Harmon/Kardon - The Audiophile Authority
Written: Feb 17 '01 (Updated Feb 17 '01)
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Pros: Crisp sound, massive power, tons of inputs, looks great.
Cons: All of your friends will be envious.
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for professional quality sound, you have found it here. Ease of use and good looks blended with absolutely great sound.
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| boonkauc's Full Review: Samsung AVR 7000 6.1 Channels Receiver |
A couple years back, I began a job at Circuit City working in the home audio department. I had been a long time lover of great sound, and this opportunity was a great chance to learn about what I loved so much. After several months of selling receivers, I had narrowed what I thought I wanted down to two very high end receivers. I had to make a choice between the HK AVR7000 and the ONKYO TXDS777B(the 989 was not out at this point). Both of these receivers are fantastic, but I was still wondering why the HK was $500 more expensive for what seemed like the same receiver, with a few subtle differences. Over the next couple of weeks, I ran my own little tests under the same conditions, with the receivers head to head. Of course I wanted to run on Circuit City's soundroom, because I could see what the receivers COULD do when given the best equipment. As the first test, I popped in the Matrix DVD, and put on about $7000 worth of speakers, along with an $800 15-inch subwoofer. I cranked the Onkyo first, and was thoroughly impressed by the sound quality. I then switched to the H/K, and realized that the sound quality was more crisp, the high's were more defined, and the bass hit a little harder and a little crisper. This proved to me that the H/K was definately better for the movie format, but what about music? I popped in the Metallica S&M cd, because it has the most dynamic range of sounds, and would definately put the receivers to the test. The H/K once again pulled a little ahead of Onkyo in the sound test, and I knew which one I wanted. I ordered my H/K, and 2 weeks later, I had a 75-pound receiver in my home. I hooked it up to my $3000 Polk system, and was once again in awe. I really didn't think that all the money I paid would be worth it, but this receiver made the walls shake. This is without a doubt the best receiver I have heard, and working in Home Audio, I can tell very small differences in sound. You could even call me an audiophile if you so choose.
Anyhow, story time is up, and now I'll go into what this receiver can actually do. First of all, it pumps out 110 watts RMS to each channel, using totally discrete amplification. What this means is that no matter how many components you hook up to it, the power will not be drained to any other source. At an amazing .05% THD, this puppy can crank anything with an almost undetectable amount of distortion. By the way, this is 16 times less distortion than any Sony receiver, with the exception of the Elite Series. This system can also handle anything you want to hook up to it. With 7 inputs, each with an S-video input to go along with it, this is the height of technological ability, and this system will not become outdated within the next decade. This receiver has what is called "multi-room multi-source" which actually lets you run two different things in two different rooms, at the same time. For instance, you can run the CD player in the bedroom while having the DVD going in the family room. This is something that you will not find on anything else in this price range. This receiver also has 4 optical in, and 2 optical out, giving you as much digital I/O as you could possibly need.
EASE OF USE:
This receiver is so simple that even a child could operate it. The remote is very easy to program, and even has directions on the back in case you forget. The remote is also backlit, so you can see what button you are pressing even in the dark. Everything operates on the receiver itself with the touch of a button, and you can adjust the level of each individual speaker, including the sub, so you can customize the sound you want to hear.
OTHER FEATURES:
Besides multi-room multi source, this receiver is also capable of both DTS and Dolby Digital Decoding, as well as 3 channel stereo, Dolby Pro-Logic, 2 Channel stereo, and what is called Logic-7. Logic-7 is something completely exclusive to H/K, and lets you watch anything, and I mean ANYTHING in surround sound. Even if you are running a mono VCR, you can still have surround sound. This feature also has two settings; one for music, and one for movies, so that you can use the best sounding options available. Another great thing about this receiver is the on TV display, as long as you have S-video in on your TV. This allows you to see everything you do on your TV, so you don't ever have to turn around and do it manually- just use the remote! This is great for those periods where you just don't want to get out of your recliner. This receiver does have a lot of features, but none of them are unnescessary, and they are all very useful. They did not overdo things, and you have exactly what you need, but nothing useless to get in your way.
LOOKS/DURABILITY:
This machine looks sleek, powerful, and clean-cut. When you look at it at night, you just think to yourself "Wow, what a beautiful piece of machinery."
This receiver is built solid as a rock, and weighs just about as much as one. I have had mine for almost a year, and there is not even a scratch on it. I can't possibly see anything going wrong with it within the next 20 years, and I would be extremely surprised if anything did. If you are thinking about buying this receiver, you can trust the H/K name, because they have been the authority since before I was born.
Overall, this is a wonderful receiver. If you are an audiophile looking for something to satisfy your needs, look no further. This machine can do whatever you want, and more, as well as giving you absolutely clean sound. Without a doubt, this is the best receiver I have ever heard.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1499.99
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Epinions.com ID:
boonkauc
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Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 6 members
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