Replacing an HK AVR-7300

[MikeGinIllinois]

Hi, everyone.

I've got a Harmon Kardon 7300 that I use to power 6 speakers. My two fronts are Cornwalls, my two surrounds are desktop Klipsch speakers, and my two rears are some Radio Shack desktops I always liked. I've had a lot of drama with this unit. It's a refurb that came from HK back when real people answered the phone in New York. <-: They gave it to me to replace a 7200 I bought on Ebay which needed repair and which I had repaired, unsuccesfully, twice.

The 7300 has given me a lot of joy. A few months ago it started kicking out an intermittent loud buzz. I sent it to Electronics Express, Inc., in West Chicago. They repaired it by replacing capacitors. I got it back and after a short while the buzz was back. I sent it back again and they replaced more capacitors. It's back to me now and it has a constant low buzzzz hummm at moderate listening levels. The repair gal said she knows that and it's the best they can do.

I believe her because I know these 7200's and 7300's are very hard to repair.

So, I'm posting here to ask a couple of questions.

1. Does anyone have a 7200 or 7300 they'd like to sell? I would expect that it would be in good working order since everyone out here tends towards being an audiophile and knows what's what.

2. Can anyone make a suggestion as to a replacement amp? If you know what an HK 7300 and Cornwalls sound like <-: then you know what I'm looking for. It's a very rich sound, not harsh at all, with great presence in all channels. It gets better as it gets louder. I don't want a harsh bright sound - I like that HK rich warm cozy blanket sound with all the detail from the highs, mids, and bass. <-:

3. If money were no object, what would you recommend?

My Cornwalls are pretty old but they are immortal. I have a Yamaha amp I can use which pretty good. It's clear and crisp. For the long term I'd like to either buy a reliable used unit or, maybe, in the future, a new one. I'm thinking a grand or so eventually. Maybe I can get a good 7200 or 7300 on Ebay for $300.00. They pop up some times. I like home theater but it's not my main thing. It's kinda hard to match up an amp with these Cornwalls, ya know? All suggestions welcome!

Thank you!

Mike Gallery

Crystal Lake, IL

[beeker]

1st i will say i understand why your hooked to an hk avr. they are great...from the older2ch or 5ch to the new hdmi 9.2's.

I have had more hk receivers than any other brand and with hk's whenever i had issues it was always my fault. only once did i have one shut down to not be used because of a problem such as what you have here. with other brands of receivers when put into somthing such as protect mode they need to be sent to the manufacturer.

what im getting to is harman kardon is great..from their old models to their new. i would suggest other HK models. unless you find a 7200 or 7300. even the old avr mark25II is awsome and will push cw's great. the old avr markII use to be had on ebay for under 100 w/remote. if i were you i would look for an hk on ebay or craigslist that has specs close to your avr72-7300 including weight of the unit. be sure to get it with a remote...some hk models use other hk remotes. stock or hk remote that works is much easier than aftermarkets(even tho some hk remotes are intermitent when new).

my hk receiver buying has brought me thru so many other brands and back to hk from lightening strikes and burning hk's up to me opening while on and shorting(only took 1 to learn)

try a different hk model w similar specs will surely have good results. good luck

[MikeGinIllinois]

Hi. Thanks for your reply. You understand what HK's and Cornwall's are like. []

I will take your advice and keep an eye out on Ebay or Craigslist. It's hard to find new equipment at stores.

Best Buy has low end equipment and audio stores are going away. We used to have a Barrett's here

but they closed, I guess. There's an ABT Electronics in my area but they have limited stock. I'm reading

that stores are tending to go towards packaged home theater "kits" instead of selling components. If you want to demo

something higher ended you have to order it over the net, I guess. That's one of the reasons I'd like to find something on Ebay.

I do think that it's hard to repair older HK's. One service center didn't want to touch my 7300 saying it was very difficult to fix older HK's.

This other place can't figure out what the problem is so they just replace capacitors hoping that will do it.

It's a difficult time to try and upgrade my setup but that's ok.

I have lots of music in my car and home office and just about everywhere else!

[beeker]

You just stated the current tech guru in the common store we walk in today to a T. truly they have no idea where we are headed and just one of your speakers are simply better than the best ht in a box they offer. and considering martin login now has ht's in a box at BB its incredable to say that but it is true...

I have to explain now as you know the 7300 is the flagship. i used an 8000 and an 8500 for some time in past few years but using amps for my mains is what i find to be best for pushing large klipsch monitors. i ran my cornwall 2's on a denon 1700 then a hk avr525 and stuck with the 525.

You might do as i am doing now and make do with a smaller 30-40lb harman k avr.at full wattage the 7300 is very loud. cw's have a sensitivity of 101db's which will perform very well at lower hk avr wattage. so unless you ran your 7300 at full wattage i would look into anything made by hk at over 65watts per ch..about 75 in stereo. then make sure its 7.1 with its original remote. You will strike one at around $150 quickly. then for your mains consider a cheap older crown xls 202 amp...unless you are satisfied with the output of the model you buy. im just looking at the more bells and whistles the more that can go wrong. smaller hk avr's are incredable, as are the Big 1's such as your 7300...Your 7300 would sell on ebay for 200 as is.

I also must mention to you as a klipsch freind that several of my last hk scores were on craigslist and were spelled wrong such as harmon not harman and were had for $50-75. A great buy i see you could try is the hk avr 520(which needs a second amp to become fully 7.1)although i have bought them for $75shipped on ebay. The avr525 does not need the extra 2ch amp and runs much cooler than the 520. either would push your cw's great. the smaller hk avr's will surprise anybody. they also produce super clean sound as you know...

hope im helping out. im an all the way klipsch w harman kardon forever guy...

[MikeGinIllinois]

Hi. You sure are helping out. I appreciate talking to someone who understands what I've got.

"A great buy i see you could try is the hk avr 520(which needs a second amp to become fully 7.1)although i have bought them for $75shipped on ebay"

Why do you say that the unit below, an AVR 525, needs a second amp to be 7.1? It lists as a 7.1.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harman-Kardon-AVR-525-7-1-Channel-490-Watt-Receiver-MSRP-1199-Surround-Sound-/140972882241?pt=Receivers_Tuners&hash=item20d2a37941

I listen mostly to Netflix, Pandora, and some DVD's on my unit. I've got a 49" CRT tv which I like a lot. <-: I'm not too interested in going flat screen. My living room is nicely shaped for a 7.1 setup. I always told my 7300 "no subwoofer" and "no center" so it output those signals through the Cornwalls. I'm not about super loud music anymore. I know real well what a 7300 can do with Cornwalls. It can shake the windows. Well, no more of that for me. I just like a good sounding theater type of sound.

Does the 525 have that "presence" that the 7300 has? Is it "less quality" than a 7300, would you say?

Thanks for the tip on Harmon vs. Harman. I looked up Harmon on Craigslist and saw a bunch.

Thanks again for talking with me!

Mike Gallery

[Dennie]

Hey Mike, Beeker said the "520" needs a second amp, not the "525".

Dennie

[beeker]

yes thank you dennie. the 525 is good to go will not need a second amp. and the 525 runs cooler than the 520.

i looked at specs of the 7300 although didnt notice if it has hdmi. the newer best buy models from hk that are hdmi are very light and have good power although in comparison to older heavier models i have to say for pushing cornwalls i prefer larger older although other freinds of mine seem happy with the new lighter avr's.

back onto your topic, without a doubt you will be happy with the power of anything with the hk label above 65 wpc, 75 in stereo. only issue possible is in the case you ran your 7300 at 90% or louder consistantly. it is diffenentely worth trying. if you are not happy and get a good deal im in ft. wayne indiana and will buy it from you, seriously. sold my last 525 and now using the 520 and would run the 525 instead and keep the 520 for back up in storage...

I have to say everybody has their own style of reciever although some have not ran an hk. you name the reciever i have ran them from rotel to pioneer. i have a couple rotel 2ch units in storage now but others in comparison and not any are eevn close are marantz then denon. i liked some nad and even carver and technics in 5.1 but when processing surround sound with quality sound and good power i couldnt ever get comfortable till i was running harman kardon. many of my experiences with other brands were also bought nib for anywhere from $600 to $1300 plus tax and maybe shipping. The last dozen avr's i have bought were used local or online, mostly ebay. The 520 i have now i bought for 200 on ebay 3years ago now worth $100 but i wouldnt sell for 250, its not worth the hassle. the 440 i have in my main system i bought for 100 locally and might be worth 150 but i havnt ever even looked it came with both remotes and manual and matches my rack. i would sell it for 250 either just not worth the hassle. i will say running on my fronts on an amp and my fr mains on an amp is a little overkill although i normally only run my main fronts the other 2 fronts are for studio use, personal recording and testing.

cornwalls are some of the easiest speakers to make sound good. if you were not use to the big 7300 i would say any hk avr with about 50wpc. hk watts are very comparable with older 70's 2ch recievers. you could also try a seperate amplifier with your cw's. being that you prefer the strenth of the hk 7300 you would love the clarity of a pro or power amp. the only mod with a pro amp you may need is to cut the fan off. fans are on pro amps because of them being in an enclosed rack with no ventalation. a small crown xls can be had for very cheap..between 100 and 150...although an avr525 would do very well for your situation alone..

[Fish]

HK's are great, get a newer one. I would advise against getting one more than a few years old. While it may sound great it's likely not going to go the distance a newer model would. The feature set on newer ones would be a bonus. Get a 3xxx and an amp for about $6-$800.

[MikeGinIllinois]

I took your advice and just a bought a 525. [] I'll cross my fingers and let you know how it sounds when it comes in.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/140998748812?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

I look forward to sharing my impressions with you. I think I'm going to just sell my 7300 "as is" with the humming.

Thanks! Mike Gallery, Crystal Lake, IL

[Dennie]

Congratulations Mike! [<)]

Keep us posted, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the "525".

Dennie

[MikeGinIllinois]

Continuing my saga I got an AVR 525 in but it was DOA. [:|] Back it went to the Ebay seller.

Meanwhile, yesterday, just for fun, I checked Craigslist for an AVR 7300 and . . found one! A nice guy in Chicago was selling his. He said it was in great shape. We talked, I made an offer of $250.00, and he took it. I brought it home today and it sounds wonderfully wonderfully happily sweet with my two front Cornwalls, my two Klipsch surrounds, and my good ole' Radio Shack rears. <-: Gosh it's nice to have a working AVR 7300 back. This unit sounds like it's brand new. The separation in the channels, the bass on the Cornwalls, the fidelity, depth, dimension and accuracy, oh, well, you know what I'm talkin' about.

It took a looooong time to find an HK AVR 7300 and it was worth the 3 hours of driving I had to do to get to Broadway in Chicago and back here. I'm gonna nurse this 7300 along for as long as I possibly can. They are NOT fixable, as I have learned, so if it ever gets funky I'll tenderly and gently . . . meanwhile, it sounds GREAT!

Thanks for the help!

Mike Gallery

[beeker]

I changed to windows 8 and finally the boss of the forum got me logged on. i found a good working 7000 for 200 and would had bought yer 525 like i said although im glad to hear you got it put together cheers. update so i can hear the happiness now up there?!

[chambers1517]

Funny this thread has come up. I have a HK7200 in perfect condition. I used it with 3 Lascalas across the front and 4 Heresy's around the sides and back. I needed HDMI switching and video scaling in my new room and bought an Integra 70.2. The new room has IB subs and acoustic treatments. The Integra has Audyssey x32 and all the bells and whistles. I moved the 7200 to the living room where i have Klipschorns and run it in 2 channel mode. I was blasting out in the theater one day and moved to the living room and was surprised at how the 2 speakers in the living room sounded better than 7 speakers with an IB sub and lots of treatment. I showed my wife and she smiled and agreed. I was thoroughly disappointed in this. I have used the Integra for 18 months and It died a few weeks ago and is sent out for repair under warranty. I moved the 7200 to the theater and was absolutely amazed at the difference it made. I was so giddy about how the room sounded. Now I have an amazing sounding room with the 7200 but no HDMI switching, which I must have and no video scaling, which I also must have. The Integra meets all my needs but I can't believe that an AVR can sound that different. I would try to sale the Integra which was $2000 and buy a new HK but they don't offer any with scaling so I am really stuck. Klipsch really do love Harmon Kardons.

[beeker]

I heard every word you said. I too have scouted through some integras mostly to use the balanced xlr outs with external amplifiers. Integras are a good product and even though i have not had one fail a freind of mine has had glitches with 2 seperate integras out of stacks. There again i will admit from a - z you name it only user error has took my hk's outta commission and has never been error of an hk unit. To me i also like adcom and find myself calling the hk units the chinese adcoms. They are good comparing power to function as well as durability. Hk just takes the cake. Even the old hk mark 25II's are strong unbeatable avr's. Klipsch plus hk equals great. kudos![]

[MikeGinIllinois]

Yes, I'm real happy with the 7300. And, to boot, I just bought *another* HK. A fellow in Indiana put his 7200 out for sale. We had a nice talk about it, he assured me it was in excellent condition, and it's shipping out to me today. [] I'll either test it and keep it as a spare or, maybe, I'll use it as a pre-amp with my configuration.

Mike!

[beeker]

You cannot lose with an hk. They are an investment. I stand strong with the older models. Using optical and coaxial for digital use. I have a marantz now in my second room to test waters in other realms and its looking like im buying a very high end marantz for testing mostly yet i know i will be standing right back on top of what i have now. When somthing works its just stupid to change it. I do try everything and when i find somthing better i will change but hk is gold. They are hard to find used but when ya do its a no brainer to buy for spare or to build a collection. I have some ties with distributors as well as several busineses to buy at cost although bottom line is hk just pin the feelings we get when good sound is produced. They are great pre amps as well.

[SaucyBossJosh]

On 6/8/2013 at 4:49 AM, MikeGinIllinois said:

Hi, everyone.

I've got a Harmon Kardon 7300 that I use to power 6 speakers. My two fronts are Cornwalls, my two surrounds are desktop Klipsch speakers, and my two rears are some Radio Shack desktops I always liked. I've had a lot of drama with this unit. It's a refurb that came from HK back when real people answered the phone in New York. <-: They gave it to me to replace a 7200 I bought on Ebay which needed repair and which I had repaired, unsuccesfully, twice.

The 7300 has given me a lot of joy. A few months ago it started kicking out an intermittent loud buzz. I sent it to Electronics Express, Inc., in West Chicago. They repaired it by replacing capacitors. I got it back and after a short while the buzz was back. I sent it back again and they replaced more capacitors. It's back to me now and it has a constant low buzzzz hummm at moderate listening levels. The repair gal said she knows that and it's the best they can do.

I believe her because I know these 7200's and 7300's are very hard to repair.

So, I'm posting here to ask a couple of questions.

1. Does anyone have a 7200 or 7300 they'd like to sell? I would expect that it would be in good working order since everyone out here tends towards being an audiophile and knows what's what.

2. Can anyone make a suggestion as to a replacement amp? If you know what an HK 7300 and Cornwalls sound like <-: then you know what I'm looking for. It's a very rich sound, not harsh at all, with great presence in all channels. It gets better as it gets louder. I don't want a harsh bright sound - I like that HK rich warm cozy blanket sound with all the detail from the highs, mids, and bass. <-:

3. If money were no object, what would you recommend?

My Cornwalls are pretty old but they are immortal. I have a Yamaha amp I can use which pretty good. It's clear and crisp. For the long term I'd like to either buy a reliable used unit or, maybe, in the future, a new one. I'm thinking a grand or so eventually. Maybe I can get a good 7200 or 7300 on Ebay for $300.00. They pop up some times. I like home theater but it's not my main thing. It's kinda hard to match up an amp with these Cornwalls, ya know? All suggestions welcome!

Thank you!

Mike Gallery

Crystal Lake, IL

So i do have a HK7300, i actually just carefully cleaned her out lastnight, not sure if you ever ended up replacing the HK you have or if your still on the hunt so let me know, i have this extra email address that's kinda an internet burner email Addy but I'll check it periodically to see if you happen to message me back,

destroythemachine@msn.com

I'm wondering what are you looking to pay? The condition of this one is very good, i have plenty of photos i can show you, and as you may imagine it has been well taken care of, now it's used as more of a pre amp in a custom filtered and cooled cabnet i had made/been modifying myself meanwhile my amps and extra reciever do the grunt work, anyways get back to me if you can and we can talk business and i can answer any questions you may have

 

-josh

[CECAA850]

Josh the post you replied to was over 6 years old.