Customer Reviews

Harman Kardon AVR 235 7.1-Channel Audio/Video Surround Receiver

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is my second 7.1 channel surround receiver. I also own a Yamaha flagship THX 110W/ch receiver, the RX-V1400. The Yamaha has more sound processing options, but sometimes less is more. Both are high current amps and both have the self-calibrating feature (YPAO on the Yamaha and EzSet on the Harman Kardon). The Yamaha is in a 23'x20' upstairs media room and the AVR235 is in a 30'x25' open downstairs living area. Both of the amps produce extremely clean sound, both have power to spare (even though the AVR235 is rated considerably less and is in a larger space), and both have very high build quality. The Yamaha is more suited to a micro-managing audiophile and the Harman Kardon is more of a plug and play style receiver. The Yamaha has more knobs and options, but it also requires more attention. On the Yamaha unit, you have to manually enable Dolby Digital EX/DTS ES processing every time you turn the unit on even though in the setup it knows you have a full 7.1 speaker package. I guess it assumes that my rear surrounds are intended to be decorative. Basically, it is dumb and assumes that you know it is dumb and that you will tell it what you want it to do. Except for the parametric EQ, which is smart, except it doesn't necessarily sound great and is best that it is defeated in favor of the manual EQ. It took me approximately three weeks of tweaking to get the sound like I wanted. The Harman Kardon on the other hand is very user friendly. It has an on-screen display (my only gripe is that you must use this) for configuring the many inputs and outputs. It makes very logical assumptions. If you have seven speakers and a subwoofer, it assumes that you want to listen to Dolby Digital material using all of those speakers (EX); however, if you prefer 5.1 or even stereo from your Dolby Digital you can override the 7.1 selection. There are no hidden EQs or too much bloated software that may overprocess the signal and actually degrade the quality in the end. The AVR235 still has the bass and treble controls in the form of knobs on the front of the unit, could it be any simpler. It took me approximately thirty minutes to get the Harman Kardon to sound like I wanted it to sound. The Harman Kardon simply adheres to the principles of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid). It has everything you may need (front optical and coaxial digital inputs, 7.1ch pre-amp input,etc.), but lacks all of the things that you probably don't need that only get in the way. It is an efficiently engineered marvel whose sound quality rivals and probably even exceeds any other brands flagship receiver lines (yes... even you Marantz, Denon, and others) in the under 2k category. It may seem expensive to some, but in its feature/function class it is less than half of the price of most and is probably almost twice as good. Don't even question the power rating vs. other receivers because the power may be rated less on the Harman, but the unit has a clean sound over the entire power range. Unlike other receivers that have high power rating, and very little signal clarity once truly pushed to the limit. Remember it is not about pure wattage into an 8 ohm load (because a speakers impedance is actually dynamic across a range of frequencies since a speaker is inductive), but rather it is about how much current the amplifier can supply that contributes to what you hear. You have to ask yourself this question: Do you really want a concert hall DSP setting that overprocesses a perfectly good signal to make it sound like a cellphone ringtone being emitted from the bottom of a deep well? If you do, then this is not the receiver for you. If you want the best sound possible at a very good price, then look no further. It may also be nice to know that you will be supporting a U.S. based tech company.

I chose Harmon Kardon's AVR-235 above the AVR-230 because of the Ez-Setup function(that actually works) and Denon's AVR-2105 because it was $100 cheaper and did what i needed it to do. I paired my system with a Wharfedale Moviestar 70+ 5.1 speaker set (4 ohms) and added a front left and right Infinity speakers (RS3 @ 125 watts per channel) to top it off for full 7.1 feel. After wiring my 30'X40' livingroom for what seemed like days (hiding the wires per my wifes request), I turned the volume up to +2 db, popped in my DVD Stargate (selected the part where he goes through the wormhole for the first time) and sat back and waited for something to happen. It was so freakin loud that i felt like i needed a nap afterwards just to recover from a 2 minute sound test. I was wondering if 50 watts per channel would be enough to power my speakers and it was more than enough because HK's true wattage system. Cons. The manual takes quite a bit of time to get through. The remote, though universal, recognized my cheap apex dvd player, but would not navigate the menus. it also did not support channel changing of my sharp tv. The most irritating thing on the remote is that you have to press the "AVR" button after switching between TV and DVD otherwise the volume control for the receiver assumes that you are controlling the volume from another device. I can see why they did it, but it is irritating because i only use my receiver to adjust the volume for all my inputs (TV, VCR, DVD, Computer audio) The FM tuner antenna (a thin wire) did not pick up radio stations in my area so i am going to look for an FM amp soon. Shopping: pricegrabber.com and froogle.com for receiver. For wires go to cablewholesale.com -- This is a great online store with a flat rate of $10 for shipping. i purchased 2 gold plated coaxial cables for $8 each and they are as good as the monster cables... You will need 2 rca coaxial cables if you want to get your DVD player working. Here's the part number i used that worked great 10R4-11106 (Premium Grade 24K Gold Digital Coaxial RCA 75-ohm Cable, 6 ft) one between your dvd player and receiver. and another between your receiver and your sub. Note: if you purchase the Wharfedale 70+ moviestar you just plug the cable into the left RCA input on the sub--no need for a splitter. While i was at it i thought i might order some cables to connect my computer's sound card to my receiver so that i could play mp3's directly over my HK sound system. I actually have 2 sound systems hooked up to my sound card. Here is what i did: There is a left and right output on my soundcard. #1 I purchased 2 (2STEREO-MM 3.5mm Stereo Male / 3.5mm Stereo Male, 2 ft). #2 I purchased 2 (2 PHONO-Y1 2 x 3.5mm Stereo Female / 3.5mm Stereo Male Adaptor). #3 I purchased 2 (30S1-01360 RCA Female / 1 x 3.5mm Stereo Male, 6 inch). So this left 4 female inputs visible. I then plugged my computer left channel into the left White RCA and the right channel into the RCA red right. I then purchased a 35 foot RCA cable that finished off the connection between my computer and the CD input on my receiver. It works great and only cost me an extra $10. pick up a couple of s-video cables for an extra $5 to connect the video from your DVD player to your receiver and then again to your tv. Hope this helps you guys out in purchasing and hooking up your system. Best settings: I don't use the logic 7 at all. I get best sound using standard Dolby Digital 5.1 (EX when available on discs) for movies, Dolby 3 channel for TV (because i don't really like having voices surrounding me) and for music i use Dolby PL music selection. That is pretty much it. I have used the neo-DTS 6 1 time and it sounded great, but not really much different than Dolby 5.1 other than you get a true real rear channel. it feels pretty much the same having the side left and rear left making the same sound. I really can't tell a difference because it is behind me. The final thing that may not seem like such a big deal is that fancy blue-glowing dial which adds a very stylish element to my living room. you can turn the glow to 1/2 or off if you just want to watch movies in pitch dark.

I have owned the 235 for about 2 months now. I am thrilled with the performance. Although this isn't an overly loud product, it is very capable. I agree with those who say the power is fully adequate. Also, there are no concerns with background noise at higher volume levels - a problem with many underpowered receivers. In fact, from what I can tell the receiver is practically devoid of background noise. I could not discern any hiss through my headphones when listening to an attached CD player. My old Sony was terrible for doing that.

Other reviewers have commented on how H/K's sound is "warm." I didn't know what that meant until I got the product, but I agree with the assessment. Music played through this receiver is mellow. There is no discernable element of harshness added. Having bass and treble knobs on the front of the receiver is a simple, but often overlooked plus that really helps round out the sound to the way the listener wants.

The knocks are relatively straightforward: the barrage of listening mode options is nothing short of mind numbing. That's not H/K's fault, but happened for me since my last receiver was bought in the late 1980s. If you know the ins and outs of surround sound, you'll be in good shape; otherwise, good luck figuring it out! Second, although I absolutely LOVE the way the unit looks, I do wish the silver buttons on the front of the unit could be read in low light. The buttons are almost impossible to read in movie watching conditions, and with the absence of glowing buttons on the remote it can make it difficult to maneuver around while watching DVDs.

All said, however, I fully recommend this unit. It is a fantastic bargain for the price and a top notch choice for a primary A/V unit. I bought mine at JRs, and had no problems. Good luck!

This reciever is great! It sounds and looks awsome. Don't be fooled by the low watts rating. Sound quality is in the brand not the watts. I really like the volume halo ring. This is a very high quality reciever and I highly recommend it to others. Harman Kardon is the way to go.

The reciever shipped very fast also.

I have had this receiver for over three years now and I still love it. The sound is amazing. The controls could be a little more intuitive and natural but an almost perfect product.

First off I would like to say that althought the manufacturer rates this receiver at 50w x 7. This receiver has more power than a Sony one that i have that is 110w x 7. The hook up is the same as any other receiver. The set up can be done on the display of the receiver, or if you have it hooked up to a tv you can do the set up on the tv screen which is really easy. The remote is a little much, but i controls almost every function that is available on the receiver. I have used a harman/kardon receiver in the past, and i would say that you will blow a set of speakers with it before you blow the receiver. Along with functioning well the receiver looks pretty good too. (the halo lighting on the hollow volume knob)

I bought my first AVR-235 from Harman themselves and it worked correctly for a day or two. The replacement worked for about a week. The 3rd different reciever worked for about 10 days. The first two would turn off and required to be reset...which meant reconfiguring all the settings. UGHHHH! The last one decided to stay on, but then none of the outputs would work...audio or video. I finally decided enough was enough and sent it back for a full refund. Those few days it did work...wow! Amazing. Too bad they can't build a working unit. For the price, you would think they would run forever. They have a warranty, but that just means that you get to hook up a receiver and then disconnect it a few days later. At least I became very proficient at connecting/disconnecting a receiver as well as the workout carrying the 35lb unit to UPS (3 times!). I should have got my money back after the 2nd problem, but I liked the features and the looks of it so much I was HOPING I would get lucky and get a working one. No dice...

Save yourself the trouble and buy a different brand. My Kenwood lasted for 7 years.

My first Harmon Kardon was an AVR 25. I still have it after about 10 years and it still sounds great. But it's in the bedroom now, as my new AVR 235 takes center stage in the living room. It was time to upgrade to newer technologies, such as 7.1 and Dolby Digital. For price and quality, I expect to remain a Harmon Kardon fan for the next 10 years.

A Must buy.
Solution to locking the volume control to AVR - from the manual is on the section called "Volume Punch-Through" Page 36.

I'm not going to go into huge detail on this first cut of my review--partially because it is an older model, and largely because I'm about ready to chuck the machine out the window into the snow. One caveat: the unit I purchase was "refurbished," therefore I don't know if some of these issues might have been introduced "after-market."

Hell #1: Turns itself off intermittently, and seemingly no rhyme or reason to turning back on. The unit will turn itself into standby mode unpredictably. Mounting a small but reasonably powerful fan nearby and having it blow over the receiver continually while the receiver is on has reduced the standby mode by about 85%, but it still occurs, and once it occurs, there really is no consistent means to get it to respond to requests to turn back on. Unplugging/replugging, resets, changing volume/source, etc. do not make it any more responsive.

Hell #2: Nowhere near so irritating as the first hell, but the surround speakers and the center/front left and front right channels seem to modify power at whim.

Hell #3: The labeling for the video channels in the rear is inconsistent with the internal wiring. In particular, I found that Vid 2 In fed into Vid 1 Out. If it weren't for hells #1 and #2, I would happily undertake a mapping of the way it actually is; however the on/off issue and intermittent speakers override any such interest.

I did a search on the web on "Harman Kardon shuts itself off" after I started experiencing problems and found this is by no means an isolated issue. It seems to occur across a number of models. I don't foresee ever buying this make again.