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Review 2 of 2
Price Paid:
$425.00
from Ebay Summary:
I bought the AVR 340 to replace my robust, yet severely outdated, Denon AVR 5600. I could no longer live without component video switching and DTS. I am running a NHT speaker setup, including the power monger 2.5i's in as the front/main channels. Overall, I think this is a very good product. As I expected, the sound quality as compared to similar priced units is top notch. I spent many hours comparing this unit to comparably priced Onkyo and Yamaha units. Plain and simple, the dynamics far exceed anything in the price range. Although only 55 watts per channel, the HK's very underrated power specifications deliver warm, clean sound. Of course, as all mid priced receivers do, there are a couple of downfalls. This unit does lose some of its big sound when 5+ channels are driven at once and with large, power hungry, low sensitivity speakers. For my testing, I figured this was due to the extreme needs of my NHT main speakers (with their built in 8” passive subwoofers, 6 ohm impedance, and 86db sensitivity). So, I hooked up a pair of my roommates Paradigm towers instead, just to test my theory. The HK had no problem driving 5+ channels with the PD's up front, losing none of its "big" sound. Don't get scared to buy this unit because it had issues with my NHT"s. The NHT’s are a very power hungry speaker, and neither my Denon 1500 (older, yet higher end A/V receiver) nor my roommates $1000.00 plus Yamaha (brand new) can really push them in multi-channel modes. Some speakers just need a separate preamp/amp, or a very powerful $2,500 plus receiver to sound great. This receiver should run Polk, Paradigm, Infinity, Mission, Klipsch, and similar brands fine. As a home theater receiver this unit is great, with extremely directed sound for multi channel modes. Where this unit really shines is during 2-channel stereo operation. Although it had some trouble with my NHT 2.5i's in 5 channel mode (remember, it did fine with other tower speakers requiring less power), it did wonders in stereo. The sound is very close to that of my much, much more expensive Denon AVR 5600, with its huge toroidal power amplifiers. The bass is deep, the mids transparent, and the highs clean without too much brightness. I tested the unit with everything from jazz, to acoustic rock, to heavy metal. It surpassed my expectations on everything I threw at it. Now that I've talked about the really important part, sound quality, I'll move on to the ergonomics. The front panel is great, giving you just what you need to control all of the important functions without making the unit look cluttered. The slick black on silver with blue display and volume knob looks very “high end”, especially in the dark. One thing I love, the front panel display has a large font. This allows even someone with poor eyesight, such as myself, to clearly see what source, digital input, and surround mode is being used without having to pull up the on screen display. On the back panel, all of the connection terminals are well spaced and thoughtfully layed-out. With digital cable, dvd, a laserdisc player (I know, I'm old school), and two video game systems the H/K still has plenty of room. There is also a "Bridge" hookup for the ridiculous amount of people who own iPods. The only thing I dislike is that the AVR 340 has only two component video inputs. Most similarly priced units have three. The remote is not fantastic. Not to say it is bad, it just lacks the wow factor. I expected as much, as H/K has been known to lack in the remote control department. The remote functionality is fine. The unit controls all of the basic needs for my equipment. It does bother me that the remote does not include a backlit function. This makes it very difficult to use when the lights are off. You may want to consider buying a Logitech Harmony or One-4-All Kameleon universal and use that instead of this unit’s remote. Separately, a multi-room remote is included with this unit. This very simple remote makes using the multi-room function easy as can be. All the basic needs are included. Although, if you really want to get the most out of the multi-room experience you will need to buy an additional radio frequency adapter, this way you don’t have to walk back to the room where the AVR 340 is located to control the unit. While I’m on the subject, I’ll talk some more about the AVR 340’s multi-room capabilities. This unit has by far the best multi-room functionality of any receiver within $500.00 of the price I paid (425.00 with s&h). I won’t go into details, just trust me. I have not bothered with the multi-room on other receivers in the past because the feature was bothersome to use. The H/K makes it easy. Alright, I’ll cover the 340’s surround decoding and extra’s. All of the basics are present, including a myriad of DTS and Dolby surround modes. The DTS and Dolby modes perform about the same as most comparably priced receivers. Where this unit stands out a bit is with Harman Kardon’s proprietary Logic 7 modes. Logic 7 takes any non DTS or Dolby Digital material and produces a very realistic 5/6/7.1 sound stage. There are separate music, movie, and enhanced modes. The music mode is really nice for lighter sounding music, such as classic rock, acoustic rock, rnb, classical, and jazz. It places just the right nuisances in the surround channels without overwhelming the main channels. I play a fair amount of video games and watch a lot of TV. The cinema and enhanced Logic 7 modes are incredible. There are times when you would almost swear the surround information was encoded in 5.1, as it is in DTS and Dolby Digital. Basically, the Logic 7 simply produces a much more realistic and lively soundstage than the Pro Logic II included on all surround receivers. Good job H/K! On top of the DTS, Dolby Digital, and Logic 7 modes the AVR 340 includes the ever so boring Hall, Hall 2, and Theater modes found on every A/V receiver on earth. The 5 and 7 channel stereo modes are also included if you want to really fill the room with sound. One thing I think is great about newer receivers is their ability to set up the speaker configuration automatically. Harman Kardon calls this EzSet, and it works perfectly. You just place the included microphone at the listen position, press a couple of buttons, then sit back and let the receiver do its thing. The EzSet determines the speaker size, distance, delay times, and even has a built in equalizer to compensate for the room and difference in speaker timbre. The on screen display is basic, very basic. Although the OSD is basic and lacks the wow factor, as does the remote I mentioned early, it is simple to use. I have to conclude that this is a great receiver for someone who’s main priority if sound quality or ergonomics. If you are very concerned with bells & whistles and the remote control you may want to check out a Yamaha or Onkyo. I’m sure there are a few things I didn’t get to cover, but I think all the major stuff is here. As I said at the beginning of the review, this is a great receiver for the money and I highly recommend. Strengths:
Two channel stereo sound quality is that of much more expensive receivers (twice as much) from Denon, Onkyo, or Yamaha. You simply won't be able to find a better sounding receiver for stereo operation in this price range. The AVR 340 has looks to kill with its sleek silver on black and luminescent blue lights. The multi-room functionality is impressive for a receiver in this price range. Harman Kardon’s proprietary Logic 7 surround processing is a nice alternative to the Pro Logic II included on all A/V receivers. Weaknesses:
The remote control follows the usual Harman Kardon motif. It lacks wow and some very important features, mainly a backlit capability. This makes it difficult to use the remote when the lights are off. You may need to spend a little extra cash on a good universal remote, about $50 or so. One-4-All makes some very good models in their Kameleon line. The AVR 340 has only two component video inputs. Most comparably priced units have three. You may have difficulty pushing large, power hungry speakers in multi-channel modes. Especially speakers with built in passive subwoofers, such as my NHT 2.5i’s with their 8” built in subs. (I will disclaim, I have not met an A/V receiver yet under $1500.00 that can really deliver the necessary power needed to drive large tower models with 8"+ built in passive subs) Similar Products Used:
Yamaha HTR-5890, Onkyo TXSR703
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