Customer Reviews

Harman Kardon AVR 3600 85-Watt x 7.1-Channel High Performance Home Theater Receiver (Black)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

11-28-11. After returning 2 of these units to Harmon Kardon for the same issues (see below)and having to pay shipping ($44) once, HK thoughtfully upgraded me to an AVR3650, all at their cost. None of the issues with the 3600 were ever resolved, but the 3650 is a whole different animal. All problems with the 3600 are corrected to some degree. I give HK a big pat on the back for dealing with these problems and making me a satisfied customer again.

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I purchased the AVR 3600 5 months ago after a long research process. My past history with HK receivers probably colored my research, as I have never had a bad one, and I have owned 3 over the years, and had them all in service for 6 years each. The 3600 directly replace an HK AVR635 that is a serious monster performer, but lacks current technology, and connectivity (hdmi etc.). Yesterday the 3600 went back to HK for repair or replacement with shipping at my cost.

From day one the hdmi has glitches. It works well playing discs, but streaming, the video drops every 10-20 seconds, accompanied by audio drops of 5-10 seconds. There is a workaround for this and that is hdmi bypass. in bypass mode the unit will not display onscreen menus.

The processing is very slow. Video takes a couple seconds to respond after coming out of pause, but the worst is audio lags for 2-5 seconds more. After a pause I will miss 3 or 4 words in the dialogue.

Most features work adequately. Firmware update is easy. I don't have an I-device so i can't comment. I miss S-video inputs, as my satellite receiver is a dinosaur, and uses them. I am forced to use composite and the quality is further reduced. The up scaling works reasonably well, but lacks the proper image sizing options, so i end up with cropping, stretching, or top/bottom, and or side bars.

Lately, the unit has been going into protect mode on cold starts. HK tech suggested removing the speakers one at a time to eliminate them as a source of the problem. It didn't. Along with this issue the sound is beginning to degrade. Higher levels of static are coming from all the speakers, when the volume is set low, or no source is playing. Yesterday it was returned for repair or replacement. I re installed the 635, which is a much better machine. The amp section is beefier, and the overall build quality is better in my opinion. The sound is also better with better range, separation, and signal to noise. I think this speaks loudly of the quality of consumer electronics today. Feature rich, but poor execution, and poor build quality. Not just this product, but i see reviews for similar products with similar problems.

Overall I would not recommend this unit. It has to many bugs, and build quality issues. I am waiting for my replacement unit, and I will update this if problems are resolved. I hope HK can improve this product in it's next form. They need to go back to making the high end burly excellent sounding products of yesteryear with new features included. I for one will pay the price for a product that works until it is obsolete!

This reciever is incredible. I am running Bowers and Wilkins (B&W) 600 series speakers with it, and it sounds amazing. You hear incredible clarity. I had an older model that the HDMI port stopped working on, and I sent it back to HK and they shipped me this model which is quite a bit nicer than the old model I had.

The video quality on this is quite nice-- I run all my video sources into the receiver with HDMI (xbox 360, PC, blu-ray, dish/tivo) and run one HDMI cable to the TV. But... you should buy this reciever for the SOUND. It does have 7.1 but nothing really uses this format, so the extra $500 or so on those 2 extra speakers isn't worth it IMHO. It also has a second zone, which I'm using for speakers that are wired to my patio.

I ordered a second unit (the 2600 model) for an additional living room. If you have small (bookshelf) speakers consider the 2600 model-- the 3600 model is great for tower speakers. It puts out plenty of power, the HK receivers are high-current, so 85 watts in an HK is way more than 100 watts in a Sony. The sound clarity is excellent, and I recommend pairing it with high-quality speakers (B&W 600 or CM series are an excellent choice).

I've had this AVR for about a week now and am very statisfied. I updated from the HK AVR635 which I had for about 3 years. The sound is great and the new onscreen menu is a million times better than there old one. I have to say that being able to run HDMI has gotten rid of quite a few cable. The only problem I've had is some sound delay. I was having the video feed passed straight through as all my components put out 1080p or 1080i. I have since turned that off and let the processor on the reciever do it's thing and it's seemed to fix the problem. The EZ/EQ is good but still requires a little tweaking. I had to turn down my sub and raise my rear channels up. Also love the ipod bridge. I don't have an Ipod but my friends plugged in and sounded great. I plan on getting an Ipod touch and will update on how the video feed looks from that. The remote seems of good quality and is backlit at the touch of a button. I have a Univeral Remote so not much feedback other then that. Last but not least it is a very attractive looking.

Awesome receiver...only things that are a bit iffy for a receiver this expensive are: if you have a satellite receiver hooked into it via HDMI, the sound tends to be suspended at times (like when a show goes to commercial) for about 5 seconds. I realize it's accounting for the change in output from the satellite receiver, but if i have the satellite receiver hooked directly to my HDTV via HDMI, I experience no such issue. Also, the surround modes I seem to have access to are very limited. I am able to switch between automatically allowing the 3600 to use the "best" mode depending on the source, 2 channel stereo, and 2 channel virtual surround. The "Automatic" selection seems to be the only one that uses all 5 speakers, but the result tends to be an extremely loud music and effects, with low volume spoken words...so it has to be really loud to hear conversations. I don't seem to have the ability to modify the center channel to increase the voices by itself.

Price Paid: $[...] Shipped Free

Owned a little over a week at the time of this review:

I bought this receiver at J&R Music World to replace my Carver C1000A which was recently taken out by lightning. I wanted something that I could eventually use as a preamp like the Carver but would have more updated features. The sound of this receiver is simply amazing. I think it sounds better than the Carver actually.

The set up was fairly easy using the onscreen menu, I tweaked the speaker settings after running the room equalizer as several reviewers had done. The video settings are straight forward enough and you just have to play with the settings to suit your preferences.

I am using B&W speakers in a 5.1 configuration with my weakest link being an Acoustic Research 12" powered subwoofer. Watching movies the sound quality is clear and detailed and depending what I am watching it feels like I am in the movie. I hear sounds that I have not heard before, I am starting to wonder if my C1000A had a bad amplifier or processor section?

The Bridge works well with my iPhone 4 and I agree with other reviewers that the onscreen menu is a little hard to use if you have a large selection of music stored on your device. Again the sound quality is excellent to me, although it lacks the warmth that most digital sources do.

I have to buy a phono pre-amp still to use my Micro Seiki DD40 turntable but I have great expectations.

The remote is quite large and bulky but it's fairly well laid out. It is usable none the less but I plan on buying a Logitech Harmony One in the future because I have too many remotes now.

Given the price paid I don't think I could have found a better quality AV receiver.

I've been a Harman Kardon fan for years and this receiver is another example of their reputation for clean, high quality sound. To start with, their power ratings are measured with all channels driven at the same time. Other companies frequently exaggerate their ratings by only using one channel. In addition, Harman Kardon's discrete circuitry produces a beautiful clean sound that, in my opinion, is at least as good or better than expensive individual components.

Their video processing is a sophisticated system that will produce a 1080P high definition image from any digital source. I cannot tell the difference between a high definition channel and one that is processed by the receiver.

The unit comes with a microphone to automatically set up the sound. However, the settings produced this way did not work correctly for me and I had to study the manual to get the best picture and sound. I would advise one to do this anyway as the automatic setup uses basic settings and does not exploit the full potential of this machine. The TV picture settings should be adjusted first before one adds any video processing with the Harman kardon. I would encourage "playing" around with different settings to see which one produces the desired picture and sound. If needed, their technical support is excellent. They responded to my questions in less than an hour, even before I purchased the unit.

I was sorry to read that some had bad experiences with units that arrived DOA, or went out in a month or two. But in my experience, Harman Kardon stands behind their products, and will promptly send a new unit to replace a defective one.

I want to stress that this receiver should not be judged without knowledge of the advanced settings. The only complaint I have is that the manual does not clearly explain some settings and refers the reader to online material. If the manual was more comprehensive and clearly written, I believe that it would resolve many complaints. I have been using the receiver for over a month and am still learning new things about it. This is not a receiver for someone who does not want to read and experiment to get the best sound and picture. As video and sound quality vary so much with individual taste and room characteristics, I, personally, enjoy the flexibility of having so many settings to adjust.

I have this model as well as the previous year's model the AVR-354. Let me first say that a few nicer features from the AVR354 such as a USB port for firmware upgrades rather than the 9 Pin Serial. It has two feature which is an improvement over the AVR-354. Hdmi 1.4 & dolby volume & 1 additional Hdmi port. Other than that I think it is a slight downgrade. Heres why. it looses the S-video inputs, not a big deal for most people but i still have an old PS2, a Hi-8 camcorder and an old S-VHS unit. ok.
This has LESS power than the AVR-354. -This really depends on where you look for the Spec, H/K website says one thing, amazon says another thing, is it 85WPC or 80WPC? Well in the manual it is also confusing, the front says 85W x 7. but in the back of the manual, it doesn't say that, it says 85WPC x 2, but if you drive all 7, it's 55WPC. I tend to agree that this is closure to the 55 Watts per channel if all 7 are driven. I took the top off the AVR354 as well as this one(AVR-3600). The power supply on the AVR354 is bigger, and looking at the manual on the AVR-354 it's 75WPC x 7. Also I weight both units on my digital scale. The older AVR354 weight in at 31.2LB, this one weight 26.9LB, this excluding the detachable power cord. Other than the discrepancy in power rating depending on where you look, it's a good unit but I feel like H/K is getting lighter and lighter, my other H/k the AVR-635 is even heavier! If you doubt me, download the .pdfs and look at the specs.
One more thing, this no longer plays my Ipod mini, it suppose to play iphones, but my iPhone 4 doesn't work(it doesn't mention iPhone 4 in the manual, so I wasn't surprised. it should work with the first and 2nd gen iPhones. Ergonomics is the same as the AVR-354, useless tiny buttons on the front, but great remote control.
I can't comment on the video up conversions quality I'm using only HDMI on this one, moving all the older video sources to the AVR-354.

I just got this unit in today.Pulled out my H/K2600 and hook up this baby.I wanted this unit for sometime.I needed the Pre-amp outs i have Emotiva UPA-1 mono block amps and the H/K2600 did not have pre-amp outs.I got this H/K3600 from Amazons warehouse deals,$315.99 for a steal!!it came in with everything!..It looks new!not a thing wrong with it!It even had the update!I would say this is one of the best deals i have ever made!I am useing the H/K3600 in my set up as a pre-amp letting the H/K3600 handle the center and the back surrounds and my mono block amps handle the two main speakers they are Polk Monitor 70's. My center and surrounds are Polks also..I also have the Polk PSW505 sub.I am glad i check Amazons warehouse deals.At the time i check they had 6 units.Only one is left!At the price i paid for this unit, like i said before the best deal i have made to date!I have no audio or video drop outs and the HDMI bypass works great for my 3D!..Again not a thing wrong with it!...

I could not be happier with this receiver. We are using it only as 5.1 right now and it is sounding Great!

Beautiful styling with more than enough power. Only 85 Watts?? Are you sure?? It sound way better than my older JVC receiver that was supposedly 110 watts per channel.

If you want a great sounding Theater receiver, you won't be disappointed with Harmon Kardon.

I had previously purchased a Pioneer AV receiver for a home theater setup in our basement. I am an electrical engineer that understands the technical jargon in the manuals sold with AV receivers. After about 8 months, a problem developed with the Pioneer AV receiver in that every now and then it would stop making sound. I figured that maybe the kids were playing with the buttons, etc., and I had to troubleshoot to solve the problem. I never did figure out what the problem was--eventually sound was suddenly restored. This went on for a while until one evening we were watching a movie and the next morning there was a soccer game that we wanted to watch. The kids were never in the basement between these events and the unit stopped making sound so it wasn't them. I spent the entire time of the game trying to figure out what hidden setting or whatever was causing the problem and could not find anything wrong. I determined at that time that there had to be something wrong with the receiver itself. This occurred 3 weeks shy of the 1 year anniversary of its purchase. I called Amazon to complain. To my delight, Amazon took the unit back and provided a full refund without question (thanks Amazon!).

I then searched for a replacement unit on Amazon and settled on this Harman Kardon AV receiver. Wow--what a difference! Everything was much easier to understand and the on screen menus were easy to follow. The labels for the different settings and such were intuitive. I had it up and running within 10 minutes of plugging in the speakers and other wiring. This receiver is much better than the Pioneer or Yamaha for about $200 more. I think the extra dollars are worth it. I have confidence now that when we have a Superbowl party on the big screen downstairs, that the system will not suddenly decide to stop making sound or have other problems.

Also, the sound from this unit and picture clarity at 1080P are outstanding!!! In fact, we think that the surround sound is much more vivid and distinct with the Harman Kardon than with the Pioneer unit. If you want a basic, easy to use, and reliable AV receiver that sounds crystal clear and you are not an expert in AV receivers and such, I will vouch that this is a safe unit to purchase.

About the only thing I wish this unit had would be an HDMI input in the front of the unit to plug in the Camcorder. As it stands, I just plug the cable in one of the HDMI jacks and leave the cable sitting there within reach to plug in the Camcorder. Its not a big deal.