Customer Reviews

Harman Kardon AVR 435 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased the 435 to upgrade my system and I am more than satisfied. All the hook-ups are labeled and easy to keep straight. I used fiber optic cables to hook up the audio from my satallite dish and DVD player and the digital coax to hook up the TV.

At first I had a challenge figuring out how to program the remote but once I re-read the manual I had no problems. I now have all my remotes programmed and 2 of the 4 macros set for one push function changes. My wife loves this as she has trouble remembering how to change the inputs on the TV, receiver and DVD player so she can watch a movie.

The system has more than enough power and the clarity is unmatched. I look forward to setting up the zone 2 feature so we can enjoy this system in more than 1 room.

This is my first time truly into the realm of a quality home theatre system / music system. The unit is extremely heavy, but there is a good reason for it - particularly the back left side where it houses the two extra power sockets. The entire system is packed with features. The remote and the EZ-Setup microphone and their guide were a breeze. I was up and running in a few days after reading thru everything (page by page).

The back has a plethora of connectors and I was not the least bit disappointed that there was no HDMI. Considering everything except the Satellite was non-HDMI I was not worried. The quick-setup guide provided is very well detailed and thought of especially when you're knee deep in wires trying to get everything hooked up!

All in all, plenty of reviews are available by people who helped me make the purchase decision (on Amazon) and many, many more on other reputed sites.

While I have heard that Harman Kardon has gone downhill a little compared to their earlier very high-end products, I see no reason to give this unit a bad review. While I am not an audiophile I do know what to look out for and this receiver has blown me away so far. Set-up was very easy, especially the "EZ Setup" for the surround speakers. The sound is full and robust, with clear, crisp highs & lows. I have not come close to maxing out this unit, it just keeps on going and never seems to run out of power. I also must comment on the design - finally a step away from the black receivers. While I am all for the "less is more" approach, I did want the entertainment centerpiece to make more of a statement. The volume knob glows blue on the inside, and the display can be dimmed for dark-room movie watching.
Cons so far have been the multi-room setup; the instruction manual is a little confusing on this point, but I have never done this before so maybe it was partially my fault.
Over all a great receiver with all bells & whistles you would come to expect from a high-end product.
Massive amounts of inputs & outputs, plenty for any equipment.

I researched this purchase until I was sick of looking at receivers. I'm pretty anal when it comes to music reproduction, but wanted a good receiver for the bedroom LCD set. I have it hooked up to Orb audio spheres and Orb sub. The combination is surprisingly good (that's probably more of a statement about the Orbs, however), with exceptional high-end detail. However, even after upgrading the hardware, the unit still has a problem recognizing DD from the HD Cable box, although it does from the DVD player. After re-setting, it will recognize the source properly, by then goes back to its wicked ways. It has the "2-second-silence" problem on DVD/CD tracks--i.e. you don't get to hear the first 2 seconds of a track as it's recognizing the input stream. It doesn't bother personally, but does other people that have reviewed the until elsewhere. For the money--I paid about $430--it's a very good unit, but I do think that HK needs to better develop their software, and they probably will. I would probably buy it again as there is nothing else out there that's quite this comelling at the price.

I received the AVR435 as a gift from my employer. I am so knocked out by how good the sound quality is, especially since I upgraded my speakers to Boston Acoustics. Easy to set up, attractive, and robust.