Sound show

A player that comes with six speakers seems like an enticing deal, reports Siddharth Bhatia.

A DVD player that comes packed with home theatre speakers seems to be the perfect gift this Diwali, and LG seems to know this better than most. Let's see what their mid-end model — the HT924F DVD Receiver system, complete with a DVD player, subwoofer and five speakers for surround sound — is like.

Design
This compact model has a uniform glossy black finish. The speakers have a metallic silver stand and a metallic rim around the driver placed within a black grille. The speakers have curved edges. The subwoofer in contrast, has a more conventional shape. It comes in a straight-edged rectangular cabinet in matte black finish, with a glossy front panel, which has a huge black grille to conceal the 5.5" driver.

The sub has a neat looking bass reflex port just below the driver. The size of the mid woofers on the speakers is about 3" in diameter.

All the six speakers plug into the back of the DVD receiver with colour coded wires. A tad stouter than your regular slim DVD player, this one has a raised facade with a protruding volume knob. The tray on the opposite side has a simple round push button. Below the tray, a small flap opens out to expose the connections.

Connectivity
The receiver has a USB slot and two mic TRS ( 1/4-inch) inputs for karaoke. It offers playback of JPEG, MP3 and DivX video (standard definition) right off a USB stick. Another good feature is the direct to USB recording (available only for audio), so you can rip off a CD or FM straight on to a USB drive.

It decodes Dolby Digital, Pro Logic 2 and also DTS. The connections available also include one HDMI out, component video, one composite video, and an Optical Digital Audio out. FM antennae input is placed next to the optical out. The total power output of this system is 1200 Watts RMS.

Performance
We plugged in I am Legend. The growls and thuds in this film require serious control over the sub. We also played audio discs.

We were very impressed with the bass of the system, it was low and wholesome with better than average timing. There was no distortion in the lows. Unfortunately, the highs are planar and edgy. The mids dominate and there's too much crunch in the sound, so listening to audio is not much fun. This is not necessarily a bad thing when you're watching movies, as the dialogues get crisper.

The overall sound was very loud. To get a sound that can fill a 400 metre square room from such small speakers is no mean feat. The sound is not that open or deep, but it can get loud. However, don't pump up the volume too high either, as your ears might get tired because of the over exaggerated high mid frequencies.

The low end sounds good, thanks to the sub, so this player works like a charm for movies.

Verdict
The price of the LG DVD receiver system is ₹18,990 (MRP; ₹14,600, MOP). While the features of this system are great, the sound is nowhere near pristine. It works well for what it's meant for, namely movie watching, but it isn't that great for listening to music. Buy it only if you aren't too exacting about sound quality, and just want to watch films and have fun singing Karaoke with friends and family.
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