I have bought the Athena AS-B1 (4) and AS-C1 (1), intended to get the HK AVR235 at 350$ shipped. But I just found out a Factory Remanufactured HK AVR230 at 220$ shipped (in Harman Kardon online store). Please advice if it is a good idea to get the AVR230 instead of AVR235, and save 120$ for a better sub like HSU.
Are there any major differences between those 2 models except 7.1 for 235 and 6.1 for 230? I don't think I need 7.1 feature at the moment.
I don't know the specifics about the 230 vs. 235 but I can't imagine the 235 being HUGELY better, whereas a Hsu sub will indeed be HUGELY better than for example the Dayton sub.
There are typically minor differences between model years from most receiver manufacturers. There may, however, be something that doesn't show up on a spec sheet. Call HK directly and ask them your question. Their tech support has always been very good and they will advise you which is the better choice for your system.