Harman HK 3475 2 Channels Receiver
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- THX Certification: No
- Number of Channels: 2 Channels
- Type: Receiver
- Stereo Mode Power: 110 Watt @ 8 ohm, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, THD: 0.07%
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This thing sounds awasome!
Pros
Very good sound quality. Inexpensive.
Cons
Maybe too much power. Runs a bit hot. Unnecessary vmax mode.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
This receiver was way better than I expected. I love it. For this price you can't go wrong. Unless you are a super duper audiophile you will love this one.
I thought I had it all, in 1986 I bought a Philips (Magnavox in the US) Amplifier and a set of Bose 301 loudspeakers. I thought that this was just wonderful. Then last year I got a bit spoiled. The volume knob of my trusted amp started to crackle a bit. Was it maybe time for a new one? My birthday was near and so it was a good opportunity to buy a new HK receiver (for cheap, $250).
When the box arrived it was a shock. Man what a big box, and wow that is heavy. I also felt a bit uneasy. My old amp was still working, and what is the point of getting a new one if you already have one?
Then I hooked it up. WOW!
Man this thing sounds really, really good; just freaking awesome. I had no idea that this was possible. I like Wagner operas, and played over this receiver it just rushed my heat beat up. I only use this receiver as an amplifier; radio is not really my thing.
The reason I chose a HK I don't really know myself. A friend of mine had one, years ago when I still lived in Amsterdam and then I noted it sounded nice. It must have stuck in the back of my mind. There are two models stereo receivers one can chose the HK3375 (75 Watt) and the HK 3475 (110 Watt). The price difference between these models is small $200 vs $250 so there was no real reason not to go with the bigger model. I bought the receiver via Overstock. Worked like a charm. Although it was advertised as refurbished, it arrived in virgin condition in a factory box.
I use the receiver with a Technics CD player SL-PD688, hooked up via run-of the-mill RCA cables. The Bose 301 loudspeakers are hooked up with very heavy 12 GA speaker wire. That's it.
First of all, when the music is off, the amplifier is surprisingly silent. No noise, just none!
When the music is on, as I said it just sounds terrific. The whole sound spectrum is there. All instruments sound lose and free. And when playing some disco tunes, the beat just rolls out smoothly. Especially when you play piano music, you notice that what you hear indeed is piano, and not some electronic sound.
The power of this receiver is humongous. I now live in the standard southern Californian house with a way too big living room and a ceiling at least ~ 21 feet up. Even in this space no way I can completely open up the volume to a half turn. I think the dry walls come out before this guy gives in! Maybe I should have bought the 75 Watt version after all.
The receiver is big and heavy. I had to buy a new cabinet for the stereo, which was actually way more expensive than the receiver itself. It also runs quite warm so one needs to keep some open space to let the hot air escape. Even when running idle it consumes quite a bit of power 75 W, so when you are done listening you have to switch it off.
One silly thing, the receiver is fitted with a fake surround sound mode VMAX. Indeed if you sit right in front of the loudspeakers it gives a spatial effect. On any other place it gives a weird echo in the sound. Just switching the Vmax off and never on again simply solves that problem
For the rest, the thing looks very sturdy and well made; I hope I will keep it with me longer than my Philips amp which I already had to retire after 17 years.
When the box arrived it was a shock. Man what a big box, and wow that is heavy. I also felt a bit uneasy. My old amp was still working, and what is the point of getting a new one if you already have one?
Then I hooked it up. WOW!
Man this thing sounds really, really good; just freaking awesome. I had no idea that this was possible. I like Wagner operas, and played over this receiver it just rushed my heat beat up. I only use this receiver as an amplifier; radio is not really my thing.
The reason I chose a HK I don't really know myself. A friend of mine had one, years ago when I still lived in Amsterdam and then I noted it sounded nice. It must have stuck in the back of my mind. There are two models stereo receivers one can chose the HK3375 (75 Watt) and the HK 3475 (110 Watt). The price difference between these models is small $200 vs $250 so there was no real reason not to go with the bigger model. I bought the receiver via Overstock. Worked like a charm. Although it was advertised as refurbished, it arrived in virgin condition in a factory box.
I use the receiver with a Technics CD player SL-PD688, hooked up via run-of the-mill RCA cables. The Bose 301 loudspeakers are hooked up with very heavy 12 GA speaker wire. That's it.
First of all, when the music is off, the amplifier is surprisingly silent. No noise, just none!
When the music is on, as I said it just sounds terrific. The whole sound spectrum is there. All instruments sound lose and free. And when playing some disco tunes, the beat just rolls out smoothly. Especially when you play piano music, you notice that what you hear indeed is piano, and not some electronic sound.
The power of this receiver is humongous. I now live in the standard southern Californian house with a way too big living room and a ceiling at least ~ 21 feet up. Even in this space no way I can completely open up the volume to a half turn. I think the dry walls come out before this guy gives in! Maybe I should have bought the 75 Watt version after all.
The receiver is big and heavy. I had to buy a new cabinet for the stereo, which was actually way more expensive than the receiver itself. It also runs quite warm so one needs to keep some open space to let the hot air escape. Even when running idle it consumes quite a bit of power 75 W, so when you are done listening you have to switch it off.
One silly thing, the receiver is fitted with a fake surround sound mode VMAX. Indeed if you sit right in front of the loudspeakers it gives a spatial effect. On any other place it gives a weird echo in the sound. Just switching the Vmax off and never on again simply solves that problem
For the rest, the thing looks very sturdy and well made; I hope I will keep it with me longer than my Philips amp which I already had to retire after 17 years.
