that he was ticked he went with the bose speakers that didn't give him these effects. The speakers really do a good job. If you watch a movie with explosions you will feel the rumble of the subwoofer and hear the glass wizzing past you and shattering all around. It really is cool. I'm no audiophile and probably couldn't tell you the difference between two sets of good speakers, but I do know a good set when I hear one. This definately is a good one and the price makes it so much sweeter. I love these speakers! They're great for movies, video games (call of duty 4, with grenades blowing up all around really showcases their potential), and music. You will not be dissapointed with these speakers.
  
  
• Great Speakers
  By A2HT12F95VIEM3 on 2007-03-24
  These are great speakers for my home theater system. They are definitely worth the price.
  
  
• Onkyo SKS-HT240 Speakers
  By A9BTDKFF1R5X2 on 2007-06-14
  I just bought a Sharp HDTV, Onkyo AV(674)receiver, Oppo DVD player and the Onkyo SKS-HT240 speakers. These speakers are by far and away the smartest thing I bought in this setup. The sound is terrific and the speakers are very attractive. Highly recommend you consider them.
  
  
• High Quality for a Low Budget
  By A3RJVLDCM1DMJF on 2008-04-01
  I have had these speakers for a few days and they work great now that I have my system set up correctly. I have an Onkyo TX-SR805 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) receiver and a PlayStation 3 80GB which I use to play blu-ray movies.
  
  For several days I was quite disappointed with the surround sound. To get the speakers to perform I used a CD player and set my 805 to "All Stereo". The speakers filled the room with sound. They sounded really good, but obviously lack the rich bass of larger speakers. That's why I didn't give them 5 stars.
  
  I wasn't too happy with my purchase at this point. Surround sound was still very weak. The back speakers were barely audible in THX or Dolby Cinema mode and I certainly didn't feel surrounded by sound. Having read many other reviews, I suspected my PS3 settings were incorrect. The audio output was set to Linear PCM like everyone said. However, there is another deeply hidden menu under Sound Settings | Audio Output | HDMI. The system defaults to Automatic mode which sets the system to two channels. You must select Manual and then the highest Linear PCM 7.1 settings.
  
  Once I set that, I was practically blown out of my chair. I put on the blu-ray version of Pearl Harbor and went to the attack scene. The room shook and I could hear the deep rumble of the planes shooting across the room. The sound is comparable to being in a modern movie theater. Now I am very happy with my purchase of these speakers.
  
  
• An excellent set of speakers for the price. Top notch.
  By A3P2WGUW82Q6EC on 2008-04-02
  Do NOT buy 1-2 year extended warranties with these speakers, they already come with 2 year warranties. An incredible kit.
  
  My Onkyo HT-240 speakers arrived today, and i was like a kid in a candy shop. When putting together my entertainment center, I wanted speakers that would take advantage of my 1080p samsung 46 inch tv, plus my playstation 3. So, video was ready, I just needed sound.
  
  I initially was going to go for basic speakers/tuner, but after reading up on the various models, decided to spend the extra money for a nice Onkyo tuner and theater speaker kit.
  
  The first thing I noticed right off the bat was that the speakers came in one HUGE box. You need to be around to sign for these people, its not something any company is going to drop off on your porch if you aren't home. After opening the box, I noticed right off the speakers were packaged like a tank. Quality packaging. The bundle was insulated by foam siding all around, and banded together into one big foam package. Nice and tight to take any abuse during shipping.
  
  I also have to agree with many other reviewers. The cable speakers that come with the Kit are ok, but you really want to spend a little extra and grab upgraded replacement cables/wire. But only do this after you have everything up and running just in case you are satisfied with the sound. The speakers were also larger than I expected. The small ones a little over a foot high, the mediums about 1 1/2 foot high or so. 4-5 inches wide. Solid.
  
  This is a 6.1 speaker system so match your speakers to your receiver for best compatability. The Center speaker sadly only comes with a cheap plastic base holder, doesn't even attach. The 2 front speakers come with great solid metal bases which do attach. The center one should have came with something decent. Oh well. The smaller surround speakers (3) have no bases. The subwoofer is HUGE. Its a fine piece of machinery. Enjoy it.
  
  After hooking everything up and sticking everything where it goes, I sat back and enjoyed some of my favorite DVD's. Yeaaaaaaa.
  
  Enjoy your speaker Kit. For only 3-400 dollars you won't find a better set of speakers period. All the hype is worth it, and the speakers are worth it. Why don't you have them yet!
  
  
• Expensive stands
  By A19KUBWQO6T9VX on 2008-01-20
  Great speakers, room filling sound. Giving 4 stars because of the expensive ($150)stands that seem to be the only ones that will fit these speakers. Spring clip speaker connectors are used, they could have gone with banana plugs. You could use pin connectors or raw wire. After trying out the monster braided pin connectors($20 for 2 pair), I went with the raw wire and notice no difference in sound quality comparing the expensive connectors. Did find a monster subwoofer cable for cheap on ebay so I am using that, I never tried the supplied subwoofer cable that came with the system but it doesn't look very capable. I have a 7.1 receiver so I wanted to upgrade these speakers to 7.1, they don't sell the surrounds seperate, so I had to ebay search and was able to find a pair of matching surrounds for about $40. Overall great speakers, guess I will just mount them on the wall cause I am not spending $150 on two speaker stands.
  
  
• Excellent speaker system
  By A35LSZK7LSMZ6I on 2007-09-24
  This speaker system provides great sound and matches the decor of my 50 inch Panasonic plasma TV. Highly recommended. Quick delivery from J&R.
  
  
• Onkyo Speakers
  By A3N5RZ37IFCNB7 on 2008-02-08
  The speakers were a better quality than I expected. They're nice looking and well designed to fit almost any decor and the subwoofer has fantastic sound
  
  
• Nice speakers for price
  By A2BJ5GEX93Y76J on 2008-02-10
  Good looking and sounding speakers for price. I was looking for something that was relatively streamlined (no bookshelf space in room, have kids so speaker stands would present too much of a knock over risk, didn't want bulky speakers on walls), yet sounded decent and didn't cost too much. If I had more money I would have went with the orb speakers - but on my budget these are great until a few years down the road and I can upgrade. Center and fronts are good, back and surrounds are only okay unless you have a very strong receiver. I have an Onkyo at 75W.
  
  
• Mega-awesome Receiver/Amplifier
  By AY2LPDL2VERG4 on 2008-04-06
  Great speakers for the price. True, these speakers aren't going to shake-up your intestines nor break your window glass, but they do provide a sweet sound for an excellect price/performance ratio. The separate speaker stand seemed a bit pricey but, like other Onkyo gear, it's all well built and integrates very well like "hand in glove." For my taste, I've cranked up the sub-woofer a bit and love it - IMHO, definitely the best part of the package.
  
  

• Buttkicker BK-LFEKit Low Frequency Effect Kit with Amplifier for Home Theater

• Onkyo Speaker Stand AS240B (pair)
• HDMI Cable 2M (6 Feet)
• Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)
• Cables To Go - 40315 - 2M (6.5ft) Velocity HDMI Digital Video Cable (Blue)
• Onkyo TX-SR705 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)