Video Asylum: REVIEW: Harman Kardon AVR 220 Receiver by nickwh

Model:	AVR 220
Category:	Receiver
Suggested Retail Price:	$499
Description:	45w/ch, Pro Logic II, proprietary Logic 7
Manufacturer URL:	Harman Kardon
Model Picture:	View

Review by nickwh ( A ) on June 20, 2003 at 12:54:05
IP Address: 146.184.0.71

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for the AVR 220

At the time of this writing, there were no H/K receiver reviews on this site, so I figured I would make my contribution.
I picked up this unit 9/02, online from hifi.com (Cambridge Soundworks) on sale for $350 + free shipping, discounted from $549 retail. I had heard the AVR110, so I knew what I was getting into beforehand. I had been using an older Sony A/V receiver that I purchased from Crutchfield a few years back. It had Dolby Digital support, but no Dolby Pro-Logic II or DTS decoding. Also, I was not happy with the mediocre amplification. It was OK for movies, but music sounded very flat and lifeless.
Visually, some people may like the style while others will outright hate it. I guess it is a deviation from your standard all-black box. I like the sleek, uncluttered look. Some may put down the plastic face, however, this unit is considerably heavy at 31 lbs. It is also somewhat deep at 17 inches, which will require planning for rack placement. Looking inside, you can see decent-sized capacitators and large heat sinks running the length of the unit. There are two power supplies, one for the main channels and one for the surround channels. The entire top of the case and most of the bottom is slotted for good ventilation. On the front, there are digital and line inputs for quickly hooking up portable equipment.
The Harman Kardon trademark sound is definitely present in the AVR series. This can best be described as a warm, rich quality to the sound. Most Japanese mass-market receivers have a tinny, flat, forward sound that I guess emphasizes detail. While H/K receivers are mass-produced in China, I assume it is Harman's design philosophy that accounts for this. The AVR series receivers all boast "Ultra-Wide Bandwidth Design" and "High-Currenty Amplifier Design." H/K also seems to under-rate their amplifier output specifications. In stereo mode, this unit sounds just as loud at 55 watts x 2 as my Sony did at 100 watts x 2. Harman rates their amp wattage and total harmonic distortion from 20Hz to 20KHz, all-channels driven, which is rare. Also rare is their amperage rating, although I don't know how useful it is because you don't know if the number is for one or all channels, etc. In any event, this receiver has the ability to play very loud and clean with almost no audible distortion. There always seems to be reserver power for music peaks or soundtrack effects. Bass is dynamic and authoritative for a receiver. Imaging and soundstage are decent, but not on par with most integrated amps. In 5-channel mode, the volume level decreases slightly. DD, DPL-II and DTS all sound excellent, with good channel steering and spatial placement. The receiver does run warm and will get hot to the touch after prolonged use, so don't place any components on top. I was running Allison Acoustics AL series speakers, which are 6 ohm nominal, 4 ohm minimum impedence, 89db sensitivity speakers. The receiver drove them with authority, even with all channels in use. Currently, I'm building an HT around the Dynaudio Audience 42. Most would think that this is too much draw for a receiver to handle, but the H/K does an admirable job of powering the 86db, 4 ohm mini-monitors. With 2 channels driven, the receiver gets warm but never out of hand. I do not forsee a problem with this type of load into 5 channels, at least in my modest room. For high volume or large room applications, consider the larger 300 or 500 series receivers which have more current on tap.
The processing circuitry is really where this receiver shines. The 192K/24-bit DACs are a nice upgrade from other entry-level receivers that feature 96k/24-bit conversion. Many people like the Logic 7 capabilities, but I don't use it much. The AVR220 features an on-screen display that makes it much easier to setup your surround preferences. The remote also features an SPL sensor which allows you to set your levels where you sit in the room. To be honest, I have yet to use this, so I really cannot comment. I've read that people dislike the ergonomics of the remote control. I guess it takes some getting used to like any other remote, but I don't find it to be problem.
AVR series receivers all feature a good set of inputs and outputs for your A/V gear. The 220 has provisions for 6-channel input, S-video switching, 3 coax & 3 optical digital inputs, along with the regular array of line-level inputs. There is a subwoofer output, and good quality, banana-plug accepting, color-coded binding posts for all channels. There are no secondary main speaker outputs. Disappointing is the lack of pre-amp outputs, which can be found on the AVR320 and up. In addition, the thin power cord is non-removable. However, at this price I am hard pressed to complain.
All in all, this receiver is a great package for the money. In my opinion, Harman Kardon's late model AVR receivers are at the upper end of mid-fi quality. The next logical step up is Arcam or Rotel, with models costing over $1000 USD. One thing about H/K is that all of their receiver amps sound very similar. The more expensive receivers get you more channels and more power, but the voicing is the same. Those of you needing an inexpensive receiver that excels in music reproduction as well as home theater should seriously look at Harman's receivers. They are very easy to listen to for long periods and provide excellent, high-current amplification for quality budget loudspeakers. Since my purchase, the AVR line has been updated and the corresponding model is now the 225.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Audio
Stereo Mode
Continuous Average Power (FTC) Per Channel : 55 Watts per channel, 20Hz â€“ 20kHz, @ <0.07% THD, both channels driven into 8 ohms
Five-Channel Surround Modes, Power Per Individual Channel :
Front L & R Channels : 45 Watts per channel @ <0.07% THD, 20Hz â€“ 20kHz into 8 ohms
Center Channel : 45 Watts @ < 0.07% THD, 20Hz â€“ 20kHz into 8 ohms
Surround Channels : 45 Watts per channel @ <0.07% THD, 20Hz â€“ 20kHz into 8 ohms
Input Sensitivity/Impedance Linear (High-Level) : 200mV/47k Ohms
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (IHF-A) : 95dB
Surround System Adjacent Channel Separation :
Analog Source Decoding : 45dB
DolbyÂ® Digital : 55dB
DTSÂ® : 55dB
Frequency Response at 1W (+0dB,â€“3dB) : 10Hz â€“ 100kHz
High Instantaneous Current Capability (HCC) : Â±28 Amps
Transient Intermodulation Distortion (TIM) : Unmeasurable
Slew Rate : 40V/Âµsec
FM Tuner
Frequency Range : 87.5 â€“ 108MHz
Usable Sensitivity : IHF 1.3ÂµV/13.2dBf
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (Mono/Stereo) : 70/68dB
Distortion (Mono/Stereo) : 0.2/0.3%
Stereo Separation : 40dB @ 1kHz
Selectivity : Â±400kHz, 70dB
Image Rejection : 80dB
IF Rejection : 90dB
AM Tuner
Frequency Range : 520 â€“ 1720kHz
Signal-to-Noise Ratio : 45dB
Usable Sensitivity : Loop 500ÂµV
Distortion : 1kHz, 50% Mod 0.8%
Selectivity : Â±10kHz, 30dB
Video
Television Format : NTSC
Input Level/Impedance : 1Vp-p/75 Ohms
Output Level/Impedance : 1Vp-p/75 Ohms
Video Frequency Response : 10Hz â€“ 8MHz (â€“3dB)
General
Power Requirement : AC 120V/60Hz
Power Consumption : 68 Watts idle, 540 watts maximum
(2 channels driven)
Dimensions
(H x W x D) : 6.5" x 17.3" x 17.1"
(165mm x 440mm x 435mm)
Weight : 31 lb (14.1kg)

Product Weakness: No preamp outputs, fixed power cord
Product Strengths: Great amplifier section, DAC & processors, A/V switching

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	None
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	None
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Harman Kardon CDR30, DVD 5
Speakers:	Dynaudio Audience 42
Cables/Interconnects:	Monster/Kimber Kable
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Rock, Alternative, Pop
Room Size (LxWxH):	14 x 13 x 8
Time Period/Length of Audition:	6 Months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Monster PowerCenter AV800
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	No preamp outputs, fixed power cord
Product Strengths:	Great amplifier section, DAC & processors, A/V switching