Audio Reviews

I get the feeling that the reviewers that had difficulty with this receiver were either not reading and following the manual or really just did not understand what they were doing. I've had the machine for just over 2 months, and it performs great. The sound is fantastic, and it can handle anything I want to run through it, including my DVD, CD, Tape, 2 VCR's, and TV, and I still have room to hook up additional components if I can think of any. It supports 5.1, 7.1, dolby digital, and all the simpler formats, has plenty of optical, s-video, and component hookups to run everything at higher levels. The remote has little difficulty running my complete mutt of a system (toshiba, techniques, HK, JVC, Onkyo, and Hitachi). I think it's a bit spendy at anything close to full price, but I can't say it isn't worth the money. Overall a great machine.

Don't be fooled here by reviewers that don't read the manual! This is an AWESOME amp! Using with JBL studio front, center and powered subwoofer, Audiosource 100 watt in-wall speakers. This amp powers them all with ease. I can't turn the amp volume all the way up, it's so loud, it hurts! Dolby 5.1 and DTS are immersive. Sure, the manual won't win a pulitzer, but it does the job. Common sense is also a must (lacking by some quick-to-complain reviewers here). Unit runs a bit hot, make sure you have sufficient ventilation. FM tuner may need an additional FM antenna, get the best one you can (Terk hi-end). Plenty of inputs to mix and match, which you can assign. A fourth input on front w/S-video, optical, etc. Have a Sony DVD 5.1/DTS player, mid-range stereo VCR, DD satellite receiver and older LD player. No problem with ANY of these and the HK. You may want to pick up analog to S-video converters so you won't have to change the input on your TV. Get the converters from RADIO SHACK ($...) - NOT THE MONSTER VERSION ($...), RS is obviously much cheaper. This makes all your inputs from RCA jacks S-video. Also - USE GOOD CABLES! Monster, Acoustical Research and some others. Not Radio Shack cables. Also use good speaker wire like Monster. YES - IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE! If you get a hum, you may need to plug the HK into it's own surge protector, check the manual. I like the remote, has a digital meter with speaker built-in to adjust your speakers! I have a large media room with 60" TV and this receiver delivers. Tested with MP3's, CD-R/W, VCD, movies like "Matrix"(the bullets whizz by!), "Gladiator", "Blade 2", "Saving Private Ryan", "Attack of the Clones" and others. Classy front looks great! This guy is heavy too, make sure you have a good cabinet to put it in.

For a semi-serious home theater enthusiast I have been extremely pleased with the AVR520. I switched to this reciever from an old Pioneer Elite VSX-97 and seriously consided another Pioneer Elite, Denon and Integra AVR's but found the sonic clarity unsurpassed by any of the other models. The receiver was easy to setup at the GUI was fairly easy to navigate. DVD's and CD's played on my Pioneer Elite DV F-07 DVD/CD Player have never looked or sounded better. The surround performance with this reciever is simply amazing. The Multi-room capability and the optional MP3 translator (allows MP3 playback from your computer through your reciever) are great additonal features.

The sound quality is excellent, the player works beautifully and it's easy to use. BUT getting your music onto the memory card is painful. You can ONLY do it with RealOne's software - you can't drag and drop an mp3 file to the card. The RealOne software is buggy, slow and takes over your PC. It took a good deal of time to reset my PC back to how it should work with the music file associations as I like it and adverts removed.

Using RealOne is a pain. It frequently fails to transfer the music, giving unhelpful error messages so you have to keep clicking the "transfer" button until eventually it succeeds in transferring the music over. And when you get a new memory card, formatting it takes forever because RealOne keeps failing. You have to click "format" over and over until eventually it works.

At first, I thought it was a problem with my PC but if you check out the online forums, you'll find the problems I mention are common.

I really like this unit - but find it incredible that I have to use RealOne software (read "AdWare")to transfer my tunes.
Sound is great, unit is small, love the "hold" button feature.

Just lose RealOne and it would be so much better.

I received this as a Christmas gift and had doubts about its claims. I did have problems with the installation of RealOne. It seemed to have seriously slowed down my system initially but 8 hrs later I had it working like a charm. It automatically converts your CD WAV files into AAC format but I especially like the WMA format at 128kbps. Sound quality is great! It looks great and above all is easy to use. The only downside is the neon transcolored looking neck strap. I'm a bit embarrassed to wear this thing to the gym. So I'll have to buy an aftermarket arm strapped case. It comes with 64MB SD media. The larger sized disks are pricing so I'll wait until the price drops. Overall, it is definitely a good value I recommend it.

My brother has one of these, which I'm using now. It gets the job done with no frills. I can't speak about the internal mic, as he bought an external one from Radio Shack also. It is true that this is smaller than other shoebox recorders. It runs from DC power only, which explains the plug-in transformer which must be used. Personally, I'd rather have a regular AC cord in with the power supply built into the recorder. That design doesn't hog so much room on power strips. If you're buying the shoebox style, you're probably not all that concerned with the size. What you want in the shoebox style is a desktop-friendly design, right? Well to me this isn't it. For one thing, when pressing the buttons, you have to hold the rear end of the recorder down since the buttons are so stiff. Anyway, the thing doesn't reek of quality, but for $..., it's not bad at all.

The thing that can't be disputed about this recorder is its intense sensitivity, even with the internal mic! Sounds recorded are played back with remarkable clarity. I was able to document entire conversations my neighbors had in the middle of the night with ease! No more will that pesky wall keep me in the aural dark about who is conspiring against me.

I bought this tape recorder for use as a study aid, and it has performed very well for this purpose. I like the fact that it uses full size cassette tapes, as they are readily available, and can be played back on any standard player. I have made several tapes, and have played them back in different decks with good results. The only thing I would recommend is the addition of an external microphone, as the internal mic seems to be too sensitive. It actually picks up noise from the tape drive mechanism. If this unit cost a lot of money, this would be a serious flaw, but for just over twenty bucks it didn't seem like a big deal to me. I picked up a decent mic at Radio Shack for around ten dollars, and recording quality is now flawless.

I don't own this, but I read the specs. Anyway, with no S-Video, you won't get the best results possible from DVDs, but keep in mind that if your TV is more than 3 years old, you probably couldn't use it anyway. Look for a black input with 6 holes right near to your A/V inputs. If it's there, you DON'T want this reciever. You might also want to count your sources. If you have more than 3 (count your TV, VCR, DVD, MD, Tape, Satellite, etc.) you can't use this.

I have every component plugged into this thing, dvd, cd, tape, tv, vcr. i like how it automatically switches the output to the tv based on the component you select. digital connections allow me to use coax, or optical for dvd, giving a very crisp picture and sound. one issue that i've found is that if you turn it on to DVD mode, then turn on your dvd player and start a dvd, it will not play through the system. if you turn the dvd player on first, then the HK, everything works ok. (may be specific to the COAX connection). the system has two coax inputs for multiple types of components. the front of the system is vintage HK. very slick look, not too many buttons, very crisp and clear LEDs. as with many of the other reviews, i agree that you will probably never turn the volume knob up past half way...it pumps out a lot of power to multi-speaker systems.

Beware that the AVR 100, while excellent at audio processing, lacks a Phono input (for those who still care), and lacks the ability to record one thing to VCR while watching another. Both of these features were removed when H/K moved from the 5 series to the hundred series. It also lacks S-video inputs/outputs.

I was in the market for a new MP3 player and was absolutely overwhelmed when I started my research and found all the brands, options, price ranges and reviews on all the various types. I had very specific features in mind and was surprised that hardly any of them had all the things I was looking for. Or, if they did, they got not-so-good reviews. Finally, after much searching (and crossing my fingers) I settled on the iRock. I have had itfor apx. 2 months now and am happy as can be with it. I use it mostly for exercizing and air plane flights- and it works perfectly for both!
The software is very easy to use, it holds a resonable amount of music, the sound quality is excellent, the display is easy to read, the menus are easy to navigate, the head phones are better than most, it's so light weight that you barely notice it's there, it's got a belt clip for exercising, it's got a great battery life, it's sturdy, the FM radio comes in surprisingly well, it's easy to download music and it was fairly inexpensive! The ONLY things I wish is had: a clock and the ability to expand memory. I don't write reviews often, but this little guy inspired me enough to do so. Two thumbs up!!!

After looking at a number of MP3 players, the iRock 860 can't be beat in terms of value over cost. Not only is this player affordable, but it speaks volumes about product design, quality, durability and usability. Everything is designed to be compact but within reach, easily accessible by using only one hand to hold and manipulate the player's play/pause, and song skip buttons. The player is sturdy, holds up well to normal usage, and has a feel and appearance that will make you take notice. I have taken this player from Shanghai, to Hong Kong, to Taiwan, back to the US, and it has yet to fail on me after all this traveling. Audio quality is great, it acts like a USB drive (no drivers necessary, just plug it in and go) and it even has about 30 hours of life on a single battery! How great is that? If you need a simple to use MP3 player with basic functions and a long lifespan, look no further than the iRock 860.

I was just looking for a cheap flash mp3 player in the $100 range for me to use while running, but I am impressed with the quality I got in the iRock 860. The build and interface of the unit seems solid and quite attractive, especially with the included protective case/beltclip. As someone that detests Musicmatch, I was greatly relieved that I could manage songs using my software of choice, Windows Media Player; file transfers are simple if a little slow (due to USB 1.1). In action, the player sounds great and is loud enough to overcome a roomfull of noisy treadmills at the gym. People looking for encycleopaedic features and lots of memory should buy a hard-drive player first, but flash players are the only way to go for exercise, and I have no qualms in recommending this player.

I bought these because of the folding feature they offer. They are about the samller over ear headphones available because they fold, but beyond that they have almost nothing to offer over similarly priced headphones. They're very uncomfortable; they fit on your ear instead of over them which becomes extraordinarily uncomfortable after only a half hour with them on. In addition, they make my ears sweat whereas other closed ear headphones do not. All of this would be tolerable if they produced decent sound, but they do not. Get the Koss PortaPro instead and you won't be sorry.

I've used these headphones for about 6 months now and I like them very much. They are easy to carry around, as they fold into a neat package. The earpieces swivel in two planes, so it is easy to find a comfortable position for them on my head. The padding is soft - extended wearing does not hurt my ears. The 4 foot long cord is short, so it does not catch on arms or furniture! I have another pair of headphones with a 6' cord, and it is a nuisance on most occasions. The only negative that I can think of is that the seal that the earpieces make with my head does not allow any air to circulate around the ears - they get quite hot after a while.

After all that, what about the sound? I think that it is excellent. I listen mainly to mp3 music files and watch mainly movie and music DVDs - a range in quality. To my ears, the sound from these headphones is bright and clear, with good bass and treble responses. They are not as good as my Sennheiser PX200s, but the Jensens are considerably cheaper. I have not regretted buying them for a minute!

I wanted headphones to take with my laptop to replace my behind the neck style Labtec Curve 460. I browsed around at many models. I wanted to stay under $50. I found this set at Media Play for $25 including a LONG extension cable (over 7 feet) and a 1/4 gold converter. I took a chance on them and am very pleased. The sound quality is the nicest I've heard from headphones. The headband is adjustable in height, and the arms swivel in two directions to put the phones at whatever angle you need for your ears. The padding is very soft. The band has a firm fit and it can get warm over time but I prefer to have them close fitting for better bass and reduced outside noise. They fold into a nice size of about 6x4x3 inches.

I found this unit to be of excellent quaility like all JVC products. The unit does not come with a remote. It is accessed through JVC's Compu Link using the remote ,in my case, with my JVC Receiver. Sound is excellent and the optical output is a plus. I would recommend this product for anyone with a JVC Receiver!!

I love this JVC CD changer. Sounds great and works flawlessly. Only downside is that it does NOT come with a remote so if you don't have a JVC receiver to hook it to (with compulink system) in order to use one remote, I'd suggest another model.

THIS UNIT IS A GOOD VALUE WITH GREAT FEATURES AND SOUND FOR THE PRICE. IF YOU'RE LOOKING IN THIS PRICE RANGE, CHECK IT OUT. AS USUAL, JVC DELIVERS.

Let me start by correcting the name of the product. It is a 210 MB / 24 minute CD-R spindle. I went to Europe with my CD Mavica and this exact item. It is now a little over a month after my return, and several disks (containing our trip to London and a friend's wedding) no longer work in my computer or camera. It seems the data is degrading from the disks. Luckily, we gave copies of the wedding pictures to the bride, so we'll get those back. London, however is only captured in memory anymore. I should have known. Memorex. . .memory + ex. "ex" comes from the Latin for "out of, from." You get the picture. Unless you took it with a memorex disk.

I think that it is supposed to say "21 minute" not "210 minute" in case anyone else was confused about that. And it should probably be changed. I just did three stars because I have no feelings about the product either way being that I did not buy it.

I've been using these disks for all manner of uses for quite some time now...they're great for putting your resume and other info onto and bringing to job interviews, for example....and have yet to have come across any of the disk/data corruption issues mentioned.

I actually ordered one a few months ago for about $$$ bucks as B stock from the Harman Kardon site. Prompt shipping. Tried to break it in for a few days, but unfortunately the unit sounded very hissy to me. For somebody who wants to fill a house with big bass though (PLEASE don't annoy neighbors in an apartment building with rocking the walls!) this may be ok. This receiver is very powerful, easy to use, and has a punch, but is not audiophile grade in the midrange and treble. It almost seemed to produce ghost images in the sound, akin to a fuzzy TV picture. To be fair though, maybe that is why the one I had ended up in the cheap B stock bin?? HK was very nice, gave me a paid shipping authorization, and refunded quickly. Listen to it in store before buying. Just because my spoiled ears didn't like it, doesn't mean you won't like it.

I owned a Harman/Kardon home stereo system for 5+ years and it's given me great performance. I believe their receivers are some of the best on the market (must be the 'high current amplifier design'). When I had to replace the CD changer due to a burnt-out & irreplaceable remote sensor, I decided to upgrade the whole system. I almost went with one of the AVR series of Harman/Kardon receivers, digitally designed for home theater systems. But if you're like me, you buy a home stereo to listen to great MUSIC, not heartstopping explosion SOUND EFFECTS on the soundtrack to some hokey Hollywood action/adventure flick in surround-sound (Whoop dee doo...) I decided instead to go for one of their oldfashioned stereo two-channel receivers (when I grow three more ears I'll think about getting a five-speaker surround-sound setup). This is the lesser (in terms of wattage output) of their two stereo models, ideal for my one-room studio apartment. Wow! The sound is even brighter & clearer (more presence) than on my older HK receiver (using FM stereo broadcasts as a basis for comparison). And lots of attractive added features, like PHONO inputs, SUBWOOFER line outputs, jacks for TWO tape decks plus auxiliary, versatile FM-programming preset functions, sleep timer, and a beautiful illuminated front-panel display and control layout. This unit is a beauty. One thing worth mentioning: my older HK receiver was rated at 40 watts per channel and was WAY louder than this unit which is paradoxically rated at 70 watts per channel. I live in a tiny apartment so I don't need earsplitting volume, but don't be fooled by numbers...

I've got my hk3370 for 2years, what i can say about it it's just great. some of reviewers have objections on sound quality, it is a metter of taste, but i find it nearly perfect. I have following system: HK 3370 reciver; harman/kardon DVD 25; Infinity alpha 50 (i use be-wiring); powered subwoofer 12" JBL.(room 40 m2)
some of my friends have a good audio systems like BOSE lifestyle 12; B & O;Nakamichi. i can say proudly that my system's sound quality is not the last.(as to the bass, it beats them)
may be the reason is that all my equipment are from one HARMAN family and are very very very well matched. in short, I am setisfide with my HK .

happy listening

The above "reviews" from "an electronics fan" are, obviously and blatantly, plugs by a manufacturers representative of some sort. Give me a break. If you're not a consumer, you shouldn't be rating the products.

First of all, the dimmer and the 270 viewing and the snazzy appearance and two alarms and what-not are all as advertised and the sound is better than I expected. The only flaw is it is a bit bigger than some similar units out there. If size is not an issue it is the best one for the price. If size is an issue you need to go to a store and actually lay hands on one, because buying them on the net you never know. There are some really small ones out there that you could, say, use while traveling, but for bedroom or office use this one looks and sounds very nice.(yes, i do sleep in my office, George Costanza style)

Wow, am I impressed with this clock radio! I did about a week of researching and was planning on a Sony but then saw the reviews for this. It had all the options I was looking for without adding bells and whistles that are useless. What a plus to have 3 sided viewing also! You can see what time it is from anywhere in the room. When I got it home the first thing I did was check the sound. I was quite surprised. I could hear it through the house. Obviously it doesn't sound quite as good as a large stereo system but it really was good! No distortion on high volume. It's the perfect size and the dual alarms are great as I get up at two different times throughout the week!. I tried out the cd player and was impressed again. Another big plus if you're like me and can't sleep with any light. The clock display is NOT overpowering lights!! It has a dimmer switch. It does not light up the whole room as others I looked at. The am/fm pick up is great. Much better than what I had.

So, I would say if you've been doing a ton of research and are as confused as I was, look at the reviews - everyone is very pleased with this alarm clock (which by the way, the buzzer is very non-intrusive). Go for it - you'll be pleasantly surprised. WELL worth the money.