Avice on speakers to match the harman kardon avr 325

 

shaun pilkington
I'm looking to get the harman kardon avr 325. I'm possibly looking at the B&W dm602's for it. Is this a good choice? any other speaker reccomendations for this receiver???
 

Anonymous
Look at the axiom line of speakers, these are great speakers for the price. I have them connected to avr 325 and they sound awsome.
www.axiomaudio.com
 

Hawk
shaun:

I agree with the axiom advice. I would also suggest Klipsch, Monitor Audio and JMlabs. The H/K is a very laid back receiver and you need some speakers with a bit of sparkle to make the system shine.
 

G-Man
So here is a post saying that his 4 ohm Axioms sound great with an HK AVR325. Someone else had a post saying his Axiom's couldn't play well with his HK AVR525. Of course, the room sizes could be very different (and very different room acoustics) and one may have very long wire runs with very thin wire and listens to extremely loud programming---or there could be a problem somewhere in the set-up. Anyway---go figure.
 

Anonymous
Do the Athena speakers have "sparkle?"
 

Hawk
G-Man:

I guess I had forgotten that the Axioms are a 4 ohm speaker. That would make them a bad choice for the H/K.

Anonymous:

Yes, the Athenas are an up-front speaker with a slightly bright top end, so they would also tend to be a good choice to match with a H/K receiver.
 

GT
Only the Axiom M-80 tower is a 4 ohm speaker. The VP-150 center channel is 6ohm and so is the QS-8 surround. The rest of the line is 8 ohms. The HK will handle all of those fine with the possible exception of the M-80.

These are all very efficient speakers with a rating of 90db or higher. So it won't take much to drive them.
 

Anonymous
Thanks, Hawk. So now the question is which HK? Is the AVR 525 plenty for the Athena Audition speakers? Is the AVR 7200 worth the extra bucks or is it too much for those speakers?
 

Hawk
Anon:

I think the 525 is a great match with the Auditions, particularly the AS-F2s, which I think is the best Athena makes. Whether the 7200 is worth the extra bucks over a 525 is a tough question. Too many variables there for me to hazard a guess. However, I don't believe the 7200 is not too much for those speakers. Is your room particularly large? If it is, go for the bigger receiver.

Kudos to GT for setting us all straight on the impedence ratings for the Axiom speakers!
 

Anonymous
The listening area isn't so large, but it is open to other areas, so I'll go with the 7200. Thanks for your help!
 

Anonymous
Any suggestions for a under $400 speaker system for AVR325

Thanks
 

Hawk
I assume you want only a pair of stereo speakers (front mains) for $400? If so, try out a pair of CBM-170s from Ascend Acoustics. The are priced at $328/pr. directly from Ascend. A very good match for the H/K 325 and a great bargain in the process. You can add other speakers to fill out a 5.1 system later from Ascend (CBM-340 center and HTR-200 surrounds) for a very reasonable amount of money later on.
 

Anonymous
I was looking for an entry level surround package. I need a setup more for DVDs and TV than music. I have a small room for now
thanks
 

Anonymous
i suggest you try monitor audio bronze series if you are looking for an affordable speaker that produces great music.
 

GT
Here's a few suggestions for surround packages. Not much out there under $400 for 5 speakers and a sub.

JBL NSP1 w/PB10 sub $370 http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=jblnsp1iipb10k&store=&catid=4150

NSP1 w/PB12 sub $425 http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=jblnsp1iipb12k&store=&catid=4150

AR HC6 $299 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051826218181&skuId=5526399&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03049

Onkyo SKSHT510 $279 http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.jsp?c=1&b=g&catoid=-8023&qp=0023534020236&bookmark=bookmark_11&oid=73035

Onkyo SKShT500 $269 http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.jsp?c=1&b=g&catoid=-8023&qp=0023534020236&bookmark=bookmark_8&oid=54176 Sometimes CC has this as low as $200.

Athena Point 5 $399 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806302315&skuId=5335979&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03049 You'd still need to add a sub.


These are the most common low price packages I see recommended on other audio sites. I haven't heard any of them so you'll need to ask around.
 

Anonymous
GT

Thanks for all the links.
I decided on the Fluance AV-HTB set. I have heard it at a friend's place its very good to my ears.

This is to go with the H/K AVR325Z. Now for a sub........
 

WH
I was set to take Hawk's suggestion and get the CBM-170s to go with my H/K 325. I then read a review that raved about the Paradigm Esprit v.3s, and said that unlike the CBM-170s, the Esprits 1) wouldn't require stands and 2) might not require a subwoofer, so that they would end up being a better deal.

Anybody out there listened to the Paradigms? Any thoughts on how they would match to the H/K 325?
 

Matt
GT, (or anyone, this thread is a little old) what other audio sites are out there?
 

GT
Matt, what are you looking for? Speakers or a receiver?
 

Matt
Actually both, but it seems speakers are much harder to get info on. Thanks
 

GT
Check this site right here. ecoustics.com. Not the discussion board but the review articles. They do reviews on receivers, speakers and everything. There's tons of info and they break it into categories for you.

Try other audio forums.

hometheaterforum.com
avsforum.com
hometheaterspot.com

Look at internet direct speaker companies. Most have 30 day trial offers.
Axiomaudio.com
ascendacoustics.com
av123.com
aperionaudio.com
hometheaterdirect.com

Speaker brands
JBL
NHT
PSB
Paradigm
Energy
Monitor Audio
Polk Audio
Boston Acoustics
Athena
Definitive Technology
B&W
Dahlquist
Mirage
Klipsch
Wharfdale
SVS Subwoofers
HSU Subwoofers
Adire Audio subs

Receiver brands
Harman Kardon
NAD
Sony ES
Rotel
Denon
Kenwood
Onkyo
Yamaha
Pioneer and Elite
Marantz

Etailers
onecall.com
6ave.com
jandr.com
etronics.com
ecost.com
soundcity.com
bestbuy.com
circuitcity.com
goodguys.com


Go to one of the other forums, tell them what you're looking for, how much you're willing to spend, your listening preferences, etc and you'll be overwhelmed with responses.

Most importantly, go listen to the systems yourself. Don't just take somebody's advice. Your ears are the best judge. Compare multiple receivers and speakers head to head. Don't just go to Circuit City, Best Buy and major chains. Find small audio dealers who specialize in hi fi equipment. Find knowledgeable salespeople. Take your own CD's with familiar music.

Wealth of knowledge is out there and you don't have to look too hard to find it.
 

GT
Check this site right here. ecoustics.com. Not the discussion board but the review articles. They do reviews on receivers, speakers and everything. There's tons of info and they break it into categories for you.

Try other audio forums.

hometheaterforum.com
avsforum.com
hometheaterspot.com

Look at internet direct speaker companies. Most have 30 day trial offers.
Axiomaudio.com
ascendacoustics.com
av123.com
aperionaudio.com
hometheaterdirect.com

Speaker brands
JBL
NHT
PSB
Paradigm
Energy
Monitor Audio
Polk Audio
Boston Acoustics
Athena
Definitive Technology
B&W
Dahlquist
Mirage
Klipsch
Wharfdale
SVS Subwoofers
HSU Subwoofers
Adire Audio subs

Receiver brands
Harman Kardon
NAD
Sony ES
Rotel
Denon
Kenwood
Onkyo
Yamaha
Pioneer and Elite
Marantz

Etailers
onecall.com
6ave.com
jandr.com
etronics.com
ecost.com
soundcity.com
bestbuy.com
circuitcity.com
goodguys.com


Go to one of the other forums, tell them what you're looking for, how much you're willing to spend, your listening preferences, etc and you'll be overwhelmed with responses.

Most importantly, go listen to the systems yourself. Don't just take somebody's advice. Your ears are the best judge. Compare multiple receivers and speakers head to head. Don't just go to Circuit City, Best Buy and major chains. Find small audio dealers who specialize in hi fi equipment. Find knowledgeable salespeople. Take your own CD's with familiar music.

Wealth of knowledge is out there and you don't have to look too hard to find it.
 

Matt
GT, Thank you. Very generous of you.
 

Hawk
Matt:

I have often found the website shown below to be very useful. It has links to web sites for most of the audio brands sold in the USA and Canada.

http://www.sarbin.com/av.html

From there, you can look into the products each of these manufacturers is offering.

I hope this helps.
 

hotrod
i am currently running a pair of american acustics DS1212's.here are the specs- freq.response=23Hz-22kHz sensitivity=95dB nom.impedance=4 ohms for power im using a HK 325 rated for 8 ohms.will the high sensitivity at 95dB,s help as far as not overloading the amp and will an external fan help as far as overheating?i love the sound i get with the two active 12"woofers on each side and would like to keep running them.any advice would be great.
 

Jerry
I got this off the Harman Kardon website under frequently asked questions for my receiver:

Question: Can my surround-sound receiver handle a 4-ohm load?
Answer: All Harman Kardon Audio/Video receivers can handle most 4 and 6 ohm speakers on the market today. However, there are some manufacturers' speakers that have a minimum impedance well below the 4 and 6 ohm nominal impedance. In this situation, the receiver will protect itself by going into standby mode. This will not damage the speakers or the electronics, but it is an indication that the speaker in question is not compatible with our receiver. Note: The continued use of the receiver with speakers that cause it to shut down can result in eventual failure of the receiver which is not covered by the warranty.
 

hound dog
Hawk (or anyone else for that matter), what do you mean when you say the 325 is a laid back reciever? Is that a good or bad thing? I have one that I may have to take back? For mostly music should I get the same or would you recommend something else in the $500 range?
 

elitefan
hound dog,
Laid back to me means a smooth mellow sound with an absense of harshness and vocal sibilance. H/K certainly fit this to a T. IMO this is the sound you want to strive for. Much less fatiquing than the bright sound of other brands I could mention. If you have the 325 and like it keep it. Just match it with some nice speakers like Monitor Audio Bronze series and you will have a beautiful sounding mid level system that you will enjoy for years.
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