SOUND,quailty and remote.

none

After reading some of these reviews i`m waiting for it to blow up any minute. I saw where one guy names robert from NJ bought a used one for 300 from u-bid and was not happy with it. Never buy refurbished. There is a reason it was returned in the first place. I paid 359 for mine and I could not believe how clear and crisp the sound. Finally I have a remote that accually works every other piece Ihave...TV,CD,DVD,DSS,VCR One REMOTE...to me that was worth 300 all by itself.

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Denon

fantastic clear sound, easy to set, if you read the manual, and follow the instructions on setup.

lack of dd outputs.

When I went to buy a reciver I was looking at a sony or kenwood. In all cases this unit out preformed units costing twice as much. I run Kliptch kg4's as main speakers, and Bose for ss,center and a Infinity sub. The sound level problem between the dsp selections is just a mater of setting the output levels on the speakers PER the dsp being used. The people that report this problem #1 can't read the manual or #2 they don't understand dsp filtering. Of course there is a output differance between prologic and hall#1 or stero3 and direct. If a person will take the time and twek the dsp selections, one at a time you can get the same volume across the board, the unit holds all settings.
I would buy this unit again at the drop of a hat... my thanks to HK for another good product.

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went expecting to spend $1000 for a yamaha or sony.

Great Remote, Handsome Design & Easy to Use

Faulty Manufacturing/Not a Reliable Unit

Do not purchase this unit. When it works it is a fine, powerful receiver. Two weeks after my purchase, the unit had to be replaced due to a rear channel malfunction. Two weeks after the manufacturer's (2 yr.) warranty expired, guess what? 2 out of the 3 processors on the main circuit board went out. It is now lttle more than a very expensive paperweight. Luckily, my extended warranty is being honored and I get to purchase another receiver -- guess what I WON'T be buying?

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Sansui & Sony

never had a chance to know

this reciever doe's not work

I just recieved this unit on2/28. Had no problems hooking this unit up. Played at a low level for about 10 min and the speakers started recieving a "bong" noise every 5 sec, this only happens in any of the surround modes, not in the bypass mode. Now I have to send it 200 miles away to get servised (closest authorized center) at my expense for the shipping. Very dissapointed with H/K AND WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER PRODUCT FROM H/K or UBID again.

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Kenwood

Value for the money, looks, decent sound, preouts, speaker terminals

No DTS, no component/S-video switching, universal remote control *too* universal

I wanted to upgrade my pure stereo system (NAD C350 amp, NAD C541 CD player, Audioquest Topaz interconnects, Mission m73 floorstanders, Audioquest Type 4 cable) to home theatre sound to use it with my video setup (JVC 27" flat screen 802 monitor, Sony 560 DVD player and Sony 70 VCR with various IXOS and Audioquest interconnects.)

Since I already had a perfectly fine 2-channel amp and front speakers, I figured I'd get the cheapest decent A/V receiver with preouts (to run front channels through NAD tape loop) and more-or-less-matching Mission centre and surrounds.

I got AVR45 and aforementioned Missions (from older, 70 series) at UBid, added some entry-level IXOS cables, and viola --- the whole upgrade for less than $400.

I was worried about refurbished AVR45's reliability, but for $150 who cares. Besides, it came with 2-years warranty through HK.

This is my 2nd ("bedroom") system, and I guess I just never run it loud enough to provoke any potential HK-trademark overheating problems.

Again, I don't use OEM cables so I never had any TV RF problems, either (so far, anyway.)

The build is 4/5 for this price range.

The looks are 5/5, HKs are perhaps the best-looking AVRs out there.

Features are 3/5 (no DTS, limited video switching.)

Ergonomics --- 4/5. The remote is very flexible and well-made, but that particular generic remote model is made in Korea for *hundreds* of various separates, and therefore the layout is somewhat less than intuitive for this particular receiver. Once you learn it it's fine, though.

Reliability --- well, we'll see. I can only say that for a refurbished product this thing was *extremely* well-packed, labeled and stocked (batteries included :-) Much more so, in fact, than most *new* Sony or NAD separates.

Finally, and most importantly, sound.

In stereo --- no great shakes (certainly no match for NAD C350). 2/5, perhaps.

In ProLogic --- very good, 4/5(compared to some other entry-to-mid-level AVRs I've auditioned.) Ditto Dolby Digital.

All in all, I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good value in entry-level home theatre, *especially* if you need preouts.

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Nothing with preouts in this price range, really

music quality (when it is working Properly) Backlit remote

sound quality (when it's not working properly)

Well I guess I wasn't imagining it! I also had my avr 45 crank up to FULL volume by itself. I thought my speakers were toast. Then it gets so hot that it stops working completely. It cut out - then on - then out again. It would only reset after turning the "real" power button off and on again. Then after about 10 minutes at fairly low volume, it would start to die again, sounding like an old AM pocket radio. I was so disappointed by this receiver, I just Thanked God that it happened on the 28th day (and not on the 31st) so that I could get a complete refund. It is unfortunate because H/K was a brand I thought I could trust to put out consistently quality products. A buddy of mine swears by Onkyo, maybe they have solved the hum and hiss problems in the 676 and 777. or Maybe Denon...or Yamaha..
**shrug** When this unit was working it had power to spare and the sound was very warm, great imaging too. I too did not care about no DTS (DIVX, BETA anyone). One optical input (should be at least 2) and no phono?? I could overlook those shortcomings...until this unit crapped out on me. Now I just have a tangle of wires waiting for a new DD reveiver..Guess all the DVD's I got for Christmas will have to wait. and the SIZE of this unit is unreal, it won't fit just anywhere. You will need some depth for this puppy.

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Newcastle, Onkyo, Sony(yuck)

Best sound I have heard in this price range.

I don't have enough time to listen as often as I would like to.

This is the best low priced reciever I could find.It brings a smile to my face every time I hear it.I can actually hear details in music I never thought I would hear.I am definitely a harman kardon fan for life!

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Onkyo 575(problem after problem)Sony(sounded decent but not great)

The name

Quality, no phono, no svhs, that horrible humm from center channel

I would have to say I am thoroughly disappointed with the HK product. After talking to several Audio Specialist, I decided to purch the AVR45. I was told that they are the "leader" in providing quality audio equipment. Boy was I taken for a ride. My Sony Pro Logic receiver sounded better than this piece of garbage. The first unit I purchased didn't even power up!!! Okay so I gave it the benefit of the doubt and exchanged for another. I was able to set this one up with no problem, but I keep getting this noticable humm and hiss from the center channel, tried everything to correct this but to no avail. 3 weeks later I was watching the Matrix one evening, and all of a sudden the volume cranked all the way full by "itself".. No I was not dreaming nor hallucinating. A few days later the same thing happened when I was listening to a CD... That was the last straw... I returned the piece of JUNK... since then I purchased a Denon AVR 2800. I have been using this for about 2 months and would have to say I am very pleased with the product...Those people at HK had better get their act together... If I had only known about this site prior to purchasing the HK product I would have never considered any product after reading some of the reviews... 2 for value $$$... 1 for overall crap...

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Toshiba DVD, Echostar satellite, Sony 36 Wega, Infinity CC2 CC, B&W monitors, M&K Sub

Clean, beautiful sound; Simple but powerful controls

Too few digital inputs; no DTS support

The AVR-45 is an older model which has been replaced by the newer line of HK receivers (I believe the new equivalent of the 45 is the AVR-300). Because it's not the newest technology, you can usually find good deals on it. I got mine at Fry's Electronics (a California chain) for $399.

The sound is every bit as good as I've come to expect from HK products. I'm not an audiophile but I can say it sounds GOOD. The receiver does a good job of upmixing stereo and ProLogic signals for 5-channel output. The ability to vary output to each speaker by +/- 10dB, as well as the standard large/small selection for each speaker, will keep tinkerers happy. Although there is only one optical input and one SP/DIF input, they can be assigned to any of the receiver's "modes"--my optical-in is assigned to the DVD mode, for example, and my SP/DIF input is assigned to the CD mode.

The universal remote is not very intuitive, but it supports a great range of other devices and the entire thing lights up for easy use in the dark. I was able to play with every aspect of the receiver's operation without ever touching the manual.

Overall, I am extremely satisfied with my purchase. This receiver will keep me happy for at least 5 years, possibly more if DTS fails to become popular. Combined with my Bose Acoustimass speakers (properly positioned and oriented), it's the best-sounding system I've ever had the privilege to hear outside of a stereo shop.

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Harman Kardon stereo receivers; Technics receivers

Don't be fooled by the power numbers. This thing will go loud and delivers fantastic sound at high volume. Despite what some other guy said, the buttons and knobs do not feel cheap. The unit is solidly built and it is just fantasic to use. It should easily be a receiver that if you are looking for something in the price range, you at least test out. I'd say "buy it" but you may have different tatses than me so I can only say "check it out".