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Review 2 of 3
Price Paid:
$1499.00
from Local Audio Shop Summary:
Harman Kardon has been in the business for almost 54 years, their design and commitment to good sound is the reason i purchase Harman Kardon. The best way to describe a Harman Kardon would be to compare it to a big diesel engine with allot of torque. Only instead of gobs of torque you have gobs of amperage +/-50 amps! What ever you decide to throw at this receiver, It will produce every note with precision and accuracy while maintaining a trademark warm, smooth pleasing sound.
I'm not going to talk about gimmick's and features because in all honesty that's not what matters. Features differ from manufacture to manufacture and in most cases are marketing schemes to make you want their product and stay competitive. What i will say about this receiver is that all the processing modes a practical person will ever need are there. Adjustments include Delay, Tone, Trim and Quadruple Bass Management with an excelent cross over offering fine adjustment to tailor this receiver to any speaker combination. As far a video goes this receiver will output from any input to HDMI but will not upconvert. Most HD displays have up conversion technology so this may not be of importance to most.
Musically i find this receiver brings audio to life. Audio sounds very full, rich, warm. it hard to explain so i encourage everyone to go out there and listen to one, you'll hear the difference of a well engineered product. Other brands don't seem to have the same depth when playing music. This receiver combined with a good set of speakers really brings out the detail in music. Home theater is just as impressive offering great impact.
When pushed hard the audio stays clear and pleasing to the ear. Don't let 75 Watts per channel throw you off, this receiver is very loud. Harman Kardon uses real world measurements with all channels driven to quote their output. High current allows you to drive low impedance even as low as 2 ohm. Capable of consuming over 1200 watts from the wall, this receiver can get pretty hot. To help with the heat keep the receiver in a well ventilated area if required use an exhaust fan if in a closed cabinet. There is a built in fan to help keep things cool, when it does come on its very quiet and does not intrude.
Fit and finish is very nice. The front is brushed aluminum on black while the rest of the receiver is painted in grey. The buttons and volume dial feel quality, and the unit is heavy (41lbs) due to the massive transformer. My only complaint is the front panel that flips down feels cheap. The remote is very easy to use and program utilizing a 2 line LCD screen, the remote is also backlit.
I am very pleased with the performance of this receiver. Harman Kardon stands by their product and rest assured if there's ever a problem they will get it solved ASAP. If your looking for a receiver that comes close to the performance of separates, audition a Harman Kardon.
Strengths:
- Awesome sound quality, clear, smooth and free of destortion when pushed hard
- Generous power
- As close to seperates as you can get for this price range
- Fantastic home theater performance
- Versitile setup for both Audio and Video
- Practical Features
- Overall Build Quality / Fit and Finish
Weaknesses:
- Front flip panel feels cheap
- No video upconverting
- EZSET/EQ not really a weakness, i just found manual set up to be more acurate
Similar Products Used:
Harman Kardon AVR 525
I also Auditioned
-Yamaha RX-V1600
-Marantz SR-7001
-Harman Kardon AVR 745
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