Niro 620 (Verdict: Phenomenal!)

Over the last 12-15 months we have received numerous emails requesting us to review home theaters in boxes (HTIBs). However, when we started Spungle we made a conscious decision not to review these units because we were aware that the technology changes so quickly that by the time we did an appropriate survey of the available units, that a new and improved unit would be made available. So, we let your requests fall upon deaf ears.

Then, about 5 months ago, we received two interesting emails. One was from a reader who said something to the effect that he’s convinced that HTIBs are nothing more than POSs in boxes, and that what he wants to know is if virtual surround really exists. Another reader said that if Spungle really wants to be up to date that we should be on the hunt for the best virtual surround sound. So, with two emails that piqued our interest in this much ballyhooed “virtual surround sound,” we decided to take the challenge and find you the best unit on the market.

We started our survey of the competition by going to our local big chain electronics store. We bought the only four units that they had in the store, ranging from $700-$2000. They had names like “Digital Sound Projector,” “Surround Bar,” “3-2-1,” and “AmbiSound Bar.” Regardless of the cutesy name, we found that they were all cut from the same mold- which happened to be made out of crap!

Each one of these commercial units shared the same blunted highs, boosted the same overpowering bass, and had the same annoying tinny sound that we absolutely despise. From this experience we learned that single speaker units offer the user ease of setup at the cost of sound. And to us, it didn’t make sense to be sacrificing sound quality of a SOUND SYSTEM!


So, we went back on the hunt, read lots of blogs, talked to leaders, gurus, and audiophiles, and finally got in touch with the folks at Niro. At first we were expecting more of the same old stuff that we mentioned above. However, as opposed to the mass manufactured units that we had demoed and happily returned, we were pleasantly surprised from our first interaction with Niro. For example, the representative asked us what size room we had. Instead of buying a unit and then using the volume to adjust for our room size, the representative at Niro explained that they make different size units for different size spaces. Something not many (if any) manufacturers do these days.

When our Niro 620 first arrived we were shocked by the size of the box. At first we thought they sent us their top of the line Niro 1000 unit. However, we soon realized that Niro takes such pride in their products that they treat them like gold when shipping them; they want you to have an amazing experience from when you open the box and don’t want to risk having ANY unhappy customers.

The setup of the Niro 620 was just as easy as any of the other units. The DVD player was plugged into the processor unit by optical cable and the HD cable box was plugged in via optical cable, too. Our satellite radio was hooked up via component cables, and before we knew it, we were all set up. Literally it took us less than 5 minutes!


At the recommendation of a well-seasoned audiophile we made the purchase of the horrid movie, Pearl Harbor, starring our least favorite actor, Ben Affleck. We quickly skipped to Chapter 22 (First Strike), which is known to have amazing sound effects, put the Niro 620 on to the Sat/Cable input, pumped up the volume, and sat back to enjoy the experience. Knowing that our television could not process surround sound, we wanted to see what it would sound like on the two-channel speaker setup. In short, it was amazing! The sound had richness and fullness- both of which were lacking from all the aforementioned reviewed units. The quality was impeccable, and we felt like we were in the movie. When the torpedoes were dropped in the water, we swore that we felt the room shake from the incredibly powerful subwoofer. The experience was far superior to all the previously tested units, and this was just in true two-channel.


So, just when we thought we found the ideal, absolutely perfect unit, we realized that we hadn’t changed the input to DVD/CD to hear the true surround experience. We went back to Chapter 22, hit play, and I kid you not, spilled soda all over our couch in a moment of excitement. We could not believe the sound that we were hearing. This little unit was pumping out heart-pounding, spine-tingling, unbelievable sound. Not only did it sound like the torpedoes were dropped over our heads, we found ourselves looking left and right as we heard the planes flying in and out of the screen. We then started moving around the room and realized that the sound was PERFECT in every nook and cranny of our office space. Somehow this little unit was producing sound on par with multi-thousand dollar systems, and all from one speaker. We were so amazed by the sound that we subjected ourselves to an entire viewing of Pearl Harbor just so we could hear the surround sound again and again.

According to the Niro site, “Three drivers, Center, Front Left, Front Right reproduce the front sound image. The front image is created using the same principle as the standard 5.1 ch surround sound. Two drivers, designated Surround Left, Surround Right, reproduce the surround image. The type of surround image created is a virtual sound image, produced by proprietary S.I.P. software originally developed by niro1.com. The front image generated by the NIRO system is true surround sound. The back image is produced as virtual surround sound. The NIRO system is distinguished from lesser systems that produce all images through virtual surround sound imaging.”


In conclusion, we are absolutely amazed by the Niro 620 system. It has features that allow you to tweak the sound depending on the type of input (music, cinema, etc); it lets you independently control the sub/front/rear speakers, and even has a night-mode that helps dampen the sound so you don’t wake up your neighbors while watching a nail-biting thriller. After surveying the market for the ideal home theater, we cannot make a stronger recommendation than the family of Niro systems. Their products are absolutely high-end yet priced competitively. So, if you’re looking to blow away all your friends with a surround system that truly sits in a class of its own, then you have to look no further than niro1.com!