Well I buy this Harman Kardon HK 3250, is paired with Yamaha NS-6490 from a PC with a Xonar DX... the results is... INSANE!!! I don´t know why this superb receiver is cheap. All components are discrete with no STK modules. This receiver is very musical but not un-natural, warm and heavy (8.2 kg with plastic front), and banana plugs. And have a pre-out. Work very very good and not hot. Harman 90´ models are SUPERB. If you have the opportunity to hear one, go !. You will not regret

€70 (83$) buy from first owner in 2010 (unit originally purchased in 2003).

Harman/Kardon HK 3250 Receiver is an excellent buy value/quality/performance wise. I recommend it to people who enjoy music in all genres and all power levels. I must stress that this is not a "good enough" unit for audiophiles who have the maniacal disorder to do maths and yet go broke on high end audio equipment. But its amazing for your music and yet good enough for your ego!

It's way ahead of all its price and performance range competitors. The pedigree is there, just open the cover. I personally enjoy more HK products than Marantz. Actually I replaced a more expensive Marantz amplifier with this HK 3250. I fell like I got more sound , way more fun. Doesn't matter if the Marantz goes 25W in A class. It was muddy and dull. It tickled the ego but not the ears.

It has a dual personality this gorgeous receiver. It cannot make up its mind if it should lean towards high end or stay reasonable. The warm and dynamic imagery of the lower and mid frequencies is absolutely stunning. If your a bass man, this is it. Its practically the same unit you buy from H/K for budget and for lower Hi-End A class build quality. They made it budget by placing the quality in strategic places (ELNA capacitors, great main volume potentiometer) but also installed reasonably priced units allover.
If your an entry level audiophile it will cost you 15$ to buy larger than 6800uF capacitors (ELNA or Black Gate) and put new AD826 op amps (maybe change the bass/treble/balance potentiometers as well). It will finally make up its mind and go hi end on your ears. The harsh high frequencies will smooth out and it will encompass every bit of instrumental and vocal sound.

If you like more modern music (not jazz, classical or rock), especially electronic, then don't touch anything. This is the master for the techno/house turf. You will praise it.

I must mention this is a 40W per channel (RMS in 8 ohm) but extremely musical, powerful and dynamic. H/K always lie about their full capacity. HK 3250 can do 50W and sound 100W (especially with more efficient speakers).

Tested, proven, enjoyed.

Price paid: €75 from second hand store

For almost a decade I have been using an old Philips 682 amplifier which produces noise when volume set to zero, has some of its functionality broken, and was, all in all, in urgent need of replacement.

When seeing the HK 620, my girlfriend immediately became enthusiastic. Claiming it to be one of the best brands available. The casing shows some marks of usage and I had never heard of the brand, but the guy in the second hand store seems like an audiophile and my girlfriend never lies ;)

I have not regretted the purchase. The sounds fills my room warmly, sounding so much better than anything I ever had before.

Pro's:
- The sounds is outstanding.
- There are technical manuals available on line, easy to find, in case some part needs replacement

Possible con is that is does not have a detailed equalizer. For me, that is no problem, though. A treble and a bass satisfy my need.
Another possible con is that there is no HDMI port. For me, that is no problem either.

Note that all I had for comparison is my old Philips rig, which might make the HK 620 sound like the choirs of heaven, while other amplifiers might make less difference to this one.

This is a great stereo receiver. Before it arrived, I was a little worried because it was rated as a 40 Watt receiver (sounded underpowered). However, matched with my Cambridge Sundworks Ensemble II sub/sat system (which I love) this receiver provides clear, warm sound, and can shake the house if turned up loud enough! It's great. I highly recommend it! The styling can't be beat, either.

clear, accurate sound. adequate power. good looks.

none for the price

I bought this receiver in December, 1997 to replace my old HK 380i. For $299, the 3250 had all the sound quality of my older model, although without the metal face plate and knobs of the 380i. All in all, I've been very pleased with both the 3250s performance and value. And I've experienced none of the reliability problems mentioned in other reviews of recent-model HK receivers.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz

Good utilization, good and clean sound without annoying noice when "pushing the limit" (means: using 50%-> of the effect)

Limitied interfaces:
2x VCR, 1x TV/Audio, 1x CD, Tape, Monitor

The receiver has an incredible good sound and effect is even more than the producent is saying. It has a good utilization even with all four channels used.

I can strongly recommend this receiver for persons, who want a relative "cheap" receiver without compromising the sound.

Before blaming the receiver the lousy noice then first check you
- speakers
- audio- and signal cables
- ensure that the musik is recorded in the correct volume
without any extremely high peeks.

The danish slogan for Harman/Kardon is:
"Harman/Kardon HarMan/Kram" :o)

Awesome sound

none

Three years ago I replaced a 100 wpc JVC receiver with this piece of equipment and have not had a single problem. The sound is much better than the JVC even with the lower power rating. If you tried to turn the JVC receiver up to halfway it would start to clip. The HK can go louder with less distortion (past halfway) and sounds great. You may still be able to pick up one of these at uBid, I've seen them there a
few times. Whatever you listen to, have fun!

Similar Products Used:

JVC RX-something

I've owned an HK 590i receiver that must be about 14 years old. Something has happened, and an intermittent problem blows out the entire output section and the preamp section before it. It appears to be thermally related. This seemed to be a good excuse to buy a new receiver with as much or more power as my old HK. I am told HK no longer exists. I can find something called Harmon Int., but I get the impression that the old line of stereo stuff is extinct.If so, what does anyone recommend along the same lines of quality as HK for a decent receiver? Say 50 - 100 Amps? I've read good reviews about Onkyo for big current delivery and clarity. Does anything compare to my old beloved HK 590i? At only 45 A per channel rated, it probably topped 125 A at peak. It was so clear. I'm in tears, but after 14 years, I would hope I could do better, but I'm stuck on HK. My speakers are 21 year old Ohm L's.

binding posts

input jacks too close together

I bought this to use as a garage stereo to replace the Kenwood, mainly on the strength of being able to use bananas w/monster cable without trying the impossible task of stuffing the wire into a too small push & release type of connector. I sent my pre-amp out a few weeks ago for a complete retro-fit, so thought I would press this into service on my main stereo system. I wasn't expecting much, but I was surprised. Here again the versatility of the binding posts was important. I just plugged in my single bi-wire cables, hooked up the CD & turned it on. I must comment that I am using Harmonic Tech Truthlink RCA's with the CD, so the fact they are locking RCA's & a bit bigger than regular RCA's made them touch. I just stuffed a thin piece of cardboard between them. A set of regular RCA equiped interconnects worked OK, but I think HK could have put half again as much space between the input jacks. Back to the sound. There is a soundstage. There is detail. Here again, I didn't know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. Bass has a good presence & was not overpowering. It's not fair to compare the HK to what I'm used to listening to & won't even try. For the $300.00 retail price, it does a nice job. For what I paid, which is the same for one power cord (used), this is one of the best bargains I've ever come across with stereo gear. Sure, better gear gets you better sound (usually), but there comes a point when spending more money for a better sound (real or imagined) reaches that point of diminishing returns. It made me wonder if I had gone too far? Bottom line-a good sounding receiver with features, power & presence. A true bargain, especially on the used market.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, Sherwood, Kenwood

I can't say enough good things about this receiver.It's the next best thing to having an integrated w/
separate tuner. It blows away the Japanese receivers
that boast 100+ watts per channel. If you are think-
ing about buying a two channel receiver give this
unit an audition and compare it to integrated amps in
the same price range.