OnkyoHTS3100 has been replaced by HTS3300 Globally. Review on Onkyo HTS-3100

I purchased an Onkyo HT-S3100 from ezone Jayanagar(Bangalore) on 31/07/2010. I went into the store with zero knowledge about Home Theatre Systems. So, I was completely relying on the advise of the sales representatives. However, I did have my requirements clear:

1) It should completely support all Audio Formats playable by my PS3(Playstation 3)

2) It should be in the range of around 35 k.

3) It should not be very loud as my living room is medium sized.

4) It should ideally support multi-HDMI in.

Keeping my requirements in mind, I should have been suggested to go for the Onkyo HT-S3300, but was suggested to go for the HT-S3100 instead. The pricing of these products are as follows:

HT-S3300 - INR 25, 000.00

HT-S3100 - INR 19, 000.00

Given the price difference of just 6k, it is always worth to go for the HT-S3300 - as it supports all the latest HD sound formats. But ezone does not stock this model. At first I did not understand why, then having spoken to an employee of Onkyo BO Bangalore, I understood why -

HT-S3100 is a dying model which has been phased out of the European/American as well as SouthEast Asian markets. In all these markets this model has been replaced with the latestHT-S3300. So, as you might have guessed it, Onkyo has chosen India to be the dumping ground for HT-S3100.

However, in India too HT-S3300 is available but they are not sold by ezone and are available with other(smaller) dealers only. Ezone buys only HT-S3100 as Onkyo is disposing them at a cheap rate and ezone is buying in bulk to keep the cost further cheaper. They don’t stock HT-S3300 as most customers will then ditch the 3100 and go for the 3300. So in a way they are misleading the customers by depriving them access to the latest models. Same thing happened when I went into the same showroom to enquire about the latest Panasonic Plasma P42V20D. The guy in the store was only showing me all the old Plasma models and did not even acknowledge that this new model was available. I just walked out thinking this was a one-off thing(picked the TV from Devi International the same day). Later I realized and in both instances(Panasonic TV and Onkyo HTS) they are only displaying/demoing and promoting the older models.

Being a part of the same group as BigBazaar(Future Group) they practice similar business practices. Basically buy in bulk at cheaper prices whatever is the manufacturers surplus/to-be-phased out items and then sell it at cheaper rates. Works out well in terms of dal and rice but not suitable for electronics I guess.

So the next time you want an electronic item beware of going to ezone - only go there after you have researched the product you want to buy and then buy it from there if its available(I bet you will not find latest models of any brands). Never walk into to ezone thinking that the store guys will help you suit the best according to your requirements. They will only sell you outdated stuff at cheaper rates and you will then realize that you have bought something that is either being phased out or has reached the product maturity stage and is only a cash-cow.

Bottomline: ezone and Onkyo are cheating Indians by selling old model HT S3100