Video Receiver

Harman Kardon AVR 500 Dolby Digital/DTS Audio/Video Receiver

Product Description
Amazon.com Review
Harman Kardon's AVR 500 is a shining example of a fine audio-video (AV) receiver with superb sound. In addition to standard Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Digital surround decoding, the AVR 500 also comes with built-in DTS (Digital Theater Sound) decoding as well as Harman Kardon's proprietary Logic 7 and VMAx surround modes. Most importantly, though, the AVR 500 is simply a superb sounding receiver.

For example, with CDs the AVR 500 presents a big, natural window on the music. The qualities we expect from separates (preamplifier and amplifier components) but don't usually get from integrated receivers abound here: a wonderful sense of air and ambiance; complex layers of rich harmonics; a beautiful nuance in vocal delivery; wide dynamics and subtle microdynamics; smooth, extended high frequencies; and a bottom end that is at once powerful and well defined and never muddy.

Surround decoding of Dolby Digital- and DTS-encoded discs, performed by 24-bit, 96-kHz Crystal DSP (digital signal processing) circuits, is just as impressive. The AVR 500 creates one of the most convincing and enveloping soundscapes we've heard from a receiver, rivaling the performance of many fine (and pricey) configurations of separates.

Unlike most of the overhyped proprietary DSP modes out there, Harman Kardon's own Logic 7 (multichannel) and VMAx (two-channel) surround modes work extremely well, in most cases audibly improving regularly decoded, discrete source material (such as Dolby Digital and DTS)--which is no small feat. Logic 7 also instantaneously generates 5.1-channel information from two-channel material from CDs, television, VHS tapes, and other sources, letting you take full advantage of your surround system.

Setting up the AVR 500 is--not surprisingly--a complex and time-consuming effort, but one that pays off. To its credit, the unit boasts a terrific onscreen display menu for setup, one of the best owner's manuals we've seen, and an uncluttered, full-function, illuminated remote control.

Although the AVR 500's price is higher than that of the average AV receiver, its performance is anything but average. In this case, the extra money buys you one of the most dynamic and satisfying receivers we know of.

Pros:

Sound quality rivals separates

Excellent build quality

Loaded with features

Controls are easy to navigate

Cons:

Lengthy set-up procedure

No phono input

Product Description:
Harman Kardon's AVR 500 combines excellence with ease of use. Harman Kardon has long been known for their clean sounding high current amplifiers and stylish designs. They are able to brilliantly integrate these features into an easy-to-use high-performance machine. At 70 watts of high-current power to all 5 channels, this receiver has plenty of juice to produce incredible, room-shaking surround sound while still being able to deliver crisp, clear music and vocals. The high current design and ultrawide-bandwidth make for increased load capacity, better peak and valley reproduction, and flat-out better sound. Hearing is believing, and the AVR 500 effortlessly proves that to be true. Harman Kardon stays on top of cutting-edge technology, by adding features such as Logic 7 Cinema and Surround Modes and VMAx Virtual Surround Sound. Logic 7 Cinema and Music Surround was developed for creating multi-channel surround playback from two-channel sources, such as music. VMAx, Virtual Multi Axis Sound, recreates a realistic, multi-channel effect from any source by simulating a large "sweet spot". VMAx technology is currently being used in some virtual reality games - it enables the listener to place themselves as close or as far from their speakers, while still receiving the full effect of the sound. Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Digital and DTS are also on board, allowing you to decode virtually any source out there. As one of the newest members of the Harman Kardon family, the AVR 500 easily earns its place in the ranks as a winner. By combining new technology and features with their reputable standards of phenomenal sound and user-friendliness, Harman Kardon has done it again.

Harman Kardon AVR 500 Dolby Digital/DTS Audio/Video Receiver

Average customer rating:

"Elegant, Understated, Smooth" a "True Musical Instrument"
An awsome home theatre receiver below a grand.
Seriously consider this AVR
Still GREAT After 1 Year!
Gread Sound - expected more

Harman Kardon AVR 500 Dolby Digital/DTS Audio/Video Receiver

Manufacturer: Harman Kardon
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Stereo Receivers | Receivers & Amplifiers | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics

JBL | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics
Accessories:

NETGEAR Wireless Digital Music Player
Monster Cable IDL100-1M Interlink Datalink 100 3.28-Foot S/PDIF-Style Coaxial Digital-Audio Interconnect

Product Features:

Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Digital, and DTS decoding
80 watts per channel (x 5)
Ultrawide Bandwidth amplifier with High-Current Capability
Logic 7 and VMAx surround modes
S-video switching

ASIN: B0000300EF

Product Description

Harman Kardon's AVR 500 combines excellence with ease of use. Harman Kardon has long been known for their clean sounding high current amplifiers and stylish designs. They are able to brilliantly integrate these features into an easy-to-use high-performance machine. At 70 watts of high-current power to all 5 channels, this receiver has plenty of juice to produce incredible, room-shaking surround sound while still being able to deliver crisp, clear music and vocals. The high current design and ultrawide-bandwidth make for increased load capacity, better peak and valley reproduction, and flat-out better sound. Hearing is believing, and the AVR 500 effortlessly proves that to be true. Harman Kardon stays on top of cutting-edge technology, by adding features such as Logic 7 Cinema and Surround Modes and VMAx Virtual Surround Sound. Logic 7 Cinema and Music Surround was developed for creating multi-channel surround playback from two-channel sources, such as music. VMAx, Virtual Multi Axis Sound, recreates a realistic, multi-channel effect from any source by simulating a large "sweet spot". VMAx technology is currently being used in some virtual reality games - it enables the listener to place themselves as close or as far from their speakers, while still receiving the full effect of the sound. Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Digital and DTS are also on board, allowing you to decode virtually any source out there. As one of the newest members of the Harman Kardon family, the AVR 500 easily earns its place in the ranks as a winner. By combining new technology and features with their reputable standards of phenomenal sound and user-friendliness, Harman Kardon has done it again.

Amazon.com Review

Harman Kardon's AVR 500 is a shining example of a fine audio-video (AV) receiver with superb sound. In addition to standard Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Digital surround decoding, the AVR 500 also comes with built-in DTS (Digital Theater Sound) decoding as well as Harman Kardon's proprietary Logic 7 and VMAx surround modes. Most importantly, though, the AVR 500 is simply a superb sounding receiver.

Pros:

Sound quality rivals separates
Excellent build quality
Loaded with features
Controls are easy to navigate

Cons:

Lengthy set-up procedure
No phono input

Customer Reviews:

"Elegant, Understated, Smooth" a "True Musical Instrument".......2002-11-07

The "Harman Kardon AVR-500" Surround Sound Receiver,
is, without a doubt, The finest receiver I've ever had the privilege to experience "Over the Top!! Being a classical Violinist, I listen to various aspects in music mostly from the perspective of a "live performance". The dynamic and transient responces of the AVR-500, offer the listener who is unfamiliar with accurate "True to the Source" Sound Re-Creation, a most shocking and delectable surprise!! What I look for in home music listening, are the subtle nuances of a whisper and the thunderous rage of an immensely powerful organ, tearing up the Earth. Without these characteristics, it quickly becomes tedious to listen to. H/K's High-Current design, is meant to express these delicate and votile surges without fatigue, all the while preserving the intimate details underlying the music's "hidden harmonics". The H/K AVR-500, handles this effortlessly and with aplomb. +)*(+ If this sounds like a description of a fine musical instrument, it is. The H/K AVR-500 is easy to set up, and the remote is straight-forward, you will not find divergent discrepancies prompting constant visitations to the unit proper. After initial set-up, you can relax, everything else is handled via remote, which also has an attractive "Blue-Green" backlit illumination. H/K is known to be ultra-conservative in their Power Ratings, as well as THD (total harmonic distortion). With the AVR-500 at no more than .07% THD, that's driven "Wide Open"! A very Very Clean Machine Indeed!! I could say much more, but its better to let H/K's AVR-500 tell you!!

Harman Kardon AVR-500. Elegant, Understated, Smooth

Highly Recomended *****

Stan Slonski

+)*(+

An awsome home theatre receiver below a grand........2002-02-20

Harmon Kardon by far is the best in home theatre there quality of receivers is almost as good as the movie theatre
sound itself.If you only have 1000 dollars to spend buy this
baby and when you get it home it has enough power to blow you out of the house , with crystal clear dynamic Dolby Digital &
DTS sound incredible power this is the top of the mountain for
below a grand if you own Gladiator slip it in turn it on DTS
and crank it up and you'll see it dosen't even phase it at all.

When I, invite my friends over they think iv'e purchased an
actual movie theatre system.All receivers come with a midnight
setting incase your in an apartment and your bothersome lanlord
complains about the sound it is useful for when people are sleeping.Enough options to keep you busy figuring them out but
one things for sure when you buy this you know exactly how awsome this receiver is when you get it home it's a good deal.

Seriously consider this AVR.......2000-12-05

I purchased this amp/receiver about a month ago and had it hooked up the night it arrived. The setup is kind of confusing at first but once you figure it out (what the manual is saying) it isn't too much trouble. I am a big believer in amps over watts because you can create high watts with low amps and hence no sound but if you reverse the order; high amps and low watts the neighbors come a knocking. I also like to be able to "feel" my sound ie. the rumble of a tornado in the movie Twister. This receiver does/has all of this and more. The one con I have for this receiver is that it is short of inputs by 2. 1 is phono which I don't listen to alot so it wasn't a big con. The 2nd missing input is one for my satelite which has digital outputs which would have been nice to hook up but this was overcome by entering through the VCR. Oh well can't have everything on a buget. Overall this is one of the best AVR's I have seen for the price. If you like the artificial sound stages of other systems then don't buy this AVR but if you want the sound that came with the DVD, CD or Tape then this one is for you. You won't complain about the price when you get it set up.

Still GREAT After 1 Year!.......2000-08-30

It runs on 45 amps. Simply put this is the number you should be looking at. Other receivers at higher price points run less amps compensating with more watts. I auditioned an Onkyo (36 amps I think & 105 watts/channel) with the HK AVR500 (45 amps & 80 watts/channel). At the same volume level, the HK blows away the competition with rich, full sound.

The pros outweigh any of the cons with this unit. As with all HK products, this particular unit is very sleek and elegant looking. The surround modes are easy to setup using on-screen menus which also allow for plenty of customization. As for the remote, I've seen better but this one does allow for macros permitting you to turn-on your entire system with the touch of one button. And again, this unit sounds GREAT with all inputs including cassette, CD, DVD, VHS, and cable producing very vivid and accurate sound.

Now for the cons... ...this model lacks many of the surround modes (theater, cinema, auditorium, arena etc) that other systems have. My personal feeling is that this is not necessarily a con. I don't need all of these other "processed" modes but it may be something you like. I have just replaced a Dolby ProLogic receiver that had all of these extra modes which, after playing with them at first, I forgot about and never utilized for many years. It does have Pro Logic, Dolby Digital and DTS which are all essential.

Please let the following con pay tribute to the outstanding output of this unit. The AVR500 does not have an input for phono. I love my vinyl and have hundreds of albums. Because of this I almost decided to purchase the Onkyo which included a line-level input for phono. The HK's sound was SO convincing that I opted to retire my turntable to the closet (I have since hooked it up to a separate amp).

There you have it, my thoughts on the AVR500. I hope my review has helped and I wish you the best on your search for a receiver.

Gread Sound - expected more.......2000-07-31

First of all let me say the soind quality from this reciever blew my mind. I watched Jurasic Park with DTS and it made my cat hide in a cabinet! (she used to never react to the TV)

however, the user on screen display user interface is very unfreindly - the remote is terrible, i expected to replace all my remotes once i got my reciever, but it cannot control my Dig. Cable, and it is clunky with my proscan DVD - i.e it won't turn it off and the play button is the FF - so i just have another (4th ) remote in my pile now.

lastly - it cannot convert an analog video signal to digital s video - so if you connect the reciever to your TV via an s video cabel - all your devices must go into the revicer over s video - my digital cabel only has a coax output - so i have to make everything else use it's coax output - which is very dissapointing. It actually took me a while to figure this out - and i returned my reciever and got a new one thinking it was broken.

i'm willing to live with it - i'm going to see if i can get my a new cable box that has an s video output.

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