Sony HTDDW1000

Sony's impressive WEGA Home Theatre in a Box HTDDW1000 bundle is designed to connect to a DVD player and screen to create an elegant home theatre solution.

This 6.2 channel Home Theatre in a Box weighs in at close to 80kg in total, which makes it some effort to set up. At least the kit ships with all you need to get up and running--including cables, manuals, and radio antenna--and the system sounds fantastic when you're done. The striking silver and black speaker bins would look at home in just about any modern lounge room, and the bulky, 8kg receiver unit sports a stylish silver front panel.

The receiver features two component-in connectors along with one component out, two digital optical inputs and a digital coaxial connection. This is complemented by composite video out, four composite AV inputs, two RCA audio-in and an RCA audio-out connector, along with multi-channel RCA input, speaker and subwoofer outputs. AM and FM antenna connectors are also provided. There is no S-Video connector, but you could always get an adapter if you really needed this option.

The HTDDW1000 kit includes two floor-standing speakers plus six satellite speakers and has two subwoofers to provide a wide expansive sound. The system provides a total of 1000W RMS, which is plenty of punch for listening to music or watching movies. Standard formats including Dolby Pro Logic II and IIx, Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Surround EX, and DTS are all fully supported.

The 43 x 16 x 31cm silver receiver unit features a wide array of buttons on the front face along with a screen, but it doesn't feel cluttered. Front-mounted composite AV and headphone connectors are handy for ad-hoc connections, as they save you from messing around behind the unit. In fact, the system is pretty easy to use once you get the hang of it. The two-tone remote control includes a joystick-style controller that's also straightforward to navigate.

All up, Sony's HTDDW1000 is an excellent mid-range home theatre kit, which offers clear sound, a decent range of connections and a practical interface, all backed up by a three-year warranty.