GEAR GUIDE
50 watts. 7.1 channels. $899.
Inside Gear Guide:
• Harman/Kardon AVR 325 A/V Receiver
• Samsung SIR-TS160, Zenith HD-SAT520,
and Sony SAT-HD200 HD DirecTV Tuners
Just a few of the numbers to watch
when you check out the AVR 325.
by Mark Fleischmann
Like an honest
sage wandering in a wilder-
ness of liars, Harman/Kardon stead-
fastly refuses to hype their power specs.
Sure, like many other manufacturers, the com-
pany offers a 100-watt-times-seven receiver, but that
model lists for $1,999 and isn’t the one that concerns us
here. The AVR 325 is rated at a mere 50 watts times seven. Hey,
you! Stop. Who said you could turn the page? Before you dismiss this
$899 receiver as a decadent wimp, stop to consider that Harman/Kardon
arrived at this power rating by driving all seven channels at once. Scan similarly
www.hometheatermag.com • Home Theater /
June 2003
Cordero Studios
53
A
B
A. The AVR 325 is
a surround lover’s
receiver, offering
Dolby EX, DTS ES,
Dolby Pro Logic II,
and LOGIC7.
B. The back panel
sports two component video inputs,
an eight-channel
analog audio input,
an RS-232 port, and
assignable rearchannel amps.
GEAR GUIDE
Harman/Kardon AVR 325 A/V Receiver
that 5.1 channels are plenty for
most home theaters. Still, even I
priced models’ spec sheets, and
you’d be surprised to find how often
the phrase “all channels driven” is
mysteriously absent. While you’re
at it, look for the full frequency
response of 20 hertz to 20 kilohertz,
as Harman/Kardon specifies.
Occasionally, you might find a few
competitors slip by with a lessdemanding 40 Hz at the low end.
If I could condense everything
I know about receivers down to
four words of advice, they would
be these: Buy by the pound. A
heavier black box is more likely
to house a beefier power supply,
and that suggests greater dynamic
prowess, among other benefits.
The AVR 325 weighs in at a healthy
40 pounds; that’s about 13 pounds
heavier than Harman/Kardon’s
next model down, the 5.1-channel
AVR 225 ($549), and only 4 pounds
lighter than the next model up, the
7.1-channel AVR 525 ($1,199).
While we’re talking about numbers, let me repeat my conviction
must admit that adding two rear
speakers to the mix will allow
your system to cover a large, wide
space more evenly. Besides, you
could always trade the extra channels for higher volume and better
dynamics by running a 7.1-channel
model in 5.1 mode, without the
rear speakers. My favorite number
is 5.2. Please forgive the digression, but, once you’ve heard your
system with two subwoofers, you’ll
never want to go back.
Not afraid of the
merry-go-round
of fashion, I
connected the
AVR 325 to
seven Paradigm
Reference
Studio/20
speakers, as
well as to two
subwoofers:
Paradigm’s
12-inch PW-2200 and
Pinnacle’s 8-inch Baby
Boomer. If you’re
keeping score, that
adds up to 7.2 channels, and I pulled a
few Dolby EX and
DTS ES titles off of
the shelf to take full advantage of
them. Unfortunately, I couldn’t
supplement my own discs with
anything current from Blockbuster.
Whether the EX and ES formats
aren’t penetrating quickly, EX- and
ES-encoded titles aren’t properly
labeled, or luck just ran against
me that day, I don’t know.
Setting up the AVR 325 in a
rough-and-ready way doesn’t take
long, thanks to Harman/Kardon’s
patented and trademarked EzSet
system (the legal department must
have put in almost as many hours
as the research-and-development
department did). At the tip of the
remote, there’s a small microphone that senses the customary
pink-noise test tones and sends
level-setting commands back to
the receiver, which means that
you can get along without an
SPL meter, although it wouldn’t
hurt to use a meter to doublecheck and fine-tune. You might
find, as I did, that EzSet and
your meter come up with slightly
different settings.
As I set up the receiver, I
tripped over one of Harman/
Kardon’s user conveniences.
Every time I tried to assign the
digital coax-2 jack to the video-2
input, the receiver switched to
the analog audio inputs. At first,
I thought the menu was failing
to accept the setting, but it turns
out that the video-2 input has a
unique logic circuit that switches
to coax-2 when a digital signal is
present and defaults to the analog jacks when there’s no digital
signal. This will come in handy
with certain HDTV cable boxes
that output digital audio for
some channels and analog audio
for others. (Until recently, I had
such a box, but I’ve upgraded to
one that feeds both digital and
analog soundtracks through
the coax outputs.)
I only had one gripe with the
AVR 325, and that concerned its
remote. It has both learning
capability and preprogrammed
codes, but, with all of those tiny
buttons, using it to operate an
entire system would be a mixed
blessing. The OSD button that
activates the onscreen menu is
especially hard to find. On the
positive side, Harman/Kardon
54
Home Theater /
June 2003 •
www.hometheatermag.com
GEAR GUIDE
Harman/Kardon AVR 325 A/V Receiver
provides direct one-key access
to the Dolby, DTS, LOGIC7,
and stereo modes.
Harman/Kardon allows
advanced users to set the sub’s
crossover numerically, with separate settings for the front, center,
side, and rear channels. The available settings are 40, 60, 80, 100,
120, and 200 Hz. You also have a
choice of small (which defaults to
100 Hz), large (full-range), or none.
C. The remote is
both a learning and
preprogrammed
model with lots of
tiny buttons, several
of which provide
direct access to the
Dolby, DTS, LOGIC7,
and stereo modes.
HIGHLIGHTS
• EzSet remote automatically
calibrates volume levels
• Better dynamics than you’d
expect from a 50-wattstimes-seven receiver
• A fairly neutral version of the
Harman/Kardon sound
For even more-advanced users,
Harman/Kardon allows each input
to receive a different crossover and
each surround mode to receive
separate level and delay settings.
Available surround modes include
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby EX, DTS,
DTS ES Matrix and Discrete,
DTS Neo:6 (with movie and music
modes), Dolby Pro Logic II (with
movie, music, and Pro Logic emulation modes), 7.1-channel LOGIC7,
two-channel VMAx, and five- and
seven-channel stereo modes.
Harman/Kardon’s LOGIC7
mode is noteworthy. Like DPLII, it
sounds relatively neutral, preserving some of a stereo mix’s original feel. Its three modes include
mode, labeled enhance, that operates only when you set up the
receiver to power 5.1 channels.
According to Harman/Kardon,
the enhance mode adds additional
bass enhancement that circulates
low frequencies in the 40-to-120-Hz
a movie mode that
derives 7.1 channels
of output from a
two-channel Dolby
Surround signal; a
music mode that
expands CDs and
other stereo sources
to 7.1 channels;
and a second music
range to the front and surround
speakers to deliver a less-localized
soundstage that sounds broader
and wider than when the subwoofer
is the sole source of bass energy.
Presumably, you’d only get the
full benefit if you ran
your front and surround
speakers full-range;
otherwise, your sub’s
crossover would limit
the effect.
The temptation to
blast all seven channels
in LOGIC7 with a fat
rhythm section was
almost overwhelming;
so, after some desultory
break-in listening, I fed
an Integra DPS-8.3 combi
player with Neil Young’s
Harvest DVD-Audio, ran
the speakers full-range,
and cranked up “Heart of
C
Gold.” Oops, the rear surrounds were silent: I’d
forgotten that DVD-Audio
is a 5.1-channel format. I
switched to the two-channel
Dolby Surround soundtrack
and used LOGIC7 to expand it
to cover all seven speakers. The
receiver achieved a cruising altitude of 75 decibels at the –20 point
of its volume range, which runs
from –80 to +4, and the sound was
nice and meaty, with some compression but no nastiness.
When I switched the subs and
their crossovers back on, the same
volume setting got 85 dB out of
5.2 channels on Yes’ “Heart of the
Sunrise,” from the DVD-Audio version of Fragile. As I expected, the
tonal balance turned bright: The
disc itself sounds that way, and the
receiver presented it truthfully.
Knowing that my faithful readers will bay and howl for 7-pointanything, I turned to the latest
DTS test disc, which includes
musical selections by Sheila
Nicholls (“Faith”) and Insane
Clown Posse (“Juggalo Homies”)
in DTS ES Discrete. In
the former track, mandolins and chorus
vocals came out of the
rear channels; in the
latter, guitar. This was
my first experience with
music in seven discrete
channels, but I remained
unconvinced. I loved the
rappers’ clown makeup,
though. I think Eminem
should try that.
At this point, my cat
came into the room
meowing, so I took a
break and brushed him.
Unfortunately, he only
purrs in mono. I briefly
considered getting another
half-dozen cats, plus a couple
of mountain lions for the bass
channels, but then I thought
about the litter box and dismissed the idea. Even with clumping cat litter, I’d have to say no.
I spent an evening watching
the director’s cut of The Lord of
the Rings: The Fellowship of the
Ring in DTS ES Discrete, which
revealed a more-mature approach
to rear effects. At first, most of
the effects were subtle extensions of the side channels. Not
until 20 minutes into the movie did
the first distinct rear effect crop
up, when the dragon’s head part
of the Hobbiton-fireworks scene
whooshed toward the back. As
the tension level rose, succeeding
scenes made more and more use
of the rear channels, particularly
during the panning effects at the
Home Theater /
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June 2003 •
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GEAR GUIDE
Harman/Kardon AVR 325 A/V Receiver
orchestra and main surround
61- and 73-minute marks when various demons attack Frodo. Peter
Jackson’s epic is a textbook example of how to use rear effects; I
never felt that they were anything
less than appropriate.
In the opening scene of E.T.
(the 2002 version), for the most
part, the rear channels just provided a little more fullness to the
Harman/Kardon AVR 325 A/V Receiver
10
5
2
1
0.5
0.2
0.1
0.05
%
0.02
0.01
0.005
0.002
0.001
0.0005
0.0002
0.0001
HT Labs Measures: Harman/Kardon AVR 325 A/V Receiver
This graph shows that the AVR 325’s left channel, from CD input to
speaker output with two channels driving 8-ohm loads, reaches 0.1% distortion at 90.4 watts and 1% distortion at 107.2 watts. Into 4 ohms, the
amplifier reaches 0.1% distortion at 135.2 watts and 1% distortion at
156.9 watts. With five channels driving 8-ohm loads, the amplifier reaches
0.1% distortion at 73.8 watts and 1% distortion at 84.5 watts.
The analog frequency response measures –0.15 decibels at 20 hertz
and –0.09 dB at 20 kilohertz. Looking at a broader bandwidth, the
response measures –0.51 dB at 10 Hz and –0.49 dB at 50 kHz. In
modes that involve signal processing, the response is –0.45 dB at 10 Hz,
+0.16 dB at 20 Hz, –0.48 dB at 20 kHz, and –22.56 dB at 50 kHz.
Response from the multichannel input to the speaker output measures
–0.37 dB at 10 Hz, –0.11 dB at 20 Hz, –0.10 dB at 20 kHz, and –0.51 dB
at 50 kHz. THD+N from the amplifier was less than 0.012% at 1 kHz when
driving 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load. Crosstalk at 1 kHz driving 2.83 volts
into an 8-ohm load was –84.89 dB left to right and –87.56 dB right to left.
The signal-to-noise ratio with 2.83 volts driving an 8-ohm load from 10 Hz
to 24 kHz with “A” weighting was –98.39 dBrA.
From the Dolby Digital input to the loudspeaker output, the left channel
measures –0.28 dB at 20 Hz and –0.30 dB at 20 kHz. The center channel
measures –0.24 dB at 20 Hz and –0.27 dB at 20 kHz, and the left surround channel measures –0.23 dB at 20 Hz and –0.28 dB at 20 kHz. From
the Dolby Digital input to the line-level output, the LFE channel is +0.09 dB
at 20 Hz when referenced to the level at 40 Hz and reaches the upper 3-dB
down point at 82 Hz and the upper 6-dB down point at 102 Hz.
25 20050 75 100 125 150 175
W
—AJ
Harman/Kardon AVR 325 A/V Receiver
effects. Only when the extraterrestrial spaceship lifted off did
the Dolby EX track provide a discernible pan from front to side to
rear. For added hilarity, I played
the soundtrack in French.
The highlight of the Dolby
Digital 5.1 Diana Krall: Live in
Paris DVD was “Cry Me a River,”
with the velvet smoothness of the
jazz band and string orchestra
emerging against an inky background of absolute silence. No
trace of noise haloed Krall’s piano,
her voice, or the strings. Having
learned to respect the AVR 325’s
neutrality, I played through the performances of Tchaikovsky’s first
and Rachmaninoff’s third piano
concertos in The Cliburn: Playing
on the Edge, also in Dolby Digital
5.1. The AVR 325 didn’t push the
dynamic envelope quite as far as my
reference piece, the Rotel RSX-106,
does; but then, the Rotel costs
more than twice as much (and
weighs an additional 5 pounds).
Of course, the majority of
music isn’t recorded in surround
but in stereo, and I logged quite a
few hours of two-channel listening
with this receiver simply because
it sounded so natural and alluring. Richard Thompson’s new CD
The Old Kit Bag turned the old
master’s impassioned voice, eloquent guitar, and ace rhythm
section into a kaleidoscope of
textures that shifted with each
track. The recording was so good
that I hated to play it in any of the
surround-enhancement modes,
which made some of
the subtle, phasey
guitar notes sound
too prominent.
The toughest
test for any piece of
audio gear is the
human voice. We know what it’s
supposed to sound like, and we
instinctively react to the slightest
unintentional coloration. Seven
voices—two female and five
male—form the folk-singing
chorus of Blue Murder’s No One
Stands Alone, and the AVR 325
nailed them with just the right
balance between vocal separation and blending. Each voice’s
timbre, the earthy harmonies, and
the modest chiaroscuro of reverb
were in perfect proportion. This
album makes my heart run riot: I
can never listen to it without getting sucker-punched into a blissful
emotional state. Thank God it’s a
stereo CD, not some weird multichannel mix that places each voice
in a different speaker. By the time
I got through it, I needed no more
convincing that the AVR 325 could
do no wrong with a well-recorded
piece of breathtaking music.
With the AVR 325, Harman/
Kardon has come up with a moderately priced receiver for the
AVR 325 A/V Receiver $899
Harman/Kardon
(800) 422-8027
www.harmankardon.com
Dealer Locator Code HAR
surround sophisticate. I wouldn’t
recommend it for a very large
room; and, for the home theater
buff who’s just getting started, the
learning curve may prove to be a
bit steep. If you take the trouble to
set it up right, though, it will pay
healthy dividends on an investment of well under $1,000.
* Mark Fleischmann is the author
of Practical Home Theater, now in
its second edition, available through
www.practicalhometheater.com
(or 800/839-8640).
Home Theater /
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June 2003 •
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