Customer Ratings & Reviews

I have had this for just about a month. Great sound.

Sound is good. Have to turn it fairly high to hear.

When this arrived, I was surprised at the size of the box, thinking there must be some mistake - 65lbs and such a large box. But as I dug into things I see the Denon receiver takes up almost 1/3 of the outer box and the Polk speakers take up just a bit over the other 2/3 of the box. When you see what you are getting for your money, you quickly realize this is quite a deal - a new stereo receiver, with bluetooth, and a complete surround sound speaker system. Now, it is a wired speaker system, complete with 100' of stereo speaker cable. That means you will need to spend time putting speaker wire in place, stripping ends of wire, etc. And the speakers themselves, while not very large, do take up space and you need to figure out if wall mounting, sitting on a speaker stand/table, etc. So planning this out is probably 25% of the installation time, considering all factors. The Denon receiver will take up real estate in your TV equipment stand/shelves/etc. But remember, this is more than just a TV apparatus, this is a real audio receiver, with AM/FM, bluetooth, aux inputs, HDMI inputs, etc. You can use HDMI in and HDMI out, Optical audio in/out, or even RCA jacks though this would be for older equipment - you'll want to go HDMI if at all possible. However, that said, I haven't had a decent stereo system in quite some time. I fell prey to the quick fix of a wireless bluetooth speaker and accepted that this was good enough. Well, this reminded me of how much I missed having a real sound system! So, I see this as a very nice stereo system WITH the ability to use as a surround sound system with my TV. And it does both very well. Sound quality coming from the Polk speakers is amazing. I've never owned a Polk Audio product before, and this first impression is a lasting one. Very nice. I will also say the Denon receiver is a nice pairing to go with these high end speakers. I've only had one other Denon experience and it was very high end as well. So, you are getting the best of both worlds, a very nice receiver from a high end audio company and a phenomenal set of Polk Audio speakers to go with it. Both are about as nice as you could expect, need, or use. Listening to both music and TV, it brings things to life. The movies and shows I listened to seem to come alive in the surround sound world I was missing out on. True surround sound is art, and the included microphone for getting placement correct is a true high end tool used by pros to allow you to set this up without any issue. You'll be impressed, no doubt. And you'll be happy with what you hear. I am very particular about my audio experience, and this didn't leave me yearning for anything more. It isn't a quick and easy sound bar. It will take some time to plan, install, tweak, etc. But it will be totally worth it if you want a real surround sound system for both audio listening and TV watching. This represents true value.

Seems like most all-in-one home theater packages aren’t that great, but this setup breaks that trend. I’ve been a long time Denon and Polk owner so this was so awesome to see them team up to provide this home theater in a box, although a very large box :) It’s going to come in a rather large and heavy package with everything included you need to get up and running. And by everything, I mean EVERYTHING…even speaker cables and an HDMI cable! Be prepared to spend at least 30 minutes on setup, more realistically probably like an hour. It comes with 100 feet of speaker cable but it is uncut, which is a good thing since you may need varying lengths for different speaker locations. One of the more time intensive parts will be cutting and stripping each cable for each speaker which you should be able to do with a pair of normal scissors. Once you have the speakers wired up and connected to the receiver, you’ll move on to setting up the receiver. You’ll connect the subwoofer with an included cable, the audio setup microphone (which will measure the room and tweak the settings for the best audio quality), and then an FM and AM antenna. Lastly, you’ll hook up your HDMI cable to your TV. Use the ARC connection if your TV supports it for the most automatic way of switching modes. From here, the setup process of the receiver with the speakers attached will take maybe 20 minutes. The on screen guide is dirt simple, although seems a little outdated with the same very pixelated and not-so-pretty UI that reminds me of coding DOS. That is really my only complaint (which I am not deducting any stars for) is that the interface is outdated and hasn’t changed in the 5 years since purchasing my last Denon receiver. The audio setup of the speakers will go through 5 different steps where it will play not-so-pleasant static noises through each channel to measure the room for the most optimum audio listening experience. I am sure there is a reasoning behind the actual sounds that come out of the speakers but just be prepared for not pleasant sounds during this process and they do get rather loud at the end. After all that is done, you can start enjoying a very good listening experience. The receiver itself is very easy to use, provides 4K HDR capability with plenty of HDMI inputs for all your peripherals, and also comes with bluetooth which is really simple to set up and provided a solid, consistent connection with the devices I used with it. There are things I would have liked: bluetooth for the speakers, maybe 7.1 on the receiver so you could expand this system later, but for the money, this package IS A STEAL. Highly recommended, again, especially for the money.

If I could give 5 Stars and Extra Credit for going above and beyond, I would for this rating. This Polk Audio BlackstoneTL1600 and Denon Home Theater Speaker System package gives me chills when listening to it. Since getting this new system, I find excitement in hearing what I didn’t hear before getting the system. My movies, TV shows and sports sound so good now! Finally, my Dolby Vision on my new 4K TV is appropriately matched with Dolby Audio on my new Polk and Denon Home Theater System. I now feel as though I am right there on screen seeing and hearing as if I was there. I was watching the new Netflix “Our World” documentary and was amazed at all the beautiful colors and then when the wind blew and I heard the waterfall, I felt chills. I felt cold, I felt like I was there in the jungle. I cannot adequately express how pleased I am with this system, but I will do my best. The Denon and Polk audio system arrived to my house two days ago and I was excited to see if I could improve the sound quality of my television without a lot of effort. The boxes arrived a bit dented and scratched up some. You can see that the box had been thrown around somewhere through the delivery service. I was concerned that something was damaged or missing as the top of the box appeared to be open. However, once I opened the box and checked the packing list I was pleased that everything was still inside the box and nothing was damaged. All of the items were well packaged and secure. Items were covered with packing styrofoam and additional softening sheets/covers. I was able to take everything out of the boxes and easily identify that everything I needed to connect my system and get it to work properly was included. They even provided good quality speaker wire and batteries for the remote. There was at least one item (sound calibration microphone) that I had not seen before, but turned out to be very helpful once I had everything connected. This system is made of high quality materials. Every piece, even the small speakers are heavier than most speakers Ive handled over the years. This is a good thing as you should want your system to last a long time and not fall apart easily. The quick start guide is extremely helpful and easy to read. It clearly is the first thing you should read before setting up your system and it actually reads “Read Me First…” on the cover. The guide is helpful in identifying what’s included in the box and the various steps that should be taken when connecting your system. It also includes some helpful options and hints to assist in ensuring you have the best connection for you. The guide leaves no steps left out and if you following each step, you shouldn’t have any problems setting up your system by yourself. Once the receiver is connected to your TV and the power is on, there his an online guide that will assist in ensuring you have everything connected correctly. It will guide you, on your televisions screen, though the steps of each connected device, step by step. The screens look a little 1985’ish (think astrods), but they are effective. And when connected via bluetooth, you can stream music as well as utilize the downloadable app to control the receiver. However, I had problems with the app and therefore didn’t find it very useful. It could be that the app needs updating or there is a bug in the program, but that’s just an extra bonus. The receiver’s remote is more than capable of controlling your sound and some aspects of the TV, if you have it connected to the HDMI ARC on your television. In this way I am to control the sound using any of my remotes and when I shut one system off, everything shuts off. This is extremely welcomed and appreicated. I was able to set up my system in less than an hour, but I took more time to set up each speaker as recommended and strategically place in areas and corners that would produce the best sound. I even utilized the included sound calibration microphone. Once I was done and ready to listen to the system, I was in audio heaven. I felt chills listening to the sound that were coming out of each speaker and since this is a 5.1 channel system, the sounds were separated perfectly. I head noises from behind and the side; even the clicks that moved on my AppleTV moved in the direction I moved on the television. I received my Home Theater System two days ago and quite honestly, I was ready to write my review the very next day. Within 24 hours I destroyed and threw away the packaging it was shipped in (I usually make it a practice of keeping the packing material for a few months in case I need to return an item). I’ve often wondered why there is such a big price difference in some of the sound bars and how some companies sell them much cheaper when they are designed to do the same thing; and that’s to increase the volume when you’re watching movies at home. I now see what the difference is and it’s clear. I mean it becomes very clear theoretically, practically and in reality. As soon as you connect this system it is clear (pun intended). I am now rewatching movies and shows to hear the difference. The Polk Audio BlackstoneTL1600 and Denon Home Theater Speaker System is a must purchase. If you want to feel as though you were right there inside your televisions at the game, in the foreign county, on the sky slopes, swimming in the water, or right there in the jungle, you need not look any further. If you want to feel chills as you hear sounds with clarity you didn’t know could be reproduced through a speaker system, then this is they system for you. This system will not only meet your needs, but I am certain it will exceed your expectations, just as it has for me. The Polk Audio BlackstoneTL1600 and Denon Home Theater Speaker System delivers the sound that will gives you chills. You can thank me in the comments… and you’re welcome.

The only reason I’m giving this four stars is because the whole system is hardwired, it would be so much better without the speaker wires lying or hanging everywhere. I guess that’s why about 100 ft is included & makes the unit seem dated, along with the onscreen directions which also look dated but are helpful with walking you through set up. This system is large & heavy, weighing 67 lbs. It came in a huge box with the individual components inside in separate boxes. Included was the Denon receiver which has 5 HDMI ports in & 1 out, an indoor antenna & loop antenna, you can set speaker calibration which measures the room for best sound, it tests each speaker through 5 steps. There is a headphone jack on the front & fm/am presets, you can quick select blu ray /dvd, cable/ satellite, Bluetooth or gaming from the front of receiver, also bass/ treble control. These are also available on the remote, which is a very big remote. The receiver is also fairly large. Each HDMI port is labeled on the back. This does not include a blu ray player. Front also has a USB port. All cables & 1 HDMI cable were included. Dolby can be adjusted for sound for movies, music, gaming stereo & cinema. Speakers included were 2 front, 2 back & 1 center plus a subwoofer. The speakers were small, subwoofer a bit large. The subwoofer has volume control & low pass filter & switch phase. Bluetooth enabled & connected with my iPod immediately. We have not tried this with our blu ray player yet. We do not have cable or satellite but an antenna & it connected easily with that also. We watched a movie on Netflix & the sound was great. Sound is clear, crisp & quite loud. An app is available but I have not tried that either. Set up took awhile till everything was placed & speaker wires connected. A brief quick set up guide is included but as most electronics the manual is online. There’s a lot of pieces to this system & some are larger so you need the space for it but it’s a nice system at a reasonable price just make sure you can hide the wires;)

Sound quality is not bad. The product itself is nice and sturdy.

My last HDMI pass-thru receiver got fried by lightning, so I needed a replacement. I prefer this type of receiver because you can hook up all your equipment to the receiver by HDMI, then only one HDMI cable goes to your TV. Switching between devices is just the press of a button, which is good since I usually have at least my DVR, Roku, Xbox and Blu-ray player all connected to the TV. An HDMI cable and a digital coax audio cable come included with the receiver, as well as AM/FM antennas, in case you want to pick up radio. The speaker part of the package includes 4 satellites (left & right front, left & right rear), a center channel speaker and a wired subwoofer. They include 100 feet of speaker wire, which was unexpected. Setup was easy, especially since I previously had a similar receiver. The satellite speakers are quite a bit smaller than my previous speakers, which worried me at first, but they deliver good sound, as do the center & subwoofer. I've tried the speakers out with TV, music and video gaming, all of which sounded great. The satellite and center speakers can be placed on a shelf/entertainment center or hang on the wall. Templates for marking where you want to install hardware on walls are included.

This is not the easiest system in the world to set up, as the speaker wire is not premade, however that lends to the flexibility of setting it up as you need to. As long as you've got some wire strippers, there shouldn't be a problem, as the setup menu that comes up when you plug it in for the first time makes connecting everything very simple. Take your time with this process and you'll have a system that sounds awesome. I also wouldn't do this at night if you have young children, as the sound test might wake them. Once setup was complete, I watched a bit of a movie with 5.1 Surround Sound and was amazed at the difference between this system and my previous Soundbar. My biggest problem was remembering which source I had plugged into each input. When I was looking at this product online, the description on Best Buy's site said it only had one input, but there are five just like the pictures show. The AM and FM tuners work great, as does the Bluetooth connection. I was also able to get my universal remote to work with it, although I had to configure the buttons as this receiver was too new to be in the database. This is by far the best sound experience I've had in my home.

Back in 2004 I bought 5.! system (all separate, Polk speakers and Ymaha reciver. It was beautiful. after all this time I decided I ll go for polk, how I am let down. Thsis system worth nothing. I am being honest. What 5.1, speakers work onley when FM present. Dream about 5.1 setup with this system. I called Best buy's guy to set up. They charge me extra 140 dollars even though I am member of quick clublol, I am laughing on my spelling Don't buy this sytem what can I say.

I'm not sure why this pairing of a Denonn AV receiver and some Polk speakers was needed. It is, indeed, a "system," but the package is just a bundling of two discreet systems (the receiver and the speakers - the items and instructions are separated in their huge packing box). Denon's receiver is spectacular. It's an AV receiver but the "V" part is negligible (my flat screen can choose between inputs just fine). So I was much more interested in the "A" part - the audio needs to sell the system. But, alas, Polk's speakers are disappointing, I have been a rabid fan of Polk speakers for years and I don't understand how they went to market with this suite of 5.1 speakers. The front and rear speakers are above average at best - they don't really sell the highest treble notes and they don't seem capable of carrying a strong midrange. The sound equalization doesn't seem to match-up between the outer speakers and the center speaker(s). How does that even happen? And the subwoofer, though huge and somewhat heavy, has a really wonky crossover control and volume control - the primary speakers and the subwoofer perform as separate entities (without any feeling of some satisfying sound design). Fortunately, Denon provides a LOT of sound design choices - without Denon's features, this whole system would be a total disaster. The speakers provided such strange response over broadcast frequencies, I found that my TV's own (tiny) speaker system gave me more satisfying audio - and it took me a lot of time working through different settings to get acceptable audio through the limitations of the Polk speakers (very annoying). So: I think the Denon here is magnificent. As an audio receiver it seems to do a fantastic job - and it has one of the most incredible Bluetooth processing systems I have ever heard. But the Polk is infuriatingly disappointing - while the speakers can push-out some very good sound at low volumes, they tend to sound muddy (or even buzz) with full-frequency sounds (even at moderate volume). Polk is very disappointing here; Denon is spectacular.

The Polk Audio – Blackstone TL1600 and Denon AVR-S540BT Home Theater System is a high quality and easy to setup home theater system in a box. It consists of an ultra hd Denon receiver capable of 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision; and a high quality Blackstone 5.1 Ch. speaker system. The 700w surround sound system is suitable for a fairly large room. In combination with my LG OLED HDTV, it produces cound and video that is hard to beat even for a much higher price. The system also easily paired with my Galaxy 8 Note phone. If your looking for a reasonably priced home theater system, I would recommend.

If you’re looking for a home theater in a box under $700 the Polk Blackstone TL1600 might just be your best option. Everything you need is included, all the wires and cables. The Denon Receiver delivers as expected with great options for your listening experience and some nice added features like Bluetooth. Sounds are crisp and clear even at high volume. If you’re watching a nice action flick or a creepy horror movie it will enhance your movie for sure. Great if you’re entertaining guests and just want to play your new playlist with the Bluetooth connection option.

This unit comes in a very big box and is well packaged. The instructions for the receiver and speakers are very easy to understand. It takes a little time to set up the wired connections, but it is pretty straight forward if you are tech savvy. The speaker wire comes in a 100’ length and you will need to cut the wire your self and splice the wires to connect. The screw connection holds the wires securely in place. The benefit of cutting the wire yourself is that you will not be left with a lot of extra to manage. The receiver has a wealth of varies connections. The step by step walk through on screen answers most all questions you will have after reviewing the printed documentation. The setup mic is a huge plus. Just place it at ear level where you normally sit and the speakers automatically tune themselves to their location. The sound is very realistic and I made little adjustments after setting up. The subwoofer is fairly large, but looks stylish. The upscaling of my picture quality through my streaming device and gaming system was very noticeably improved. I thought I was streaming true 4K, but this receiver really made all the colors more vivid. The remote is super easy to use and the mobile app works as good as the physical remote. Changing the varies inputs, such as to Game, automatically tweaks the speaker output settings to that device. Adjustments can easily be made from the receiver console itself. The speakers are fairly small, but the sound output is large. I’ve owned several surround systems and this is my favorite so far. The manufacturer put a lot of quality workmanship into this unit and it shows. Plus it is backed by a two year warranty.

For a budget system, the Denon Receiver is packed with some features that are on some higher priced systems. Setup is a breeze. Polk speakers however do pack a nice punch. 4K UHD pass through and 60 Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR, and has 5 HDMI inputs. Drawbacks however are no network or Ethernet connection, a little under powered, but again, for the price it's a good deal. Mobile app leaves a little something to desired

I've been using a set of Logitech Z-5500 Digital for several years now as this was primarily used for gaming and watching movies. One of the biggest things that I've noticed so far is much better sounding sound stage. It really is a world of difference. This is due to the satellites and the fact that they are Two-Way speakers. Just to test the initial difference I first connected the Center Speaker and could immediately tell a difference. Once having the time to get these all mounted on the wall in the place of the old speakers and then going through the setup on the receiver.and such I got to testing. It took a little while for the Sub to break in. I was having some initial drop out with it so things weren't too great sounding. Now after a few weeks of using the system and finding some ideal settings the Sub sounds excellent and at times a fair bit overpowering for the small room I'm in. It's definitely impressive in the sound quality for such a small setup. I do wish that the receiver had a bit more in the way of options but it certainly gets the job done. I've listened to several types of music and watched several movies at this point and the system has performed well above my expectations. If you're looking for a good, compact and budget system this will truly fit the bill. There's plenty of High's, Mid's, and lots of Bass for any audio experience, you certainly will not be disappointed.

I got this to replace an 8yr old Onkyo AV receiver that had been a champ and was getting retired to a less-used room in the house. My biggest point of feedback on this Denon is that you can't rename the inputs. Meaning if you, say, have an XBox and a Nintendo, you're going to have to plug one in to the "Game" input and the other in to another input. When you switch to the other input, it'll say, for example, "CBL" if that's what you plugged the Nintendo into. This is a minor inconvenience but can also be confusing when you're trying to make sure you're on the right input for a device. Other than this the Polk sub is noticeably smaller than the one I already had but still provides good sound. It's not a "cabinet" style sub, which I prefer the look of, but it does the job. It has stereo input via RCA, but only comes with a mono cable so that can be a bit confusing as well and makes the built-in stereo outputs for additional speakers also confusing. The shiny black satellites and centers are pretty good looking but they are glossy. If you prefer a more matte finish this may be a minor inconvenience. When I unpacked mine, some of the black on them had rubbed off in the box but this wasn't noticeable on the speaker itself - talk about fresh paint!

One speaker burnt out, overheats and shuts down, can't return, just purchased for an event venue 2 months ago and only used a handful of times, stuck With $500 of junk

This unit would not work with any of my remotes and would make loud noises after the unit was turn off. Had to but a different unit

fell apart in 2 days flat. amp failed and speakers had loose components inside. tried 2 sets both had same problems. ABHORANT quality control.