Harman Kardon AVR-154 5x30W 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Other products by Harman Kardon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 15 x 17.3 x 6.5 inches ; 15 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 25 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0016BN5CM
• Item model number: AVR 154
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,121 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

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  Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Receivers & Amplifiers > Component Receivers

• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 21, 2008

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Flexible Connectivity and Wide Bandwidth at a Great Value

Driven by a passion for music and cinema, Harman Kardon engineers are fanatical about maintaining a balance between pure technology and a quest for artistic truth. Their devotion to detail and love for all types of music and cinema have produced some of the finest audio/video and stereo receivers available. The AVR-154 reflects Harmon Kardon's commitment to bringing you high-quality components that are packed with features, all at an affordable price.

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The Harmon Kardon AVR-154 provides a host of connections and features View Larger 3 HDMI inputs and an auxiliary audio input offer extra flexibility

AVR-154 - 5 x 30W 5.1-Channel A/V Receiver with HDMI Switching

There is no denying that a home theater system takes the experience of enjoying your music, movies and games to a whole new level; but you need a receiver that is flexible enough to connect all of your components. Even though it’s Harman Kardon’s entry-level model, the AVR-154 provides everything you need to get plugged in to today’s exciting entertainment choices. It features three HDMI inputs, two wide-bandwidth HDTV-ready component video inputs, four S-video inputs, a front-panel input for video games, an auxiliary input for portable media players, and a portfolio of advanced surround processing technologies, including Dolby Digital, DTS and Logic 7 processing. A high-current, wide-bandwidth design provides maximum fidelity and 30 Watts of power to each of its 5 channels.

Front panel inputs make connecting additional components a snap

Spend More Quality Time With Your iPod
The iPod is a great way to take your favorite songs anywhere, but you can also use it along with the Harmon Kardon AVR-154 to fill your home with music. Just connect a stereo mini-cable to your iPod or other MP3 player, and then plug the other end into to the auxiliary jack of the AVR-154. Your music library and playlists will be at your fingertips, as always, but your selections will sound like never before. The AVR-154 makes it easy to turn your iPod library into rich, room filling sound.

A Quick and Easy Setup
Typical home theater systems can be challenging to set up and use, but Harman Kardon receivers are far from typical. The AVR-154 comes with a Quick-Start Guide that walks you through the color-coded connections that you’ll need to get your system up and running.

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Technical Specifications and Features

• Surround Sound Channels: 5.1
• Power: 30 Watts per channel, 150 Watts total
• HDMI Inputs: 3 with 1 output (switching only)
• Component Video Inputs: 2 with 1 output
• S-Video Inputs: 4 with 1 output
• Composite Video Inputs: 4 with 1 output
• Digital Audio Inputs: 3 optical, 3 coaxial
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Pro Logic II
• DTS 5.1
• DTS 96/24
• Logic 7
• Auxiliary Input Port
• On-Screen Display
• Eleven-Device Programmable Remote Control
• Dimensions: 17-5/16" W x 6-1/2" H x 15" D
• Weight: 20.5 pounds

Product Description

The Harman Kardon AVR-154 5x30W 5.1-channel home theater receiver is a powerful little receiver at a reasonable price. This 5.1-Channel A/V receiver includes HDMI™ switching and 150 watts (30 watts x 5 channels) to put you into the middle of the action of your favorite movie. It is affordably priced and full-featured. The AVR-154's sonic quality and sophisticated features make it an exceptional value. From two-input, Simplay HD™-verified HDMI™ switching to the latest Cirrus Logic® 49510 DSP, A/V Sync Delay and a high-current amplifier, the AVR-154 is modest in price, but high in performance.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Style. Performance. Value., April 9, 2009

By	J. Gonzalez (Austin, TX, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Harman Kardon offers a no-nonsense approach to style, design and audio expression. I purchased the AVR 154 to complement my audio/video system, which includes: a 1080p, 46" Samsung LCD; Sony PS3, 1080i digital cable box, Dell notebook, and Polk Audio RM6750 5.1 satellite/sub system. My a/v system is set-up in an apartment living room (14' by 16') with vaulted ceilings and the floor is carpeted. My favorite sofa chair is set-up just off-center about 11' from the center speaker and TV, but the receiver has ample features to help me achieve a sweet spot, set crossover points, and control my cable box without moving from my comfy chair.

The receiver's dynamic power output combined with ultra-wide bandwidth and low distortion are a great match for the balanced tonal quality of the Polk satellites. Even with a rating of 30 watts per channel, movies and music have a renewed enjoyment. I selected this audio component specifically, because it has more than adequate power for my speaker system and living space.

My impression when watching Dave Mathews and Tim Reynolds - Live at Radio City Music Hall (Blu-ray) was sheer "awe". Watching and listening to Tim Reynolds pluck away at his acoustic guitar helped me appreciate his musical expertise in a new way; not to mention, Dave Matthews's vocals are splendid during the opening song, "Bartender". When watching BT - This Binary Universe (DVD) in DTS, the artist's electronic expression is revealed in crisp, clear detail and showcased the receiver's ability to accurately reproduce the wide-band frequency spectrum of synthesized sounds. While playing Battlefield - Bad Company, the game comes to life with whizzing bullets, exploding gas tanks, and angry mercenaries in pure Dolby Digital bliss.

To connect my components, I used HDMI cables for video and optical digital cables for audio. This simplified connecting the components and maintained audio fidelity. However, the drawback to this set-up is that I could not program the HDMI 3 remote button to control the digital cable box. I had to program the Vid 2 remote button to control it. Not a big problem, but just slightly annoying, because I wanted to fully utilized the HDMI switching.

In summary, if you just spent an obscene amount of money on a flat panel that has the audio equivalency to a portable laptop, shelling out a few hundred bucks on this receiver to give it a nice home in your living room would not be a bad idea. Or if you are like me, an extreme audiophile with an extremely tight budget, this is a great pick.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Should've bought the 254, October 6, 2008

By	John J. Schroeder "John" (Green Bay, WI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I wish I would have bought the AVR 254. The AVR 154 is a very good product, I'm happy with it. However, after I bought the 154, I found out that the 254 upconverts to 1080P, I feature I wish I had. Also, the video inputs must be consistant with the output on the monitor out. IE, HDMI in must be HDMI out. So, I had some s-video inputs, and I had to use s-video out. Kinda a bumper. However, if your strapped for cash and you don't need those features, this is a very good product.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best inexpensive HDMI equipped "non-japanese" quality receiver!, April 25, 2009

By	R. Carpenter "Racercarp" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I consider myself an "audiophile" by all rights with my downstairs system costing in the $30-$40,000 price range (although price doesn't necessarily equate to quality but my separate components are amazing and were hand picked over years of trial & error). This receiver though is for my daily upstairs system where the family watches tv and occasionally a movie together during the day or early evening and we do like the sound to be good through our 5.1 "upstairs" system too. When we want to get "serious" about music or movies however we go downstairs!
That's why I was all the more shocked by this relatively inexpensive receiver looking and sounding so good! And even more surprised that I could buy it brand new through Amazon for the same or less cost than similar used or refurb'd systems elsewhere (Ebay, etc). There are lesser priced receivers out there but they are definatly lesser quality too and/or don't have or switch HDMI w/1080p!
I don't particularly like the big Japanese firms receivers with all of their rediculous bells and whistles (like who really flips through 20-30 different sound fields anyway like hall, disco, reverb, ambiance, and whatever else kind of fluff they offer) give me a good upmix of two channels to my five or seven (natural sounding not overly synthesized or mechanical) along with the usual great Dolby Digital and DTS and I'm good (and of course a good six channel analog pass through if using an SACD OR HD DVD source)! And the fact that everyone who goes to Best Buy or Circuit City or Walmart gets "sold" on them there. I almost overlooked the HK AVR's after seeing them in Costco stores (but I've purchased several big screen plasma/LCD's from them and their all great) but I'm glad I took a closer look!
Harmon Kardon has hit the mark perfectly with this receiver the AVR 154. It's an elegant looking receiver which has a high WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) with a very simple uncluttered front face that looks good on or off (unlike the Japanese receivers which seem to have a race to see who can cram more knobs & buttons onto less real estate the quickest).
The rated 30 Watts x 5 channels (which is a very real power designation and you should note the low distortion which is across the whole frequency range of 5Hz-30KHz where many Japanese models will offer their rating only at one frequency like 1KHz or only with the two front channels driven) are plenty for almost any sub & sat combination however if I were using it for full range speakers I might want to look at the next model up which offers 50W x 7 channels (although it might be worth trying the less expensive model first). I replaced an older model Sony ES (Elevated Standard) receiver CD/DVD/SACD player all in one unit (which was rated 110 watts per channel) with the AVR 154 and I could not hear any difference in power to HK's 30 watts per channel! Wow!
My only gripe is that it does not upscale digital video (or on screen display/GUI; this requires a complete separate video connection) such as 480p or 720p to 1080p HDMI although it does a great job of switching or passing the native signals through. For upscaling I need to go up to the next level receiver the AVR 254. Other than this little nuisance it is a very good receiver for not a lot of cash.
I would highly recommend this receiver to anyone who wants a world class receiver on a very limited budget. Great sound, great looks, easy to operate (once set up because the quick start guide and manual are a little confusing)! Highly recommended...
I may try out their higher end AVR 254 and if so I will offer my opinion for you on it too.