Buying my first receiver, HELP! Harman Kardon avr525?
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Anonymous | I'm looking at receivers and only know that harman kardon makes a good receiver. Does anyone have any opinion on this receiver or have other suggestions on receivers to consider before I buy. Thanks for the help |
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| I just bought this receiver from etronics.com. I should get it tomorrow or Monday.... There weren't any reviews because it is too new but I will let you know what I think..... |
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Anonymous | This receiver is great, Harmon makes a great product, you will not be dissappointed with this unit, enjoy it |
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Anonymous | stick to your plan. just make sure to buy for less! etronics has it for 650! no receiver with 7 amplified channels will cost you that. especially with the kind of sound and quality this reciever has good luck! |
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Anonymous | H/K is pretty good when they work. I have heard of several people on various forums having problems with the newer H/K stuff. They are cool looking though. |
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Anonymous | I got the 520 for $500 at jandr.com and it's great. Big bang for the buck. Now my only problem is affording the other pieces to make buying this high quality of a receiver worth it, main problem being speakers. But ya, if the 525 is in your budget, go for it. Pretty hard to top in its category. |
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| I own the 525 and have reviewed it here. Do a search for "h1pst3r" and you'll find plenty of comments. Also search HK and AVR525. This is an amazing piece of gear. As for the "Anon" who posted the heresay about quality...shut the hell up about things you've only "heard about". Ain't got nothin to say...you know what to do. |
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Phil | About two months ago I bought the HK 520. Paid 500 as an open box at Circuit City. I liked the sound, it was a bit strong in the bass. I didn't care for their surround formats but I rarely use them anyway. It was a little disapointing that it only had 5 chanels and that it was only 80 watts. But, over all I felt it was an excellent buy. Unfortunately after a week it just died so I had to take it back. I was lucky enough to find an Onkyo 797 as an open box and it quite frankly sounded better that the HK IMHO, but it started cutting out in Dolby and had to take it back. Now I own a Denon 3803 and IMHO is easily the best sounding reciever I have ever owned. I just hope it lasts, LOL. With all that said I think the HK 525 would be an excellent reciever if you get a good price, but they do have some quality controll issues |
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Anonymous | h1pst3r read Phil's reply above. Kicking the bucket after 1 week is pretty bad. |
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| Dude, It was open box at Curcuit City man...what do you expect? Oh, and it was a 520...reading comprehension gooood. -h1p |
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Anonymous | Oh that's right HK didn't make his 520. So you are saying anything open box at circuit (notice spelling) city is junk. Even though it was an open box I would still expect it to work for longer than a week. |
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| You mention nothing about the gear you have and are afraid to use a screen name or email address. You are a gnat...swat! I, as I'd guess others feel, have little (no, ZERO) interest in listening to your obviously purile and uninformed opinions. Cya, -h1p *hurry, your afternoon cartoons are almost on...! |
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Phil Krewer | Ladies, I wonder why everyone gets so defensive about their stereo purchases. It's all a mater of opinion anyway. We buy what we bought because for the money we thought it had the best features and sound. It really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. As far as HK is concerned they do seem to have some problems and my receiver should have lasted for more than a week. You'll find numerous complaints especially about their DVD and CD players. Having said that, it didn't stop me from buying a HK FL8380 CD player as an open box, from Circuit City, which had a lot of bad reviews for its mechanical failure. It has never given me any trouble and I'm very happy with it. But all manufactures seem to have trouble. The entire last line from Onkyo had trouble decoding certain dolby sound tracts and the RX-V1 from Yamaha had drop outs in the center channel. I'm sure Denon has had their problems as well. We should all have respect for others opinions. Even if they bought something we wouldn't have. Phil |
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Peter C. | HK is not bad, but have a look at Marantz too. The Denon 3803 is supposedly good (I haven't heard it yet), but is in a different price category. And then of course there is always NAD, they also have some reasonably priced receivers. |
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| Phil, I quite agree and if we all just stuck to facts and were honest in trying help others out with our experiences, than we are all the better. But there's always (at least) one in every group... Thanks for the sanity check, -h1p -h1p |
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Phil Krewer | Yes, The Denon 3803 retails for 1200 and the HK525, Yamaha 2300, and Onkyo SR800 retail for 1000. I was lucky to get mine from Tweeters for 920. You can get them cheaper but Denon will not honor the waranty if its an unauthorized dealer. I've have seen the Denon 1082 at HiFi Buys for 700. The 1082 is equivalent to the 3802. I saw a post about Yamahas and just wanted to let everyone interested know. The RX-V1200 is the same as the HTR-5490 and the RX-V1300 is the same as the HTR-5590. The 1200 and the 5490 are last years models. Thanks h1p Phil |
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| Hi, I know this is a little off of your subject, but I have got a JVC receiver(500W, I think), had it since Christmas, and like it very well. I only had two side speakers on it, and just recently added 6 more speakers, for the surround sound. When I listen to CD's, a movie, etc, it sounds great, but when I have the FM radio on, w/ the surround on, the volume surges, up and down. It will not surge when I only have my 2 side speakers on. Can anybody tell me what I'm doing wrong, or what is happening??? And, let me know, or ask if you need more details, or information. Your help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I can also be contacted at ljschall@jumpgate.net Thanks, Jason |
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Phil Krewer | Jason, I really don't know but you might get more responses if you asked this on a separate thread. My first thought would be looking at what kind of signal your getting from the tuner. If you're getting poor reception your receiver may be switching between surround modes. Phil |
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Cosmo Cruz | I'm looking to buy a new receiver and I've narrowed down my choices to either the Harmon Kardon AVR125 or the Yamaha HTR-5550. Can any of you guys out there tell me which one I should get? |
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| Cosmo, I have had the AVR125 since it first came out and love it. I have recently moved it and the HKTS-6 speakers system upstairs to the bedroom and replaced it with a AVR525 and JBL studio series speakers in the media room. Nothing but quality. Also HK underates power. My AVR125 is cleaner and louder than my older JVC with "125wx5"... And now a note on the C.C. open box. I first puchased a AVR520 before getting the AVR125. It was an open box and gave me trouble from day one. It would cut off after a couple minutes at medium volumes. When I took it back the AVR125 was the same price so I swapped. Why would I give HK another chance?? Simple, I used to sell for a company much like C.C. only ProAudio recording gear and our 1 year old "demo", "kids buggers on it", "Cycled on and off 2 zillion times a day", "left on 24-7" open box models took a full years worth of "retail" abuse before being marked down as an "open Box". I didn't blame HK but C.C. for not testing it out better. To make it worse, C.C. put it back on the floor to sell again!!(Idiots!) If a customer returns an open box and nothing is wrong they don't sell it as open box, they tape it up and sell as new...Open box means it's missing parts from a return or IT"S THE FLOOR MODEL. I have had no troubles what so ever for over a year with my HK. Later, Mike |
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tiger | I brought my HR225 a months ago, I am very happy with it. After I brought my Toshiba HDTV, it was the time to upgrade my Sony DTR525 receiver. Quiet frankly, the first impression about my HR225 was not good, the brown box was wet(UPS guy left it at my front door in a rainy day. The seting was not right at the first time(small/big front speaker). After I got it right and removed the protect film on the front panel. I thought it is worth to pay $370 for this baby. 2 Bose 501 front speakers plus 3 more Bose surround speakers were used for HR225. After replace Sony DTR525 with HR225. I don't even think I need to change my Bose 501,--at least not the near future, which makes my wife happy. One thing I learnt is: The CD player doesn't need to be funcy before you upgrade you amplifier which makes so much difference. |
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J M | I have owned 3 HKs over the years upgrading each time my most recent purchase was an avr 7000 which hands down was the best reciever I've ever owned. It lasted 4 months then was in the shop for 3 more, HK sent me another, it lasted 2 months and has also been in the shop 3. The only bright side to this story is that I have the original hk avr 70 I bought 7 years ago thats working great still in my 7000s absence. |
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| Sometimes, I just walk over to my HK AVR 320 to pet it. I mean even when silent this unit makes a statement. It whispers, "turn me on". For stereo listening it rocks. I have Klipsch SB-1's so I use my Klipsch KSB-10 to add some kick. The 320's bass managment is great. The onscreen display is perfect. The pressure meter in the remote works like a charm (Yes, HK's come with the ability to automatically set volume levels. Its so fast you can change the sweet spot to whatever couch you happen to be on that day!) For DTS, and DD, it rocks. I use minutes 7-10 of Swordfish as my system tester and it rocks. The onboard surround modes are good. But I am a purest. I like the imaging from a well engineered stereo track. It also rocks my SACD player. Be it Lady Day, Satch, or Bob Dylan, the 320 is heaven. The new Dark Side is audio nirvana for those who haven't heard it yet. I have mine coupled with an HK DVD 25, Sony SCD-CE775, Motorola Cable and DTV decoders, Mitsu HD1080 55", Klipsch Synergy System 6, and all monster cabling! To get top performance from your HK unit, pair it with decent speakers. If I didn't get this it would have been a Denon AVR 2802. Anything less would have been uncivilized. Be sure to feed it daily with good movies and good music. Mine likes a little jazz in the afternoon, and a good dose of Bob Dylan on the weekends. |
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A V | what is the real diffrences between the hk avr-525,7200,8000 and are the diffrences really worth the price diffrences and what would be the one to choose (sorry about the spelling long day ) |
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| what I really want to know is: what is the main difference(s) between the 525, 520; 325, 320; and the 225, 220.... and besides its power rating (etc..) and the 500 series having the ability to connect HDTV easier.... what are the major differences between the 525(520) the 325(320) and the 225(220)? ....all these numbers and different models... (which... it seems .. from the front... look the same, anyway).... what is the big difference to charge a max of $999 compared to under $500 or even $370......? |
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GT | Here'a quick breakdown. The 225, 325 and 525 are the current models. The 220, 320 and 520 are last year's (2002) models. 220 vs 225. Both are 5.1 systems. No 7.1 capabilities. I think the 225 has a little more power. No component video switching. Both have on screen display when connecting to TV. 320 vs 325. 320 does 7.1 but only has 5 internal amps. You must hook up an external amp for the other 2 channels. I happened to have an old amp so it was perfect for me. Plus I got mine for $299 from Fry's which was an incredible purchase. 325 has 7 amplified channels, does DD EX and DTS-ES (320 only does DTS-ES, not DD-EX), more bass crossover management features. You can adjust the crossover for each channel. Maybe a couple other small features. Both also have component video switching. You can also program 2 channels for 2nd zone. 320/5 has dual power supplies for front/rear channels. 220/5 doesn't. 520 vs 525. All the features of 320/325. 5 internal amps vs 7 on 525. More power than 32x series. 525 has bass management for 6 & 8 channel inputs for SACD and DVD-Audio. No DD-EX on 520, yes on 525. Both have HDCD decoding which 320, 325 don't. One plus of the 520 vs 525 it that 520 has main-ins and you can assign the internal amps to different channels. For instance, if you have a powerful two channel amp, you can use that for the main L & R channels and reassign the HK's channels to the surround back channels. Not many people would use this but a nice feature. You can also use the 520 as a dedicated amp connecting another pre/pro to it. I think the 225 list for $499, 325 for $799 and 525 for $999. Found a comparison chart of current models here. http://harmankardon.com/product_detail.asp?cat=REC&sType=C&prod=AVR+525# click on Compare All AV Receivers in left column. |
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| thanks for the quick and informative response.... another question: for less than $500 is the JVC RX-8030VBK a better deal? I was looking at this one... do you know anything about it? thanks... |
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GT | Don't know anything about JVC receivers. But I've never heard anyone speak of them in the same breath as HK, Denon, Onkyo or Yamaha. The 7 channel JVC weighs 27 lbs while the 7 channel HK weighs over 40lbs. I'd suspect HK puts better power supplies and amps into their unit. You can get a factory renewed HK325 for $428 from Onecall.com http://ww1.onecall.com/PID_19088.htm HK 525 for $546. http://ww1.onecall.com/PID_19089.htm prices went up, guess they got popular. Used to be $399 for the 325 and $499 for the 525. Factory renewed units carry manufacturers full warranty. I read about many people buying these units on hometheaterforum.com |
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| GT- Damn... there are so many companies with so many models.... I just want to find something that works.... and can incorperate MP3's from the computer...to the speakers and play the xbox...through the tv and the same speakers... ...but I have about a ton of links to a bunch of receivers... and can not decide. I have learned that the HK 525 is really good. but doesnt it only deliver 75 watts to each speaker? ..while the JVC gives like 100.... (but that doesnt even mean the quality is better..) ...and being the novice that I am, I have the money... but I cant find the model!!!! ....... |
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Rich C | I bought the JVC RX-8030VBK based on price v.s specs against Marantz, Yamaha, Onkyo, HK. I have a Yamaha Prologic receiver now on Boston Acoustics. The JVC is very, very bright. I have to say I do not like it and plan to return it. I have only tried it with music CD's, which is the most important test for me. Movies are a distant second, but you've got to have 5.1 or 6.1 today, that is just the way it is. I plan to up the budget for a better receiver, that's why I'm reading everyone's opinion. thanks! |
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GT | JVC's 100 watts aren't close in power to the HK's. HK underrates their power plus they give the ratings with all 5 or 7 channels driven at the same time. JVC is measured with only 2 channels driven. I seriously doubt it measures out at 100 wpc x 7 channels. Get the HK. I'm pretty confident even the 325 at 50watts x 7 is more power than the JVC. Take a look at these chart and you'll see HK amps are more powerful than their listed power while JVC seriously overestimates their receivers. Also notice the distortion levels are higher than advertised. http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3401/ratevsac.htm |
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Anonymous | GT is right with the power rating. I have the HK525 in the 7.1 set-up. I cranket it up to -5db and I thought I was at the local disco. The louder it went the cleaner it sounded. I don't think you will ever get this from a JVC. Buy the HK. As GT put it, even the 325 will be better than the JVC. Note: You need to pair the HK with quality speakers to get the full potential. I'm using NHT and I love them. |
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| sweet... thanks for ALL the info.... now I look at the JVC Compu link... and its a "cute" little idea.. but I think I can handle turning the tv or monitor on by myself... I saw the Harmon Kardon AVR-525 for $700 on amazon.com + shipping(about the only online site that I TRUST....) ...so now.. I have a few questions about the H K AVR-525: I am planning to get the Infinity Entra Five Point HTS 5 speaker, and a sub (which equals 5.1 right?) ...and the AVR-525 is 7.1.... does that even matter? ..it will still work with 5 speakers and a sub? .... I am also planning to add TWO computers (worth of Mp3's) onto the receiver... would that work? or should I just hook up one comp to the receiver...... and what kind of cords would I use to hook up the comp to the receiver... cause the Harmon Kardon AVR-525 doesnt have USB connection... wouls I use a monster cable? ...thanks, SFR |
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| oh look......... the Harman Kardon DAL 150... seems to answer one of my questions.. anyone have anything negative (or positive) to say about it? ... SFR |
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| oh no..... not me again... just read that it only supports Windows Media Player... damn Bill Gates.... ..anyway.... so does that mean only music that is being played on Windows Media Player will work? ...so if your playing games your you have another all in one jukebox on your computer like KanastaCorp's Carlanthano.... these wont work? |
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GT | According to my 320 manual, all you need is a digital out from your sound card that plugs directly into the optical input on the HK. The HK has built in MP3 decoding. The MP3 bitstream indicator will light and audio will begin playing. I don't know what kind of sound card you have or operating system you're using but it might be just a simple connection. p.s. I've never tried this but supposedly it works that way. The manual also states it won't work with a USB or serial output w/o some type of converter such as the DAL 150. Even my cheap Soundblaster Live has a digital out via miniplug to toslink. All you may need is an inexpensive cable. http://www.americas.creative.com/products/product.asp?product=76&category=&maincategory=&nav=spec |
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GT | If you want to go analog, you could just get a stereo mini to rca adapter and use the line out on your soundcard and the RCA line in on your receiver. Then your computer would do all the conversions and not the receiver. |
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| yeah I just bought the AVR 525.... you convinced me! ...thanks for all the help... and when I get it in a few weeks.. I will be sure to come back on and tell you what I think (since I get a 30 day trial period)..... |
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GT | One thing to remember about HK receivers. When you use the EZ set remote feature to set your reference levels, it's only for that one input and one soundfield. For instance, if you configure your TV input for Pro Logic II Cinema, those settings don't necessarily apply for DTS Neo 6, Logic 7 or 5 channel stereo. You need to run the EZ Set remote for every input and every possible sound feature. It takes a while but when you finally get it all configured, it's well worth it. Just be patient. Even Pro Logic II - Music is different than Pro Logic II- Cinema, even on the same input. Just make sure you make all the adjustments. All the tweakability is a great feature, but read the manual carefully. HK doesn't do a great job writing manuals but their equipment is top notch. You can always go to one of the many AV forums if you have questions. Have fun, you bought a great receiver! p.s. there's blue plastic film on the face of the receiver that many people never notice. It's a protective film that you remove once your system is setup. |
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GT | Now that you've made a purchase you're gonna need cables. digital optical, speaker wire, banana plugs, digital coax, component video, s-video, subwoofer, etc. If you want to save big $$$ over Monster cable prices, you can buy AR Pro Series or even Dayton cables for much less. try these two sites. http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?&DID=7&WebPage_ID=40 http://www.accessories4less.com/ |
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| yeah I made sure to leave at least $200 in my budget for cables (lol!).... I bought a KVM switch for my computers.... and have been looking at the monster cables for the speakers etc... ... I will look into theose brands.. thanks! (Im thinking about buying the Infinity Entra Five Point HTS, with the 10" sub.. any thoughts on another set of speakers for around $700-$999?) and do all the cords for each speaker go into the sub ... then the sub goes to the receiver.. or are all the speakers seperatly plugged into the receiver? ..... (gotta learn about this stuff sometime!...) ..thanks again! SFR |
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Anonymous | Congrats on your purchase! Don't run your speakers thru the sub. Connect them directly to the receiver and connect the sub to the receiver sub out. You can do wonders with the 525 bass managemnet and this configuration. Also, it gives you more flex on where you can place your sub. Follow GT recommendation on using EZset for all your inputs. It takes a while, but is's worth it. Enjoy!! |
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Shoe | Guys, Good thread! Just want to confirm the purchase. I replaced my 100 watt JVC with a 45 Watt HK and the HK is far superior! I can crank it up with little to no distortion. The highs are clearer and the lows are more distinct. I like it so much that I'm looking at upgrading to a 525 myself. I look forward to comments by Sportsfan after he plays with his new toy. |
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Anonymous | can you set this H/K 525 so the LFE runs to the main R/L speakers? as I don't run a sub. I am very close to buying this REC it's a toss up right now between the H/K 525 and a Pioneer vsx 45 tx. I like the mic setup that the Pioneer has auto, vs the remote ez set that H/K has. But I have never been a big fan of Pioneer. Also can you run the settings from the REC it's self with out the remote. I have a Yamaha RXV 800 and the remote died on me for no reason, now I can't change the settings they have to be done by remote a new one cost $ 114.00, no way I am going to buy one, when the one I had just stoped working for no reason. |
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| "I look forward to comments by Sportsfan after he plays with his new toy. " I WILL BE SURE TO POST after I play around with it! .... I live in southern California and so the ground shipping should take a few more days.... Im praying UPS doesnt F up the box! ... have never had a problem with them before! (knock on wood...) I still have some questions... but I will wait till the 13th.... thats when I should hopefully be getting the Receiver! I hate asking directions when driving.. so I will see if I can fool around with it myself first...... ...until then.... work and no play..... late |
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GT | If you have no sub and set your front speakers to LARGE, all the bass information will be routed to the front left/right speakers. What? No sub? You'd be amazed by what you're missing, especially if you watch a lot of action DVD movies. Once you get one you'll ask yourself what took so long? I've read very good things about that Pioneer 45tx, never seen or heard it though. They say the auto calibration on the Pioneer is even easier than HK's EZset. As for overall sound vs the HK, I don't know. |
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| WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! ...that is JUST one of many words to describe what I think of the amazing HK AVR-525. HOLY SH!T IT RULES .....are 4 more.. have my computer, tv, monitor, XBOX, and speakers all hooked up, and it was so easy. I didn't even have to read a single thing! (but I will....later...) I am more than happy with my purchase.. and I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE ON THESE BOARDS who helped me with my decision. thank you! late |
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ferrari | sportsfanrule, How did your speakers turn out did you end up going with the entra .5 HTS or what? Im considering the entra .5 HTS and the HK 325, but cannot decide if the 525 is wirth thte extra $ or is the 325 will be enough. thanks ferrari |
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| Help: Anyone can give me an advice how to use the multi-room feature? I have the HK520 downstair connected to my DVD player and a couple of components upstairs. Can the spare remote control used for this purpose receive the signal from the unit downstairs? Thanks |
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| The AVR-525 is a good receiver, but for just a little more you can get the Onkyo Integra DTR-6.3 or 6.4 which in my opinion is a better unit. It is more powerfull and sounds better to me. It also supports ABUS like the HK if you are interested in that. |
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Andrew B | I have a 2-channel amp that is about 15 years old. It is a ROTEL RB-890. Can I use a HK AVR-525 as a surround channel set-up only, while using the ROTEL amp to power my main L-R speakers and my unpowered dual voice coil subwoofer wired in series? I think the amp is stable down to 1 ohm. Will the AVR-525 allow me low level outputs to control the amp? Any help or guidance on this potential setup would be appreciated. Thanks, Andrew |
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GT | Andrew B, Yes, this will work. Plug RCA cable into the HK 525 pre outs and connect to your Rotel amp. You would connect the FL and FR outputs on the HK to your Rotel. Here is a picture of the back panel of the HK. The pre outs are on the bottom left corner. http://harmankardon.com/product_detail.asp?cat=REC&prod=AVR%20525&sType=C As far as the passive sub is concerned. Tell the HK you have no sub. That way all the low (LFE)frequencies will be sent to the L & R main channels, which are now powered by the Rotel. I think this is all you need to do. You may have to recalibrate your speaker levels since you have a more powerful amp. |
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Andrew B | Thank You for your reply GT. It can make things so much easier when someone can ask for opinions and advice, and receive it in a timely manner. Thanks again, Andrew. |
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| anybody know anything about the HK DPR 2001 and how it compares to the HK AVR 7200? |
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T Step | Anyone know what the set up steps for the multi-room configuration on the AVR 525. I have speakers in another room and I just want to use my avr 525 to play music in another room. |
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GT | T Step, It's pretty easy. I have the 325 and the simplest way is to connect your speakers in the other room to the multi room speaker terminals. Those are the same thing as the SBR and SBL speaker jacks. Then you go into OSD under Advanced and turn the multizone on. You can choose whatever input you'd like and there is a separate volume for the multizone speakers. In fact, you can have the main unit on standby/off and just the multiroom speakers running. Hopefully your AVR 525 is connected to a TV so you can use the On Screen Display. It really helps. The manual explains it pretty well. |
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T Step | Thanks GT I still cant get the "B/Multi room" speaker side to come on my HK AVR 525. I changed the 7.1 to 5.1 to free up the two rear speaker (sbl/sbr) for the multi room setup without another amp. I then selected the source=fm and the volume=-25 and still no sound. Any suggestions? And, yes I do have on-screen display capabilities |
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GT | Okay T Step, I just tried it on my 325 and it works. I've got 7.1 speakers hooked up to my system. So make sure you have the remote speakers plugged into the receiver. Follow these steps. 1. Turn on the OSD 2. Select Advanced 3. First line is SB AMPS: SB SP MR SP 4. Toggle to MR SP which is multiroom speakers 5. Go Back to Master Menu 6. Select Multi-Room 7. Toggle to Multi Room ON 7. Choose your source (i.e FM Preset 04 or CD) 8. Adjust the volume accordingly. If you're using the tuner I hope you have set the station presets. If not, try it with the CD Input. The difficulty with this whole thing is you must use the OSD to select all your multiroom settings. The 2nd remote doesn't do anything for multizone if it's the same room as the receiver. And if you want to use the 2nd remote in another room, you must get some IR link connection. Don't know where to find those or how much they cost. With the OSD you can pretty much set up everything. But you must also use OSD to change the 2nd room inputs and volume. Its not real difficult to figure out but I probably oversimplified things by saying its easy. Sorry. How much speaker wire do you have to use to reach your remote speakers? |
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GT | Addendum for you T Step, If you're using a CD or DVD player you must connect the analog outputs to the corresponding RCA inputs on the HK receiver. The multiroom function doesn't recognize digital connections. So just in case you're only using digital optical or digital coax with your DVD and CD players, you gotta connect the L/R outputs too or you won't hear anything. The tuner should always work though. I can now listen to my tuner, TV, VCR, CD, DVD or Minidisc player in the 2nd zone. It's actually pretty cool. |
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T Step | Thanks GT you are great! I talked to HK Support and their fix was to return the opened box purchase to Circuit City, which I did and they gave me a brand new one. When I brought it home I re-tried everything and no luck. Then I re-read the manual and found on pg34 a note in the ADVANCED settings on the OSD under SB Amps. It said I had to change the "Surround Back Amplifiers" (SB SP) to the "Multi-room Speaker Outputs" (MR SP) and Bingo, that did it! I was just getting online to let you know the fix and it appears you already had it figured out, Thx again! P.S. I have four additional rooms with speakers each with about 35 ft of wire. My old Sony Pro Logic receiver powered the additional speakers ok. Do you think 4 sets of small speakers is too much for the HK 525? |
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T Step | Also for GT I cant get my Cable box to play through the receiver in the digital mode. I have my Scientic Atlantic (Cox Cable)connected via "AC-3/out" on the Cable box and into the AVR 525 "Coaxial 2 in" with a coaxial cable. When I select Video 3 or CBL/SAT on the remote and selected Coaxial 2 as the input...no sound. When I connect the RCA jacks and select Analog I can hear sound. Do I have to change some setting on the cable box or call the cable company or is this question even appropriate for this forum? Thank you again for your help on the above! TS |
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GT | Yep, you probably have to connect your CBL/SAT to the video 2 input. Only the video 2 input has automatically polling of the coax and analog inputs. If it doesn't sense anything digitally, it'll automatically check the analog input. First check your cable box setup and see if there is something to turn the AC3 output on. If it is already on then you probably have to switch to video 2 like I said earlier. Every station may not be broadcast in AC3, perhaps only the ones over 100. The lower channels may be analog only. I read this before on another site. HK support is cool to give you another unit. |
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T Step | GT you are right again! How do you know this all stuff? I thank you for your help and knowledge! |
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GT | I read a lot! I do a lot of research before I buy anything. Knowledge is good. |
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Rocks | Ugh! Just bought the 525 and it seems to run pretty damn hot. The first few days I ran it through it's paces and it performed outstanding. Then I came home to find the power off. Wasn't initially sure what that was all about but then a day later I'm watching T.V. at a very low level and it shuts itself off again. This morning I get up and I hear the ventilation fan going on the receiver and the sound level was so low you could hardly hear it so I'm thinking why the hell is the fan going? For the first few days I never heard the fan running no mater how hard I pushed it, now it runs no mater how low the volume. This is my first experience with HK and I don't know what to think. As an earlier poster had mentioned maybe this thing is just light years beyond my capacity to set it up correctly, or maybe it is just prone to overheat. Any thoughts? It's housed in a mahogany entertainment center on the top shelf with about 8 inches clearance above and a glass door to close the cabinet. Is that not enough ventilation? when I go to electronics stores that's what I see, component stacked on component running all day. I watch TV and it's overheating? What gives? |
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GT | I know the HK needs plenty of ventilation because they tend to run hot. My 325 is on top on my entertainment rack with nothing above or blocking the sides. The fan has never turned on and the machine has never shut itself off. If you can, if only for a couple of days take the 525 out of the entertainment center and place it in the open. If that's not possible, remove the glass door and see if it makes a difference. |
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| I had an AVR520 but it kept shutting off at random at low volume levels (-45db) especially when it was cool. After several attempts, they couldn't repair it, so they gave me a new AVR525 under an extended warranty purchase. Two major differences which I noticed are that the "delay" settings are now in feet/meters instead of milliseconds. On the 520, you had to measure your distances from the speakers, then refer to a chart which told you how many ms to enter. I left the plastic protection on the face plate in case i have to take this one back, only had it a week so far. It interferes with the EZ Set, because the remote communicates a lot with the main unit, so had to run it several times. Based on my experience with EZ Set on the 520, I configured as many modes as possible for each input. That way, the EZ Set only had to be done once for each input (twice for my DVD player - once for DTS and again for DD). I set PL2 Music, PL2 Movie, Logic 7 music, Logic 7 cinema for the other inputs. Once a "mode" (i.e. Logic 7 cinema) is set for one input, it maintains that setting for all the other inputs. One nice thing they fixed from the 520 to the 525 was the macro. The 520 pumped out the macro setting from the remote so fast, it got ahead of my TV on-screen menu. The 525 cycles much slower, so that the macros can be used (for example to turn Closed Caption on or off on the TV. One minor drawback is that the Video inputs are at one end of the unit, the audio at the other. So if you have an audio-video cable that is grouped so that it only reaches about 6 inches away, you'll have to split the wires. You need about 15 inches of spread between the video and audio connectors on the same cable. |
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| The exit temperature above the heat sink over my AVR 520 rose to about 38 degrees C while running the FM tuner at -35db. The AVR525 appears to run hotter than that, but I haven't measured it. When new, it actually smells up the whole room from the hot metal/paint. My cabinet has no front on it, 2 inches clearance on each side, and about 10 inches above it. I can feel the heat on my face if I stand in front of the cabinet. I wouldn't even consider installing a door in front of it, it would get too hot when I use a CD or DVD player. Don't rely on what you see in the display cabinets, the speaker setup (large/small and where the bass is routed) makes a difference. If they configured a subwoofer in the store, none of the low frequencies go to any of the 5-7 amps. Based on how long it took me to learn how to configure/use this thing, I'd be surprised if there are many sales staff that know how to set it up properly. |
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GT | I also thought it was weird they moved the video inputs separately from everything else. Maybe to accomodate the fan? I had to pull apart my a/v cable for my VCR. The new unit smell is finally going away on my 325. I guess I can take off the plastic film now. This unit is a keeper. |
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| Hi, I have recently bought the HK 525. It sounded great, the sound was crisp and clean. However, it seems lack of bass for some reason comparing to my old Yamaha Receiver. The bass sounds fine in music but it lacks in movie. I am sure it is the setting of the receiver. Because I am very confident that the bass will sound better when I get it right. I looked in the manual about the speaker settings. I set all my speakers to Large and the Sub to (LFE). Also I don't know what to do with the Sub Cross over. My Setup is : Front: Boston Accoustics (170 W) Centre: JMLab LCR 700 (125 W) Rear: JMLab SR 700 (75 W) Sub: Yamaha SW80 (80 W) (Thinking of changing) Can someone suggest me a setting for speaker and crossover that is both good for musics and movies. Thanks. |
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GT | Keit, set all your speakers to small and let the sub handle the low frequencies. The 525 has triple Xover bass manager so you can set the fronts, center and surrounds to different crossover points depending on their capabilities. You might want to look at a more powerful and bigger sub too. |
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| Thanks GT, I will give it a try and see what happens. I am thinking of buying a new subwoofer anyway. But the lowest crossover frequency for the Sub is 40 Hz, isn't that a bit high for a subwoofer, Because I see most subwoofer goes below the 40 Hz marks. What do you suggest for the crossover for Front, Rear and Centre? Thanks guys |
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Cyberkank | Does anyone knows where Harman Kardon originated? Is it french or USA?? |
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Hawk | Harman International is a US based company that markets Harman/Kardon, JBL, and several other audio brands. The products are built in the Far East, like just about everyone else's products. |
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Anonymous | I just purchased a home theater receiver but my wife wants things simple. 1. Can I leave my receiver on all the time or will it damage it? 2. Can I run the cables in a way to allow me to listen to the TV either through the TV speakers or through the receiver? |
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Hawk | Sounds like you could use a programmable remote, like a Phillips Pronto. They can be set to turn everything on or off and control everything the way you want it. |
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jackiewalks | 1. Can I leave my receiver on all the time or will it damage it? I have never heard of any warranty being disallowed because the customer had the receiver on all the time. I've always left mine turned on all day long, only shut off at night or when I'm away on vacation. In general, electronics last longer if they are cool, so if it runs hot all the time the components may eventually fail. For the receivers I've owned, by the time they fail it's usually time for a technology upgrade anyhow, but most of the failures I've experienced have nothing to do with leaving it on all the time. 2. Can I run the cables in a way to allow me to listen to the TV either through the TV speakers or through the receiver? It depends on the capabilities of the TV. For example, my TV allows me to have the TV audio output on EITHER the TV speakers OR the Receiver, but not both at the same time. One solution you might consider, given the complexity of Home Theater, is to buy a low-priced TV for her to watch while you're not around, and save your "good" TV for the surround stuff. |
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newone | I bought the DAL 150 for MP3 files from my computer to my HK525 and they say to use USB cable from the computer to the DAL 150 and one Digital Coax (RCA)cable from the DAL 150 to the HK525. What input do hook up to on my HK525. I already have a cable box, DVD, CD, Tape, VCR inputs with an assortment of Digital coax,Optical and Analog. I have a free Coax 1 and 3 input available. What input do I associate the Coax 1 or 3 with Video4? By the way when I hooked it up with a Monster Bass cable (for sub woofer) the DAL started smoking. What is up with that? The Stereo store said this cable was ok to use instead of the Digital Coax. |
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TMan | What is meant by crossover? |
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G-Man | Most speakers use "Passive" crossovers which are responsible for taking the full spectrum of frequencies from the amplifier and splitting them to the appropriate portion (tweeter, midrange, woofer, or midrange/woofer combo)of the speaker. They aren't the most efficient devices however, but they do their job. Other than that in Home Theatre set-ups they are used to integrate subwoofers into your surround system. This permits the user to send the lower frequencies (lets say from 100Hz, 80 Hz, or 60 Hz) to the subwoofer,relieving the rest of the speakers from the stress of producing these frequencies. All but the best tower speakers usually benefit from this. And there are a number of tower speakers that have self-amplified woofers, which basically acts as an "Active" crossover. There are other types of crossovers, but these are the main ones. |
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| I bought the AVR525 in Sep03. It has on several ocassions shut down for no reason. It is on a shelf 3-4 ft away from all other components. It is in an open area (free to breathe, nothing on top(. I have tried to reset as indicated in the brochure and this works but after about 2 hours, it shuts down again being more frequent. Should I take it back to Circuit City since it is still under the city advantage protection plan. |
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vic6384 | I've just purchased a AVR520 open box from Circuit Cty, and so far I love it, it perfomrs well with my music, and movies sound superb. (and it was a good deal, at <$400) I have one question though... The reciever will process 7.1, but only contains 5 internal amps. I've hooked the surround back (left and right (6&7)) pre-outs to a seperate two-channel amp, but I hear nothing... Perhaps these pre-outs only work with the 8-channel input selected? Or should they work all the time? (in 7-stereo and logic-7, at least) Tell me what you think, thanks |
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GT | Vic, You've got to go into the On Screen Display setup and tell the 520 you have the surround back channels turned on in the Advanced section. And then select 7.1 in the speaker setup. Sounds like you're using the actual preouts on the 7.1 outputs but there are multi out jacks on the back of the unit. Use those. It's between the subwoofer output and the 6 channel direct inputs. Its all in the manual but may not be very clear. |
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GT | Actually I was wrong Vic. I was thinking of the speaker multiroom/surround outputs on the 325/525. On the 520 you had it connected correctly by using the SBR and SBL pre outs. Just make sure under SURROUND SELECT you have chosen 6.1/7.1 instead of 5.1 which is the default. Then go into speaker settings and make sure SURROUND BACK is set to SMALL instead of NONE. That should be it. If your separate amp is more powerful than the amp in the HK 520, you can also connect to two channel amp to the front preouts and reassign the internal amps to the surround back channels if you wish. That's a little more complicated though. |
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G-Man | If you are having trouble it is always smart to return receiver while under warranty. They will hook it up and see if it is the receiver, the way you hooked it up. or your other equipment. |
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Anonymous | I have Kef Q50's, Q10 surrounds, and Q90 center speakers, all of which are rated at 6 ohms. I am looking to upgrade my old pro-logic receiver and choosing between HK 525 at $599 or Denon 3803 at $700+. Any advice on which receiver to get? |
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| WOW! this is a great thread. I am a complete novice to all of this and am ready to by my very first reciever. I have been reading all of these posts and will definately come back when it's time for me to set up my system. However, I am on a budget and I was looking to only spend upwards of $200 on one. Should i splurge for the AVR525 or is there something else that will be "just fine" for my needs (we'd be hooking up the DVD player, tv, record player, etc to this system) as I don't really know the difference like you other music/techno geeks anyway?  j/k ... |
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G-Man | Jadylane-- Depends what your needs are---how big is your room and is it carpetted, have drapes, etc. An enemy of most sound systems are hardwood floors, tiles with no rugs, and hard surroundings in general. By the way--do you already have speakers or will you be buying them? Speakers and the the speakers interaction with your room (and your hearing abilities) are by far the most important aspects in creating a good sound system. Spend far more on your speakers (particularly in surround) than you do on your receiver. You will be rewarded in sonic enjoyment a hundred-fold more than buying an expensive receiver with similarly priced speakers. The size and acoustic aspects of your room and the efficiency of your speakers will determine the power you require from your receiver. I also generally recommend that one buys speakers listed from 6 to 8 ohms. And if possible buy them with efficiency ratings of at least 88db. 4 ohm speakers are fine, as long as they don't drop much below 4 ohms at any frequency. If they do it limits the receivers you should buy. If your room is small to average (under 450 square feet) you can get great performance from cheaper receivers as long as you buy speakers that are good and easy to drive. If you are going to splurge--splurge on speakers! That said--the HK 525 is a fine receiver for numerous applications. |
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hotrod | has anyone used the HK avr325 to power 4 ohm speakers...can HK's circuitry handle it? |
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hotrod | i am running a set of american acoustics DS1212.the speakers are 44" high towers with two 12"woofers on each side.big speakers with even bigger sound.listened to polk rti8's and a few klipch models,they dont even compare.not sure if the specified 4 ohms for the DS1212's drops much below that or not. do impedance matching speaker selectors really work? |
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