Question about Harman Kardon

[fabi519]

Hi and hello,

this is my first post here on this site. Nevertheless I have been reading it for a couple of weeks, and I really like it.

I plan to buy my home theater system in about 2 months (that's the time I will be moving into my new apartment).

I already have a lot of questions, but I intend to read through all the posts first because they are very general questions and have been asked many times
(stuff like:

-which 52" TV it should be because somehow I keep reading that one time Sony makes the best TV, then Sharp with their Aquos series, than it's Panasonic another time etc.
- which HDMI cable I should get because I still don't get the difference between monster cables and $15 cables etc.)

However my first question is also a "Which... is good/best?"

I used to have a 5.1 receiver from Harman Kardon back in Europe, and I really liked it. I have to say that I don't listen to music at all, it was simply for the sound when I was watching dvds.

Well, I want to get a 7.1 receiver for my blue ray home system (btw... which player should it be?... but again I will do some research lol ).

I noticed that "famous" Onkyo player which they sell at amazon, and I also saw that you guys are recommending it as "most bang for the bucks".

However I keep seeing a Harman Kardon at Best Buy, and I lover their designs, plus know that they have a great quality.

Now finally, to my question:

Is it worth for someone who needs a home system just for the movies to spend several hundred bucks just for a receiver? Or should I go with the Onkyo?

Besides all of that I am a noob when it gets to the connecting part. At least with the Onkyo system everything is already together. I don't need to worry about the right subwoofer, satellites etc.

Thanks again for creating this site!

[xiong651]

I debated between the Onkyo and the Denon receiver also. In the end, I got the Denon 2808CI because from what I hear, it is a little better in quality. Try searching in the AVS forum. They have good info also. The Denon is more expensive though. It also looks better. I got if for a few dollars over a grand.

[Driver_King]

I recommend either the Onkyo TX-SR605(the cheapest but is best value), 705 (for more features), or the 805 (most expensive, best amenities.) And as for a television, if you have the money, either a Sony or perhaps a Kuro. Samsung also makes very good LCDs too. But while purchasing, make sure you have compared the TVs in person.

[DarkClown]

I too am perplexed in this area. I currently have an older Harmon Kardon unit which I have loved for many years. Of course being older it does not support any sort of HDMI, and for me one of the deciding factors seems to be HDMI switching. I have a very small dedicated home theater room (10 feet long by 7 feet wide) so a huge over powered system makes no sence at all. But my delima comes in that I currently have 4 HDMI devices that need to be switched. At present I have 3 of them plugged directly into my Samsung TV which switched the video nicely but then that does not help for audio switching, not to mention the fact that this setup excludes the use of uncompressed audio formats.

The pricing on the Onkyo TX-SR605 is very attractive, but with only 2 HDMI inputs it is simply not going to cut it. I can't afford to spend 2 grand on it either which seems to be what I need to do to get at least 4 HDMI inputs. Which leads me to looking at seperate HDMI switching devices, something I had wished to avoid for many reasons that should be obvious.

[Metalheadisme]

Originally Posted by fabi519

Hi and hello,

this is my first post here on this site. Nevertheless I have been reading it for a couple of weeks, and I really like it.

I plan to buy my home theater system in about 2 months (that's the time I will be moving into my new apartment).

I already have a lot of questions, but I intend to read through all the posts first because they are very general questions and have been asked many times
(stuff like:

-which 52" TV it should be because somehow I keep reading that one time Sony makes the best TV, then Sharp with their Aquos series, than it's Panasonic another time etc.
- which HDMI cable I should get because I still don't get the difference between monster cables and $15 cables etc.)

However my first question is also a "Which... is good/best?"

I used to have a 5.1 receiver from Harman Kardon back in Europe, and I really liked it. I have to say that I don't listen to music at all, it was simply for the sound when I was watching dvds.

Well, I want to get a 7.1 receiver for my blue ray home system (btw... which player should it be?... but again I will do some research lol ).

I noticed that "famous" Onkyo player which they sell at amazon, and I also saw that you guys are recommending it as "most bang for the bucks".

However I keep seeing a Harman Kardon at Best Buy, and I lover their designs, plus know that they have a great quality.

Now finally, to my question:

Is it worth for someone who needs a home system just for the movies to spend several hundred bucks just for a receiver? Or should I go with the Onkyo?

Besides all of that I am a noob when it gets to the connecting part. At least with the Onkyo system everything is already together. I don't need to worry about the right subwoofer, satellites etc.

Thanks again for creating this site!

Harmon Kardon produces excellent sound... a notch above other mid-range receivers at similar prices in my opinion.

The will be coming out with the 254 and 354 in May... I'd suggest waiting for those as they will have capabilities for the new codecs, and 3 HDMI inputs (also 1080p upscaling).

I auditioned the Onkyo's, Denon's, Yamaha's, Pioneers.... The only ones that produced the sound I really liked which is similar to my current HK are the high end Yamaha's and Denon's- I would love to get one, but they run a little pricy, so I'm going to wait for the HK AVR 254 in May for around $450 or so.

To the guy looking for more HDMI inputs:

There are receivers with the 4 inputs you are looking for, but they are pricy.... the cheapest way to get 4 HDMI inputs on a receiver might be to get a sony, but make absolutely sure you like their sound first (I'd only suggest a receiver from their ES line). I'm pretty sure Marantz, Denon, Pioneer, and Yamaha all have high end receivers with 4 inputs. The Harman Kardon 654 and 754 coming out this fall will also have 4.

[Metalheadisme]

Originally Posted by DarkClown

I too am perplexed in this area. I currently have an older Harmon Kardon unit which I have loved for many years. Of course being older it does not support any sort of HDMI, and for me one of the deciding factors seems to be HDMI switching. I have a very small dedicated home theater room (10 feet long by 7 feet wide) so a huge over powered system makes no sence at all. But my delima comes in that I currently have 4 HDMI devices that need to be switched. At present I have 3 of them plugged directly into my Samsung TV which switched the video nicely but then that does not help for audio switching, not to mention the fact that this setup excludes the use of uncompressed audio formats.

The pricing on the Onkyo TX-SR605 is very attractive, but with only 2 HDMI inputs it is simply not going to cut it. I can't afford to spend 2 grand on it either which seems to be what I need to do to get at least 4 HDMI inputs. Which leads me to looking at seperate HDMI switching devices, something I had wished to avoid for many reasons that should be obvious.

Just to add a bit more to my previous post for you, I heard to expect the HK AVR 654 to come in at around $1000 and the AVR 754 to come in at a few hundred more- so you may want to wait.

[Brian Cash]

I have a highend H/k, onkyo 905 and 605 which i really like the design of the dk but the problem is that it doesnt have any hdmi in/out and i dont think the newer ones do either so when i upgraded to the onkyos that became my garage receiver for stricktly music through ipod, but the ps3 is the best future proof player out there i really like mine and when the update comes eventually for dts ma decoding then it will be the all around best player for the money......and my opinion Sharp is the best tv out there

[fabi519]

Thanks for the help so far and the welcome.

Honestly I am really confused about the entire topic in general. I tried to find some home theater magazines where they have some reviews about TVs but didn't find any at WalMart and other stores.

I guess I have to do the online research.

What I also noticed after reading through the posts here, that it's obviously very important how the TV is calibrated.

I always checked the TVs at Costco out and was wondering "Hmmm... considering that they all praise the Sharp Series, it looks pretty shitty!" and admired instead the picture quality of the Sony and Pioneer (or was it Panasonic).


About the HK receiver:
Which speakers should be used?

My budget is also not the biggest. My limit for a TV is about $2500, absolute max. $3000 and it should be at least 52".
Plus another $1000-$1500 for the blue ray player and home system.

[Metalheadisme]

Originally Posted by fabi519

Thanks for the help so far and the welcome.

Honestly I am really confused about the entire topic in general. I tried to find some home theater magazines where they have some reviews about TVs but didn't find any at WalMart and other stores.

I guess I have to do the online research.

What I also noticed after reading through the posts here, that it's obviously very important how the TV is calibrated.

I always checked the TVs at Costco out and was wondering "Hmmm... considering that they all praise the Sharp Series, it looks pretty shitty!" and admired instead the picture quality of the Sony and Pioneer (or was it Panasonic).


About the HK receiver:
Which speakers should be used?

My budget is also not the biggest. My limit for a TV is about $2500, absolute max. $3000 and it should be at least 52".
Plus another $1000-$1500 for the blue ray player and home system.

Well, with that type of TV budget, I'd consider either a sony LCD or Panasonic plasma.

The question is, what is your viewing environment like?

If you will be watching in a variety of lighting conditions (windows open, lights on inside, etc.) go with the sony LCD. If you will be able to control the lighting conditions and will primarily watch things in a darkened room, I'd suggest the Panny plasma.

Just my opinion though... my budget was much smaller, and I ended up with a Sony KDS-60A3000 (SXRD Rear Projection) and I couldn't be happier. I'd suggest that TV to you, but you'd have an awfully hard time finding it.

For the blu-ray player, go with a $399 40GB PS3 (you get a Profile 2.0 player AND a game machine/media center/media extender), the HK AVR 254 when it comes out in May (Bet on paying about $450), and spend the rest on speakers. That mill leave you about $700 for speakers, which will be tricky, as it's really tough to make suggestions for speakers without knowing some things like your room setup (how big? What is the orientation and position of couches and TV? Walls all around or open on one side? etc.) If your room is small enough and you mostly use them for movies, you can go with an HK 7.1 speaker system, but you can also find some good prices on speakers on the Internet Direct speaker companies (Elemental Designs, AV123, Aperion, etc.).

[fabi519]

Depending of which apartment I will get it will be an open living room (because of the loft) or a "normal" living room. Both in average size (apartment).

The TV will be close to a window in both cases. However I can lower the blinds and would watch anyways in the evening.

I am not that convinced of a PS3 because I have seen how things were with a PS 2 / dvd player:
I don't like using a controller as a remote. Or does the PS3 have a real remote included?

Well my total budget would be +/- $4000 bucks, and should include everything (TV, player and sound system). I guess I could save some on the home system because as I stated earlier, it would be only for the movies.

[camerino]

Originally Posted by Metalheadisme

Just to add a bit more to my previous post for you, I heard to expect the HK AVR 654 to come in at around $1000 and the AVR 754 to come in at a few hundred more- so you may want to wait.

Just to clarify, the new HK's will be the AVR 755 and 655, the current models end with _45 and only offer 1080i passthrough.

[Metalheadisme]

Originally Posted by camerino

Just to clarify, the new HK's will be the AVR 755 and 655, the current models end with _45 and only offer 1080i passthrough.

I'm talking about the _54's which will be the new US models. The _45's are the older models, and the _55's will be the new models for Europe.

[Metalheadisme]

Originally Posted by fabi519

Depending of which apartment I will get it will be an open living room (because of the loft) or a "normal" living room. Both in average size (apartment).

The TV will be close to a window in both cases. However I can lower the blinds and would watch anyways in the evening.

I am not that convinced of a PS3 because I have seen how things were with a PS 2 / dvd player:
I don't like using a controller as a remote. Or does the PS3 have a real remote included?

Well my total budget would be +/- $4000 bucks, and should include everything (TV, player and sound system). I guess I could save some on the home system because as I stated earlier, it would be only for the movies.

I would suggest a Sony LCD then, because while you may watch at night or can close the blinds, you may regret it with a plasma on a Sunday afternoon trying to watch something while keeping the natural lighting in you place with the windows open. If this TV was going into a dedicated theater room with controlled lighting, I'd say plasma, but in a "living room" type environment with windows, I'd definitely go for the Sony KDL-52XBR4.

As for the PS3, you can buy for $25 a bluetooth remote for it (which is nice because you can point it in any direction and not have to worry about things blocking it) which is very nice. I originally had a PS2 as a DVD player and I know your concerns, so let me say that the PS3 is nothing like that- this machine was built to play blu-ray as much as it was built to play games. It the most capable machine when it comes to handling the BD-Java stuff and is one of the best DVD upconverters on the market to boot. I am very particular when it comes to video quality, and let me assure you that the PS3 will not let you down.

Considering your budget and use for movies, I'd suggest getting the HK AVR 254 when they come out and an HK 7.1 speaker package then. Those plus the TV would put you at just under $4000, and sound very nice. If you want better speakers, look into some of the Internet Direct companies, get a simple 3 channel system, and upgrade to 5.1 later.

[Nailhead]

Originally Posted by fabi519

Honestly I am really confused about the entire topic in general. I tried to find some home theater magazines where they have some reviews about TVs but didn't find any at WalMart and other stores.

I personally think being a member to sites like this, and other audio and video forums is the best start. Magazines are not nearly as effective because they write articles for a broad audience, and many audio and video magazines assume the reader is already somewhat experienced with this stuff so they might glaze over important issues.

My first concern is that you understand the difference between HDMI passthrough and HDMI audio processing. Passthrough basically means that receiver will only pass the audio onto your TV, so you would then need to output if from your TV back to your receiver, most likely through an optical output. If you don't want that or the TV you are looking at does not have an optical audio output then you will want a receiver that can process the audio.

Many receivers do not process audio from HDMI connections, so be careful! For instance, the Harmon Kardon AVR-146, ($230-310), does not process audio from HDMI connections, it only passes it through. However, the next model up, the AVR-247, (about $500), does process HDMI audio, and is also a bit more powerful so this model might be just what you are looking for.

I definitely agree with you when it comes to style the Harmon Kardons have set the bar, but no matter what you decide on make sure you know if that specific receiver will process the audio or not, and if it doesn't, make sure the HDTV you get has an optical audio output or you won't get surround sound.

Hope that helped a little

[fabi519]

Thanks a lot again to everyone.

I am really surprised that a lot of you guys bought a PS3 as a "full" blue-ray player.
I have always thought that Sony did the blue-ray option as some kind of a marketing booster for the blue-rays in general, or as one more argument to buy the PS3 instead of the XBOX.

Well I have about eight more weeks until I will move, so plenty of time to do more research.

I will keep reading here (esp. in the beginners section) or keep asking questions.

[ixlegitballinxl]

get a sony lcd!! xbr 52 with 120 mhz is top notch..but any 52 sony you will be very pleased with

[DarkClown]

Originally Posted by Metalheadisme

Just to add a bit more to my previous post for you, I heard to expect the HK AVR 654 to come in at around $1000 and the AVR 754 to come in at a few hundred more- so you may want to wait.

Thanks for the info. Looks like I'll be waiting a bit longer. Currently I'm getting uncompressed 5.1 audio by using the analog outputs on my BD player. Of course doing it that way I only get 5.1, not 7.1 and ONLY the BD player has surround at all. Other devices only have 2 channel sound on the TV's internal speakers via the HDMI connection.