Audio component purchase -- help with picking JBL/Harman Kardon/Inifinity component

[AndrewR]

Ok, here's the deal: I've had a heckuva time with a warranty replacement for a JBL item that has resulted in a lawsuit against my former apartment complex for losing it. Since this whole saga has been dragging on so long, the guy at Harman Kardon that has been helping me has offered "accomodation pricing" on any item they sell, which comes to about 50% off of the retail price according to him.

Now, my question is this: What should I get? Their line covers JBL, Harman Kardon, and Infinity. I am not too familiar with what they offer, but are there any standout components from them that merit serious consideration? I would be interested in DVD players, possibly home theatre (likely too expensive though), maybe speakers or a digital receiver. Give me some ideas, please.

 

[Chef0083]

Harmon KArdon is usually a good bet but it can be a bit pricey! I would have to do some recearch to recommend individual components.

D

 

[Pennstate]

high-end Infinities. The ones with 4 mid ranges, 2 tweeters and a built-in power sub. All this per each speaker. These are the Overture series

 

[AndrewR]

Overture series is discontinued, it appears. I looked at the Prelude series, and those look awesome. Unfortunately, I did not find a price, but I'm sure I cannot afford them anyway!

Which leads to my next question: Who carries this stuff online? I cannot check prices since Infinity's website does not have any, and neither does JBL. I did a brief search, but I only came up with product reviews. The nearest vendor listed on Infinity's website is in South Carolina (I'm in Atlanta).

 

[Gaul]

Audioreview.com for reviews of all things audio. Most of the peeps on this site REALLY know their stuff. Check it out.

 

[Harvey]

The best evaluation equipment is sandwiching your skull (your own ears). Take a bunch of your favorite program material, and go listen to your prospective choices, side by side. The one that sounds best on a wide variety of material probably is.

Remember that the way a system sounds in your livingroom will depend as much on the room as the speakers. Carpets, building materials, wall treatment (wallpaper, paint. pictures), ceiling treatment (hard plaster vs. ceiling tile, vs textured or acoustic treatment), and furniture will all affect the playback response.

All of those brands are owned by Harman International. IMHO, in recent years, the entire Harman product line has been over-hyped, living on their past reputation.

 

[AndrewR]

Any audiophiles here?

I was looking around their websites, and I saw the DVD 5 DVD/CD player. The reviews seemed very good. What about receivers? I saw the AV500 (or something like that), but the reviews from owners were not all that favorable with consistent criticism of their reliability.

 

[billandopus]

50% off retail is pretty much wholesale not considering any other kickbacks for volume for the dealer. Not that it isn't a good deal of course. Just something to consider if s/he is trying to sell you a line making it sound much better than it really is like they are losing money over this.

I personally own some Harmon Kardon as my secondary system - an older integrated amp and cd player. Back then they were built very well, good sonic quality and the integrated had a good amp section. Don't know about the present so look around.

I don't know how much you can afford but these are the things that I would be looking into with what you mentioned:

dvd player: anything Toshiba. Check dvdtalk.com and audioreview.com for reviews.
components: NAD, ADCOM and others. NAD is quite highly recommended ...
speakers: personal choice for you but I like Energy Take Fives (If they are still around for Home Theatre and music), Paradigm, PSB, Totem Acoustics ...
receiver: Onkyo is very, very good. Yamaha, Denon ... go Onkyo for sure!

www.costsheets.com will give you a heads up on wholesale prices and will give you ammo when you head to the dealer. I think it may still be down but you can email them.

Good luck.