This receiver is a steal for the money. Absolutely nothing comes close for a pro-logic receiver in this price range. I chose this receiver over the other higher H/K offerings such as the AVR80MKII and the AVR70. If you look at the spec's power rating might be higher but the ouput in amps for the 25 is +40 amps, +30 for the 80 and +25 for the 70 and the bandwith is much higher with the 25. Also they are built in different factories and I believe the 25 is better built. With Infinity Compositions Overture 3's for the main fronts, PSB Alphas for the rears and a PSB C-100 for the centre this receiver kicks ass. If I had to upgrade - only to a H/K AVR85. If anybody is using these reviews for reference it should be noted that this receiver shouldn't be in the hall of shame since there are about 7 or 8 reviews with no rating. It should be in the hall of fame.

Let me begin by saying that I made a great choice in buying HK AVR 25 II. I had first auditioned the AVR 20 model, but found it lacking in what I was looking for. Switching to the AVR 25 II was a better move. It is good for both music and home theater. Very few receivers can do that.
The receiver has everything I wanted--phono output; two front speakers; pre-outs for all five channels and subwoofer in case I wanted to upgrade to outboard amps and enough inputs for all the gears I may want to purchase in the future. In the near future I may buy a Dolby Digital decoder and find a way to hook it up. Another feature that some may like or not is a direct input that bypasses all tone controls. Everything is conneted with Monster cables and Radio Shack 12 gauge speaker wire.

The sound is excellent. The mids are crisp, treble high and bass plentiful. It is not a powerhouse. It will not go to ear splitting level without strain. A subwoofer is needed to augment the bottom end.

Unfortunately, I paid full price for it and Harman Kardon has discontinued the model. Had I known that, I would have waited and gotten a bargain. If you're in the market for a receiver and not looking for Dolby Digital give it an audition, you won't be disappointed. Is it the best? No, but you'd have to pay a lot more to get better sound.

My system consists of:
Thorens MK 280 with a Grado cartridge
Harman Kardon FL 8450 CD player
Toshiba 32" TV
Cambridge SoundWorks Ensemble speakers
Hsu Research subwoofer
RCA VCR

Since I had it, it has not given me any problems. I have played this unit for long hours and even though the unit get very hot, it never shut down.

I've worked at circuit city for about two years, tested and tinkered with every reciever we have and can say withouthesitation that the AVR25MKII is the best performing reciever i've owned. I mostly listen in stereo mode and occasionally entertain in pro logic. I am currently saving up for the HK signature 2.0 and 2.1 amp/preamp combo. For all of those looking to upgrade to digital and not go seperates the AVR55 and 85 are a good purchase for some reason HK decided not to go with a B channel though so if you want to run another set of speakers youll have to do a switchbox. If you like alot of dsp modes,bells,whistles etc. look at the onkyo line 747, 838 they are a good buy
if anyone has any questions feel free to ask me montaro@webtv.net. one more thing i've seen some bad reviews on the fl8300 cd player well i've had one for two years, works great, sounds great

Just wanted to stop in and comment on how much I like my reciever. I've had it for a few months now and have been extremely happy with it. The HK is very musical, very clean, with a lot of detail and punch. The 75w stereo rating has got to be a joke, this thing is a beast when it comes to power. I have done extensive listening tests between the HK and Denon's DRA-375 and DRA-775 and the HK clearly was better than either, sounding less muddled and just more enjoyable. I only paid $350, and at that price nothing, and I mean nothing, else can compare. This is a great unit, if you can get one while (if) they're still around do so - you won't regret it.
VMS

Let me just say, right away, that this is a fabulous receiver! It has the same harman quality all the way.I have tried several of other receivers in this pricerange and the Avr 25 mkII was my absolute favourite. It playes well both in cinema and stereo mode. Some speakers may sound a bit "metallic" on it. I would have preferred speakers wich sound a bit soft in order not to get ear-problems. I would still have had this receiver today if it would have had a 6 ch.input.I insted bought the AVR 80 wich lies in a whole different pricerange.My overall rating must be a full-five-star!!

this is an excellent receiver for the $$$!!! this is in response to all who are wondering if one can get Dolby Digital 5.1 out of this receiver...YES, it is possible!!! how do i know? because i have the h/k adp303 Dolby Digital processor hooked up to my h/k avr25mkII. the hookup is straightforward BUT one must also have an external 5-channel power amp in addition to the processor...i have the h/k pa5800. email me if you would like a better description. while it is true one could purchase a newer h/k DD receiver, or other brand DD receiver, for less money than my setup, it is very unlikely that it would sound better than my setup! i'm very pleased with the sound. the only drawback in my setup is i have to use the volume control on the h/k adp303 DD processor when watching DVD's in DD and it doesn't have a remote control. the processor can be bypassed when using cd's or the tuner and then you can use the avr25mkII's remote control. i haven't heard an "all-in-one" DD receiver for less than $2000 that appeals to me more than my setup. awesome receiver!!! the new ones don't compare...

I purchased the AVR25 MKII last year for about $800 Canadian. I did a lot of research before buying. The HK A/V receivers came out on top in the music category in comparison tests with other A/V receivers. Although the lack of Dolby Digital is inconvenient I don't mind because 100% of the time I use it for music. I like the look and the sound. I haven't had the need to set the volume control past the 9:00 position. I have a set of B&W DM302 speakers along with a Sony CDP-XE300 cd player. A very detailed, clean, powerful and accurate sound. Will probably upgrade to Dolby Digital in about 3-5 years when standards are more established. If I buy a DD now who knows what new improved format or feature will be out there in 3-5 years. Does anyone know if there is a way to add a DD processor to the AVR25 MKII? (Personally, I don't think so). Was going to rate this 4 stars for it's lack of DD but this IS a pro-logic receiver.
Currently looking for a tape deck to complement my system. Any opinions on the Yamaha, Sony, or Pioneer tape decks?

Good for the price, nice styling, decent pre-amplifer section; but a bit congested. Spirng clips for the surround terminals suck. I've sold mine, and decided to forgo home theater, but I'm going to give it one more chance with Parasound seperates, Toshiba DVD player, Pioneer laserdisc player, Sony V-series monitior, and NHT VT 1.2 (anybody heard em'? pair em with nice electronics, and they'll purr!!) system. I don't mean to be a snot--I realize that everyone's got a budget. But shop around, seperates are worth it (AC-3 upgrades aren't going to be a problem for me.) Remember, you get what you pay for.

I just saw an ad for ADCOM about their Dolby Digital Processor for Dolby Pro Logic systems. From what I understand, this unit will allow people with DPL systems to have Dolby Digital processing capabilities. Check with ADCOM for more details.

I bought my H/K AVR 25II just about a month ago through an online resaler for $250. When I got it home I couldn't wait to unpackage it, hook it up and take it for a test drive. I had heard HarmanKardon products before and knew that they produced some impressive and very high quality equipment, so I bought the unit without having ever heard it trusting the name. When I got it home and hooked it up for the first time I was literally blown away! I don't know what my speakers were doing before, but now they are making music! The sound is absolutly incredible, and I am EXTREMLY happy with it. My only dissapointment is that there is no Dolby Digital support built in, but I can live with that. Reading these reviews I see that there is a way... I can't wait to give it a try! This reciever has instantly made my not only loyal to H/K, but a major fan as well. Last week I went ahead and ordered the H/K fl8300 cd player for $80, through the same place I got the reciever to accompany my AVR25II. It has not arrived yet, but I am very eagerly anticipating its arrival. It's great to read such good reviews about this reciever, I know that I am not alone loving this great piece of equipment!