Hot!! Harman/Kardon AVR-7200 Receiver - $804.66 (after $50 rebate)

[T2T III]

I picked this receiver up about 4 months ago when it was $999 - and, I thought it was a *hot* deal at that time. However, now it's even cheaper:

OneCall - Harman Kardon AVR7200 Flagship 7.1 Channel A/V Receiver for $804.66 plus Shipping after Rebate! (Posted by: Apex)
This flagship receiver has never been cheaper! This has a full 7 channels of amplification with 100 watts per channel at 8 ohms with all 7 channels driven (Harman Kardon measures their output with all channels driven, instead of just 1 channel, like many manufacturers). It has Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete & Matrix, DTS Neo:6, Logic 7 Music & Cinema, VMAx, HDCD, and Triple-Crossover Bass Management. They upgraded the component switching to 50MHz (37MHz is minimum required to fully pass 720p & 1080i HDTV). This monster weighs in at a full 53lbs. OneCall is fully factory authorized to sell them too, so you`re sure to have the full factory warranty.

* Check out specs at Harman Kardon (MSRP: $1999.00). HARMAN
* Get it from OneCall for $854.66 - $50 rebate = $804.66 plus shipping. Limited to quantities on hand. Expires 1/26/04.

Source of price lead: GotApex

Vendor: OneCall

For my purchase, the shipping rate was $46.00 to go from the west coast all the way here to the East coast. Keep in mind this is a "beefy" receiver and weighs in at 75 Lbs. - when packed for shipping and 63 Lbs. when it's out of the box. Also, the depth is greater than 20" - so, if you have a constrained area for your equipment, this might not be the best receiver for you.

Finally, you're probably pondering: "Well, H/K says it puts out 100 watts per channel and this beast is $900. But, I could buy brand "X" of receiver that also claims to put out 100 watts to each channel and the price is only $300." To that I say: "bunk." When Sound and Vision magazine tested this receiver about 3 months ago, it was able to put out 142 watts when 5 channels were driven. Most other receivers that claim to put out 100 watts per channel are lucky to put out 60 watts with 5 channels being driven.

Enjoy!!

 

[V00DOO]

A very nice receiver indeed.

 

[nsafreak]

Awesome receiver and like Tiles2Tech said when Harman Kardon says that it'll drive 5 speakers at 100 watts apiece it WILL drive all 5 speakers at 100 watts apiece. One hell of a receiver and a pretty damn nice price. My HK AVR-230 does 50 watts per channel and for the medium sized area that I have it in its just fine. Also love the EZset ability that'll set the channel levels for you. Some people find that they need to tweak a little bit after it does its work but it usually reduces the work a good bit.

 

[iliopsoas]

how does this compare to the denon 3803? i'm thinking of getting the denon

 

[nsafreak]

Hmmm the Denon is pretty close to this receiver specifcation wise although I'm not sure if it can do the 100 watts per channel like it actually claims. Your best bet is to listen to both of them with the same sets of speakers and see how you like the sound. The HK does have a RS232 for software upgrades while the Denon 3803 does not though and to me that would make a difference in which I chose to purchase.

 

[T2T III]

how does this compare to the denon 3803? i'm thinking of getting the denon

Well, if we break down the costs:

Denon AVR-3803: Original MSRP was $1,199 - I believe. However, it was dropped down to $999 a few months back.

H/K AVR-7200: MSRP is $1,999. H/K never announced any price drop, but there might be a "hidden" drop that was only communicated to the dealers.

The H/K AVR-7200 does not do component video up-conversion. The Denon does - I believe.

The H/K AVR-7200 does not have 12V triggers like the Denon does. This could be a pain if you were to ever connect an external amplifier. However, the H/K has plenty of "real" power, so the external amp may never be needed.

H/K has a "kick a$$" remote control. Actually, they have 2 remotes with the 7200. A main remote and a 2nd zone remote. However, the 2nd zone remote requires an infra-red repeater to properly function - or rather to carry the signal if your 2nd zone is far away from the primary zone. Denon's remote is ... well, a Denon remote. Nothing to write home about.

The H/K 7200 weighs in at 63 Lbs. The 3803 weighs in at 36.4 Lbs. The "lesser" weight of the 3803 could point to a cheaper power supply or even areas of the amplifiers where Denon cut back a little compared to the H/K.

Read-outs: The H/K features a nice big read-out where you can sufficiently see the read-out on the face of the receiver from several feet away. Denon uses a much smaller read-out, which, in my opionion, can be frustrating when you can't see it from the listening position.

Sound quality: Well, I'll try to keep my opinions in this area to myself - but, I like the sounds of both Denon and H/K gear. However, if you want to read more about sound quality of H/K vs. Denon, then hit the various H/T message boards for more information -- or, rather more "opinions" on sound.

Both are very good receivers. I've owned Denon gear before - but, not the 3803. I don't think you could go wrong with either. However, if you want to own a "flagship" or a top dog receiver from a manufacturer, then buy the H/K. That way, you could impress your friends by announcing: "hey, check out my new flagship receiver from H/K."

 

[T2T III]

Additionally, the H/K includes an A-Bus connector. If you were ever going to consider using the AVR-7200 to drive additional amplifiers and provide sound in many rooms of a house, this would be the way to go.

 

[JameyF]

Originally posted by: iliopsoas
how does this compare to the denon 3803? i'm thinking of getting the denon

They are on par with each other. I would (and did) pick the 3803 when they were about the same price. With the 3803 cheaper, I wouldn't consider the H/K the deal, unless there is a feature you really need frm the H/K. I don't think there is anything it can do that the 3803 can't, but it's been a while. I would consider both awesome receivers, but the nod has to go with the 3803 just for the price advantage.

 

[T2T III]

Originally posted by: JameyF

Originally posted by: iliopsoas
how does this compare to the denon 3803? i'm thinking of getting the denon

They are on par with each other. I would (and did) pick the 3803 when they were about the same price. With the 3803 cheaper, I wouldn't consider the H/K the deal, unless there is a feature you really need frm the H/K. I don't think there is anything it can do that the 3803 can't, but it's been a while. I would consider both awesome receivers, but the nod has to go with the 3803 just for the price advantage.

Well, I tried to keep this thread from getting to a "Y ix better than X." However, I'll now give my opinions. I've owned two Denon receivers in the past. The H/K is vastly superior - in every way to the 3803. H/K didn't price the MSRP of the 7200 for $800 higher than the Denon was originally because they wanted to make $800 in additional profit off of some sucker customer. The 7200 is priced higher because of what it took to build it - compared to the 3803.

There's no way I'd consider the 3803 as being an equal of the 7200. Let's compare apples to apples - maybe, the 4802/4803, etc. is more in the league of the 7200.

Just my .02.

 

[Apex]

Denon and H/K tend to have kind of distinct sounds from each other, so if possible, try to listen to each before deciding. People tend to report H/K's being more "musical" but I've found that Denon tends to have a warmer sound (highs slightly more rolled off), while the H/K's have a bit more neutral sound. Some of it does come down to speaker choice, but all in all, it's a matter of personal preference. Let your own ears tell you what sounds best to you.

The H/K has a much stouter power supply, so it can push more wattage with all channels driven. This being said, that may not matter to you at all, depending on your speaker sensitivity, room size, and listening preference. The Denon is plenty strong enough to drive most speakers well.

You can find some true all channels driven (or at least 5 channels driven) numbers here. It's kind of an eye opener:

Real receiver output numbers

The Denon's "upconversion" is a convenient feature. It converts composite and s-video into component (though quality doesn't improve from original format, of course), allowing you to just connect the component cables to your TV.

The one thing I really love about H/K is Logic 7. It's especially good for TV watching. The steering is very realistic and engaging, much more so (IMHO) than DPL II, DTS Neo:6, Circle Surround, etc. Lexicon developed it, but H/K licensed it (their both owned by the parent company, Harman International). I find I use Logic 7 all the time on my Lexicon MC-8b. With the AVR7200, you'll probably be using it a lot too.

The triple crossover bass management is nice on the H/K as well, great feature to have.

 

[JameyF]

Good points have been made for the H/K, but if you want the best sound/ability, you're not going to find it in either of these receivers anyway (go seperates). My point was, they are both very capable receivers. I've listened to H/K receivers in the past. I didn't like their "sound" as much as I like the Denon's. I'm sure we can get into a y vs. x discussion. I only said, they are on par with each other, and not one is better than the other, as I don't believe one is better than the other. Both have great features and abilities at thier price points (sub $1k receivers). For the same money, I chose the 3803. The 3803 for less money, I wouldn't consider the H/K. The H/K just can't do what I want. It may be different for you.

The triple bass management was one feature that would be very nice that the 3803 lacks, but I would rather have the upconversion in my system.

 

[jwells777]

Just figured that I would throw in my two cents...This is one heck of a deal. I currently have the HK525 and had this been available at this price I would have gone with the 7200 (although the Pioneer Elite probably should be considered as well.) At any rate, the 3803 is not in the quite the same class as the 7200.

As mentioned earlier, both receivers are quite nice...but the 7200 has alot more power. HK receivers will actually drive all channels to spec simultaneously where as most other manufacturers in the low to mid end play games with the power ratings (even Denon). Now many people might not ever notice the diference if they don't need the power, but if you have low efficiency speakers or just want to fill a very large room, you will certainly appreciate the extra power.