I purchase this system before Christmas 2005 . attention audiophile . ignore this system . I use to be a audiophile when I could hear well . I be a retired electronics engineer , and I know this stuff . I 'll take it a section at a time and then treat the entire system . speaker : they be adequate for a small room at moderate sound level . you will not feel the room shake with super bass . the subwoofer be adequate for the seven speaker setup . remember folk , you pay less than 600 buck for this . it deliver a pretty good bang for the buck . bose -lrb- or similar -rrb- speaker would improve the system a lot . they be very efficient and well engineer . they be not cheap ! Amplifer : it be rate at about 160 watt at 10 % total harmonic distortion -lrb- thd -rrb- . that be very high for today 's solid state amplifier . it do not matter though because the speaker distortion at that power level would be much higher . remember folk , that power be split up between six speaker . the sub woofer have its own amplifier . Preamp : well , those thing be sort of like 8-track tape today , history . everything be digitally process now . Play with the various autio setting . Play with the menu . you will not find a treble or bass knob . everything -lrb- almost -rrb- be menu drive . input : these include video and audio input . you can name the input so they appear on the digital box display when you select one -lrb- front panel or with the remote control -rrb- , or you can leave they at they default setting . output : many of they , but not enough for I . I would like to see more `` line '' output from each major subsystem . note : this system be `` cheap '' because Sony sell a lot of they . if you want high end gear , buy it . Sony sell it too . it be costly not because of the electronics inside . that be a do deal now and relatively cheap . the high end stuff be pricy because of advanced engineering and limited production . Sony have to pay its bill just like the rest of we . that mean that they must make a profit too ! the manual : a abomination ! I write to Sony -lrb- not a hate letter -rrb- . they tell I they be take my suggestion under advisement . gee that make I feel warm and fuzzy all over ! write a instruction manual for complex consumer electronics be a difficult task . Sony must assume some thing first . focus group at Sony target a audience for the product . in the case of this system , they audience -lrb- customer base -rrb- be the average person who only want plug and play . make it easy for I ! cranky engineer like I should not buy this gear . in my love letter to Sony I beg they to give I a datum port on the digital box . give I some free software for my laptop . get rid of the manual ! Use computer documentation like we see now for every gizmo or piece of software we put into we computer . practically everybody can use a pc these day . give I a Windows program with a graphical representation of the two box and the speaker if necessary . in that graphic allow I to specify some kind of periperal gizmo that I want to hook to the digital box . if it be Sony gizmo of recent vintage , that should make it easier . as I define my gizmo and attempt to hook they up , warn I if I have do something wrong . offer suggestion . that be so easy folk ! it be call `` intelligent '' software . consider the number of Sony Home Theater system sell , the software development cost be nothing . okay , add ten buck to the price and really advertise it ! I 'll buy it ! the integrate dvd gizmo : as far as I have determine this box will play every cd\/dvd that have ever be create and many that be still on the draw board . well , I be old ! I use to use draw board before my boss put a computer on my desk ! my life have not be the same since . oh , the good old day . remote contol : a major pain in the butt . Sony have attemp to help the consumer with `` control consol '' to relieve the remote control congestion . I must have 25 of they . it seem now that most all remote attempt to control everything . well , what about my ceiling fan ? just kidding . I be try to `` engineer '' a audio\/video system that my wife can use and enjoy . she can really drive that Wega 32 inch tv . it be two year old now and technically fit for only be a boat anchor . I wonder if it float . to sum up , I think this system be okay for ordinary people . I be not ordinary . I be very weird . J Hinkson El Sobrante , CA