Onkyo HT-S6200 Home Theater System First Look

A

admin

Audioholics Robot
Staff member
You want home theater? Full functionality doesn't get much cheaper than the Onkyo HT-S6200. This is 7.1-channel system with nearly all the trimmings - all packed into a nice, convenient box you can give to somebody... or, yourself. This home-theater-in-a-box includes a full A/V receiver and complete 7.1 speaker package. The very reasonable $699 retail price of the HT-S6200 makes it a compelling buy for those looking to move their way firmly into the surround sound experience. The package includes the dedicated A/V receiver, a 10-inch powered subwoofer, Front speakers, a Center channel, and two pairs of Surround and Surround Back speakers. It's a highly upgradable system, though there are some things you'll want to watch out for, and we indicate those below.


Discuss "Onkyo HT-S6200 Home Theater System First Look" here. Read the article.
 
G

GregH

Audiophyte
No Analog 5.1 inputs?

Hello,

I've been following Audioholics for quite a while researching my first purchase of a surround sound system. Awesome site but I am very new to all the inputs, terminology, etc. Trying to learn things on my own, but it can get very confusing. In any case, this system looks like it fits my needs and budget, and I am seriously considering purchasing the system.

I have what is probably a ridiculously basic question about the HT-S6200. The 'First Look' article mentions a lack of 5.1 analogue inputs. What are the implications/limitations of this? In what cases might this be a disadvantage?

Thanks a lot for your help,

Greg
 
G

GregH

Audiophyte
Never mind, I'm an idiot.

Hello,

I've been following Audioholics for quite a while researching my first purchase of a surround sound system. Awesome site but I am very new to all the inputs, terminology, etc. Trying to learn things on my own, but it can get very confusing. In any case, this system looks like it fits my needs and budget, and I am seriously considering purchasing the system.

I have what is probably a ridiculously basic question about the HT-S6200. The 'First Look' article mentions a lack of 5.1 analogue inputs. What are the implications/limitations of this? In what cases might this be a disadvantage?

Thanks a lot for your help,

Greg
 
M

MDS

Audioholic Spartan
I have what is probably a ridiculously basic question about the HT-S6200. The 'First Look' article mentions a lack of 5.1 analogue inputs. What are the implications/limitations of this? In what cases might this be a disadvantage?
5.1 (or 7.1) analog inputs are necessary if you have a universal player that does not have any digital outputs and if the player was purchased recently that would be very rare.

1. If the player has optical or coax digital outputs, you can get 5.1 Dolby Digital or DTS without requiring analog inputs on the receiver.

2. If the player supports the newer lossless formats, like Dolby TrueHD, but does not have HDMI outputs, then you'd need to have the player do the decoding and send the audio out its analog audio outs and into the receiver's analog audio inputs.

3. If your player supports DVD-A or SACD but does not have HDMI outputs, then you'd also need analog audio outs on the player and analog audio inputs on the receiver.

In short, if you don't play DVD-A or SACD, you don't need analog inputs on the receiver. If the player and receiver have HDMI outputs/inputs then you can play any format whatsoever and definitely don't need analog inputs on the receiver. 5.1 analog inputs are a legacy connection and will soon be gone forever just like s-video has been disappearing from receivers.
 
K

kzice

Audiophyte
Hi,

I am new to this forum and stumbled upon it when researching various HTiB systems. You guys have a great site and very useful and informative reviews, so thank you.

Apologize for the newbie question, but I read your "First Look" review of the Onkyo HT-S6200, and have a basic question about this sytem and other 7.1 systems.

I live in a studio apartment and it is difficult to run wires through walls, etc. My main concern has been the setup of rear speakers on surround systems. Ideally, for ease of setup, they would be wireless, but I know a lot is lost in sound.

My question is -- with a 7.1 system like the Onkyo, are all 7 speakers necessary to sound right/good (can I just use 5)? If it is necessary, do the rear speakers have to be set up in the back to sound right?

Again, sorry about these dumb questions and thanks in advance.
 
Adam

Adam

Audioholic Jedi
Welcome to the forum, kzice! Those aren't dumb questions at all - I'm just glad that I know the answer. :)

My question is -- with a 7.1 system like the Onkyo, are all 7 speakers necessary to sound right/good (can I just use 5)? If it is necessary, do the rear speakers have to be set up in the back to sound right?
You can definitely just use five of the speakers for a 5.1 set up. That system has the capability to run 7.1, but you can set it up for less than that. You can check out the details in the owners manual available directly from Onkyo's website in PDF format here.

Audioholics has some good articles on placing speakers, including this one here. It discusses setting up speakers for 5.1 and 7.1 systems. One awesome thing about that system (and a lot of newer receivers) is the auto set-up routine that it can run. It uses a microphone and test tones to set the volume levels, timings, and equalizer settings for the speakers. With that, you don't have to be extremely precise in your speaker placement to get great results.
 
tattoo_Dan

tattoo_Dan

Banned
Hi,

I am new to this forum and stumbled upon it when researching various HTiB systems. You guys have a great site and very useful and informative reviews, so thank you.

Apologize for the newbie question, but I read your "First Look" review of the Onkyo HT-S6200, and have a basic question about this sytem and other 7.1 systems.

I live in a studio apartment and it is difficult to run wires through walls, etc. My main concern has been the setup of rear speakers on surround systems. Ideally, for ease of setup, they would be wireless, but I know a lot is lost in sound.

My question is -- with a 7.1 system like the Onkyo, are all 7 speakers necessary to sound right/good (can I just use 5)? If it is necessary, do the rear speakers have to be set up in the back to sound right?

Again, sorry about these dumb questions and thanks in advance.

also,home depot and lowes carry plastic wire Management Channel made for running wire up a wall to a speaker in a decent & inexpensive & no wall damaging way.
works great for hiding wires.they mount with double stick tape.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100204408/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
 

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