Customer Reviews

Harman Kardon AVR 2600 65W 7.1 channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

THE AVR-2600 is friggen awesome!

...how's that?

Like any receiver, you can spend a good amount of time setting this one up, and getting everything right. Harman/Kardon has done a lot to help with the graphical user interface and a very clean and easy to use OSD which is digitally converted and upscale by the receiver so that you do not need to run an analog cable to see the OSD...you can see it right through your HDMI if you want. The easy EQ Setup is okay -- it was very good at gauging speaker distances (and therefore delays), but terrible at determining levels/volumes for each speaker. I have 2 speakers (front left and front right) that are equadistant from the listening point...the HK system set one to +2db and the other to -7db...no idea how that happened... Anyway, I can overlook this as I am fully capable of setting these levels myself and the GUI makes the manual adjustment simple.

I have read on forums that some people have had trouble with the video, and even with HDMI bypass. I did not see this at all, and I tested the HK rigorously in this regard. My experience was that the HDMI Pass-Through worked flawlessly as tested from my HDTV Tuner, my Xbox 360, my Wii, and my standard def TiVo. All of them passed through as expected if I set the HK to do so. Similarly, if I allowed the HK to upscale or downscale, it did that too! I did not have a PS3 available to test at this time...but I soon will and will edit this review if necessary!

Audio Lag: There is a moment of audio lag upon switching sources...but my HK AVR-435 had this also and have many other receivers I have toyed with. I take it as expected. So I lose the first 1 second of audio...if it is really important I can usually pause the video feed and wait for the HK to make adjustments before playing (so I don't lose the sound)...but seriously, how often are the first 1-3 seconds of audio that important when starting any game/video? Once the audio has begun, I get no audio drop-outs whatsoever.

Dolby Volume is awesome! I hated the fact that with my old receiver I always had to remember to crank the volume way down before switching from my Xbox 360 (connected via component) to my TiVo (connected via RCA) because the TiVo volume was SO MUCH LOUDER naturally. Now, not only does Dolby Volume control loud commercials...but it keeps a constant volume from one input to the next...so if I switch from my TiVo to my Xbox and back to my HDTV, then over to my Wii...the volume is always consistent without me having to fight it!

In conclusion, for me -- everything works PERFECTLY, sounds terrific, and looks brilliant! I am very happy!

After 10 years of faithful service, my AVR-45 digital processor finally kicked the can. I put up with 2 channel bypass mode sound for about a week before deciding to buy a new receiver. My 10 years with a great HK AVR led me to a decision: should I buy last year's AVR-254 or this year's 2600? Ultimately I went with the 2600 for a few reasons. One, the Dolby Volume feature - it's really nice to be able to set a volume and not have the commercials blaring at me. Two, I read all of the reviews on the 254 and the problems many people were having. I figured it would be much easier for me to hook up my laptop to the 2600's USB port instead of figuring out how the RS-232 port works. Lastly, the Bridge III connection is a nice option - too bad it costs an extra $129! I know the Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K includes (with the receiver!) an adapter cable, and you can control the iPod on screen - HK... take the hint and make yourself more competitive.
Downsides to the 2600 are as follows: There is only one pre-out (subwoofer). My TV's speakers can act as a second center channel, but there's nowhere to plug it in. You have to bump up to the 3600 to get that feature (1600 has only subwoofer pre-out as well) and that just is not worth the $$$, IMO. Last year's 254 had pre-outs for all channels... what happened to that feature)? I don't like it when companies drop features off - IMHO, products should only get better, in every area.
The auto speaker setup is nice, but I'm the type of person who likes to do that kind of stuff myself. I'll take the computers opinion under advisement, but ultimately it's my call. The nice feature is that, after you let the computer set the sound levels, etc. You can go in and 'tweak' the settings - nice.
The upconverting works really well, I am able to watch cable TV with an amazing picture. Be careful, if you're like me and your TV doesn't have an HDMI input (what can I say, I take care of my stuff - my rear projection TV is 7 years old!) so I can't watch DVDs in 1080i (best my tv can do) because of HDCP copyright protection. I even noticed today that I was watching the TV show 'Las Vegas' in HD, for all of about 5 seconds until the screen went blank and my receiver told me to plug in the HDMI or adjust the settings to 480i or 480p. If you have HDMI capable TV, no worries... if you have component only (analog) then be ready to be stuck with 480p until you get a new TV.

The sound, as I stated already, is second to none. The power rating is a true number, all other companies overstate their power ratings. HK's watts-per-channel figures may seem low, but the other companies inflate their power numbers, so it's really more of a deficiency on their part.

Bottom line: HKs sound is, in my opinion, better than the rest, but you sacrifice features and will probably pay more.

Recently upgraded to the AVR2600 after owning the previous model AVR254 for a year. They have really fixed all the quirks I had over last years model. Features such as Dolby Volume and HDMI bypass are very welcome including finally the addition of a USB port instead of DB9 serial for future firmware upgrades. Anyone who's tried flashing a AVR254 knows what I mean. Dolby Volume makes a huge difference when it comes to leveling commercial volumes between shows and switching between inputs. HDMI bypass enables the receiver to pass the HDMI signal through untouched and while you lose the nice volume overlays you may gain some slightly better IQ especially if your HDTV has a good video processor such as the one in our KURO. It still has the signature warm and full HK sound. If I had to pick a negative, other than the huge remote which doesn't bother us since we use a harmony one, it would be the receiver buttons. I love the minimal slick design of HK receivers but the buttons on this years model do feel a little cheap. Its not a big deal really and some probably won't notice. To sum this up if you had any issues with the AVR254 (pre 97.2.2 firmware) and but still love the HK sound, I'd recommend this receiver. It works great in our setup out of the box.

HT Specs:
Pioneer PDP-5020
HK AVR2600
Samsung BDP-2550
NVIDIA ION HTPC (HDMI output)
DT 2007TL (2)
DT 2300CLR
Polk R150 (2)

I'm not an audiophile, so I won't (can't) get into technical stuff. After much research I chose this model and was lucky enough to get it at a huge discount from J&R. It replaces a lower end Pioneer receiver I had for 11 years. I recently upgraded the speakers but didn't really notice that big a difference, except in the subwoofer. This is the most advanced receiver I've ever owned and the sound quality is noticeably and vastly improved over my old Pioneer. Now it really sounds like a theater system. The set up was simple (made easier by me previously clearly marking what all the wires went to). This is the first time I input video into a receiver. At first I thought it degraded the quality, but after a few adjustments, it looks fine. I had to relearn how to change video sources to the TV from my old way, but it was an easy transition.

For sound, the great thing is the microphone included to calibrate the speakers. It is actually quite interesting to listen to it figure everything out. You set the microphone to where you want the sound to be focused and it automatically sets the perfect adjustments. You can review and refine them further yourself. It works great, sounds great. It really adds a whole new dimension (in sound) compared to my old receiver. I didn't use the 7 speaker configuration. I used the extra 2 speaker outs for my outside speakers (zone 2). This was a welcome feature since I previously had to use an external box and run the speaker wires in and out. The Dolby Volume feature also seems to be a plus. I really can hear background sounds in programs I never heard before. I am not so sure the sound leveling works that well, though. One thing I really like is that you can set a default volume level when you turn the receiver back on. I don't know how many times I sat down at night after the kids have gone to bed and then scrambled to lower the high sound level set from earlier. This always starts it at the level you want.

Pros:
-Sound quality
-Sound quality
-Sound quality
-Ease of set up
-Zone 2
-Dolby Volume
-Instruction manual written in a casual, realistic voice; sounds like a good buddy explaining things rather than a technical document (or translated English)
-Looks cool

Cons
-It can automatically pick the best audio processing, which I trust, except it tends to make changes several times throughout a show and there is a moment of silence when it makes the switch. I could manually set one mode and leave it there, but I like the system picking the best one. I just wish it found one and stayed with it
-Making any input changes or other adjustments directly from the front of the receiver is rather difficult due to the fine print used to mark the available buttons. It is impossible to read them in low light
-Model is still so new it doesn't show up on other remotes' automatic matching options. Had to try other HK model numbers. I could get my DirecTV remote to control volume but not receiver on and off

While overall I love this unit for its sound quality, design, and gee-whiz factor, it has some small but very annoying design drawbacks.

1. It can't send digital audio to Zone 2, so if you want to play digital audio in the main room but intend to use the receiver to feed additional speakers in other rooms, it can't play that digital source in Zone 2 (or out any of the receiver's other RCA outputs!). The only way to make it work is to have a second, parallel analog signal fed into the receiver to run to zone 2/RCA outputs. Since I have a PC running iTunes feeding the audio to the receiver via HDMI, I had to buy an additional USB sound card for $50 that has both optical and analog outputs to feed music to the receiver digitally for my living room and via analog for my zone 2 audio.

2. If you want to change what you send to zone 2 (like switching from iTunes to FM radio), you need to go through a series of menus and submenus to make the switch. And you need the TV on to see what you're doing. You can program a macro in the remote as a workaround, but a simple "auto-switch" option that duplicates whatever is on Zone 1 to Zone 2 would have been nice.

3. Adjusting bass and treble also involves turning on the TV and going through menus and submenus. No knobs on the front to do it.

4. The remote codes do not work for almost all of my devices. A Samsung TV, a Dish Network 622, even my Xbox. None of the remote codes work, so I am stuck juggling remotes.

Other than that, a great unit!

I gave it a good try. After studying the manual and quick start guide for days, I still was unable to get any of the HDMI inputs to work on my own. I went through a troubleshooting routine on phone with H-K rep and it was determined that my logical first choice of the four input HDMI jacks was defective.
After getting acquainted with this receiver in the process and finally getting it to work, I have a few thoughts for prospective buyers to think about.

Pros:Sleek handsome case. Great sound, plenty of power. Back layout makes sense after one studies it carefully. Seems to have every imaginable surround sound option to date- and then some. Two year warranty is nice. H-K,when I called, was not hard to reach, has long hours, when I ran into trouble. The tech person was efficient in diagnosing my problem after 20 minutes or so and telling me it was defective unit (HDMI jack was dead), and not me. We got it to work with another jack arrangement. The price was really good for a top quality item, (although there are others in this price range to consider and should be considered I now see).

Cons: If one is not already well familiar with this generation of HDMI and on screen TV menu array devices, it can be bewildering, was to this old audio buff anyway. The remote is needed, truly, because the front panel arrows and buttons are really small and almost invisibly marked in gray on black (for design slickness only). The manual has everything in there, but is not an A- B- C operation for someone moving up from plain stereo or even plain Pro Logic. Set up is a task, not a breeze. Changing modes does seem to take a measurable delay as the computer thinks over what is "asked," and then does the switch from on mode to another. ( The thing even calls for reboot process in certain straits) Be prepared for the short delay if unfamiliar with these modern all in ones.
Annoyance thing next. I was not able to find a function to allow turning down the light surrounding the volume knob; too bad, for late night bedroom operation you know. Small thing but could have been carried over from other models...
My decision: I am going to look for an AVR unit, one that is less complex, if such exists. I had great hopes for the H-K and still use their stereo receiver and enjoy it. It may satisfy if you get a non defective or rather fully functional unit right off. Mine was not ready to go.

Harman Kardon makes a great product for the average joe non audio-file. I bought this AVR to upgrade my system along with the new 3D TV and blu-ray. The hook up was very easy as was the set up. Great on screen menu. I have all of my components running through the AVR and one HDMI cable to the TV. The only issues I have with the AVR is that renaming the source is a little tough and you have to have the Bridge adapter to hook up your ipod/iphone to the AVR. Over all this unit performs as expected and sounds great.

I love the Harman Kardon AVR2600. It is the hub of my home threater system. It was easy to install and hookup. The calibration system makes it ease to hookup all of your speakers. Harman Kardon AVR 2600 High Performance, 65W X 7, 7.1 channel iPhone compatible Home Theater Receiver with Dolby Volume and Upscaling to 1080p (Black)

Previously owned the HK AVR 340 and Bridge I for 4 years. Bought this receiver as an open item with the Bridge III and this is a much needed upgrade! The set up is simple and is easy to configure new devices. The Bridge III allows onscreen use of iphone and ipads, etc. which was really lacking in the previous set up.

I purchased this receiver in order to complement my gaming experience with PS3, and it has fulfilled the task.
I'm still mastering the way to configure the PS3 audio outputs (PCM or bitstream, etc.) but this AVR really fills my bedroom (13x20')with crisp sound at all levels of volume (at the higher end it keeps pushing my Harman Kardon 18 speakers with no distortion). By the way volume is not linear, but rather exponential; the first half of the range is quite tame, but the last half (particularly from -15db up) you really feel the power.
AS for audio codecs, you have all including 3D (mine came already updated).
ATTENTION PS3 users: this AVR eliminates the annoyance of the signal fadeout from the PS3 that requires to unhook/hook back the HDMI connector.
Music is well passed through the Bridge, but the interface is rather slow.
Overall a great purchase.