Harman Kardon AVR 154 Black Friday Sales!
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Harman Kardon AVR 154 Black Friday Sales!.
Product: Harman Kardon AVR 154 Amazon Price: Too low to display Availability: In Stock |
Compare Prices on Harman Kardon AVR 154
Harman Kardon offers a no-nonsense arrive to style, develop and audio expression. I purchased the AVR 154 to complement my audio/video system, which includes: a 1080p, 46" Samsung LCD; Sony PS3, 1080i digital cable box, Dell notebook, and Polk Audio RM6750 5.1 satellite/sub system. My a/v system is set-up in an apartment living room (14' by 16') with vaulted ceilings and the floor is carpeted. My popular sofa chair is set-up unbiased off-center about 11' from the center speaker and TV, but the receiver has gargantuan features to support me conclude a sweet state, place crossover points, and control my cable box without lively from my comfy chair.
The receiver's dynamic power output combined with ultra-wide bandwidth and uncouth distortion are a gargantuan match for the balanced tonal quality of the Polk satellites. Even with a rating of 30 watts per channel, movies and music have a renewed enjoyment. I selected this audio component specifically, because it has more than adequate power for my speaker system and living set.
My impression when watching Dave Mathews and Tim Reynolds - Live at Radio City Music Hall (Blu-ray) was sheer "scare". Watching and listening to Tim Reynolds pluck away at his acoustic guitar helped me bask in his musical expertise in a recent way; not to mention, Dave Matthews's vocals are glowing during the opening song, "Bartender". When watching BT - This Binary Universe (DVD) in DTS, the artist's electronic expression is revealed in crisp, distinct detail and showcased the receiver's ability to accurately reproduce the wide-band frequency spectrum of synthesized sounds. While playing Battlefield - Dreadful Company, the game comes to life with whizzing bullets, exploding gas tanks, and furious mercenaries in pure Dolby Digital bliss.
To connect my components, I outmoded HDMI cables for video and optical digital cables for audio. This simplified connecting the components and maintained audio fidelity. However, the drawback to this set-up is that I could not program the HDMI 3 remote button to control the digital cable box. I had to program the Vid 2 remote button to control it. Not a colossal spot, but unprejudiced slightly annoying, because I wanted to fully utilized the HDMI switching.
In summary, if you unbiased spent an low amount of money on a flat panel that has the audio equivalency to a portable laptop, shelling out a few hundred bucks on this receiver to give it a nice home in your living room would not be a terrible notion. Or if you are like me, an indecent audiophile with an extremely tight budget, this is a gigantic prefer.
I wish I would have bought the AVR 254. The AVR 154 is a very superior product, I'm ecstatic with it. However, after I bought the 154, I found out that the 254 upconverts to 1080P, I feature I wish I had. Also, the video inputs must be consistant with the output on the monitor out. IE, HDMI in must be HDMI out. So, I had some s-video inputs, and I had to expend s-video out. Kinda a bumper. However, if your strapped for cash and you don't need those features, this is a very expedient product.
I believe myself an "audiophile" by all rights with my downstairs system costing in the $30-$40,000 stamp range (although effect doesn't necessarily equate to quality but my separate components are incredible and were hand picked over years of trial & error) . This receiver though is for my daily upstairs system where the family watches tv and occasionally a movie together during the day or early evening and we do like the sound to be advantageous through our 5.1 "upstairs" system too. When we want to bag "serious" about music or movies however we go downstairs!
That's why I was all the more shrinking by this relatively inexpensive receiver looking and sounding so helpful! And even more surprised that I could win it tag novel through Amazon for the same or less cost than similar obsolete or refurb'd systems elsewhere (Ebay, etc) . There are lesser priced receivers out there but they are definatly lesser quality too and/or don't have or switch HDMI w/1080p!
I don't particularly like the enormous Japanese firms receivers with all of their rediculous bells and whistles (like who really flips through 20-30 different sound fields anyway like hall, disco, reverb, ambiance, and whatever else kind of fluff they offer) give me a safe upmix of two channels to my five or seven (natural sounding not overly synthesized or mechanical) along with the usual substantial Dolby Digital and DTS and I'm great (and of course a honorable six channel analog pass through if using an SACD OR HD DVD source)! And the fact that everyone who goes to Best Hold or Circuit City or Walmart gets "sold" on them there. I almost overlooked the HK AVR's after seeing them in Costco stores (but I've purchased several expansive hide plasma/LCD's from them and their all mammoth) but I'm blissful I took a closer observe!
Harmon Kardon has hit the trace perfectly with this receiver the AVR 154. It's an sparkling looking receiver which has a high WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) with a very simple uncluttered front face that looks salubrious on or off (unlike the Japanese receivers which seem to have a hasten to recognize who can cram more knobs & buttons onto less sincere estate the quickest) .
The rated 30 Watts x 5 channels (which is a very accurate power designation and you should tag the coarse distortion which is across the whole frequency range of 5Hz-30KHz where many Japanese models will offer their rating only at one frequency like 1KHz or only with the two front channels driven) are plenty for almost any sub & sat combination however if I were using it for chubby range speakers I might want to stare at the next model up which offers 50W x 7 channels (although it might be worth trying the less expensive model first) . I replaced an older model Sony ES (Elevated Standard) receiver CD/DVD/SACD player all in one unit (which was rated 110 watts per channel) with the AVR 154 and I could not hear any inequity in power to HK's 30 watts per channel! Wow!
My only gripe is that it does not upscale digital video (or on veil display/GUI; this requires a complete separate video connection) such as 480p or 720p to 1080p HDMI although it does a large job of switching or passing the native signals through. For upscaling I need to go up to the next level receiver the AVR 254. Other than this minute nuisance it is a very suitable receiver for not a lot of cash.
I would highly recommend this receiver to anyone who wants a world class receiver on a very small budget. Big sound, sizable looks, easy to operate (once location up because the speedily inaugurate guide and manual are a dinky confusing)! Highly recommended...
I may try out their higher slay AVR 254 and if so I will offer my notion for you on it too.
