Is it worth going for the avr 525? (1 Viewer)

Ok all you HK people, Is it worth the extra $200 more for the HK avr525 over the avr325. I just purchased the avr325 for $800 at cc. I know you can find it cheaper online, but I wanted the cc extended warr and I wanted to use my cc credit card. I hear everyone talking about how they love their avr525 but not about the avr325. Is it worth the extra $200 for the avr525? I live in a mobil home and have a 14' x 15' living room. I have the fluance AV-HTB hometheater package and the fluance AV-BP2 surrond speakers (for my left and right surround) Which are at www.fluance.com . I also have the Velodyne CHT 10 sub.
thanks chris

I don't think you'd notice the difference power-wise. Then again, $200 isn't a HUGE difference either, but it is only a 20wpc difference and HDCD decoding. That's about it. It's not like there's any real missing features on the 325.
I've auditioned the 520 and 320 side by side and would have chosen the 320, if that's any help.

Thanks rob, I was getting the urge to take it back and get the avr525. Maybe I wil stay with the avr325.

Chris,always go with a high current design.Harmon Kardon and Rotel are the only ones that do that I am aware of.

Hey Robert, would you mind taking a little time and elaborating on the high current design type that you've mentioned please. Is this the reason that H/K has such an accurate power rating? Thanks, MM.

I'm not Robert, but ...

High current - part marketing crap, part reality.

It's marketing crap as there is, afaik, no real quantification of what a high current amplifier is.

However, a HC amp should have greater headroom for dynamic music of move soundtrack passages. Therefore, more dyanmic sound sections are less likely to sound compressed or clipped.

There are lots of companies which put out amps with HC sections. HK, Denon, Rotel come to mind, as do the mid and uppper range Yamahas. I would venture to guess that most separates would be HC designs (save perhaps those esoteric tube amps?!), and almost certainly anything verging on upper or high end.

As for HK power -- it's just plain conservative. The power rating game is largely marketing crap too

Hey, I'm not Jason but I am also not an electronic engineer.I have owned three Yamaha receivers and one Rotel.The Yamahas did not claim to have a high current design(RXV-990,995,3000)but the Rotel RSX-1055 just sounds as good as separates to my ears.I have had a RMB-1095 in the system and I am really having a hard time hearing much difference.I agree that claiming to be "High current" is a marketing tool but my ears say it is a damn good marketing tool.I have heard enough good things about the Harmon Kardon units,that I would have gone with one except I just got a sweet deal on the Rotel.