Hk Avr 630 (1 Viewer)

[Tom Garvey]

Wendy.. triple check all of your connections. Are you using a dvd player for a cd player? How is it connected? What input is it connected to? Are you selecting the correct input on the receiver? For example.. maybe the player is connected to DVD1 and you have it on DVD2? Are the speakers set to large? Do you have a sub? If not.. did you set the receiver to no sub?

Good luck..

 

[WendyS]

OY!!!!
What's your record for consecutive questions?

LOLOLOL
Just kidding.
I'm using a dvd player with an optical cable.
I'm certain I'm using the correct input.
I have a sub and the receiver knows it. LOL
I have the front, surround, centre all set to small, but the surround backs (the ones getting no volume) set to large. I have changed them to small, but no difference.

 

[Wayne Ernst]

OK,

Maybe suggested before. But, do you have the 2nd zone configured for the two rear channels?

After checking out the manual for the 630, I think you might have the speakers connected to "surround back" when in effect, they should just be connected to the "surround" channels.

Check this out, I think it might resolve your issue.

 

[WendyS]

Ah........never thought of that.
I haven't done anything to change the 2nd zone setting.
I was assuming that the 2 back surrounds would automatically function as a B channel (here I go comparing to my old receiver again) if listening mode was 7 channel stereo.
I will check it out.
Thanks everyone for all your suggestions!!

 

[Steve Adams]

Good luck with the H/K....I used to sell H/K, and I think that they have the worst reliability ever! over 50% of them came back toasted!.....I would look at anohter brand of receiver...as mentioned above...elite is nice!

 

[WendyS]

OK.........fiddled around with the 2nd zone settings.
I don't think that's it. When I switch from SB to MR........I lose ALL volume from the surround back.
So.........I reset the damned thing and I'm starting over!!!!
It's time to do things systematically so I can figure out once and for all if it's a problem with the receiver or not.
I've replace my dinky surround Sony's with crappy Quest......but they are pumping out more volume....and really they don't sound bad at all. I wanted another pair of AS F2's for my surrounds but I couldn't convince the hubby to spend another 700 bucks.

So here's what I have....

HK AVR 630
Fronts Athena AS F2 Tower
Centre Athena C1
Surround Quest Q660
Surround Back Bose 301 Series IV
Subwoofer DBox David 302

With over 3G now invested I can't replace anymore speakers so please don't even go there.
I don't want to replace the receiver unless there is something wrong with it.

 

[Shiu]

I recently listened to an AVR630 connected with a pair of Polk Audio RTI10, the Polk (efficiency-89dB) sounded like underpowered. As soon as it was switched to a pair of JBL (half the price of the Polk), the system sounded much fuller in mid range and bass. I had the volume at around -23 dB. I suspect the JBL is more efficient. The AVR630 has nice all channel rating but it does not mean it can make a particular pair of speakers sound any louder (may be better) than what a similarly priced products from others such as Yamaha and Denon could. Its 1, 2 channel ratings are not exeptionally high.

What is the efficiency of the ASF2?

 

[Shiu]

I was surprised to see those item numbers work on the Canadian website. Thanks.
But........ughhhhhhhhh 69.99 and 89.99.....so 80 or 100 bucks with tax.

You are lucky if you can find one for 69.99. I paid 89.99 for the 33-2055 before PST&GST. You could buy it, use it to verify that your 630 is "normal", then return it and pay a re-stocking fee. It would be like renting.

By the way, I found out the ASF2 has a sensitivity/efficiency of 92 dB so that should not be the problem. Does the 630 has a "pure" or "direct" analog switch that allows you to bypass all digital sound processing?

 

[JohnnyG]

Steve Adams, I've been selling H/K for nearly 5 years and have not had a single dead unit. I had a couple of customers with the 'magic volume' problem a few years ago, and one that needed a firmware updated due to a DTS problem, but that's it.

In my experience at least, most 'problems' aren't really problems at all, but rather a customer misunderstanding or misconfiguration. The H/K's are very flexible and with that flexibility comes complexity.

 

[WendyS]

Tell me about it!!!!!


When I first decided it was time to get something new so that I would enjoy listening to my music again, I was going to go for a simple HK stereo receiver.
2 channels. No fuss. No bother. Keep the Pioneer as my HT setup. Now I'm thinking that wouldn't have been such a bad idea. Instead of simplifying things, I've confused myself even more. :b

Can you even hook up the same speakers (only 4 of them of course) to 2 different receivers?

 

[JohnnyG]

Sure. You can 'wing it' and just not use both receivers at the same time, but there are also switchboxes for such a purpose.

 

[Steve Adams]

JohnnyG,

Im sorry, I know how to configure H/K's. they come back Fried! channels that were working when hooked up then go BzZZZZZZZ, POP....then nothing...happend too many times to count. I sold my friend an H/K. replaced it 2 times in six months same problem. I hooked it up for him so I know everything was fine. They have awsome sound when working...but I would never buy an H/K product. Why do you think there are so many refurbished H/K's on the market. Simple....they fry, then they are sent back to H/K, fixed then sold to fry again.

STAY AWAY FROM H/K! Or you may be bit on the ass by them as well. to those of you who have H/K gear that works fine, great...like I said, the sound from them is very very good. but they have no quality control, or are using crappy parts/rushed building techniques at the factory. I know I will never purchase H/K, and never advise someone else to do so.....and Like I said, I even sold them.

 

[Ken_Chengr]

Steve,
Now you've got me worried and my refurb AVR430 won't even arrive for a week:frowning: Before I bought, I wondered why there aren't refurb tx53 etc.. Can you descibe the symptoms of the failures you've seen. I don't want to look for trouble, but I like to be an informed consumer...

Anyone else. There seem to be some HK owners/ex owners here. Have any of you "fried" one?

 

[Wayne Ernst]

Steve,

Stop living in the past. I'm sure the H/K gear that you've sold was the #10 series and maybe the #20 series. Sure, I've read about issues with those on-and-off, but the past is the past. Don't you think H/K has improved considerably since then? Besides, don't you think there may have been another cause with the problems your friend experienced? It seems kind of odd that both failed with the same issue.

A little story for you: A few years back, I owned a 17" computer monitor. I used it daily and it worked very well. I decided to upgrade and sold my computer. The guy who bought it, took it home and hooked the monitor up. A few minutes later, it died. I then asked him if he was using a surge protector, he said no. Being the gentleman that I am, I handled the warranty repair for him and covered the shipping costs. When the monitor came back from repair, I gave the purchaser a spare surge protector that I had, and told him to use it because if the monitor died again and he wasn't using a surge protector, I would not handle the warranty exchange for him. I never heard from him again.

I wonder why a piece of computer gear could be fine in my house, but quickly failed in another - voltage spike? Keep in mind that in the H/K situation, there are several other variables other than the receiver itself.

Finally, H/K seems to have refurbs on the market because, to me, it appears like they handle them properly. Other manufacturers have refurbs, too. But, I wonder how they are dealing with them? Are they just re-boxing them and selling them as new? Possibly.

 

[Steve Adams]

No, I don't think they have...because when the old all black face series was out, they had the same problems, then whe the 10 series came out, I heard, don't you think their quality improved, no. then when the 20 series came out, same ole, same ole, their quality was the same...sketchy at best.
so, I doubt they did anything differnt in the 30 series.

As for my friends receivers,

Well, if it was just his two recivers, yes then I could understand....but for like 50% or more to come back with the same issues? I don't think so. It H/K. simple...his system was using a montser power surge protector. Give me some more examples of diffrent variables other tahn the reciver that would cause the reciver to fry a channel? I would like to know so that if it's other variables, other people that have express the same problems I have seen time and time again, people on here as well...can rectify the problem....I woudl really like to know what could fry the channels of a reciver other than the receiver crapping out.....

Ken. Pretty well all of the problems with H/K are the same. One or more channels of the reciver going up in smoke!......


As for other manu. selling referbs as new, I highy doubt it! good try tho!......

 

[Luis Cruz]

I have heard on and off about problems with quality control with Harman/Kardon and things and so I asked someone who sells electronics at an electronic store that sells H/K, Denon, Onkyo, etc. So I asked him if the store get's alot of returns from H/K and he said that the store get's more Denon returns due to problems than they do H/K.

 

[Steve Adams]

From what we sold...yammie, kenwood, sony, jvc and H/K.

H/K's came back way more....yes they sound superior to all the other mentioned above sans yammie but at what cost...there are much better buys out there.

 

[WendyS]

I'm thinking of returning the AVR 630 and ordering the new HK 3480 2 channel stereo receiver.
The AVR is 75W/ch.......7 ch.
The HK 3480 is 120/ch...2 ch.
I'm confused as to whether or not the HK 3480 has more power or not. I would be using 4 speakers.
On the upside I would save 1300.00 making the switch, but the 3480 doesn't seem to be available in Canada yet, so I would order it from the US.......hence no warranty coverage.
As stated before my main goal is to have loud, great sounding music.

 

[Ricky T]

Wendy,

If you are thinking about returning your 630 and moving to a 2 channel setup, start another thread...maybe something like "help me build a 2 channel system"....there are other ways to skin this cat than an HK receiver.

 

[WendyS]

I know what you are saying but the woman part of me is hooked on the unique, funky look of the HK's.