I am looking at two inexpensive HTSs -- the Onkyo HT-S580 and the
Panasonic SC-HT15.
My main reason for wanting a sound system is because I find the sound
from my TV (Westinghouse LCD) unsatisfactory for watching movies from
the TV or my DVD/VCR player. I have difficulty hearing the dialog at
normal volume, but with the volume turned up, dramatic music and sound
effects, such as explosions, are too loud (regular TV broadcasts are
fine). (My difficulty hearing dialog could partly because I am deaf in
one ear, although as I said, I only notice the problem with movies.)
So what I am after specifically is clarity of sound, particularly
dialog. I have a small living room so I am not looking for huge volume
and bass output and I need something compact. I like to listen to rock
and classical music too, but nothing too loud.

The two systems I am looking at are on sale for around the same price
at Circuit City and the customer ratings are similar. The Onkyo has a
24-month warranty as opposed to 12 months for the Panasonic, but what I
like about the Panasonic is that the speakers are on stands and I that
my DVD/VCR player is Panasonic, so can be controlled with the same
remote.

However, I am confused about the specifications -- they are quite
different for the two systems. Can anybody advise me on whether one or
the other would be better for my requirements?

Onkyo Panasonic
Front power 100 Watts x 2 70 Watts x 2
Center power (watts) 100 x 1 260
Surround power 100 Watts x 2 70 Watts x 2
Subwoofer power 100 Watts 260 Watts
THD @ rated power .08
Bandwidth @ rated power 20Hz - 20kHz 120Hz - 20Khz

The Circuit City site from where I got this info says that the power
should be about equal for all speakers. It is for the Onkyo, but is
quite different for the Panasonic. However, the reviewers have not said
anything detrimental about the sound for either system. Thanks for some
advice on this.

Please let me know if there is a better discussion group for this
topic.

"Ros2004" wrote in message
ups.com...
I am looking at two inexpensive HTSs -- the Onkyo HT-S580 and the
Panasonic SC-HT15.
My main reason for wanting a sound system is because I find the sound
from my TV (Westinghouse LCD) unsatisfactory for watching movies from
the TV or my DVD/VCR player. I have difficulty hearing the dialog at
normal volume, but with the volume turned up, dramatic music and sound
effects, such as explosions, are too loud (regular TV broadcasts are
fine). (My difficulty hearing dialog could partly because I am deaf in
one ear, although as I said, I only notice the problem with movies.)
So what I am after specifically is clarity of sound, particularly
dialog. I have a small living room so I am not looking for huge volume
and bass output and I need something compact. I like to listen to rock
and classical music too, but nothing too loud.

The two systems I am looking at are on sale for around the same price
at Circuit City and the customer ratings are similar. The Onkyo has a
24-month warranty as opposed to 12 months for the Panasonic, but what I
like about the Panasonic is that the speakers are on stands and I that
my DVD/VCR player is Panasonic, so can be controlled with the same
remote.

However, I am confused about the specifications -- they are quite
different for the two systems. Can anybody advise me on whether one or
the other would be better for my requirements?

Onkyo Panasonic
Front power 100 Watts x 2 70 Watts x 2
Center power (watts) 100 x 1 260
Surround power 100 Watts x 2 70 Watts x 2
Subwoofer power 100 Watts 260 Watts
THD @ rated power .08
Bandwidth @ rated power 20Hz - 20kHz 120Hz - 20Khz

The Circuit City site from where I got this info says that the power
should be about equal for all speakers. It is for the Onkyo, but is
quite different for the Panasonic. However, the reviewers have not said
anything detrimental about the sound for either system. Thanks for some
advice on this.

The best solution to the problem of poor hearing is to buy a receiver with a
"midnight" listening mode. This will compress the signal, bringing up the
volume of the soft parts and damping it down in the loud parts. Second is
to use headphones of the closed type, which will reduce reflected sound from
around the room. I recommend Sony 7506 (V6). The combination of
compression and headphone listening can make a tremendous improvement in
intelligibility.

Norm Strong

Thanks for the suggestions. I had heard about compressing the sound,
but not the term "midnight." I'll check that out. Headphones do
improve clarity but I wouldn't want to be tethered to the set though.