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The Bottom Line

There are thousands of loudspeakers on the market, and many times the choice, despite all the technical specs, is determined by how they sound to you. I found that the Cerwin Vega CVHD 5.1 Channel Home Theater speaker system, although lacking in physical style, does offer great sound for home theater. I found that the CVHD 5.1 did its best work at mid-to-high volume levels, providing a very good surround image.

In terms of style, the CVHD 5.1 has a plain, lackluster, appearance and the large subwoofer defeats the purpose of a compact home theater speaker system. However, it is reasonably priced for what it offers.



Pros

• Sounds great in home theater applications.
• Very good midrange response.
• Very good surround sound image.
• Speakers can be wall or stand mounted.

Cons

• Poor Styling.
• Big Subwoofer contradicts compact home theater speaker concept.
• Lackluster lows on satellite speakers.
• Subwoofer sounds a little boomy at times - Not as tight as some I have reviewed.

Description

• Main, Center, Surround Speakers: Frequency Response - 150Hz to 22kHz, Sensitivity - 95dB, Impedance - 8 ohms.
• Main, Center, Surround Speakers: Power Handling - 50 to 125 watts RMS (continuous power).
• Main, Center, Surround Speakers: Drivers - Each speaker houses One 1-inch Soft Dome tweeter and Six 3-inch cone woofers.
• Main, Center, Surround Speakers: Enclosure - Sealed, Linear Dispersion Line Source Wave Array (LSW) Technology.
• Main, Center, Surround Speakers: Weight - 6.32 lbs each, Dimensions - 22.5" H, 5" W, 5" D.

• CVHD-12S Powered Subwoofer: Frequency Response - 28Hz to 150z, Amplifier - 250 watts Continuous, Class A/B Design.
• CVHD-12S Powered Subwoofer: Enclosure Type - Bass Reflex, Phase Control - 0 or 180 degrees, Crossover - 50HZ-150HZ, variable.
• CVHD-12S Powered Subwoofer: Power On/Off - Two-way toggle - On/Standby (Auto-Sensing) and Off.
• CVHD-12S Powered Subwoofer: Dimensions - 17.75" H x 16.75" W x 16.5" D, Weight - 48.5 lbs.
• CVHD-12S Powered Subwoofer: Connections - RCA Line-in ports for L/R or LFE, 5-way standard speaker connections (in/out).

Guide Review - Cerwin Vega CVHD 5.1 Channel Home Theater Loudspeaker System - Short Review

Using the CVHD 5.1 speaker system with a variety of receivers, Blu-ray/HD-DVD/DVD/CD players, and movies and music source material, I found that it provided a good overall sound, especially in my larger test room (15ft x 20 ft).

The linear dispersion array design of the satellite speakers delivered a very good sound image and very good mid-range response, but I did find that the subwoofer was a little "boomy" in comparison to some subwoofers that I have reviewed.

Also, the satellite speakers, although providing good overall midrange and high frequency response, did not provide as good a performance in the lower midrange/upper bass frequency range. I feel that Cerwin Vega could do more to provide a better low frequency satellite speaker drop-off, resulting in a smoother overlap between the satellite speakers and subwoofer.

With regards to DVD/Blu-ray/HD-DVD soundtracks vs CD music-only soundtracks, I felt that this system was definitely more at home with the former. However, with popular music, such as rock and jazz, I was pleased with the result, with the exception of some subwoofer boominess on bass instruments that should have been tighter.

One thing to point out is that I used the CVHD 5.1 speaker system using the floor stand option and did not test them in a wall-mounted setup - which may have provided a different sonic result.

With reference to the floor mounts, I found them a little quirky to attach them to the speakers.

Overall, this system is reasonably priced for what it offers. However, keep in mind that that although the CVHD 5.1 home theater speaker system comes packaged with wall mounting hardware, the floor stands are optional (although provided for this review) and must be purchased separately, so budget accordingly if you need, or desire, this option.

I give the Cerwin Vega CVHD 5.1 a 3.5 out of 5 star rating.

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