The compact system is made up of four identical two-way speakers that serve as left and right front speakers and surround satellites; a three-way, horizontally configured center-channel speaker (shielded so you can lay it atop your TV); and a ported, passive subwoofer.

The 9000B is a perfect introduction to the world of home theater. It doesn't pretend to be a high-end system, but the speakers blend well for a clear, balanced sound that we found particularly impressive with multichannel music software. Setup was easy and intuitive using the provided diagram and speaker wire. You won't need a subwoofer output on your amplifier or receiver, as the subwoofer gets wired in line with the front-channel speakers.

The subwoofer, in fact, brought impressive heft to the sound, given its small size and passive design. Movie playback sounded reasonably full-bodied despite the fact that five of the six speakers are quite small. The low end didn't have the definition of larger and pricier bookshelf speakers but for rounding out the sonic picture it did just fine.

The system as a whole fared well and, in fact, sounded its best during louder passages. The subwoofer comes fitted with a self-resetting circuit breaker to prevent it from damage when you play music at loud volumes.

Pros:

• Simple setup
• Cohesive sound
• Plays well at loud volume

Cons:

• Slightly muted high frequencies
• Muddy bass