Features, Sound Quality

Reliability

For the price I paid ($620) through an online retailer (Uncles)I am very happy with this receiver- for the most part. It has about every feature you would want in a Home Theater Receiver. 6 channel inputs, DTS, multiple surround modes, a Logic 7 surround mode for music, 2 digital coax inputs and 2 optical inputs, programmable macros on the remote, etc...

The biggest downfall of this receiver is reliability. I had mine for about 1 1/2 weeks when the surround modes began to fail. Certain speakers would become silent in certain surround modes. I checked all my settings and reset the system to no avail. The good thing is that the retailer had me send the old one back and is sending me a new one, versus trying to have it repaired. I was told that Harman Kardon just replaces faulty units with a new for the first few months. This seems like a very good policy to make good on their name.

As far as the video problems posted by previous reviewers, I have seen these as well. But the problem happens whether I route video through the HK500 or not. So in my case the HK is not to blame. I have Direct TV with a Hughes box. The symptoms: video frames freezes up for a second, sometimes the video gets scrambled for a second, multiple times a day. My guess is that it's due to the satellite signal or the Hughes box needs to warm up (?!).

The OSD is akward, but gets the job done. Maybe one way to look at it is that HK spent $$ on the reciever and not the user interface. Ditto with the remote. Not the best, but I am very relieved that I can use ONE remote instead of FIVE.

In short, this is a good sounding receiver with all the current bells and whistles for the price. Home theater is incredible, Surround off mode provides clean and clear power with good imaging, and Logic 7 for Music surround mode sounds way cool on some cd's and not so hot on others.


Kevin

PLEASE NOTE- I WOULD GIVE THIS RECEIVER 4 STARS IN TERMS OF OVERALL RATING BECAUSE OF MY PROBLEMS I HAD WITH IT BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE FIVE TO MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THE SCREWBALL REVIEWS BELOW....

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Yamaha RX595, Sony STRAV910, Denon 2800 & 3300

Overall sound quality, DD 5.1 and DTS are great, Logic 7 and amplifier

Reliability

I've had this unit for over a month now, and I must say that it sounds absolutley amazing in DD, DTS and Logic 7 modes. But I've just recently started to notice a problem with the DTS mode. When I was watching The Bone Collector in DTS I experienced a static buzzing in one of the speaker channels. It just happened all of a sudden. A really awful sound, it was like someone was trying to change a radio station and the static sound. So I stopped the movie and started it again and it seemed to be fine. Then a couple of mintes later it happened again but the static noise was now coming out of three speakers. I stopped it again and started it and after a few more minutes the same thing happend. This happened the first time when I was watching Bowfinger in DTS. I thought it was just a freak occurance but it happend with The Bone Collector also. I never experienced this with The Eagles Hell Freezes over concert before so I'm not sure if its the Movies or the System. If anyone else has exprienced this problem, Email me. It kind of sucks that such a great sounding system could have these flaws in it. Especially with the price tag it has. If this happens again. This system is going back. Other than this problem the system sounds great. This static thing never happens when I'm using DD 5.1. So I'm thinking that makybe it's a faulty DTS decoder.

Good performance

Serious reliability problem(s)

Like the few March 2000 reviews just before mine, I'd like to express my experience with the volume fluctuations. With the level set at about -30dB or so, the volume would fluctuate by +/- 25dB at random times when watching DVDs or listenting to CDs. This has happened many times since I've owned it, and I have called the retailer (OneCall.com) about it. They said to take up the issue with Harman, which I did. The phone rep said that this is a known problem, and that their policy is to just give the customer a replacement. I've sent the unit to Harman and am currently waiting for them to "finish the paperwork" and send me the replacement. Currently, I've got a big hole in my set up where AVR used to be.

To all those with this volume problem, call Harman IMMEDIATELY at 800-645-7484. They should offer to replace your unit for free. Also, when you speak to them, be assertive and have them pay for the shipping cost of sending in your faulty unit.

Other than this, I am happy with its performance. I bought it from Onecall.com along with the Atlantic Technology Compact Theater 2 speakers. I also bought a Panasonic DVDC220 5-disc DVD changer from ubid.com. This whole system is great, as long as the AVR500 behaves itself.

By the way, I too have heard the clicking in the surrounds when adjusting the volume level. I don't consider this a big deal because I only set the volume once and leave it. Then again, for $630 ($800 retail), this kind of stuff shouldn't be happening, should it?

I'm giving the AVR500 a low rating because of the volume problem -- this is just unacceptable. After I receive the replacement and am confident that it works properly, I'll post another review with more stars to bump up the average.

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None, I've just put together my home theater system

Sound Quality, Features

Reliablity

This is follow-up to my earlier posting. To all of you who are having volume flucuation problems, Harman Kardon has just e-mailed me that they just found a defective part (I think the digital control chip) in the volume control. Call 1-800-422-8027 and follow the prompts to find a service center and ask them to replace part# J32612050102. Of course under warranty. Hope this helps. My unit has only done it once in 5 weeks, but I'm still getting mine fixed because I love this reciever!

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Yamaha

Sounds good in any mode except DTS

bad DTS decoder

I now have to say to avoid Harmon/Kardon. Bad quality control, bad customer service, and terrible authorized repair centers (GEIS A/V in Greenville,OH and Electrasound in Columbus, OH). I have been w/o my CD changer 8350 since august with a faulty "Pick up Assembly" part, and for a month w/o my AVR 500 receiver for 1 month due to a faulty DTS decoder chip. I may get my replacement CD player next week!

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`

Clean, warm sound. Lots of power.

Remote is terrible
No A-B outputs
Not sub crossover setting

I have not had one single problem with the AVR-500 that everyone else has mentioned. (probably until I get home after writing this review-jinx!) Except the clicking when volume changing, but I don't find that annoying.
I went to a local dealer and messed with the volume knob there and reproduced the weird volume spikes by tweaking the know off axis as I adjusted it. I noticed there was a lot of play with the display model, that mine does not show. My volume know is rock solid, may be the "improved design" however.
It has great power,warm sound and good looks. I would probably not buy it for the $800+ that circuit city was selling for at the time, as I cannot afford a $800 receiver, or prabably bought it with all of the negative reviews that it has got received as far as build quality.
But as time passes I am more and more delighted with its performance and looks.

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Technics

Great product provided by a great company. Sweet smooth sound and easy to operate.(I love the remote)

No A-B switch

I've never been more happy with a receiver. The Harmon International company alway does what needs to be done to provide a great product. Infinity, JBL, Harmon Kardon always have great sounding product that is super-dependable. I've just recently purchased some Infinity IL50 speakers from Circuit City, (who gave me great service and knowledgeable staff) that I have buy wired and am also running IL10 for my rears and the most prominent Infinity ILS25 center channel. All in all the system wouldnt sound close to the same with my old Onkyo txds575; which I'm not knocking but just doesnt give me the smoothness that my avr500 kicks out. My overall opinion of the receiver is that its a great product for a great value.

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Onkyo txds575

This is just clarify something. I am pretty sure I bought the AVR 500 because on the front of the receiver, it says AVR 500... hang on let me go check on that again....... Yep it says 500.

Yeah a paid a little over $400 for it because I do research and shop around before buying something for retail. If you shpped around too you could find the deals as well.

power and more power, clean audio,

none ***** this my #3 avr 500. i wanted tobuy a open box 510 but could not find one so i said i will try his receive for the 3RD time

ihave bought 3 avr 500's the last 2 i had problem's of allkind's s i really was looking for a AVR 510 OPEN BOX BUT COULD NOT FIND ONE , JUST SOMETHING TO USE UNTIL I BUY A LEXICON DC 2 OR SOMETHING LKE THE CARVER 1000. .I WAS EXPECTING TOHAVE THE SMAE PROBLEM'SBUT SO FAR THE AVR HAS BEEN GREAT IT HAS A TAPE MONITOR
WHICH I HAVE USED A 3BX RANGE EXPANDER THIS HAS GIVEN ME A AUDIO VIDEO SYSTEM NOT MATCHED MY FEW ONLY BECAUSE I'AM JUST USING THE AVR500 AS A PRE AMP FT AMP ACCUPAHASE, I'AMSTILLLOOKING FOR A CARVER TFM 42 WHICH AT 375 WATT'S RUNNING CERWIN VEGAS AT 15'S AS REAR SPEAKER'S IS GREAT
LASO FOR CENTER CAHNNELSPEAKER'S SMALLBIC VENTURI'S DUAL CENTER'S RUNNING OFF A ADCOM
AMP . FROUNT SPEAKER'SARE JBL STUDIO MONITOR'S4310'S WHICH ARE GREAT MY SYSTEM INCLUDE A DVD -SONY,PROCEED CD PLAYER,
SONY MINI DISC. 2 SVHSVCR'S AND IPANN ON BUYING A PANASONIC DVD RECORDER. I PLANN ON BUYING A DC-2 LEXICON/.... 5 CH KRELL AMP. .....
BW SPEAKER' FT AND REAR OR VANDERSTEEN'S
IF I DON'T BUY THE 5CH KRELL I WILLBUY THE SUNFIRE 405 WATTX5CH AMP. the later model avr 500 ARE GREAT SO AFTER 3 OF THEM I HAVE FOUND A GOOD ONE SO DON'T GIVE UPON THE AVR 500 IT HAS A TAPE ONITORAND IF YOU AD A RANGE EXPANDER YOU WILL BE VERY HAPPY MARK STATON AZIEL1@WEBTV.NET

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Sound quality, enough output, setting of levels on every sound modality.

None yet, and although the remote could be better is the first remote my wife can also use because of the macro functions.

I have used this unit only for one week.
I combine it with a power amplifier H/K PA 5800 for bi-amping my front Infinity Kappa 6.1 speakers.
The sound is very good in every mode, and I particularly like the ability of setting the levels to each speaker for each mode.
Logic 7 makes music sound very sweet.
Plain stereo sounds also very good with a lot of detail. I guess bi-amping the speakers helps for this result.
The only DVD I have played up to now is The Matrix through a Marantz DV-4000 player and the sound and image were terrific.
VHS tapes and DSS movies sound also terrific in Dolby Pro-Logic. I have noticed a superior performance in Pro-Logic performance in front of my former AVR-70/PA 5800 combination.
Here in Mexico city the best seller by far is Yamaha, but the products of Yamaha in this price range do not come close to the sound quality and clarity that this H/K receiver has.
I hope the receiver does not behave in the future as some of the reviews in this section are mentioning.
Although a weak item is the remote since many functions gets placed in strange places according to the device being used, it has the advantage of the macros, that have allowed that even my wife operates the equipment, that I consider a hard test. She presses only the M1 key and everything is set for watching the DSS or regular TV. In the other hand, since I use my VCR as my regular TV tuner, the numbers on remote are uneffective when changing channels in my VCR so I have to skip all the channels of open TV.
The clicking in the speakers is a minor item and it never appears in stereo mode.
In 6 months I could tell about the reliability since I have seen complaints about this in this section (there are guys that write their complaints in more than one review, what I think is unfair and has only the intention of reducing the rating of this good receiver).
My former H/K products, an stereo H/K 3350 receiver (5 years) and an A/V receiver AVR 70 (2 1/2 years)never gave me any problem at all.

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