Harman Kardon AVR 2650 7.1 Channel 95-Watt Audio/Video Receiver with HDMI v.1.4a, 3-D, Deep Color and Audio Return Channel

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Price: $349.99    

Product Feature

• 95 watts X 7 with high-current and ultrawide bandwith capability for accurate, dynamic sound
• Five HDMI v.1.4a inputs with 3-D and Deep Color
• Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding for the latest playback from hi-resolution sources like Bluray
• Network connectivity to access a world of music and entertainment via the Web or from your home network
• Multizone/source functionality for great Harman Kardon sound everywhere you go in the house

Product Description

If you're looking for an AVR packed with next-generation technology, look no further than the Harman Kardon AVR 2650. The AVR 2650 has an impressive list of features that take home entertainment to the next level. With HDMI v.1.4a with 3-D, Deep Color and Audio Return Channel, and all the latest Dolby and DTS audio modes, the AVR 2650 lets you experience a new dimension in TV viewing - all while our own Logic 7 processing creates an exhilarating 360 -degree soundstage via 7.1 - channel surround sound and has network connectivity for Internet radio and music file streaming from a home network. And this AVR does far more than just movies and soundtracks - it can even be set to power a Zone 2 speaker system for multiroom audio. With five HDMI inputs, extensive video and audio connectivity, and its ability to connect with The Bridge IIIP for iPod/iPhone playback, the AVR 2650 solidifies itself as a versatile receiver that can accommodate your every entertainment whim with grace, style and ease.

Harman Kardon AVR 2650 7.1 Channel 95-Watt Audio/Video Receiver with HDMI v.1.4a, 3-D, Deep Color and Audio Return Channel Review

I upgraded from an H/K AVR330 (2004) to decode DTS-HD and TrueHD. I was also interested in the Dolby Volume feature. I had the AVR 330 for 5 years or so and was EXTREMELY pleased with it, this point is important, because this new unit is not a worthy upgrade.

I got the 2650 from Amazon and hooked it up and after a short while I started noticing loud, high-pitched "pops" or chirps coming from random speakers; they occurred randomly, sometimes 10 minutes apart, other times a dozen in a 5 minute span. I tried a variety of troubleshooting options and eventually sent it into the seller for a replacement (World Wide Stereo was really helpful once they were made aware of my problem).

The replacement unit did the same exact thing, and a Harman/Kardon top-tier tech support arrogantly claimed he'd never heard of such an issue. I wrote this much of this review, and found another customer shared my experience in the comments, and then another, and another. The solution was to disable Dolby Volume, and sure enough this worked. This was disappointing, but the Dolby Volume feature is fairly poor anyhow, and so I decided to keep the receiver for the price I got it for.

As for the receiver itself, its appearance is its biggest advantage. Aside from the poorly placed headphone jack, it's got a refined and minimalist look; and the on-screen menu is equally simple and elegant, even sporting some graphics in the speaker setup menu.... although, the number keys on the remote (despite having TT9 letters above them) frustratingly do nothing when changing an input's name. I was unable to use the EasyEQ setup because I don't own a sub, but all the standard setup tweaks were in there and easy to edit. The HDMI handshakes with the Sony TV nicely, and though I haven't tested the HDMI pass thru with video games yet, it performs quite well with 1080p video. There's 10 total inputs, and you can mix-and-match the ports to them which is a nice flexibility for configuring your setup. And of course, the other reason you buy H/K is the sound quality, which is there and really fills the room when playing DTS-HD or 176k SACD (which comes through as Multi-channel PCM when bit streaming from the PS3).

If Harman (or Dolby?) were to issue a firmware update for the Dolby Volume problem, I'd probably bump up the rating a star, but it's a pretty egregious flaw.

UPDATE: MORE PROBLEMS! There's a few bugs that have been ruining my audio enjoyment lately, so I decided to make a big list here of all the problems with this unit, to help other people avoid buying buggy Harman/Kardon receivers.

- When the unit powers on, it occasionally fails at passing thru HDMI, and the only way to get a picture on the screen is by turning the receiver off and on again -- pretty pathetic.
- When switching audio formats (for example, going from Logic 7 to Dolby Digital) the receiver goes silent for roughly 1.5 seconds and pops a notice on the TV screen - this might be tolerable, except that it happens during movies and games for no apparent reason, but it happens consistently in the same spots of the movie, causing the audio to go silent for a second or two while it bugs out.
- There is NO WAY to set stereo input to play as STEREO without disabling surround sound entirely. If you would like to listen to a stereo source without the awful faux-surround, you have to enter the menu and turn off surround sound, and turn it back on when you need it again. This was not a problem with the AVR330.
- The HDMI-TV link is buggy, and frequently lets the TV take over for audio when it shouldn't. Turning the feature off in the menu fixes this, somewhat, but doing so also disables the auto-power-off of the TV, so if you accidentally turn off the receiver first, the TV again sets itself to using it's own speakers... so no matter what you do, you'll be constantly switching the TV audio source manually.
- Dolby Volume does not work properly and may actually damage your speakers with the loud chirps.
- Harman's customer/tech support is simply awful, probably the worst I've ever encountered.

After a few months with this unit, I wish I had bought a Yamaha or something instead. H/K used to a be a king in the audio world, but it's clear from what I've experienced and read about this receiver line that they've lost interest in creating quality products.

BUYER BEWARE.

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