I recently decided to upgrade my A/V receiver, and I auditioned these three models here at home. I couldn't afford to go much over $700, and based on previous experience plus posts on this forum, these products seemed like the best possibilities. I've been lurking here on-and-off for some time, picking up lots of good info, and in return thought I'd contribute my impressions of these receivers.
I didn't care much for the Cambridge 540R. It offered good detail and definition, but bass response seemed restricted and over-all it sounded flat and almost harsh. The 540R is very lightweight... less than 20 pounds... maybe the power supply just isn't up to the task. Further, this unit has a noisy cooling fan that kept cycling on-and-off even when I was listening at moderate levels.
The NAD T762 (a discontinued model that's available for $700-$800) had a powerful and "musical" sound quality which was quite appealing. But I had a couple issues with it. First, I didn't like the D/A converters... they sounded too soft for my taste. This was the only receiver that sounded better to me when I used analog connections from my CD player, rather than a digital connection. Second, the T762 put out gobs of bass but it didn't sound quite right. I found it kind of boomy, and further my speakers "thumped" when I cranked up the volume. And no matter how I fiddled with the level and cross-over frequency, I couldn't get my (admittedly cheap) Yamaha sub-woofer to sound right.
The Harman/Kardon AVR630 is the receiver I decided to keep. The sound is what I would describe as a little "thick" and rough around the edges... it doesn't have the delicacy or detail of the NAD or the Cambridge. But as soon as I hooked up the H/K, I found myself immersed in the music instead of worrying about the audio quality, you know? The sound is tight and coherent. The bass is wonderful... deep and rich with no thumps or boom. Even my poor old Yamaha sub sounds better than it ever has. I have no idea why since it uses its own power amp... but honestly it sounds like a different sub-woofer!
Well, I hope my opinions might be helpful to others. And thanks to everybody who posts here. This is the best A/V audio forum I have found, and it has helped me out a lot.
Tyler - thanks for your impressions. Its nice to see that different people prefer different receivers and that they don't just buy into the hype of one receiver or another. Like you, I tried out the Cambridge Audio, Nad and Harman Kardon receivers at home but found that in my room with my speakers, the Harman Kardon was the least preferable while the Cambridge Audio sounded quite nice by comparison. Just goes to show that we all have different preferences.
Enjoy the H/K and welcome
Tyler_W
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Markus -
Hey... that's amazing we both tried the same receivers!
It's kind of a hassle auditioning various models at home, and since I had to order all of them on-line, I also spent almost $50 on return shipping. But I think it's worth it. I can't tell much by listening to audio gear in a store anyway... too many variables.
Not surprised you preferred the Cambridge... a lot of people seem to like it and that's why I checked it out. But I am curious... doesn't that cooling fan on the 540R bother you?
Tyler - actually I can't hear the fan at all. I'm sure that its running but I have a custom cabinet for my av gear so I guess it must insulate me from the noise somehow.
I agree though - its definitely a pain in the **s to keep setting up and returning receivers in order to find the best match for your home. That said, I think it was worth it as we both ended up with a product that we are happy with and returned the rest.
Tyler_W, that's interesting. Say, I don't suppose you happened to hook up the analog outputs from your DVD player to the NAD for comparision with the digital connection? ie. for DTS & DD.
In my own experience I don't notice much difference at all with my DVD/CD player (older model Sony 5-disk) using CDs between the analog and digital connections. I certainly expected the NAD DACs to be noticably superior to the ones in the Sony DVD player. However, I've convinced myself that the amplifier plays a more significant role in the sound quality than the DACs, since with the analog connections the sound is vastly different than with my older H/K receiver. I certainly agree with you that the NAD does put out gobs of bass, I usually listen to CDs through my main speakers only (depending on the source CD) since my towers are full range.
Hmmmm...maybe it's time to upgrade my DVD player .
This is a guy from Berlin, Germany writting to you. I think about getting the AVR 630 and thats why I apriciated your review. Since I do not have enough money to order all the Receivers I would like to test I try to gather as much info from users about the amp I would like to get on the internet. So, you said the sound of the 630 is thicker and has not so much detail. But are you still able when listening to a CD or Audio DVD to pick out little details in the sound like guitar strings that swing or diffrences in the voice of a singer etc.. When watching movies or Audio DVD does the 630 have the ability to "Suck you into" the movie and make you feel that you are "in it" rather than just watching it? Did you ever hear the cooling fan of the 630? I would love to get your reply sometime soon, greetings from Berlin, Marcus
MZ, I believe you must have many AV/Hifi shops in Berlin. I recommend you find a couple with the right stuff and go there to make your own decisions, it's the only way to find out what really is good for you. Also many vendors will let you take hardware to home audition with no cost, so you dont need to buy multiple receivers to be able to try them out. Good luck.
Tyler_W
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Smitty - I didn't try analog connections from my DVD player... I have only one pair of decent-sounding analog cables for one thing But I assume NAD uses the same DAC's for all channels, so the comparison I made between digital and analog sound using the two channels from my CD player should remain at least basically valid.
But remember this was a subjective evaluation. The smooth sound of the NAD's DAC's might be just what some listeners are looking for. Although I've noticed on this forum and elsewhere that I'm not the only one who thinks the T762's digital to analog conversion sounds kinda muffled or whatever.
MZ - The sound of the H/K is very different from any other receiver I've heard. To me, it sounds kinda like both the bass and treble controls are turned up several db's, even though I run with the tone controls switched completely out of the signal path. That doesn't really explain it exactly, but it's the best way I can think of to describe what I hear.
For me, the H/K definitely does "suck" me into music and movies (especially music). Everything I listen to on it sorta knocks my socks off. That didn't happen for me with the Cambridge or NAD. And the sound is detailed... it's just that the H/K has kind of a "down and dirty" quality to it. The sound isn't as delicate or pristine as the NAD or Cambridge. And the H/K can sound pretty bad with poor-quality sources.
Bottom line... I agree with landroval. If you can, listen to the H/K (preferrably at home) before buying. The 630 has a unique sound that won't appeal to everybody.
Oh... and about the cooling fan on the 630. I guess it has one but I've never heard it. Never heard the NAD's either. The H/K does run really hot though... I don't think I'll have to heat my listening room this winter!
Thank you for your answers. I will definetly try to hear it myself before I buy but most shops unfortunatly dont let you take the stuff home. I get a not so good impression in the shop as there is so much "backround noise" but better than no own impression I guess.. If it (avr 630) gets really hot do you need to set it in a special place? I wonder if the heat can "hurt" the electronic inside?
Greetings from Berlin
Marcus
MZ
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Questions: AVR 630 PLIIx update
Does anyone know about the PLIIx update that should be availabale in the near future? Maybe some of you already heard the 630 in PLIIx Mode? The 630 has a Mp3 decoder inside, does it work also if you play a self burned CD with Mp3 files or do you need a direkt link between your PC and the Receiver in order for the Decoder to work? Would love to "hear" from you.
Greetz, Marcus
Tyler_W
Unregistered guest
Posted on
MZ - Can't help you out on the MP3 or PLIIx questions. I seldom use any surround modes except Dolby Digital and DTS. The AVR630 Owners Manual has info about the MP3 capability. You can download it from H/K's web site.
In regard to the heat issue... I have to assume H/K knows what it's doing in letting the AVR630 run so hot. But I'm a little concerned about this myself. It really does put out a lot of heat. They must have the bias on the power amps cranked way up because the 630 gets hot even when it's just turned on, doing nothing.
I sure wouldn't put it in a closed entertainment center with no ventilation.
I'd be interested in hearing from other H/K owners about this... do they all run hot??
MZ
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Well, from what I read on the net from owners of 630 in germany it runs really hot, yes. One guy that sells these things even reportet during a little session in the store, the 630 with 7.1 configuration almost driven to the max :-) started to smoke... But he also said, this think was awsome and they didint have any trouble with it so far.
