Should I get an HK225?

 

John
I just bought my first pair of speakers (Polk R30) which are somewhat lowend floorstanding speakers. I was considering buying an Harman/Kardon AVR225, but was wondering if this is overkill for the speakers I have. I plan to use the system for home theater and music equally, and I am using the system in a smaller room. Would spending the extra money help me later if I decide to upgrade speakers as well as to something like HDTV and surround sound, or should I go with a cheaper receiver and just buy a new one in a few years?
 

Anonymous
John,
If it is within your budget, buy the HK225 now.
The Polk R30 are not that bad and you will be more satisfied with a better receiver. Also, buying the better receiver now, means only speaker upgrade later. Or you may be satisfied with the sound you get fron the R30 and not have to upgrade for quite some time.
 

John
Thanks for the advice. However I got to looking around on the internet and saw that Yamaha makes a receiver (HTR-5550) that claims to have some "virtual cinema DSP" that is supposed to simulate surround sound with only 2 speakers or something. Does anyone have any idea if this DSP thing actually works? Also would the Harman/Kardon AVR225 still be recommended over a slightly less pricy Yamaha? I have listened to both and cant tell the difference at my local electronics store.
 

Hawk
John:

I would recommend the H/K over the Yamaha. The latter receiver has a lot of electronic tricks (none of which impress me, nor do any of my Yamaha owning friends ever use), but I think you should choose the the H/K for the sound. You have speakers that are a bit on the bright side, which is also true of the Yamaha. The combination is not what I ould consider to be a good one.

The H/K, on the other hand, has a warmer, more mellow sound that is a better match for the Polks. BTW, the H/K is only $350 at One Call (www.onecall.com), which is an authorized dealer.
 

Anonymous
To tell the truth....both the H/K and Yamaha have "virtual surround" harman kardon calls it v-max and Yamaha calls it virtual DSP. I would recomend the H/K over the Yamaha for sure for high current. Yamaha claims this too but I wouldnt call it actual high current.
 

John
Excellent, thanks everyone for their help, this has help me decide on the 225.
 

As an FYI, you can purchase a remanufactured AVR-225 for around $250-$300 through ecost & ebay.
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