I bought this product in july 2010 as part of a hi fi system It only gets used occasionally, but recently it stopped working. The retailers say it is five months out of warranty and has had fair ware and tear!I am informed It will cost more to repair so I should buy new. I asked how long are these things supposed to last? They wont tell me. Harman Kardon don't want to know. I had a technics HiFi for 20 years no problems I have an RGD radiogram 60 years old still working. A Sony mini HiFi in the kitchen, on all day long 10 years old no problems. What does that say about Harman Kardon products?
It says stuff breaks - everything breaks sooner or later. It also says you have worked yourself up into a tizzy over very little. Unfortunately, when it occurs to you, out of warranty is out of warranty. If the unit were seven months out of warranty, would you still be upset? How about one year? When is it unfathomable to you that a receiver might need service? Why do you suppose there is such a thing as a warranty? The answer, because stuff breaks.
Look, I use lots of old audio gear and I have a HK 730 receiver from the mid 1970's that runs 24/7. I also have a HK Citation 12 power amp from that same time period. I use fifty year old tube amps and have a twenty five year old pre amp. I'm aware every day that stuff could break. If it doesn't, great. If it does, there's no reason to get upset since stuff breaks. It's not something I look forward to but I realize it might happen. It doesn't matter how much you've used the component, stuff breaks. In fact, the less you use something like a receiver, the more likely it is to break due to how receivers are constructed. Why do you suppose there are service centers? Because stuff breaks. If service centers only repaired gear that was in warranty, they would quickly go out of business.
"I am informed It will cost more to repair so I should buy new."
That's advice and you are not obligated to take that advice. But consider that you just might be like most mass market buyers and you bought the HK at a steep discount. That's pretty much how the mass market work;, buy stuff at a discount, stuff breaks, buy more stuff at a discount. Once the stuff you bought breaks, you can buy more stuff that will break or you can repair what you already have. This is not exclusive to HK, all mass market companies work the same way. You'll want a new receiver to take advantage of new features such as HDMI, room correction or zoned audio output. So that's what the new stuff has that your old stuff lacks - more features. Maybe you don't want any of those things right now. But the market moves forward and, if you are going to buy anything new in the future, you'll probably need some of these features at that time. That is how the market works.
You cannot get upset because your receiver is out of warranty. You were probably offered an extended warranty, but you declined? You cannot get upset with HK because you didn't use the receiver very much, that was your decision. You could have left it playing 24/7 and it still would have reached a point where the warranty was expired. You really can't get upset that stuff breaks because that is what stuff does. It's not a matter of how long something should last, you can test a switch or a chip 5,000 times and it will fail on the 5,011th time. It's just what stuff does.
If you don't want to buy new, repair the HK. It's your choice and you seem to be taking the advice of a technician as a permission slip to be po'd at HK. Modern receivers are fairly complicated and possibly the tech just doesn't want to do the work required to repair your receiver. Maybe, just maybe, the tech doesn't really know what's wrong with your receiver and it's easier to tell you to buy something new. You seem to be looking for someone to blame but somehow you've settled on HK as the bad guys. The problem is probably a chip inside the receiver. If you must get po'd at soemone, why not get po'd at the company that made the chip that isn't working?
Your comments are irrational and not in touch with how things actually work in the real world. I would suggest you get a grip and decide whether a new receiver with new features is better than repairing your old receiver. Your other option, of course, is to get po'd at me since I'm not telling you what you want to hear.
My words, you really have a lot to learn about life. If people like you are talking like this I make no wonder this world is in the mire. When firms make goods and describe them as quality, reliability that is just what I expect to pay for. You may be dazzled by technology I am not. I am from the old school who believe when I buy something it should be built to last. We now seem to live in a throw away society. You may have excess of income to buy every few years, I do not, and do not expect to. As for buying at a discount I buy where I can get to a shop that sells what I want, locally if possible. you no doubt can afford to pay highest prices for everything. Perhaps you are one of those people who we call in Yorkshire ''Bowlegged wi' brass'' I know one thing I shall not be supporting your economy by buying Harman Kardon again. put that in your amplifier and play it.
How did I know that was going to be your response?
Oh, yeah, because people like you don't take reason for an answer. And insulting someone on a forum is just soooooo easy for your type.
If you want something that lasts, don't buy mass market anything. The average life span for any receiver built today is less than ten years, half that for a HT receiver. That's how the market stays in business; add features and sell new stuff.
There's no need to add me to your list of people you get to rant at when you simply don't understand how to play the game. Don't buy anything, get your HK fixed. Or don't do anything at all since you are not the type who thinks rationally. But don't go off on me just becasue you happen to think Technics was high quality. Warranties have time limits, get over it. Stuff breaks, face facts.
Less than ten years perhaps. How less? but not just over two! Obviously you live in another world to me. I was brought up to appreciate quality. You obviously were brought up by being spoiled, no doubt having parents who got you just what you wanted when ever you demanded it. I live in the real world. you live in that world created by your sort of people. you enjoy your trash. I will promise never to buy anymore trash. In fact I binned the lot this afternoon. I do enjoy playing my RGD radiogram which is over 50 years old and still going strong. but then you won't remember that word Quailty! it is not in your mental dictionary. please continue to post and rant, rest assured I shall not read them. Have a nice day (as they say in your part of the world)
OK, you've p*ssed all over the forum and taken a dump on me. You've called me names and made accusations that you have no basis of knowledge to even assume are true. I know for a fact not everyone in other countries are as much of a malcontent as you. My friend in London understands that "stufff breaks" and the manufactuter is not always accountable for when that happens. He also understands that showing your backside on a forum doesn't change anything for the better - particularly when you have to hide behind an avatar.
In the end, you've blown off steam, been excessively rude to someone you don't know from Adam and you're still the one with the non-functional receiver.
As they say in my part of the world, 'ave a nice day and I'll see you in the funny papers.
You do seem to be repeating yourself somewhat my poor man regarding items breaking down. In re reading the posts I cannot see where I have actually called you a name. However your posts do appear to be coming much more Hysterical with the words ''dump'' and ''p'ssed'' Of course, you cannot use the real terms on this site so I realise just what sort of spoiled person you are. I did say Yesterday I had put the item in the bin, and as far as I am concerned that is the end of the matter. I think it gives me the right to give Harman Kardon a bad name on Quality where ever I go. and I will! can you now you go home like a nice little child and not post anymore unless you have something sensible to say Do have a nice day.
No, people such as you never think they might have offended anyone or called anyone a name or suggested bad character on their part. You just don't because you're too self absorbed to even consider what you say. Or to consider what you say might be taken as an insult by the offended party. We've just been through all that in this country and I've seen your kind all too often. The party which saw itself as the perpetual victim, the out of control ranting and the offensive language against those who disagreed lost the election. Just as you have lost in your efforts to get your way with HK and on this forum. You are offensive and you are immature. That is why you want everyone to know you are offensive and immature. That you cannot, or do not, see yourself for the offensive creature you are is the very proof of just how arrogantly offensive and immature you are. The looser who feels they are the aggrieved party even when everyone can see they have been acting as the irrational party.
"I did say Yesterday I had put the item in the bin, and as far as I am concerned that is the end of the matter"
Then why do you keep coming back? Yes, of course, it's to insult someone you do not know just a few more times. Why do such an irrational and offensive act? Of course, because I disagreed with you - that's all, I did not agree with your opinion and that opened me to attack by you - the aggrieved party. You refuse to see the reasonable viewpoint - to accept the fact your receiver is out of warranty and it matters not whether you used it once or constantly during that warranty period - so to maintain your irrational stance against logic and legalities, you attack anyone who disagrees with your misguided thinking. You take the advice of a tech who may simply not want to do work and turn it against all others. You refuse to live in the real world where stuff breaks. Where it has nothing to do with quality or how I was raised, just that in the real world - not your world - stuff breaks. Get over it. Move on. Become rational.
"Oldtyke", it's time to take the latter portion of your avatar out of your personality. You have been behaving as though you were a child who did not get his way. I'm sure you've used the weapon, "I think it gives me the right to give Harman Kardon a bad name on Quality where ever I go", when you were trying to get HK to make you the exception to their legal agreement with all other buyers. Because that is what you are asking them to violate. Warranties have legal consequences for both the seller and the buyer. You now want HK to ignore those legalities and treat you as someone special. What you want is to be treated like the only child who gets exactly what they want when they want it. I suspect you were equally as offensive in your dealing with HK and now you are upset they didn't appreciate your rudeness.
If you are "old", act like it. If you are a tyke, which it appears you are, grow up. You've had your say and you've disposed of the receiver - apparently not recycling the receiver so as not to poison the planet. Oh! but why should "oldtyke" be concerned about others? Isn't it all about pleasing "oldtyke"?
Why not just let the issue pass since you wind up being the looser in any scenario either of us can foresee? What does it gain you to continue to insult me? Oh, yes, it gives the rotten child another opportunity to scream and vent at someone who has offended them by telling them they are not going to get their way. The final act of any true looser.
The next stage is "acceptance', tyke, get there soon. No one cares that you did not get your way.
I did say this was an end of the matter, and did not expect you to return with more comments. please do feel free to comment as much as you like, I really do not mind And really I am not interested in your US Politics or anyone else' thankyou. Dont quote politics I never read about them. You really do have me smiling when I think of you raving at your computer, it seems you have an awful problem, perhaps it is because you are small minded, and even perhaps small else where (if you know what I mean) I really do think you have gone above and beyond your call of duty. Now find another to rant at. As for disposal of the item it went to a local dump and put on the pile for ''recycle'' so please dont worry your tiny little brain about the planet. rant and rave as much as you wish up will go your blood pressure we dont want that do we? If another email arrives in my spam I shall just delete it, you can post what ever you wish on here and hope you enjoy it. It dosen't worry me one iota. Please do have a nice day.
You're back again? More insults, more attempts at feeling superior because you must or else you'll realize you are the looser in all of this? You've made an @ss of your self and now you can't back down. Signs of paranoia are beginning to show. As they say, just because you're a proven paranoid doesn't mean they aren't really out to get you. In your case, I'm sure someone would like to take a whack at you just for good measure. If only you weren't such a coward to hide benhind the internet.
I only mention US politics because you so perfectly fit the pattern of the misguided, low information, low thinking, insulting to see poor sot who simply feels life is unfair to his demands that it bend to his will. You fit the pattern of the continual complainer who finds fault in all others, expecially those he has never met but feels he can insult behind the anonymity of a public forum - i.e., you fit perfectly the pattern of an internet troll. One of the lowest forms of life.
If politics is beneath you, you really should give it a try. You'll find far more people to rant at and demean than on any audio forum. You'd be in your element - which I believe is Pb (lead). Trolls certainly do not fit into any carbon based life form recognized by modern science.
So, you've disposed of the HK and now you're actually done here? I doubt we could be that lucky with your type, tyke. The small angry child inside you wants the last word, I can tell.