Harmon Kardon power question (1 Viewer)

[Greg Yeatts]

I have almost made up my mind to purchase a Harman Kardon AVR520. I understand that this is a high current design and its rating may be somewhat conservative (or just that the high current design give it a little more dynamic headroom). The speakers I will be using are my trusty Audax Home Theater DIYs designed by Joe D'Appolito. They have a 87.5db/watt sensitivity rating. Do you experienced H/K owners think that the AVR520 will adequately drive these speakers to reference levels (or beyond)?

TIA

 

[Andy F]

I can't remember where reference level is, but i belive that the 520 should technically be able to hit a little over 105db with those speakers. Someone should check my math on that though

 

[JohnnyG]

Should be no problem at all. H/K's numbers are rated with all channels driven, from 20-20 and with an 8 ohm load. When reviewed in magazines, they generally exceed their ratings, especially in 2 channel mode.

 

[matthew_rm]

I have heard a guy say that HK (avr 120) couldn't drive his speakers. (said center as week!?) Also, they were all klipsch. (around 99db)

 

[MarkO]

I think the 120 is 40X5, the smallest in the current a/v line. Most likely this unit was meant to drive smaller bookself and sub sat systems. What Klipsch model was he trying to drive?

 

[ColinM]

I run NHT's all around (86db), and average about 10 feet from them in a not-so-live room, with my lowly AVR110. Theoretically I should be clipping like crazy, but I run ref demos all the time and never hear any distress. OK, maybe a little, but on stereo I can maintain 90-100db with no problems at all.

All run small - Ones and Zeros, SVS 20-39.

You will be a believer....

Also - I have an old 350i rec from the 80's for the weight room, and in-between amp upgrades I use that for the SVS. It beat the NHT SA-2.

 

[DonJ]

My H/K 320 is about to get my Kicked out of my apartment. I had a neighbor try to compete once then I put on Fast and the furious

 

[Ted Kim]

Breck made a comment about the HK.

"HifiChoice gives the HK 510, last years model which was 80watts/channel X 2, a rave review."

The one thing to remember about HiFi choice is that it is a British magazine and rooms there are generally smaller than in the US. That makes a big difference in determining maximum dBs. So an important part of the equation is how big is your room?

Now, my brother in law bought the HK 520 and it can go plenty loud in a reasonably sized family room with a cathedral ceiling. The speakers are PSB Image 5T's. I don't know about reference levels, as no one has tried to measure them. But in my opinion, listening consistently at reference levels is a sure fire way to insure you'll blow your eardrums out. Just my opinion.

 

[ColinM]

The one thing to remember about HiFi choice is that it is a British magazine and rooms there are generally smaller than in the US

What?

 

[Ted Kim]

Guys,

the point I was trying to make about the HIFI choice review has strictly to do with reproducing reference sound pressure levels.

A larger room is much harder to drive to reference levels.

Basic physics tells us that the intensity (sound pressure levels, measured in dBs) goes with the square of the distance away from the source. Therefore, if you are sitting twice as far away, the dBs go down by 1/4th. In a larger room, you are most likely sitting further away. With the volume of the receiver at the same setting, the dB's go down significantly by the formula above. Furthermore, bass is much more difficult to get to reference levels in a larger room.

As for the UK mags, I love reading them. One thing to keep in mind is that HK products are considered imports in the UK and are priced much higher, usually about 50% more. Therefore, if they say its a great value in the UK, you can be sure its a screaming bargain in the US.