What's VMAx for HK-3480

[dakayus]

I was looking to buy another receiver, after I gave mine to my parents, so I was debating wether to buy another hk-3380 or an hk-3480. (the other receivers just don't look as cool) The 3480 I believe has the VMAx while the 3380 doesn't. The website basically said it helped to give 3d imaging. Is it worth it to buy the 3480 over the 3380?

[wuzzzer]

The vMax is really not something you'd probably use much or like. It works somewhat decently for live music as it makes the sound be much more dispersed around you. However it kills the imaging of the sound signal and unless you're sitting dead center in the sweet spot it doesn't do any good.

You can probably find the 3480 for $150-$175 on eBay. I did a buy-it-now for $175 and the 3480 was only a couple months old in mint condition with the box, manual, remote, etc. The 120 watts x 2 versus 80 watts x 2 might not be hugely noticeable, but if you're going to have the unit a while you may as well spend just a little more $$ and get the 3480.

I agree with what you say about the coolness factor. HK really did a great job to the cosmetics of the unit!

[tom b. 57]

I have owned an HK3480 since July. I really like it. It seems to perform well and I too like the looks. The VMAx in two channel music listening performs as a really bad loudness control that makes any recording lose what ever imaging (to borrow the word from wuzzer) it has. I believe it is intended to give the illusion of some sort of surround sound when used in conjunction with DVD's. I have not checked this out yet. I am not in to movies a whole lot and a simple tv with stereo speakers built in does the trick for me.

Tom

[Jay481985]

vmax tries and makes the sound into surround sound by throwing the sound everywhere but the direction it was pointed at. I would get the 3480 over the 3380. Also I might be getting a different reciever so I might sell mine, everything is fine except the remote which has a few scratches.

[dakayus]

Actually I'm not sure what I want. I wanted the outlaw receiver but I was reading a bunch of things with the unit that didn't really assure me. I think someone said it bypasses the bass level on your sub and regulates it, itself. I like the bass blowing my doors off. There's other stuff as well, but I don't recall it very well. Also, the NAD looks pretty bad and thus I cannot buy it. I would like the new line of rotels 2.1 but that's a bit much. I actually have an older onkyo (20 years old?) I forgot, but the sound on that unit versus my HK-3380 is pretty big. Much more defined, clearer. The only problem is, there's not sub out (it would be horrible to run the speaker wires to the sub and back to my mains), there's no remote (i'm lazy and I don't want to run to my receiver to change the volume every minute), it's pretty crappy looking. Anyways, when I don't compare the HK directly to the onkyo it doesn't bother me. It's just the upgrade bug that's getting me.

[wuzzzer]

If you already have a 3380, I don't know how much improvement that a 3480 is going to make. You'll have a few more watts and that's about it. As mentioned above the vMax isn't something that's too thrilling to listen to. Going from 3380 to 3480 is going to be pretty much a sideways move.

If you go to a nice Rotel or Outlaw unit I'd say you'd be making a jump up in quality from the HK.

Also, most receivers such as the Outlaw have a mode that you can defeat the bass management from the receiver and allow the sub to do it itself. I'd look into that before ruling that out. Outlaw has a great reputation on here.