Juba310 Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 Hello, In the following months I am going to be saving up some cash to buy some speakers and a reciver. I have allready decided I am going to get RF-3II's for my front speakers...and im still deciding whether to get a centerchannel or a SVS sub instead. In the future I plan to add rear speakers for a 5.1 sytem. What I'm wondering, is what reciever I should purchase. I have heard that the Harman Kardon recivers complement klipsch speakers very well. Is this true? Or is there another brand I should look into? What I am going to be using my speakers for most is music, I'd say 75% music 25% DVD/movies. My budget for a reciever is going to be around 300 dollars. Two models that have taken my interest are the Harman Kardon AVR 125 and AVR-225. What is the main difference between the two? Will these work well with the RF-3IIs? Does anyone here that owns any of these particular models have any input? Thanks, your help is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juba310 Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juba310 Posted January 27, 2003 Author Share Posted January 27, 2003 No one wants to answer me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b-man1 Posted January 27, 2003 Share Posted January 27, 2003 the key is to go play with them at your local dealer(s) and see what you like. stick with the big names (H/K, Denon, Yamaha, Marantz) and you can't really go wrong IMHO. some of the best advice i've learned on these forums is to OVERBUY on the speakers...and backfill from there. .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 ---------------- On 1/27/2003 3:22:53 PM Juba310 wrote: No one wants to answer me ---------------- Sorry man, it's not that I have not wanted to answer you, but rather, I don't have any knowledge of the receivers your talking about buying. But I will tell you this. If you can at all save a few hundred dollars more, you should get the Harman Kardon AVR-520... It's what I have now and it is a work horse that will not let you down. It had a wonderful sound with the Klipsch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 Since you do not have anything yet, I would suggest that you find some used Klipsch heritage speakers. These are often very good bargains because people dont like their size or looks or both (neither of which is important when you want to enjoy the music). Next, I would find some used receivers, at a place where you can take them back. For less than $100, you can find some great two-channel receivers from yesterday (look for heft) that rival the cheap flimsy crap they are foisting on us today. After that, I would budget about the same amount for a powerful subwoofer. In my opinion, a powerful sub, without a lot of EQ or volume, does more for both music and movies than the bells and whistles of side effects from multi-channel; sound. Amongst name brand new receivers, Denon seems to have the better name here. Harmon-Kardon is only coming up lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 ---------------- On 1/28/2003 11:01:34 AM Colin wrote: Harmon-Kardon is only coming up lately. ---------------- That may be so, but it's comming up and comming on strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manufanatic Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 Interesting observation Denon Vs Harmon truth be told Harmon was always considered amongst the elite until they went main stream and quite honestly started producing less the quality gear. Denon is now heading down the same road. HK now is on par with Denon with the exception of its flagship Denon now has at least 3 or 4 models that has what the 8000 has on it or vastly more. Of course you can get the 8000 for less then those DENONS. I have a Yamaha and they to have gone down this road in the past few years. Their top stuff is still great but some of their low end stuff really sucks. Can you go wrong with HK or DENON prob not just make sure you buy it from a reputable dealer (authourized) and of course listen to both. Your ears will guide you my friend So endeth the lesson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juba310 Posted January 28, 2003 Author Share Posted January 28, 2003 Ok guys, thanks for the input, I appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnumMan Posted January 29, 2003 Share Posted January 29, 2003 I agree with Moon on this. Pay extra for some added features. You say you are using it more for music,so make sure it has 6 channel input for DVD-Audio or SACD. Which I believe the 520 does. Without looking at the specs,i can't remember what the differences are. I have hooked up both models for friends and think they are very good pieces. I also agree that for awhile,that HK went a bit mainstream. But think they are trying to get back to what they are noted for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted January 29, 2003 Share Posted January 29, 2003 www.onecall.com has the Harman Kardon AVR520 right now for $488.80 and I do believe they are a authorized dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip marr Posted January 30, 2003 Share Posted January 30, 2003 HK with out a doubt. I had HK in college and picked them for their wide bandwidth, reserve power (headroom), good square wave sign, good rise and slew rates, and overall sound. I've had Yamaha (no thanks) and went back to HK. Had the opportunity to compare to Denon (HK by a landslide), Adcom (HK by an edge), Rotel (HK less money but close), Onkyo (HK by far)...so I would consider HK. However, I have heard a lot of good things about Pioneer Elite (45 model). Marantz is not there yet - too many problems via a friends nightmare ownership. He is trying to trade for an HK. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted January 31, 2003 Share Posted January 31, 2003 You know, enough "bells and whistles" have been added since DD/DTS receivers hit the shelves, that lots of folks are upgrading, making used units (like the Denon AVR-3300 that I use) an attractive option. I've had zero problems with this receiver. It might be a good way to go, with a tight budget. fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.