Onkyo LS-V501 review: Onkyo LS-V501

Sometimes it seems that people forget that sound is at least half of the TV viewing experience. It certainly strikes us that TV manufacturers forget most of the time, too, especially when it comes to modern flat-panel screens. They toil away on picture quality but leave audio to a couple of speakers that sound like they might have been wrenched from a musical birthday card.

7.5

Onkyo LS-V501

The Good

Sound quality; styling; ease of use and setup.

The Bad

Price is fractionally too high to attract very casual users.

The Bottom Line

The Onkyo LS-V501 is a good product that would be even more attractive if the price was slightly lower. Picture and sound quality are both good and the styling is pleasant, although there are a few too many blue LEDs for our liking

Happily, if sound is as important to you as pictures are, then there are plenty of things you can do to cheer up your TV aural experience. The Onkyo LS-V501 aims to do just that. It's a 2.1 DVD system, which includes a DVD player, stereo speakers and a subwoofer. Does spending almost £600 offer a significant improvement over your existing system?

Design
The Onkyo is very well designed; it's stylish, attractive and compact, so no need to worry about it derailing your room aesthetic. On the front, there is a display and two circular dials. One dial adjusts the volume, while the other selects an input source. There is also a DVD tray and several buttons scattered in a visually pleasing way across the unit.

All the components are made out of sturdy material so the system should be long lasting

At the rear, there are four speaker bindings for connecting the left and right speakers -- bass output is handled by a separate RCA jack output. There are also a pair of HDMI sockets, one input and one output. You'll also find digital audio inputs, in the form of coaxial and optical connections. If HDMI isn't your poison of choice, you can use component or even Scart outputs to get the picture to your TV.

The remote control provided feels sturdy to the touch and the buttons are logically laid out. Everything is labelled in a fairly non-enigmatic way.

Features
The Onkyo has three main functions: it's an upscaling DVD player, 2.1 channel amplifier and a radio. The benefit of this system is that it can also amplify other sources you might have -- if you have a Sky box with digital audio out, you can hook it up to this Onkyo and get improved sound. The same goes for games consoles, but bear in mind that this isn't an AV receiver with masses of inputs for every set-top box you've ever owned.

Configuring the system is mostly unnecessary -- everything is included in the pack so there is no lengthy speaker configuration or set up. You just plug in the speakers and Bob's your father's brother. Clearly, the Onkyo displays an understanding of its target audience.

These days, it's standard practice to include DivX and XviD support in DVD players and the Onkyo is no exception. The player will also upscale your video to 1080i.

Performance
What little set up we needed to do on the player was nice and easy. There are a few user configuration options that you may want to adjust and getting to them is as simple as pressing the menu button. While the menus do look slightly rough around the edges, they work logically.

Regarding the sound performance we so desire, the Onkyo produces brilliant vocal quality with clear, audible speech. The bass was never overwhelming and was boomy enough to make us feel like we were enjoying a true home cinema experience. Unfortunately, there were times when we felt there could have been some more kick to the low end.

While testing the system on the deep, pounding soundtrack on Mission Impossible:II -- specifically, the flamenco scene -- proved it's more than capable, but we didn't feel the bass growling deep in our stomach. This isn't necessarily a bad thing -- not everyone likes overpowering bass, after all.

Our only reservation about the system is its size. The main unit is compact enough, but the subwoofer is massive. The left and right speakers are also fairly large, though not in a freaky, Peter Crouch kind of way.

We'd also prefer that the speaker cable was more substantial. The supplied wire is directly attached to the speaker so you can't change it, and it's not especially thick. We're really picking nits here, though, because Onkyo has clearly gone to the effort of balancing the system to make it work with all its components.

Conclusion
When it comes to getting a great sound out of your TV, the Onkyo LS-V501 may not provide a sonic boom, but it's certainly not whimpering. Unfortunately, at around £580, it's at the high end of what we'd be prepared to pay. That said, it's simply designed and does a good job with the picture. It'll give your system a nice boost -- not your wallet.

Our best suggestion for an alternative to the Onkyo is the LG HT902TB, which offers a 5.1 channel system for far less cash, and we were genuinely impressed by its performance. If 5.1 really isn't for you, there is no obligation to plug the rear speakers in.

Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday