Receiver comparison.

[newtoitall]

Hello again all,
Well the extra funds I had earlier for a new amp went up in smoke ( the price of oil and a wife that wanted a wood burner ) makes me wish I lived in a much warmer climate.
Anyway, at the time I decided to go with the Harmon Kardon 7300 but that isn't possible now, am wondering how the HK 635 would compare to a Yamaha 2500/2600 or the Denon 3805/3806. the HK is only 75 Watts per but they are supposed to be equal to 100 watts or more when compared to other receivers.
Is this true, and do you think I will be satisfied with the HK's 75 watts ?
I know this type of question is beat to death here but I am unable to demo this equipment in my home and am reluctant to just buy and hope.

thanks once again for your help.
Frank

 

[PENG]

According to lab measurements done by HT mag/S&V etc., the 630 is quite a bit less than the 3805's outputs into 8 ohms, even more so into 4 ohms. This is the case for both 2,5&7 channel driven conditions. When compared to the Yamaha 2500, the 2500 also output more in 1,2 channel measurements, but the Yamaha may lose under the multi-channel situations.

I have not seen any results on the 635 but its output spec is the same as the 630. I listened to all of them before, and to my ears, the 630 struggled a little when pushing a pair of RTi10. HK watts are more realistic but it does not mean it is equal to 100W of all other receivers. It is definitely equal or better, than many receiver's 100W, especially in terms of all channel driven.

 

[mike c]

one is to one ... 75wpc of HK is NOT the same/equivalent as 100wpc of yamaha. high current my a$$.

as to satisfaction with 75 watts, that would depend on your speaker's sensitivity/efficiency and room size.

but their (HK) receivers look very nice though! and if you intend to add an amp in the future, these wattages doesnt matter anymore.

 

[Takeereasy]

Hi newto it all. Please refrain from buying a HK receiver from futureshop. The mark up we pay for that brand in Canada is insane. It's about $200 to buy an AVR 135 in the US, why is it $500 here? No reason, there is no extra duties levied on them at the border. In fact the Asian and Europeen companies get hit much harder on import fees. Also Harman has out the 40 (Avr 140 [$650 at futureshop], 240, 340, etc) series, so look for big price drops on Boxing Day. I remember last year they closed out the 130's at Futureshop for either $199 or $299, don't remember. But I know it was $300 off. Right now at JR.com you can get an AVR 635 for $700 US, why is it $1800 at Futureshop? I say screw Harman as far as Canada goes. Oh, and the fun part, all that great Harman Customer support, yeah, you're not covered by the same company up here, instead they outsource customer support to a Quebec company. That "we'll do anything to make a customer happy" attitude they give out in the US doesn't always extend to here (I know from dealing with these guys regarding a JBL problem I had). They have the attitude that runs the gammit from, "yeah, we'll do it to get you off our backs" all the way to "please be quiet sir, I'm enjoying my after screwing you cigarette."

Anyway, anyone that asks me I tell to stay away from Harman up here, not because I don't like the product, I really do, they just aren't worth the money. For $2k in Canada you can do a hell of a lot better. Some models worth consideration are: Denon 3805, I'm not sure where you live in Canada, but Bay Bloor Radio in Toronto is clearing them out for $1199 and they up the warranty to 5 yrs free!(plus a coupon for $50 off). They also have Yamaha 1500's for $800 (same coupon). On Onkyo 703 will run you about $1200, You can get a Nad T 773 for around $2000. For about $1200 you can get a Pioneer Elite VSX-74TXV. And for the grand pappy of em all (meaning the one I'd pick) you can get a Yamaha RXV4600 for about $1600, and it is an AH product of the year for this year for a reason.

Hope that's some food for thought, again, HK is tooooooooo much up here.

Good luck.

 

[bigbassdave]

Anyone know where I can find a good comparison between the HK 635 or 7300 vs Yam, Denon, Pioneer ect..???

 

[mtrycrafts]

Anyone know where I can find a good comparison between the HK 635 or 7300 vs Yam, Denon, Pioneer ect..???

I am not sure if this is what you are looking for:

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/3401/ratevsac.htm

 

[bigbassdave]

That does help thanks. So correct me if I'm wrong but I assume the number at which the receiver starts clipping is what I should look for on that list? The higher the number the better the amp performs? Thanks

 

[newtoitall]

so the claims that HK and followers of HK receivers make about higher current being better cannot be proven? And as Takeereasy states, HK, at the price we here in Canada can get them just isn't worth it.

Thanks again
Frank

 

[mike c]

newtoitall, please read this sticky thread about the high current thing of HK

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14280

 

[mtrycrafts]

so the claims that HK and followers of HK receivers make about higher current being better cannot be proven?
Thanks again
Frank

Yes, that is what it means

 

[mtrycrafts]

That does help thanks. So correct me if I'm wrong but I assume the number at which the receiver starts clipping is what I should look for on that list? The higher the number the better the amp performs? Thanks

Well, it depends on speaker needs, its sensitivity, your listening habits, how loud you would ever play, how far you sit from the speakers.
5 ch. power rating is not that important. I don't know the instant in any software you will be needing full power on all channels.
And, what features you really need on a receiver, and price, of course. More power doesn't hurt, of course. When do you need a 800 hp car?

 

[PENG]

so the claims that HK and followers of HK receivers make about higher current being better cannot be proven? And as Takeereasy states, HK, at the price we here in Canada can get them just isn't worth it.

Thanks again
Frank

It can be proven, but HK claimed high instantaneous current. That usually means it is for a short duration only. Also, on a per channel basis, a speaker's impedance simply does not drop low enough to draw something like 75A. It will be more possible for a speaker to draw 10 A, so in order to draw 75A total, you are into this all channel driven thing again. Bottom line is, to say it's current, not watt, that counts, is a misconception. Current and watts are, in most practical cases (unless the load is purely reactive), directly related.