 Harman Kardon AVR 330 Audio/Video Receiver
When audiophiles sneer at home
theater, I frequently suspect that the hidden subtext is that home theater enthusiasts
have it all so easy. You see, you can really suffer when you're an audiophile. You
have to undergo the torments of choosing analog or digital, tube or solid-state, separate
components or integrated amps, minimonitors or full-range floorstanding loudspeakers. Oh,
it's a tough life.
Whereas, in home theater, you pretty much just have to
choose which type of video display you want and get a good A/V receiver. Of course, you
have just as many speaker choices as an audiophile (well, more, technically), but
the whole gestalt of suffering for your muse is so much less fraught with existential
angst in the HT world.
Maybe we movie buffs are just happier folks -- or maybe we
really do have it easier. When you can buy products like Harman Kardon's
AVR 330 for under $799 USD, you don't have to do a lot of suffering.
It's very easy to take more than nothing
On the surface, the AVR 330 is just another mid-priced
HT receiver, offering 7.1-channel Dolby and 6.1-channel DTS, as well as Harman's
proprietary Logic 7 (which converts stereo signals to five- or seven-channel mode) and
VMAx (simulates surround-sound over headphones). Adding to the Clark Kent impersonation,
the 330 is rated at 55Wpc, but weighs in at 30.5 pounds, most of which seems to be power
supply -- so don't let the glasses fool ya'.
The AVR 330 doesn't really look all that
normal, when you get right down to it. Its volume knob is hollow and sports an illuminated
blue "halo" inside the ring -- which gives it a subdued, slightly geeky elegance
-- and its oversized display panel is easy to read across a darkened room. Its front panel
controls are logically laid out, and it even has front-panel connections for coaxial and
optical digital inputs, as well as the usual stereo analog audio, composite, and S-video
inputs.
Its rear-panel accommodations are comprehensive, as well.
There are two sets of component-video inputs (not to mention an output set), four A/V
inputs (two outputs), four digital inputs (two coaxial, two optical), and two
digital outputs (one coaxial, one optical). There are also 7.1 inputs for DVD-A and
multichannel SACD. There's also a complete set of preamp outputs. Speaker connections are
better-than-average quality medium-rugged binding posts. There are two convenience AC
outlets, a multiroom IR input, and a remote-control loop-through.
The AVR 330 also offers a feature I've never
encountered before -- and it's one that I completely approve of. If you don't have
to have 7.1-channel surround, you can assign the "back surround" channels to
produce stereo in another room or zone. In fact, HK packages a second, simpler remote and
a hardwired IR transmitter to make that as easy as pie.
Who needs to suffer?
Castles in the air -- they are so easy to take refuge
in. And to build, too.
Flexibility is one of the AVR 330's strongest suits.
Each input can be programmed to employ a specific surround mode, such as stereo or DPL II
for CDs, and DTS Neo:6 for DVDs.
The receiver also has a set-up utility called EzSet that
automatically balances the volume levels of the five speakers -- although it leaves the
subwoofer for you to set by ear. This omission seems curious, given the AVR 330's
impressive bass-management features. It allows you to choose among six low-pass-filter
options for the whole system: 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, and 200Hz. The bass management also
allows you to set different subwoofer levels for different inputs -- as well as optimize a
surround system composed of different-sized speakers -- by designating the main left and
right speakers as "Large," the center-channel as "Medium" and the
surrounds as "Small." Harman Kardon calls that a "triple crossover"; I
just call it smart.
The bass management allows you to choose the crossover
frequency to match your speakers and your source -- but it doesn't automatically carry
them over to each input. You need to enter your choices to each input manually or the
receiver reverts to its default settings. It took me a few tries to realize this -- by the
time it became obvious, I was seriously annoyed. It certainly seems shortsighted.
HK points out that as long as the speaker setup menu is set
to Global, once the crossover and speaker size settings are made, they stick as set to all
inputs. In fact, the ability of Harman Kardon receivers to have these settings on either a
global basis where you set it once, or individually set for each input, is a unique
benefit of its bass-management system.
My other niggle was the remote which, like the majority of
complex remotes these days, is too crammed with buttons to be easy to use in a darkened
room. The source buttons are backlit, which is a nice touch, but the simpler second remote
that's intended for use in other rooms/zones was far more manageable for basic functions.
Do it with gentle means and easy tasks
I installed the AVR 330 in my standard reference
system: Arcam DV88 Plus DVD player, SIM2
HT200 DMF projector, Hsu Research STF-3 subwoofer, and Magnepan
MMG W/MMG C speaker system.
Set-up was simple, thanks to EzSet and the great
bass-management options. I was initially concerned that the Maggies might tax a 55Wpc
receiver, but the 330's high-current, ultra-wide-bandwidth amplifier section proved stable
and full of grunt. I never heard any sign of strain or flattened dynamics. The 330 sounded
as massive as any 100Wpc receiver I have reviewed.
Too easy for children, and too difficult for artists
The AVR 330 sounded crisp and detailed -- and I mean
that as a compliment. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World was
atmospheric and enveloping -- but the battle sequences had the requisite weight and heft
they required, too. Thanks to the intelligence of the bass-management system, I was able
to mate the Maggie MMGs perfectly to the Hsu -- and I got seamless frequency response that
embarrassed the much more expensive Anthem AVM 20 v2.0
preamp-processor, five Musical Fidelity M250 monoblock system
it replaced. That's no small accomplishment for a mid-priced receiver.
I enjoyed the added spaciousness that Dolby Digital EX and
DTS-ES gave to soundtracks, but I have to confess that I was so impressed with the AVR
330's "stereo shunt" that I would willingly give up that small degree of
improvement for the convenience of adding a set of stereo speakers to another room. If you
feel differently, go for the rear channels, but I think having the choice is very cool.
And you could even use it both ways, if you have a sufficient number of speakers
and don't mind plugging and unplugging the speakers as you need them.
I was also extremely impressed with the 330 as a digital
processor for musical tracks from high-res DVDs and CDs. Sir John Tavener's Ikon of
Eros [RR-102 HDCD] was stunning. The AVR 330 created a deep, detailed, airily
reverberant acoustic that was more enveloping than most surround recordings.
Maybe audiophiles do suffer more than home-theater
buffs -- at least they would if they heard just how good we have it in the realm they're
supposed to rule in.
It is as easy to marry a rich woman as a poor one
I haven't auditioned a Harman Kardon product in a long
time, but the AVR 330 reminds me of the products that built HK's reputation back in
the golden age of hi-fi. It's well-built, well thought out, and offers high value. In
fact, it's so good that if you’ve spent more money on an A/V receiver or separates,
you might not want to hear how good it is -- it's a pip!
If you need a thick metal faceplate, unobtanium-plated
connectors, or fancy audiophile-approved parts, the AVR 330 probably won't excite
you. But if you value good sound, flexibility, and convenience, it ought to be the first
component you consider when it comes to setting up a home theater. With receivers like the
AVR 330, we home-theater buffs really do have it easy.
...Wes Phillips
wes@onhometheater.com
Harman Kardon AVR 330 Audio/Video Receiver
Price: $799 USD.
Warranty: Two years parts and labor.
Harman Kardon
250 Crossways Park Drive
Woodbury, NY 1797
Tel: (516) 255-4545
E-mail: info@harmankardon.com
Website: www.harmankardon.com
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