Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Purchasing Advice...Please!

Okay everyone...it's not all here. But I have everything figured out but the receiver. When everything comes in from layaway I'll have the VP150, M60s, QS8s, and perhaps M2 for rear instead of QS8s...okay...so I almost have everything figured out. AND...I want to get the SVS PB2-Plus for my sub (I can't wait to try it out). So money is tight as you can imagine after all the splurging. But one must have a receiver right?!? So I'm looking at two models from Harman Kardon...the AVR-7200 and this years AVR 630. So...what's say you? The 7200 has more power, but will I use it with my speakers being so high efficiency? I like the 630 because the new models look cool but am willing to go either way. The 7200 uses a Torodial power supply and the 630 has one called El Core. Will I care? Please advise

I think I would put more into my receiver than my sub.

How big is your room? You could possibly go to a PB2-ISD or VTF-2MK2 and put the saved money in to the receiver.

My room is 15x20 ft. with 15-20 ft. cathedral ceilings.

aaaaaargh .....colour me green every time I look at your US HK prices.

I don't think the power levels will make any real difference so you might as well base it on other features or cosmetics. The 7200 is VERY large, a little over 20" deep. That unit was almost $2k when it first came out and now it's around $800 makes a lot of sense to buy it now while it is still available. If I had to chose I'd go with the 7200.

Just a thought, if you want a SVS then get a SVS. Two years from now you'll probably still have the same subwoofer and by then the money difference will be meaningless.

Yeah. Regarding the sub, I don't think I could possibly go wrong. It'll probably last forever. So what was your reasoning for picking the 7200 yourself Ford?

I had the same choice to make as you, and I went with the 630. At the time of purchase the 7200 was a little over $200 more than the 630, and I couldn't justify the extra power being worth ~$200 to me. Also, the look of the 630 was much preferred to the 7200, so if you are trying to please someone else, that can always be a factor. I don't think you can go wrong with either.

Purely for the value, that's a lot of receiver for $800, About $300 less than the 630. I do prefer the looks of the 630 though.

Funny, I prefer the looks of the 7200/525/325/etc series to the new ones. Of course, that could be because I've got one of the old ones...

I'd go with the 7200. It's more powerful, and the new x30 series doesn't have that many new features.

I considered both, and ended up with the 630. For me, the difference ended up being the rave reviews I read about DPLIIx. Supposedly, it is a "must have" DSP. The 630 will be upgradable.

It will play louder than I care to listen, so I don't miss the difference in power.

Everyone who has seen it mentions how nice the 630 looks. The blue volume knob does look nice at night. That had nothing to do with my decision to purchase the 630.

I got it for $716 after shipping and a $50 mail in rebate. The 7200 was still around $900 back then.

A question about Harmon Kardon. Why is it that all of their recievers seem so underpowered in their specs? Do they use a different power rating than other companies such as Denon, Pioneer or others?

Why is their top of the line reciever 90-100 Watts/ channel when most other companies have mid-line recievers with 110-130 watts/ channel and top of the line recievers with 200 Watts/ channel.

Just a question I have always had about their specs.