Pioneer Elite HTS-LX70 Flat Panel Home Theater System - Review and Rating

I get asked by readers often how they can get started in home theater without spending a fortune and having to buy lots of components. One popular solution for a minimum of hassle and cost is with a home theater-in-a-box system. Such systems provide the consumer with everything they need to setup a basic home theater audio system, except for the television or video monitor and a DVD or Blu-ray Disc player. One of the latest entries in this product category, which takes an interesting design approach, is the Pioneer Elite HTS-LX70. After reading this review, also check out my HTS-LX70 Photo Gallery for a close-up look.

The features of the HTS-LX70 include:

1. A fully functional 6.2 Channel (5.1 channels with dual center and dual subwoofer) AV Receiver with Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-96/24, DTS-ES Decoders. Also, included: Sound Retriever for Improved Sound Quality from Compressed Audio sources, such as digital audio players, and Front Stage Surround with provides a wider surround field when using all speakers in front of the listener.

2. The AV receiver features 45 watts-per-channel output (8 ohm speaker load) x 6 with 1% THD (Total Harmonic Distortion).

3. Amplifier System and input connections on Subwoofer enclosure; separate LED display and control unit.

4. All speakers supplied: L/R Mains, Dual Center (housed in L/R Mains), L/R surrounds, and a 90 watt (45x2) Dual Driver Powered Subwoofer.

5. Three HDMI (ver 1.3a) inputs and one HDMI output. The HDMI inputs can transfer all audio and video signals from a Blu-ray, HD-DVD, or HDMI-equipped upscaling DVD player.

6. Room Audio Calibration via Auto MCACC (Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System) with Microphone.

7. One Set of RCA Analog audio inputs for connection of VCR, DVD player, DVD recorder, or CD player. iPod connection via provided adapter cable.

8. Two Digital Optical audio inputs for DVD player or other components with digital audio outputs.

9. AM/FM stereo tuner with a total of 30 presets - XM and Sirius Satellite Radio Compatible (Optional Tuner/Antenna required for each).

10. Cables and speaker wire provided - all wires are color coded for easy connection.

11. Wireless remote control with LCD Touch Panel display, HDMI control compatible.

12. Illustrated User Manual

Setup - Additional Components Used In This Review

Additional components used in the review and comparison of the Pioneer Elite HTS-LX70 included:

Home Theater Receivers: Onkyo TX-SR705 7.1 Channel Receiever and Onkyo TX-SR304 5.1 Channel Entry-Level Receiver.

Loudspeakers - System #1: Klipsch Quintet III Center and Satellite Speaker System with Klipsch Synergy Sub10 Powered Subwoofer.

Loudspeakers - System #2: 2 JBL Balboa 30's, JBL Balboa Center Channel, 2 JBL Venue Series 5-inch Monitor speakers, Polk Audio PSW10 Powered Subwoofer.

Video display used: A Westinghouse Digital LVM-37w3 37-inch 1080p LCD Monitor.

DVD player used: OPPO Digital DV-983H DVD Player with HDMI Output and Anchor Bay VRS Processing.

Blu-ray Disc Player used: Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD (On review loan from Pioneer)

Connections between components (except where connection cables were provided with the HTS-LX70) were made with Accell, Cobalt, and AR Interconnect cables.

Setup - Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, and CDs Used in This Review

Blu-ray Discs used included: Alien vs Predator - Requiem, The Golden Compass, Across The Universe, Blade Runner, Crank, Enchanted, Hairspray, I Am Legend, Meet The Robinsons, Ratatouille, and Shakira - Oral Fixation Tour

Pre-recorded standard DVDs used included scenes from the following: House of the Flying Daggers, Kill Bill - Vol1/2, Lord of the Rings Triolgy, Hero, Master and Commander, The Mist, and V for Vendetta.

Standard CDs included: HEART - Dreamboat Annie, Nora Jones: Come Away With Me, Blue Man Group: The Complex and Audio, Lisa Loeb: Firecracker (HDCD), Al Stewart: A Beach Full of Shells, Loreena McKennitt: An Ancient Muse, Eric Kunzel: 1812 Overture.

DVD-Audio/DTS music discs used included: Queen: Night At The Opera/The Game, Eagles: Hotel California, Sheila Nicholls: Wake, Alan Parsons: On Air. Also included: The Corrs: In Blue (Dolby Digital).

Setup - HTS-LX70

For set up, all the connections and cables are provided in the box, and are color coded, making setup easy. Without cracking open the owner's manual, I was watching a DVD in surround sound in about 20 minutes from the time I opened the box. However, if you need to use the owner's manual, it is easy to understand, with good illustrations. Also, a test tone function is provided to calibrate speaker levels. Lastly, the provided remote control, front panel display, and onscreen menus made navigating through the various setup functions very easy.

The Pioneer Elite HTS-LX70 Home Theater System comes with an AV receiver, all needed speakers, and connection cables to get this system running. The provided cables and onboard connectors are color coded making setup easy. Without cracking open the owner's manual, I was watching a Blu-ray Disc in surround sound in about 20 minutes from the time I opened the box. Note: The consumer provides the soure component (such as Blu-ray or DVD player).

The MCACC Function

The HTS-LX70 provides an excellent tool for speaker setup: MCACC (Multi-Channel Acoustic Calibration System).

By way of a microphone supplied with the unit, and a built-in test tone generator that provides several types of test tones, the is able to automatically calculate the size of your loudspeakers, their distance from your listening position, and other parameters that will enable your system operate in your listening environment.

Although no automatic system can be perfect, or account for personal taste, the MCACC does a credible job of setting up speaker levels properly. The MCACC calculated the speaker distances accurately, and even adjusted the audio levels and equalization to compensate.

At the conclusion of the automatic setup process, you are able to review the settings via the LCD touchscreen remote and LED display unit. You can then make any changes of your own, if you wish.

Proceed to Page 2 - Evaluation and Final Take