Yes, I love Onkyo even though I own nothing made by the manufacturer.  I’ve heard enough and almost bought some of its gear on a number of occasions.  I personally would avoid HTIB, but that’s just my situation and I can see where others might benefit from it.  But I do own a small stereo system, basically an HTIB without the HT, more like SIB or Stereo-In-A-Box.  Okay, I didn’t actually buy it I won it.  It’s a cheapie and I use it in the basement for workout noise.  It’s a JVC, nothing special but it plays burned MP3s on CD which is handy.  And no, I wouldn’t sit and really listen to it but it does a good job at blasting Black Flag while I do some bench presses.  I am surprised by the frequency response.  These little systems have tricks up their sleeve where they augment the middle bass, bloating it to make it seem like you have bigger speakers than you actually have.  It seems whenever I hear a system that boosts the 100Hz range I think … cheapie!  It must be hiding something.  Yes, 100Hz is to speakers what a Hummer is to sexually insecure guys.  Real bass response is felt, not heard.

In practical if you’re listening to kicking beats it actually works well.  As long as you understand that from HTIB you’re not going to get highly detailed sound, these aren’t the kind of system where you’re going to listen to some chamber music and hear the audible effects of rosin wiping across strings.  You will get kicking beats from your Crystal Method MP3s and if you’re just ripping MP3s you don’t care about that leve of detail anyway.

Of all the mini-systems, I’ve long extolled the virtues of Onkyo.  Mind you this is no deep analysis just a generalization.  I’ve shopped for HTIB in the past for friends and we’ve done some in-store listening.  I’ve always been impressed by the Onkyo systems that seem to have that innate ability to bring out the kinds of details where you might just be able to sit and do some critical listening.  Sure, they have the 100hz bloat of a cheaper system compensating for something.  But at least you can control it, the Onkyo HTIB systems I’ve listened to also has a surprising level detail in vocals and midranges, an uncommon trait in mini-systems aimed at a younger crowd who probably just wants some kicking beats from their Fity Cent MP3 collection.

Now Onkyo is making the ultimate HTIB system.  Yes, truly the OzzFest of mini-Home Theater and it’s called the CS-V720.  This thing is going to do it all from virtually any format.  Playing your burnt CDs with MP3 and WMA files is small time for this thing.  It’ll play your DVD-Audio and SACD, it’s XM-Ready and will process your 5.1 audio both DTS and Dolby Digital and ProLogic II for your two channel material.  It even has an iPod dock so you can plug in and control the iPod using Onkyo’s Remote Interactive feature giving you control of the iPod through remote control.  It also contains a mit-full of other Onkyo proprietary technologies found in their higher end receivers like their WRAT amplifier technology and Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry for enhancement of the analogue outputs.

The complete system retails for $400 dollars.  I think it’s going to be a winner.