Hello everyone, a newbie here. I’ve been watching this board for a while and have found a lot of great and helpful posts. Well, now I guess it’s time for me to actually post a question and hope I can get some good advice or opinions. I’ve been checking out what’s available for receivers for some time now, and as usually happens when you look too much you end up buying something that wasn’t planned. I found a Harman Kardon 630 at a local big box store for $600, it was an open box. They had 2 actually, one was being used in a demo room, and another just sitting on a shelf not even hooked up. They had no new ones, so I assume they are getting ready for the new model. I picked the one on the shelf not connected even though it had a couple of minor dings. I figured since it’s already open, I might as well as buy it and demo it at home for a few weeks to see if I can tell a difference.
My current system is a Pioneer 509 receiver (4 years old or so), Cambridge Tower IIs for the mains, Centerstage, Surround 5.1’s, and a Yamaha SW305 sub. So far with the HK 630 I notice the biggest difference while listening to music in stereo. The HK definitely brings out more bass in the towers, even enough to the point where the sub isn’t a necessity. The only problem have I had with the Pioneer is that it has been overloading on me when listening to music for an extended period around -30db or higher. It has not had any problems with dvds. The HK sounds great when listening to DVD’s, I can’t really tell where the difference is specifically other than the bigger grin on my face while listening to it. I realize that for the price I got it, the 630 is a great deal, but I’m still not sure if I will keep it. I am planning on trying to find an opened box Yamaha HTR-5790 and/or Yamaha RXV-1500 to demo as well at home. I realize the HK is lacking in a few features, such as the component up conversion, the component connections are of a lower quality to my understanding, no THX certification, fewer optical connections, and a few other minor features. I am also looking to stay in the $600 range.
So here is where I am looking for feedback:
What kind of differences can I expect from the 1500 or 5790 vs the HK? I figure I can get them for around the same price, but am I crazy for thinking they will compare to the HK on quality and sound? I haven’t decided yet if the missing features I mentioned are of importance, however, even though they may not be important now I would like to be prepared for the future when the new receiver actually goes into the basement to a dedicated theater room (and still be used for music).
Also, a couple of other quick questions- so far with the HK I find myself listening to music in the -30 to -25db range and movies to -25 to -20db range. Does this sound about right for this receiver? I thought I’d have a little more head room on the volume, although it is loud enough that I wouldn’t actually turn it up anymore.
And the receiver is currently in an enclosed cabinet with an open back. It has a few inches all the way around, but I did notice it felt very warm. Will the Yamahas run any cooler, or do I need to find a 3 inch fan of some sort for more air circulation?
Thanks to anyone still reading this, and special thanks to anyone who has and opinions and thoughts to post.
