Sometimes the need arises for a basic home theater system, and the Sony HT-DDW790 fits the bill just right. This low cost system includes the main receiver, five speakers, a subwoofer, remote control, calibration microphone, and various cables for hookup. This unit doesn't include extras that you may already have, like a DVD player or iPod dock, but it does have more sound input options than the average small home theater receiver. For one, we appreciated the fact that there are both coaxial and optical digital inputs for DVD players and game consoles or TVs.

The rear of the unit has connections for three stereo inputs, the two digital inputs, AM and FM antennas, and the six included speakers. There is also a headphone jack and stereo input jack on the front. The setup is very straightforward, and the speakers are small and easy to position. The five main speakers have a notch for hanging them, as well. The subwoofer is compact, but still holds an 8-inch subwoofer that outputs decent bass for a low cost system. The speakers can be upgraded in the future, as they plug into standard jacks, and this receiver is able to handle the load properly. One drawback is the lack of a dedicated subwoofer jack.

Most smaller systems that don't include a built in DVD player have some sort of video switching built in, but this Sony system does not. All video switching will need to be done by your television. Even though it lacks some video options, the unit does make up for it by including the auto-calibration mic. Setup is as easy as plugging the mic into the receiver, making it your main listening position, hitting a couple of buttons, then waiting while it adjusts the distance and sound levels automatically.

The remote control is fairly standard, but has a few buttons that are not very common. However, the manual is very detailed and explains the receiver functions well. The Sony can decode and output in Stereo, Dolby ProLogic II, Dolby Digital, and dts. It includes a few user selectable sound field modes to help the sound fill the room best. An AM and FM tuner is also included in the main receiver. We noticed that the FM tuner also supports the Radio Data System (RDS) which gets some information about the radio station and/or song and displays it on the front of the receiver. Overall, the Sony HT-DDW790 is a capable 5.1 speaker system that is easy to setup with auto-calibration and easy to upgrade, as well.

Pros: Low cost, auto calibration, supports speaker upgrades
Cons: No video switching, no subwoofer jack

Warranty
1 year