Harman AVR 220 5.1 Channels Receiver

This review is a little 'late' - the receiver has been replaced by 2 subsequent models now. Nonetheless, I think it's such a great unit, it's worth reviewing if you can pick it up used or at an 'end-of-the-line' kind of store.

I won't spend too much time on the features - by today's standards, it's all pretty basic. This unit processes DTS, Dolby Digital, Pro Logic II and has Harman Kardon's own surround matrix, Logic 7. The receiver only does 5.1 however, so you won't get the full effect in a DTS-ES or DD EX soundtrack, which are both 6.1 modes. Though I've never heard a 6.1 system myself, I've read that it really fleshes out the rear surround effects. I've found Logic 7 to be generally inferior to Dolby Pro Logic II - both modes take a 2 channel track and pump it through all five or six speakers. But Logic 7 sounds a little thin and 'effects-y' while Pro Logic II does a better job of both making music or TV sound balanced and natural (e.g. on Coltrane's Giant Steps, Pro Logic II sends the sax almost exclusively to the centre channel, which makes it sound very present and real). At the end of the day though, both end up being a bit of a gimmick - straight 2-channel still sounds best for music. The receiver is rated at 45 watts per channel, high-current, which, trust me, is more than enough to fill a small to medium sized room with music or a DVD soundtrack. There is also no A/B switching, so you can't run outdoor speakers or a set in another room.

Just as important as the features though is the sound and this is where this receiver shines. For a 'high-end entry level' system, the sound is incredibly rich, warm and balanced. I use this with a Harman Kardon CD player (which is great) but some terrible Technics speakers and it still manages to sound clean, natural and defined. Movie soundtracks sound particularly good - full, surround effects clearly separated and lots of bottom-end - so much so, my brother and I often find ourselves turning the system down! Using a good pair of headphones (Grado, Sennheiser etc) this receiver truly shows it stuff and seems to add a warmth to tones such as blues guitar or organs. In terms of matching with speakers, because the receiver has a mellow sound overall, you probably want to match it with bright, punchy speakers to balance things out a bit. Even Gamecube games sound fantastic through this unit!

The build quality is stellar - the amp weighs a tonne. All the buttons have a good feel and the remote, while not the most intuitive in the world, gets the job done once you get used to it. As others have mentioned, the EZ Set feature uses a microphone in the remote and a test signal to automatically configure the levels of speaker. It seems to work exceedingly well - all you need to do after than is enter the size of speakers which basically determines whether or not they're sent a bass signal. This feature only works, however, for Dolby Digital - all others have to be set manaully, which takes some time, patience and a few reads of the instruction manual.

Overall - because in the end it's sound quality that counts - highly recommended.