How We've Evolved

Let's say you're not a browser, not the kind of buyer who enjoys the process, not a wonkishly smart electronics shopper, but one who would rather let someone else match everything up so that you can walk in, buy it, then lug it back to your lair. A basic hunter/gatherer difference. Things were easier back in the day, when "Look, mastadon!" plus "Ka-Thunk!" equaled "Instant winter supply of spare ribs." Not so easy with electronics. These days you could spend hours just matching components to your speakers. This package was put together with just that concern in mind. Denon's DHT-687BA is a premium Home Theater system, combining a Denon AVR-687 surround sound receiver and a DVD-557 upscaling DVD player with a Boston Acoustic Micro 110 5.1 speaker system to bring a true theater experience into your living room -- without the hassle of hunting down all the information you need to piece a system together. Ah, progress.

Meet The Brains Of The Operation

Somebody's gotta run the show. You can't expect a subwoofer to think for itself, can you? If it did, would you be happy with the result? No, it's best to keep these things subordinate to a higher power. That's where the Denon AVR-687 comes in. The AVR-687 delivers life-like surround sound audio playback from popular sources such as DVD players, set top boxes, and gaming equipment. Life-like is good, but loud is nice too, right? Don't worry the 687's high power amplifier pumps out a powerful 75 watts to 7 channels, delivering enhanced performance and dynamic sound presence from your Boston Acoustics Micro 110 5.1 surround sound system. The power amp circuits of the AVR687 have been meticulously designed to reproduce exceptionally high sound quality with a wide frequency response from 10 Hz to 100 kHz. Loud? Yes, that means loud.

The 687 sports tons of cool features, too. This 7.1-channel receiver is ready to receive satellite radio with the XM mini-tuner (sold separately), or plug in your iPod via the optional ASD-1R iDock (sold separately). Expect more clearly defined sound localization at the rear with 6.1-channel surround sources such as DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, and DTS-ES NEO:6. The 32-bit floating-point DSP processor -- the Hammerhead SHARC -- supports single-instruction, multiple-data processing. Video up-conversion, audio delay control, and a simple pre-programmed remote offer ease of connection, adjustment, and use. Plus, the Denon Cinema Equalizer compensates for the way movie theater movies are formatted so that DVDs sound the way the filmmaker intended - in your living room. That's brains for ya.

A Team (DVD) Player

Simply calling this kit's Denon DVD-557 a DVD player would be an injustice. That's because it does so much more. It also plays CDs and decodes several digital audio formats. With the spread of DVD recorders, consumers are increasingly recording TV programs onto DVD discs. So it's a good thing DVD-R/RW discs can be played back on the DVD-557. It also plays MP3 files recorded on CD-R and CD-RW disc. The navigation system shows you artist names and track titles, letting you easily find favorite tracks. The DVD-557 also supports WMA (Windows Media Audio) version 9 files. WMA is an audio compression format developed with Microsoft technology. It claims to offer the highest quality sound available in the industry. Also, with its handy JPEG slide show features, the DVD-557 can be used to play your JPEG image discs. Imagine watching your vacation slide show on your big screen TV! Gone are the days of clacking projectors and Dad's live over-voicing of events. So, as you can see, the DVD557 gives you quite a bit more than just high quality DVD movie playback. Maybe it should be called a DVD Wizard.

The DVD-557 DVD player includes HDMI output connections for HD displays and also features HD scaling up to 1080i. HDMI is the only interface in consumer electronics that can carry both uncompressed high-definition (HD) video and uncompressed multi-channel audio in all HD formats including 720p, 1080i and even 1080p. An all-digital, uncompressed signal translates into the highest quality video and audio, seen and heard, direct from the source. The DVD-557's scaling circuit supports up to 1080i scaling. You also get component video, S-Video and composite video outputs, along with optical and coaxial digital audio outputs. So no matter where you are on the sliding scale of electronic evolution, the 557 has you covered.

Big Speaker Soul. Small Speaker Flexibility.

The Denon DHT687BA's Micro offers big performance in a small speaker that lets you fill rooms with sound, not stuff. Inside each of this home theater kit's five Micro 110 speakers lives a soul that defies its size. Thanks to big-speaker roots and Boston Acoustic's history of innovation and quality, these satellites produce astonishingly powerful, pure, true-to-the-original sound. So, whether you are looking for high-clarity home theater, exceptional sound room-by-room, or a perfectly integrated, high performance whole-house system, Micro performs. Beautifully.

In fact, it outperforms speakers many times its price and size, with sound innovations that give it big time bragging rights. Made from the finest materials, it features high quality connectors, optimized crossovers and MagnaGuard magnetic shielding to protect TV picture tubes. Each unit's 3" Copolymer Mid-Bass Driver and 0.75" Kortec Dome tweeter team up to ensure you'll get exceptional mid-frequency output and some of the smoothest highs you've ever heard. Its glass-filled copolymer front baffle absorbs distortion, leaving you with more power, more performance than you ever thought possible in a speaker this size. Just to up the ante, the Micro 110 center channel speaker throws in another tweeter for crisp, clear dialogue whether you're watching a whispery historical movie set in the courts of Queen Elizabeth or a futuristic flick set in an explosive war zone on the moon.

What's more, while these compact satellites fit anywhere, including bookshelves or optional floor stands, they can also be mounted to fit your needs even more precisely. An L-Shaped bracket is included for easy wall mounting. Or, for even more flexibility, choose the UMB1 articulating wall and ceiling bracket (sold separately) and aim sound directly where you want it. Any room. Any application. Micro fits.

Enough Boom For Your Room (And Then Some)

With a built-in, 50-watt amp under its hood, you won't have to get up its grill to hear powerful bass from this 8" subwoofer from Boston Acoustics. Proprietary Bass Trac technology tracks the input signal to the subwoofer and prevents the amplifier from being driven into audible distortion. This is disciplined bass, staying clean, clear, and strong at almost any listening level.

Comparison Specifications

• 75 Watts x 7 Channels Power Output (8 Ohms, 20Hz to 20kHz, .08 THD)
• Dolby Digital, dts and DSP Modes -- Analog Devices, HammerHead SHARC
• Four Micro 110x Satellite Speakers -- 3" Mid-Bass Driver Unit And 0.75" Kortec Dome Tweeter In Each Unit
• One Micro 110c Center Channel Speaker -- One 3" Mid-Bass Driver Unit And Two 0.75" Kortec Dome Tweeters
• Boston Acoustic PV350 Deep Channel Design 8" Subwoofer With 50 Watt On-Board Amp And Bass Trac Technology
• HDMI On DVD 557 / 3 Component Video Inputs/1 Output, 3 S-Video Inputs/2 Outputs, 4 Composite Video Inputs/2 Outputs
• 2 Coaxial/2 Optical Digital Audio Inputs, 9 Analog Audio Inputs, 2 Analog Record Outputs
• 8-Channel External Analog Input (Important for Dolby True HD and dts HD Source Units, Blu-ray, HD-DVD etc.)
• AVR-687 Receiver Supports iPod Dock And XM-Satellite Radio (Both Sold Separately)
• Pre-Programmed Glow Key, S-Series Simple Remote Control

Additional Specifications

• AVR-687 ADDITIONAL SPECS
• High Performance 32-Bit Floating Point DSP
• 96 kHz Processing Circuit
• Power Assignable Amplifier Configuration -- Surround Back, Multi-Zone -- 1-Source/2-Zone Capability (Zones Power Amp Assign Only)
• Subwoofer Pre-Amp Output
• Front Panel A/V Inputs with Cover
• 56 Station Auto-Preset Memory Tuning
• Stereo/Direct Modes w/Pure Analog Path
• DVD-557 ADDITIONAL SPECS
• HDMI Output (480p/720p/1080i)

Manufacturer Specifications

• Progressive Scan
• Picture Adjustment Function
• 24-Bit, 192 kHz High Resolution Audio D/A Converters
• DVD-R/RW Playback
• CD-R/RW (Audio/MP3/WMA/JPEG/Picture CD) Playback
• JPEG Slide Show Feature
• BOSTON ACOUSTICS MICRO 110 ADDITIONAL SPECS
• Frequency Response: 155-Hz -- 20kHz
• Sensitivity: 89dB (1 Watt @ 1 Meter)
• Crossover Frequency: 3800Hz

Denon DHT-687BA Warranty Details

Two-Years Parts And Labor