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| Harmon Kardon AVR-325 or the Yamaha RX-V1400??? I am looking for a new reciever to get for my home theatre. I am getting the Klipsch RF-15 Speaker System which has the JBL S-120 subwoofer. I am running a 5.1 single room sytem with possible expansion to 6.1 in the future. I will mostly watch DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, and CD's. I don't know which reciever to go with though. The Yamaha is THX Select Certified and features component video upconversion. It also has more power per channel (110 Watts x 7)and more decoding programs. The Harmon Kardon is similiar in features but I haven't seen a product manual for it. I don't know if it has component video upconversion. It is not THX Certified and doesn't have as many decoding programs. It also has only 65 Watts per channel at 5.1 and 50 Watts at 7.1. I have still heard great things about it though. Please Help! |
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| Here is the link to the Klipsch System I am looking at. Klipsch RF-15 System |
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Hawk | J.B.: The first thing you have to learn is that with the exception of NAD and Harman/Kardon, you have to take the manufacturer's power rating and cut it in half to find its true power. See the following link which compiles the test results of receiver power and distortion as done by Sound & Vision magazine: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3401/ratevsac.htm So, the Yamaha is about a true 55 wpc when driving all channels. The Harman/Kardon, however, has true ratings (has a much larger power supply), so the it is a true 65 wpc +/- 10%. However, that is not the reason to buy the H/K over the Yamaha--the real reason is your speaker system. The Klipsch is a very fine speaker system, but Klipsches tend to be rather bright sounding largely due to its horn tweeter. This is not a bad thing, but it does mean you must use care in the choice of the receiver you use to drive them. Unfortunately, the Yamaha has a rather bright sound to it as well. The combination is not liked by most people as all of that brightness makes the system hard to listen to and leads to early listener fatigue (It may sound great in the showroom for a half an hour, but when you get it home, the sound is so bright you will not be listening for long periods of time). The H/K on the other hand, has a rather warm, laid back, sound that compliments the Klipsch very well. However, I wonder about the comparison, price-wise. The H/K 525 is really more comparable, feature wise and price wise, to the Yammie 1400. Why compare the 325? |
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Anon Infinity | Hawk, Do not be too General here. You always say some other brands' power supply are half its rated power while NAD and HK aren't. Thats too subjective. It does not mean that when a Yamaha RX-V440 has an actual power half its rated power means that all Yamaha Models will be like that. Come on. Most of your statements does not hqave basis anymore. It's all now based on your baseless opinions. You keep on recommending your fave brand without even telling them the flaws. all positive. If I were you, go to HK or NAD and apply for a sales agent. At least, you will be earning from your baseless opinions. |
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Hawk | Anon Infinity: Oh, you are obviously new to our forum. Check the following site--it hasn't been updated since last spring, but I am thinking about doing my own web site compiling this information about receiver power to keep it current. This site is the results of the power and distrotion testing done by Sound & Vision magazine. On the whole, most brands tested out at about 50% of their rated power when all channels were driven: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3401/ratevsac.htm You will note that the Yamaha RX-V730 is rated at 75 wpc, but when tested by Sound & Vision, it could only muster 37.5 wpc into 6 channels. This is not my "baseless" opinion here, but the actual test results of Sound & Visions lab. Now, compare the results of the NAD 752 and you will see it rated at 80 wpc, but it tested out at 92 wpc into all five channels (that is 15% above its rated power). Again, a fact. Furthermore, I know for a fact that the x30 series of Yamaha receivers all had the same amplifier and power supply section. So, the 430, 530, 630, and 730 were all identical in power (manufacturing savings here as they didn't have to mess around with different parts and chassis design since they used a common amp). The only differences in those models was the features and the pre-amp. So, yes, I do know that the Yamaha is just like all of the other sub-$1K Yamahas and the power rating from the manufacturer is about double the real power! While I haven't yet opened up the new x40 series from Yamaha, if you examine their products from the past five years, you would see they have done this with every series. The amp is common to the whole lot. If you were to take the cover off of these receivers, as I have, and you had an understanding of what you were looking at, you would see the differences with the puny power supplies that are included in most mass market receivers. If you want to see a quality layout, check out the pictures in the "Gallery" on the Outlaw Audio web page for their 1050 receiver. The power supply shown on the inside of their receiver is about twice the size of the one in the Yamaha, even though Yamaha rates its receivers as having more power. The fact is the Yamaha will not deliver that much power--which is exactly my point. You also are clearly unaware that I have recommended all kinds of brands, depending upon the needs of the buyer, his or her speakers, etc., and there are posts to that effect on this board all the time. But quality shows, and more often than not, I am going to recommend the brands that I believe put out a quality product. If you like some other brand, that is great. I hope you are happy with it. But don't tell some other poor sucker to get it just because you bought it. |
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Chris | J.B., I've got the 325. It upconverts s-video to component, but it doesn't upconvert composite. I got around that with 2 base-band video converters from Radio Shack (pt. no. 15-1238, $16 CAD ea.) used on the vcr. I do not see any signal degradation on my 56" tv. As for power, this thing cranks. Plays louder than I'd ever want. I'm not sure how important THX is, but I have a feeling that with a good receiver like the 325, it's probably not that important. The 325 might not have the number of surround modes that the Yamaha has, but the ones it does have sound quite good. Logic 7 is great. There are no user adjustments for things like centre width or panorama, though. Again, I don't know if that's important or not. The 325 is also last year's model, so if you can still find one, you'll get it cheap. |
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gregory brown | Hawk, I have an old HK twin powered 730, which after almost 30 years still performs as well as the day I bought it. Couple questions, the system allows for the addition of a pre-amp and I'm looking to change my speakers. What would you recommend for a set of speakers, around $500-700, and would you recommend adding a preamp and if so, what would you suggest? |
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elitefan | J.B, Klipsch with Yamaha is a terrible combination and I wouldn,t consider it. H/K is a much better receiver especially with Klipsch. H/K power ratings are very conservative and blow away Yamaha. Matching receivers and speakers is very important and you could not have picked two more diferent sounding units. Go with the H/K if you are set on Klipsch. Anon Infinity, Your comments to Hawks are way off the mark. What he is telling you about power is the absolute truth. Listen a little. You might learn something. |