H&K vs. Denon vs. Yamaha (1 Viewer)

[Bob C]

How do you all think the Harman and Karden AVR325 stacks up against the Denon 1804 and Yamaha RX-V640? They all appear to be similar in price/features. Any thoughts?

 

[ChrisLazarko]

I think the AVR-325 creams them all. It has a good amount of power for all 7 channels.

Also as for features I think the AVR-325 blows them in the water as well..

 

[Bob C]

Do you have any personal listening experience with these particular receivers? How about some reasons why you feel the H&K creams them.

 

[ChrisLazarko]

Well for starters, Harman has some very good amplifiers and they rate them more honestly then Yamaha. So while the AVR-325 is delivering around 50watts per channel the Yamaha is only doing about 35 watts. Denon is usually pretty honest but they don't under-rate there amps. If Denon states 50watts they usually do about 50 watts or in that vicinity while HK under-rates there amps, so that 50watts HK says is usually more like 55-60 watts.

HK also offers a nice amount of video inputs, and digital inputs which I found some other recievers to lack in. The denon does a good job though, and same for the Yamaha at this price, so I see no difference.

Logic7, one reason I love HK recievers is because of this surround format. In my personal opinion I think it takes those old 2 channel signals and makes them sound much better than DPLII or DTS:Neo6.

HK also offers a SPL intergrated into there remotes which is a neat feature. It will automatically set the levels of the speakers although I found a little re-adjustment was needed to make it sound that way it should, but it still does help out.

Now lets say you only have enough room for a 5.1 setup right and the HK AVR-325 of course offers you 7.1 channels available. If you have an extra room you want to put speakers in, you can use the Zone II function. Where it takes those back two channels and will play music or whatever you want in the other room. Neat feature if you need it.

And to top it off triple x-over bass management... which I believe the Yamaha and Denon also have something like it but don't take my word on it because i'm not exactly sure.

I think the HK gives the most "bang for the buck" and not to mention the HK x25 series is on sale so they are at really good prices now that just can't really be beat.

Good luck on your decision.

 

[Mike:Corb]

I am looking into getting one of these receivers. I am also considering the onkyo TX-SR601. How would the HK or the denon compare to the onkyo also. I have heard to many bad things about the lower end yamaha amps so I leaning away from yamaha. Thanks

 

[ChrisLazarko]

Denon, HK, and Onkyo are pretty good recievers. I had listened to the 601 and the Denon 1804 comparing it to the HK AVR-325 and the AVR-225 (The 225 being my final purchase, not needing the extras the 325 had, save some money).

My biggest arguement with any reciever is the amp section. HK has the strongest amp out of all of them and it has been proven. I will post a link to the site to show it when I get home, as I am at school right now.

The other big plus I forgot to include are the looks of the HK. HK is very stylish with there looks, where most recievers are the boring perhaps gold or white color HK lights up green, red, white, and everything in the book. It's a nice added feature.

 

[Mike:Corb]

ok, you said that the HK has the strongest amp out of all of them. But from what I have heard is the HK underrates their amps, where as denon and onkyo don't over or underrate them. If this is the case, then the denon and onkyo still have more power then the HK. This receiver is going to be going in my dorm for college next year and I want to get a really nice receiver so all I have to upgrade later is the speakers. By the way I will be listening to mostly movies and some music. When I watch movies I like to turn the volume up loud and feel the explosions. Is the HK 325 going to drive speakers hard enough to do this? Thanks

Mike

 

[JeffHunter]

Mike as I don't know your budget it's hard to tell you exactly which receiver to go with.

Denon 1804 --- 6x90 watts = 540 watts
HK AVR325 --- 7x50 watts = 350 watts lets go down the middle and give each channel an extra 7 watts of power ... ~390 watts

HK AVR525 --- 7x70 watts = 490 watts .. giving the extra 7 watts .. ~540 watts.

But on a seperate note a receiver is an amplifier not a wattafier. the HK AVR325 puts out a nice 35 amps and weights in at 40 pounds.
I couldn't find the amerage or weight on Denon's website (not sure what that means)

HK525 45 amps .. I think 45 pounds ?


does anyone know how many amps the denon pushes out ?


oh by the way the reason I brought up the HK525 is it cna be had for as cheap as $514.99

 

[AndrewErickson]

HK AVR325 --- 7x50 watts = 350 watts lets go down the middle and give each channel an extra 7 watts of power ... ~390 watts

Consumer Reports rated it at 89 watts per channel.

 

[Dan Halchak]

Here's just a little something I thought I'd throw in...if you are looking at those prices...

Why not pick up the Yamaha Rx-v1400, it's 770watts (110x7) and does everything those receivers do...so for 529.06 (including shipping) from 6ave.com...I would think that'd be a much better deal, and sound a LOT better than ~50 - 90watts. Just an idea.

 

[Rich Wenzel]

Denon and Onkyo have a history of overrating their amps...H&K has a history of underrating their amps...

I would take the amp section of the H&K over the Denon and the Onkyo...but thats just me....

I really agree with the Dan though, the yamaha 1400 which falls into this price group, is a feature steal...though some people find the yamaha too...analytical...but its a very good receiver...

otherwise, I would go with the H&K...(yes I own a 520, kind of...)

Rich

 

[Bob C]

The Yamaha RX-V1400 does have some impressive features going for it. Mainly, the setup utility program with spl mike is very nice. It doesnt just use "pink" noise, as most do, it spends five or ten minutes going through something like 8 separate steps to set up your speakers and sub. It's also THX select certified as well. The one thing that nags at me about H&K is, look at all the refurbished receivers they have. Far more than most manufacturers that I've been looking at. That tells me one thing, quality control must be lacking. I have nowhere near me that I can get a good demo on one either. The AVR325 seems to fall into my price range nicely, and it weighs 40 lbs! Gotta mean something. Anyway, I'm leaning heavily towards the Yamaha 1400 right now, until I can demo the H&K's somewhere. One other receiver I can't forget about is the Marantz SR5400. I played with it and the Rotel receiver for quite a while, switching back and forth, and cant tell the difference between them on B&W speakers. Quite impressive, considering the Rotel is $1300, and the Marantz is $550. Thanks for you input, guys, keep the thoughts coming. Bob.

 

[JeffHunter]

Bob,

Well I'd say that HK sells a lot more units than others in this price range and as such has more Refurb units.

Here in my area if I was to spend the same amount of money buying a HK AVR225 Refurb I would have ended up getting a Sony STRDE595 or a Panasonic SAHE75K. Now if I had to pick between those three receivers, I'm sure all of us here would say the same thing ... the HK.

In the end it comes down to personal preferance and the amount of money you have to spend, I'm sure that you will be happy with receivers that you decide on that your currently looking at.


Here are the reasons I went with HK:
1) Solid history of making a great product
We all know that HK makes a good product, but the fact that they stand behind their product with a full warranty on all their refurbs amazes me. Come to think of it I can't think of another company that does this, I'm sure they exist but are far and too few inbetween.
2) Great customer service reputation
A prime example of this would be a gentlemen over on AVS had his HK break on him while it was out of warranty, he shipped it to a service center to be fixed but was beyond repair (or the part couldn't be replaced .. not sure which). He wrote HK customer service stating his dilema and HK gave him near 50% off their new lineup. If that's not customer care I don't know what is
3) Amazing price on a refurb unit & Excellent Marketing
I'm not sure if this is the reason behind HK's great pricing on refurb units or not, but this is what I think is behind the tactic. If you were to take a poll you would find that the majority of people purchasing reburbished units / discounted units are students. HK gives a solution for these students to purchase a nice peice of equipment, for them in the end .. once the student is out of school and is making a large salary they are more likely to purchase another HK product. Anyhow i'm really starting to ramble here.


Bob here is what you need to do:
Figure out exactly how much you want to spend, then how much you are willing to spend. lets say $500-600 ...

Next take out a few peices of paper, on each sheet write down each feature benifits / disadvantages and how important X feature is to you for the receivers your looking at. Also figure out how many AMPS each receiver is because in the end this is the power behind what is driving your sound system, this might take some phone calls to various companies 1-800 #'s, jot the figures down along with the wattage and the prices. 1 year warranty ? 2 year ? 3 year ? .... and so on ... In the end you should have a clear picture of the receiver that is right for you.

I know that customer service is important to you so do a little research on the companies on how their customer support is.


Anyhow, what I'm saying here Bob is that we can't decide for you, in the end it comes down to you. IMHO it's time for you to take out that peice of paper (or however you feel like making a descition) and see what it's gonna be.

 

[Mark Krawiec]

Hi Jeff,

Where did you see the HK525 at $515?

 

[Bob C]

Thanks, Jeff, I think you hit the nail on the head. I need to do exactly what you said, write down pros/cons of each, figure at what I need at minimum, what would be nice to have, match specs, and finally decide! Normally I'm an impulse buyer, and as such, I'm trying to buy right this time. Last time I ended up with a Sony Str-de935, don't want to repeat that mistake, again. I appreciate all the valuable input everyone has shared with me, I'll let you know what I decide this week. Bob.

 

[JeffHunter]

Mark,

Pcmall.com / macmall.com

 

[JeffHunter]

Bob,

Best of luck

let us know what you decide ...

 

[Mark Krawiec]

Thanks Jeff,

But what's with the $65 shipping charge. Anyway, it's out of stock there. I'll probably just get the 525 shipped from J&R for 598.

I'm looking forward to this receiver

 

[Yogi]

What about sound? build quality of these receivers?

 

[JeffHunter]

ahhh $65 sounds a bit pricy for shipping doesn't it ? .. like I said not sure if it was shipped or not.