Looks Power & Sound.

Remote,but it's a none issue to me. I use a Sony learning brand. :)

Don't let the low watts fools you. AWESOME SOUNDING UNIT!!!!! Very smooth sounding. I watch alot of T.V. DPL II & Logic 7 come in handy. I like Dolby Pro-Logic better. It just sounds smoother to me. DD & DTS are AWESOME for DVD's. I bought 2 HK's. 120 & the 220. It's the only brand I will buy from now on.

Similar Products Used:

Yahama,Onkyo,Sony,Pionner Kenwwod & Sherwood.

Performance/price ratio is hard to beat. Yes, you can spend an extra thousand dollars (or more) and get a better receiver with more features and more power. They do sound better. But is it worth the $1000? Not for me (yet - I'm still looking). The on-screen set-up is nice. Some will like the EZSet, and in my experience this feature will be a painless way to make your rig sound alright. But an easy way to improve the sound is to buy the AVIA disc and a SPL meter at Radio Shack and adjust the balances yourself. I did both, and no question the latter is an improvement.

The remote blows. But really, you can't go wrong. I've been looking at receivers for about a year that are 4-5x more expensive, and I just can't convince myself they are worth the expense. I keep looking, all the while enjoying the AVR 220.

I bought this receiver because it appeared to be an excellent buy, and my old gear had become unreliable. I fully expected to be upgrading to another receiver, and putting this one on Ebay. I've now been using it for 16 months. No question, I am pleased with it. I still look at upgrading (to a receiver in the $900-1200 range), but I really can't convince myself that the performance gain justifies the trouble and expense. So the AVR 220 stays.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo, Sony, Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, other HK models, Pioneer Elite.

Sound quality, Styling, Configuration options

None

This review is actually for the AVR-225, but there was no slot for it in the general listings. I purchased an HK AVR-525 a few months back to replace a Kenwood THX receiver I had in my living room. I had actually purchased the new Kenwood 6070 prior to the AVR-525, before noticing that there wasn't much difference between the two. I returned it and got the 525 for $699. What a great move. Much, much better than any Kenwood has ever sounded. Rich, lifelike, and true. A few weeks ago a friend of mine called and mentioned that he saw the AVR-225 for $299 on sale at Fry's. I thought about it for about an hour and then decided it was definitely time to upgrade my old Kenwood 7070 in my bedroom. The 7070 was only Pro Logic, so I looked forward to the upgrade to Dolby Digital in the bedroom as well. Again, a great move. Excellent sound quality. The features are very similar to the 525, but not quite as extensive and a lower power output. I was pleased to see that were still quite a few configuration options available via the on screen programming. In the price range that I got this unit for, I don't know why anyone would buy anything else. I also don't know why everyone gets caught up in the "watts game". Listen to the 225 or 525 and you'll quickly learn that Sony or Kenwood's 110 watt ratings are not anything to put too much stock into. HK's ratings are much more accurate and much higher on the amperage. Do yourself a favor and pick up one of Harman Kardon's new "x25" series receivers. The reliability is much improved from previous models and the features and sound quality exceed anything comparably priced.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood

Price Have listen to dennon and was not impressed.Real sound natural

at this price?

Great no problems man. great sound absulutly no distortion at any level. Plenty loud for these ear drums clean OK Maybe not for a hugh room with cathedral ceiling but great for my condoClean clean sound Sound effects are cool but I have it hooked up to my computer and my sound card handles all that.real sound at least with my ascend speakes it has been a perfect match.

Similar Products Used:

none

Great sound No distortion even when turned all the way up

I would like a few more watts, but this is just nit picking.

For the money, I don't think I could have done better. The 55 watts a channel in stereo is definately better then the 100 watt Sonys of the world, but it is still a little underpowered if I want to play music at rediculous levels. My towers are AR 45's that can handle a lot more. The great thing is that even when the reciever is turned all the way up, there is no distortion. I have never experienced that before. If you find a better reciever for $250 after shipping, let me know.

Amazing high current, clean power. Many useful surround modes including DD, DTS, Pro Logic II, 5 Ch Surround, etc. Nice appearance as well.

Confusing remote and manual (like everyone else has mentioned), but the sound this thing creates makes that a small over sight. Dust also sticks to the plastic front main plate - no big deal though.

This review is for the H/K AVR-225, which was not listed at the time of this review. I originally bought an H/K AVR-225 for USD$385 on eBay. It came to CDN$635 with exchange & shipping. It would not power up on arrival and has a slightly dented front top panel. I returned the unit and bought one at a store instead for CDN$785 (about USD$490). It has been 100% so far (about a week). The configuration is pretty easy once you play with it a little. The OSD (On Screen Display) is easy to use with a monitor connected. The sounds is unbelievable. I have it connected to a Paradigm Monitor series speaker system (Frnt=M7s, Sur=MMs, Cntr=CC-370, Sub=PS-1000) and it is a perfect match. There is very little clipping and distortion even at extremely high volume levels. The Pro Logic II surround modes are very good for analog sources. I am very impressed so far and would reccomend this receiver even after getting a faulty unit first. I do not reccomend buying from eBay though.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz, Denon, Yamaha, Sony

Clean, natural sound. More power than most receivers rated higher.

As other HK owners mention.. the remote leaves a little to be desired, but thats a minor detail. For the price what you get is nothing that you can complain about.

This review is for the AVR-225 which was not listed at the time of this post. I am now a firm believer in HK. I did a lot a reviewing and looking into receivers before I bought this one, but I did not do any in store comparisions. I read reviews, asked knowledgable people and decided to go with the 225. Bang for the buck! I was replacing a Kenwood VR-209 and man what a difference. The old Kenwood that was rated at 100w per channel (40-20k) is by no means any comparison to HK's 65w. (55x5) The receiver produces a very clean, true sound. I have a pair of Infinity RS-4's with an Entra 10" sub. I wanted a unit that could match the pure sound of the Infinity speakers.. and the HK does it. Not to mention it is one of the better looking units out there which is a minor issue but a big hangup for me. Although I am very happy with my system, I am considering raising up to the next level. I would like to buy matching surrounds and a center and put this system is my bedroom and buy new equipment for my living area. I will look very hard at another HK for my main system. You get what you pay for and if your buying new AV equipment you will be spending a fair amount no matter which way you go. Why not spend a modest amount of money for an HK and get the kind of quality that you would have to spend more for on another brand.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood, Sony, JVC, Pioneer

Great amplifier section. Excellant processor and circuitry. Looks great on top of my H/K DVD 5.

None in this price range. The new AVR125, 225, etc. models are out, so grab the discounted "old" series while you can. There are no signification differences.

Since my brother picked up his AVR110 last year, I have been waiting for the right time to pick up one of these receivers. The AVR series are some of the best A/V receivers I've heard. I've listened in the store and they sound better then comparable Yamaha, Onkyo and Denon units, at least to me. There's more warmth and detail in the amplification, better dynamic range...just a better experience than the japanese brands. Don't be afraid of the low power rating. This means nothing. The H/K at 55x2 sounds just as loud as my old Sony rated at 100x2. You have to double the power to get a 3db increase in overall volume, which is not much. Very low distortion, .07% THD across all 5 channels. Most other brands only rate THD in stereo, and then it jumps up in 5-channel mode. All the other features are there: Dolby Digital, DTS, Pro-Logic II. Soundfields are nice, but I really don't use them. There is also the OSD and the SPL measuring programmable remote. More inputs and outputs than you can shake a stick at. Six channel inputs. The list goes on. So, at $500 this is a great receiver for the money. At $380, I can't imagine beating it!

Similar Products Used:

Sony STR-DE825

Good sound. clean and clear enough power for most people who are not concerned so much about volume as they are sound quality.

No amp pre-outs for up grading to more power if needed. The manuel sucks

I bought this unit a while ago and use the hell out of it. It sounds clear, clean and looks good. I got it from thr Crutchfield scratch and dent store because at the time money was tight ,but I did not want a peice of junk. I was replacing a HK avr 300 which the D.T.S. went out on me other than that it was great. So I thought I would go by HK's reputation on good products. When I got the unit it had some slight scratches on the front plexiglas looking front part. I can live with that for a discount. It worked then great and still does I have no complaint's exept no pre-outs for a out board amp. It sounds nice and clean over my Klipsch speakers and has more than enough power to boot. Good deal for a quality unit. Recommended.

Similar Products Used:

My system contains of HK AVR 220 Sony DVP-S7700 DVD Player Sony CDP-CE 575 5 Disk C.D. Player Sony MDS Mini-disk player ecorder Sony 475 Cassette duel well tape deck Klipsh KSB-1

Clean power. Lots of functionality and surround modes. Attractive styling.

Remote is complex, full of tiny buttons, and difficult to learn to use.

The HK AVR 220 is a product without flaw. The sound is perfectly clear and clean. The reciever also conveys video with no observable degredation in signal quality. There are plenty of inputs. The styling is gorgeous! It looks great in the dark too with its three color display. The power is remarkable. I have infinity entra towers, a cerwin-vega 12" sub, CV center channel and CV rear surround speakers. You cannot turn up the volume high enough to hear distortion, as the threshold of pain (even for my masochistic ears) is found first. Even at maximum volume, there is absolutely no hiss, hum, or static. HK is for real, hype is not possible. The remote control is the let-down. It is poorly arranged and covered in lots of tiny buttons. Once you learn to operate it (not trivial, takes hours) it has some amazing features like macros (push one button and it can do operational sequences of more than 30 steps) and punch-through (volume control when the remote is operating other components). The remote also seems to be compatible with a large range of "other brand" components. When we paired the AVR220 with an HK DVD 50, it was jaw-dropping time. The sound and picture are "better than life." With the 12" sub, thunder and gunshots are real enough to trigger the "fight or flight" response. I love watching people react to the intensity and realism of my home theater. It is overwhelming.

Similar Products Used:

Lots of JVC models and Kenwood