Compare Prices : JVC TH-L1

Review summary: This budget box from JVC has an attractive price tag - but do its parts play well as a team?

Pros: Cheap price tag. Wealth of connections. Small size

Cons: Thin, nasal bass. No DVD player included. No HD upscaling

Review summary: The TH-L1 is easy to set up, looks decent and works consistently..

Pros: Price is hard to beat ; HDMI and iPod connections ; attractive looking ; easy to setup

Cons: Lacks a DVD drive ; unimpressive sound at high volumes ; ckeap speaker construction

Review summary: Home-theater-in-a-box systems (HTIBs) provide a turnkey surround sound solution on the cheap. But with a few exceptions--usually large, bulky component-based systems--they're generally not known for their flexibility or wealth of features. And that's ...

Pros: Tiny bookshelf-size home theater in a box ; numerous connectivity options including two HDMI inputs that support up to 1080p ; USB port for digital media ; iPod audio and video playback ; attractive price point

Cons: No built-in DVD player ; small speakers and relatively low wattage limit power and sound quality ; supports only three concurrent AV sources ; no HDMI up-conversion for analog video sources ; USB mode requires you to select the type of media before ...

Verdict: While the sound isn't overpowering, the wealth of connectivity options and features bundled into the JVC TH-L1 home theater in a box makes it well worth the inexpensive price tag.

Review summary: The 360W system consists of a vertically mounted main unit, five small cubic satellite speakers and a compact 100W subwoofer

Pros: Painless setup, Strong sound, Versatile connections

Cons: Some compatibility frustrations

Verdict: But don't let that put you off: the JVC TH-L1 is an impressive system that delivers excellent sound quality for the money, and the inclusion of USB and iPod connections is the icing on the cake