Harman DPR 1005 7.1 Channels Receiver

This purchase was the latest in an overhaul of my home theatre system as I upgrade my components one by one. Earlier this year I replaced my Bose Acoustimass speakers with Anthony Gallo Micros, and the difference was like night and day. Well, after having replaced my Pioneer VSX-811S with Harman Kardon's DPR 1005, morning has broken again! First of all, let me say that the Pioneer was a great sounding receiver (even with the Bose) and managed to push 100W to all 7 speakers.

Moving to the H/K. At first I had my reservations about transitioning to a digital receiver: the 0.15% THD compared to 0.07% on traditional amps seemed a bit high, and I was concerned that moving to 70w/channel vs. 100 was more of a down- than an upgrade. Additionally, the frequency range is limited to 20 kHz and under. (But, this only matters to people who subscribe to the controversial theory that the human ear can even detect tones above 20 kHz.) However after a brief demo in Circuit City, all my concerns were soon forgotten. Although the price tag was more than I could afford for a receiver (about $1500) I managed to find a great deal online for HALF that amount, and the deed was accomplished.

Set-up was about what you'd expect for this type of technology: only moderately user friendly. The on-screen display mitigates some of this, but it's still more trial-and-error than anything else. (See comments on the manual below.) The toughest part for me was figuring out how to configure the various surround modes for individual inputs. The DPR 1005 includes all the biggies (including its own proprietary Logic 7) with variations, and some I'd never heard of! I've played with them all and managed to find a perfect match for all the typical signals: Dolby Digital (EX) and DTS (ES, matrix and discrete), DTS Neo:6, Pro Logic (IIx), etc. One feature I found lacking was the ability to remember a surround mode for an incoming digital source. For example, if I'm watching a movie with a DTS 5.1 track, but want to use all 7 speakers in my set-up, I switch to the DTS Neo:6 mode which extrapolates surround-back channels from the digital stream's surround left and right channels, effectively turning a 5.1 signal into a 7.1 signal. Since I always want to use all my speakers, I want the DPR to apply this setting every time it detects an incoming DTS stream. But alas, it always switches to the default 5.1 setting. This is easily remedied, though, by touching a single button on the remote. It was very smart of H/K to have a separate button on the remote to toggle through the options for each surround format. (There's a Dolby button, a DTS buttons, a Logic 7 button, etc.) Also cool is the fact that the 1005 allows you to assign your own meaningful, textual labels to the various inputs which are displayed on both the LCD screen on your remote and the receiver front panel (e.g., GameCube, PlayStation, Digital Camera, etc.).

One of the coolest features: the built-in DPL meter on the remote. This allows you to EASILY adjust each of your speakers to the optimal listening level. What's more, you can have separate schemas set for each of the inputs: a useful feature if you normally sit in one place while watching movies, another while listening to music, yet a third while playing video games, etc. This EZSet feature boasts both auto and manual modes. I found the auto mode to be not quite to my taste, so I switched to the manual mode and: voila! Perfectly balanced sound!

And speaking of sound--WOW! Such clarity! It's like the sound just materializes out of thin air; you won't believe that sound so pure and natural is being delivered by hundreds of dollars worth of electronics. I realize sound is subjective, so I won't try to persuade you with my own personal bias, but I do have a degree in music and this receiver has made me one very happy guy. Whatever your taste and preference with respect to tonal balance, brightness, timbre, etc., the DPR 1005 is capable of delivering sound like you've never heard it before. The technical specifications on H/K's website are thorough, so I won't repeat them here. As for the power: I don't miss those 30 watts I gave up when I traded in my Pioneer! In fact, it sounds to me like I gained a few. This could be due to the digital path receivers' improved efficiency, but I'm not an expert on this technology. Yet.

My biggest complaint would probably be the user's manual. This is a sophisticated piece of equipment, and while the manual is acceptable, there is much room for improvement. The index could be more comprehensive, making it easier to find things. (Hint: the manual is available for download as a PDF file form H/K's website, and you can search for keywords that way.) Also, the instructions often refer to buttons and illustrations with labels that force you to flip back and forth through the pages to find the references. This gets tiresome very quickly. If you're the type of person who reads the manual from cover to cover before you even unpack your equipment, or conversely the type who only opens the manual when you hit an obstacle, it's time to change your ways. This is a learn-as-you-go collaborative endeavor, and unless you've got both the manual and receiver in front of you at the same time, it will take you many more sittings to master the system.

Now, on a more superficial note, this is one of the best-looking pieces of A/V equipment I've seen in a long time. The aesthetic is more reminiscent of the Bang & Olufsen's Scandanavian stylings than of an American manufacturer. While most companies seem to be waging a Shakespearean war of black vs. silver components, Harman/Kardon marries the two together in a uniquely modern blend of brushed metal and sleek ebony. And on top of it all, this beauty may make blue your favorite color, if it isn't already. I find myself mesmerized by the volume dial's azure halo, but that could just be me being weird.

If you're looking to upgrade your system to the next level and have a few hundred bucks to spend, I highly recommend this unit. Since the DPR 1005 has so few competitors in its class, it's tough to give it a comparative analysis. I'll leave it to the professional reviewers to do that. And since this is such relatively new technology to the consumer market, it's also difficult to rate the dollar value. I suspect prices will drop quickly (especially since I was able to buy mine at half off) and the market will determine the appropriate pricing. But if you're willing to take that gamble, as I did, I guarantee you will not be disappointed!