Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Harman Kardon AVR525

Has anyone had the chance to check out the Harman Kardon AVR525? I am curious, 6ave.com has it for $650, well below what everyone else is asking but I am concerned about quality issues with H&K that I have read is some posts.

I haven't used the HK AVR525, but there's a bunch of users out here that use HK's. The only issue I've ever heard of is they tend to run hot.

Rick

I haven't used it either, but I'm sure it's quite a nice unit. You should really try to demo all the receivers out there to see what your preference is. for around 650-700 check out the Pioneer Elite vsx43tx, it's 700 delivered and with full warranty. In my opinion, the 43/45 Elites and the 525's are the two most highly regarded units in this price range. The sound differences between these receivers could be minor so it could come down to features, but try to audition them to make sure.

-Brian

I don't own one......but I can relay to you what I have read on other forums. The H/K 525 uses a cooling fan. Some don't like the idea of a receiver that runs hot enough that it requires a fan. Many believe a truly well designed amp should be cooled only by the heat sink(s). Also, the H/Ks are known to occastionally shutdown from running to hot....usually in the summer when the indoor temp might already be a little elevated. Those are the things I have read that have been repeated many times on the forums. Hope this helps!

Hi reddish,

If you are patient for a bit, I just had a loaner 525 delivered, so I'll be able to tell you after a week or so. I also have a slumping A/V stand that's semi-collapsed, so I've got to install the new stand (Axiom) and connect the 525.

And yes, it has a cooling fan so we'll see if it does its job. The 525 is an interim loaner until a new model, the 7200, is in production. The 7200, due later this Spring, is a real behemoth: no fan, and almost as heavy as the AVR 8000, about 50+ pounds. It appears to be very impressive. . .

Now I've got to go to the gym to get in shape to move all that heavy, clumsy A/V gear.

Regards,

I think H/K has resolved their quality issues, I believe it was mostly during their plant move. It has been sometime since then and I haven't heard anything with their latest products.

Most certainly, I would love to hear what you think of the unit as well as the 7200 when it hits the shelves.

Ouch! It hurts to see what those sell for in the United States. I think it would be cheaper for our shop to buy those at the US retail prices than the Canadian wholesale prices
Good receiver though; one of my favourites simply based on the sound quality.

I have had a HK525 for just a few days now, along with my M60's, the receiver is one of the best. It drives M60 perfectly, I use the system mostly for stereo.
I can give more comments on a HT setup because I only have two main speakers for now, but I really love the HK525 and M60 combo.

Alan, Have you completed your review of the 525? I'm seriously considering it for my HT setup.