Great Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby Pro Logic

music doesn't sound as good. Weak bass in DSP surround modes

This is a follow up to my first unit which was a January 2000 build and did not function correctly out of the box.

The unit I received as a replacement was an August 2000 build.

I replaced my HK AVR25MKII with the AVR7000. There are things I like about the 7000 and things I don't.

One thing I don't like is that even though the manual states if you do NOT have a powered subwoofer connected to the system and speakers are set to large that the full range of sound is sent to the speakers. This just is plain not true.

Even with subwoofer turned off, the cross over frequency setting still controls where the cutoff is to your main speakers. So the lowest frequency you can send to your main speakers is 80hz.

For this reason, music sounded much better on my AVR25MKII than on the 7000. I would rather turn my powered sub off for music and have all the lows sent to my Bose AM-7 and AM-3 speakers.

However, the unit does shine when it comes to home theatre. Much better than the AVR25. The Dolby Digital and DTS decoding is awesome.

The manual also states that output levels can stored by source. I find this untrue as well. They seem to be stored by surround mode and not source.

The remote does control everything I own, but I'm finding that I will have to program it for certain features for each device since some are missing in the default configuration. The remote also sometimes just stops working and I have to remove the batteries and put them back in to get it working again.

Also wished you could program the remote to switch to a designated source when you pressed the SAT, TV, VCR, and CBL buttons.

If you are looking for great home theatre, this receiver rocks. For me, music sounded better on my old HK AVR25.

Sounds good on paper.

Haven't been able to test it out

OK, after reading all the reviews on this board and wanting an AVR7000 for a long time, I got one.

It came, I hooked it up and turned it on and I got some sounds but hardly any bass and the right channel has fizzle, choppy, cutup output in all modes.

I reset the processor about 20 times and this didn't change a thing.

I looked at the back and it says "January 2000". Not sure if this is when it was built or what.

I connect most everything through s-video and the picture is "slightly" albeit noticable darker when s-video is switched by the HK. I've switched back and forth many times.

The speakers are set to large with no subwoofer (my speakers are Bose AM-7 front AM-3 back and my subwoofer hasn't come in yet) but still cannot get any bass out of it. My HK AVR 25MKII blows this away so far but something has to be frapped.

When I do the speaker test sound, it does the left, center, and left back correctly but when it does the right front, I hear sound from the right back and when I hear sound from the right back, I hear sound from the right front.

So I'm going to exchange for another unit with audiovideo4u in hopes I just got a lemon.

Trust me, I want to hear it rock like other have in their reviews.

I will review again when I get the second unit.

The saga continues...

Great power and crystal clear sound on every sound level.
Lots of features for every kind of sound application.

Why put a $10 dollar RDS radio in a $1800 Reciewer?

I really like the sound of this reciewer, it drives my
Surround speaker setup without any problem, even if my
front speaker setup is running at 4 ohms and front at 6 ohms
and the surround speakers at 8 ohms there was no problem to match a perfekt sound in my rather odd livingroom design
with the speaker out adjustments. For the first time I can
really say that sound is perfekt in my oppinion, especially
in Logic 7 Music stage.
It took some time to really understand all separate funktions as some are not described in manual.
I also use the multiroom function and its works perfect!.
But the FM radio is just crap as in all other HK reciewers
i had tried/ you get a better one in the local food shop.

Similar Products Used:

Sony,Nad, Other H/K´s,Denon

"To quote Ives about japanese /english translation.the HK 7000 was build in china, not in japan most of the component used are the same as in all HK's receivers especially the dsp crystal chip which are used even in their low end models some of them are build in korea."

This statement has no substance to the way this unit sounds and performs. There is nothing here that can add any contribution to users looking for this unit and I DO NOT believe that it deservered a low marking on this basis alone. I will give it 5 stars to make up for this uncalled for post!

Just an FYI for users questioning the Q/C of these units. Yes this unit is built in China, however it is tested at the manufacturing site as well as a testing facility in the U.S. where they are put through thorough inspections in the H.K. corporate offices/labs. They have changed their inspection procedures and are now producing reliable products again. This unit has not been plagued with nearly as many problems if any as the AVR 100, 300 and 500. HK has finally got their act back together. The 7000 is as reliable as they get.

As for the other poster complaining about the Logic7 cinema mode on two channel tracks/sources this is the explination I got direct from HK support:


"It may not be detailed in the document I sent you, so let me give you a brief explanation. Most movies and surround encoded sources have normalized levels for center channel(derived from common sounds of left and right channels)and dialogue as part of the recording. This helps maintain a good balance of center channel sound for movies and similar sound recordings. The Logic 7 Cinema mode was designed to enhance the dialogue and center channel effects for these recordings. Since most 2-channel music recordings do not have normalized levels for dialogue and provide greater dynamics in that range the Logic 7 Cinema mode is not appropriate for these recordings and Logic 7 Music mode is recommended. Your results will vary, but using Logic 7 Cinema mode for playing back music sound tracks will normally result in too much signal in the center channel and thus a popping sound may result. You should not have this problem for any music encoded in Dolby Surround, however this is not common with most music CD's."

Sound, remote, design, functionality, memory, AKM dacs, asthetics

None so far

This is one of the best receivers I have heard to date. It blows away my previous Yamaha 2095 and has a sound that is to die for. Instrument placement is so defined and clear and spacious. Surround excels in the same manner as music allowing me to hear the pinpoint details that tracks can reveal. All in all this is one of the best products in A/V that money can buy you. HK has done a VERY good job with this one and I was not previously an HK fan. You can bet that I am now!

Similar Products Used:

Denon, Marantz, Yamaha

Awesome sound; power; HDCD; Logic 7

None unless you think the subwoofer output level is too low. If your speakers are no more efficient than 94-95 db ot so, you won't notice.

This is a follow up on my prior review. This receiver just gets better and better as I listen to it. It also helps to have enough experience with it to tweak the setup to your liking. See below.

I previously mentioned an issue with the subwoofer output. It turns out the my Klipsch Forte II mains are very efficient (99dbl sensitivity) and that the AVR 7000 subwoofer output is balanced on the weak side. This means that you need to balance the mains, center and surrounds around a dbl level of say, -8, and turn up the subwoofer output to around +5 or more. In my case, I also bi wired the subwoofer (using two line inputs instead of the LFE input). The alternative is to peg the subsoofer level setting on the back of the unit all the way to the right, which I did not want to do. Do all that and it works exactly as one would expect. I am now using a Klipsch KSW-15 with all of the other set on small, and am just delighted with the result.

I also just played my first HDCD (Tracy Chapman Telling Stories) and was just blown away. I am using and old Sony CD player (to be replaced shortly) but the AVR does all the work with internal HDCD decoding. To my ears the result is fabulous; impeccable rock solid 3d imaging (HDCD works in stereo only), clarity, presence, transparency and no harshness whatsoever. The AVR with the Klipsch speakers seems to be a great combination. (The C7 and KSP-S6s complete the set).

For standard CDs I frequently find Logic 7 (a sort of 5 channnel stereo) sounds terrific. I would imagine however that this is a matter of taste. The interesting thing is that HDCD in plain stereo outdoes it in some respects.

Harman/Kardon has created a classicly great product in the AVR 7000.

Similar Products Used:

No HT; prior system is Adcom.

Strong Amplifier Section

Poor FM reception, Bugs in software and/or design, Does use limiting chipsets but not as bad as some make it out to be.Please Read to get a greater sense of the unit and judge for yourself.

We do have an interesting conversation but it is very pointless. Here is the design of the HK 7000 and some engineering information to help you decide on which product is better for you

First off is Yes the is the use of the Cirrus Logic 4293 Family of DSP's (yes that is multple DSP solution). What this Chipset does for H/K is as follows

Dolby Digital
Dolby bass manager and crossover filters
Dolby Surround Pro Logic
Real time autodetection of Dolby Digital ®, DTS®, MPEG multi-channel and PCM
96 kHz-capable PCM I/O, master or slave
DTS and HDCD

and more....

This is a special purpose DSP. Since it has a target (Consumer Audio) instead of being a General Purpose DSP such as Analog Devices Sharc DSP's it can lose processing power due to a more targeted design. The Sharc can be used in all sorts of DSP applications and it you need to write your firmware to use this DSP. The stronger the DSP the more elaborate programs can be used and written (DSP soundfields in a recievers in case dealing with more channels to process effects like 7.1 effects). The Crystal has very little to change and much of the work is already done for you making it an easy solution to implement but gives the the designer less flexability to affect the way it handles the data.

The DAC's in HK's lower line is Crystal's 4226 integrated CODEC but in the 7000 is from AKM 4393 DAC's and htis chip is used in some Lexicon products. It is a good DAC and I would not knock it.

Gripes are as such. Poor FM performance and low bass output from sub-out but although that's not a critical problem. The 7000 bugs such as the volume problems is not good for a such a piece and lowers its rating quite a bit. It would get a 4 from me if it was glitch free but it gets a 3 after all is said and done. Besides the 777ES can be had for about the same price or and has a great warranty.The Denon 4800 has a better feature set and better overall performance than the HK. Hey get a product that has the strenghs of all three and you have a winner.


This product does perform well in the sound quality dept. But it is in no means the definitive product and it is not meant to be. Based on HK's recent track record and this prodcuts current issues I would avoid it on those reasons alone. Braver souls can take a chance but I won't be one of these souls.

Have fun and give reviews that have meaning not bashing contests.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 777ES,Denon 4800

everything

none yet

Nice build, involving sound, best value for my CD's, LP's, DVD's etc........
Guys! Listen it (.........)and then will quite get it.
Best wishes.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz(...),Sony(ESonly),Denon,NAD,Onkyo,Yamaha.

2 ch,DD & DTS sound, power, HDCD

Logic7, possibly remote

I´ve had it for 7 months now and I´m totally satisfied even considering it´s small faults.

Just sent it away for guarantee repair of the only problem I´ve had. One of the audio inputs on the front does not work, it´s been this way since it was new. I have a RC5000 so I have not used the remote since last summer, well when I tried it the other day, with fresh "rabbit fuel", it was dead so I will get a new one.

The one thing I hate is the absence of bass in the Logic7 modes. It should be a crime promoting a nonfunctional function as they do (it probably is and they are just getting away with it).

The good stuff:
Amazing HDCD decoding, sound, can store different settings for all modes, sound, no hum or noice, sound, great power.

It would be nice to have more crossover points between 40-80 Hz, but considering that most of it´s competitors have only one, three is OK.

Similar Products Used:

Denon 3300, 3801, Sherwood 945 MkII, NAD 770

Look, sound and remote control multifunction

size

The best 5.1 & DTS reciever avaiable. HK stands for superiour quality and outrageous sound. There's no piece in the price-range that matches this one! It's simply the best!

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Kenwood KR-V999D