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Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Model number: AVR-146 |SKU: 8258501
Enjoy stunning layers of rich audio with this home theater receiver that utilizes Logic 7 technology for improved sound. HDMI connectivity lets you enjoy high-quality audio and video connections.
Average Customer Rating:
3.9 out of 5(31 Reviews)
Rating Breakdown
(31 reviews)
5 stars
(15)
4 stars
(8)
3 stars
(1)
2 stars
(4)
1 star
(3)
22 of 31 (71%) customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Review 1 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
5.05
Good receiver for the price01/04/2009
By mw630from Chicago, IL
Value for Price
5.05
Sound Quality
5.05
Ease of Use
3.05
Features
5.05
What's great about it: Clean, clear audio - Harman Kardon quality What's not so great: Setup
"To people who want a plug and play receiver, this is not for you. I recently got this receiver in a bundle package and I am very happy with it. The audio is extremely clear, and though the power is relatively low per channel, it produces more than enough to power my system in my apartment.
What you need to know before you purchase this item:
1) HDMI inputs are pass thru only. You can only pass video through them. You will need to purchase an additional optical cable for each HDMI component that you are hooking up to get audio to work.
2) You will need an S-Video or Component cable to display the on-screen setup menu for the receiver. It will not display on your TV through HDMI, Composite, or standard red white and yellow analog cables. You must use the on-screen setup menu to configure your speakers and settings.
3) Expect to spend AT LEAST 30 - 45 min to set up your system. This receiver is in no way plug and play. Expect to read the manual. I generally don't like to read instructions, but I had to with this receiver.
Overall this receiver produces exactly as expected. If you are setting up a surround sound system in a smaller room / apartment this receiver will do more than enough for you. If you are an audiophile or are looking to setup a large room system - look elsewhere."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 2 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
5.05
Great buy09/16/2008
By lixitfrom Florida
Value for Price
5.05
Sound Quality
5.05
Ease of Use
4.05
Features
5.05
What's great about it: Expansion; Simple; Powerful sound What's not so great: Remote eats batteries
"Easily the best audio purchase I've made. I bought this receiver last X-mas. It was on sale for about $200 and exceeded my expectations tenfold! Great sound. Great price. Great buy! Even at the current price, it's a winner. It's easy to use and the manual is clear and precise. HK online tech support is fast and knowlegeable as well. Only problem I've had is that I've replaced the three AAA batteries in the remote twice since I bought it. But then again I can't stop using it, I love it!"
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
5.05
Very Good Receiver07/20/2008
By ZILLAGODfrom Norman, OK
What's great about it: Modern Design, Crystal Clear Sound What's not so great: Not capable of 7.1 or Multi-Room functions
"This reciever is fabulous! I bought one a few months ago at a higher price and paired it with a JBL 5.1 speaker system and it performed magically. Although I sold the tuner, I did so because I was needing the multi-room feature as well as the 7.1 capability that its big brother offered. Take advantage of this special price and you won't be dissappointed."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 4 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
5.05
KICK @$$!04/24/2008
By tomyfrom boston, MA
What's great about it: easy instalation, goood sound, nice lightup of blue, love the brand name What's not so great: ipod connection
"It was a great reciver for a basic one it rocks i had a yamaha one but it stinks compared to this one and last of they should start sellin the bridge at bestbuy so you can connect your ipod wiresely thats the only thing i miss...."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 5 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
4.05
Not an HDMI switcher03/08/2008
By YSUPenguin1from Youngstown, OH
What's great about it: Harman Kardon quality What's not so great: HDMI poorly implemented
"4 Stars for Sound and Quality, not for HDMI... Writing this review is going to hurt as I love Harman Kardon. My first HK receiver was a stereo my dad bought in college in the early 1970’s. I used it from 1990-2000 or so when I finally moved up to an AVR-40 which has served me well ever since. I took a chance on this AVR-146 last week as I needed a HDMI switch. As a low power, apartment or secondary receiver this was a great unit. It looks and sounds fantastic and I really wanted to keep it. I realized when I bought it that it didn’t pass HDMI audio through the system. “No big deal” I thought because my current AVR-40 lets me route RCA from my components through the receiver and I didn’t need the TV to play audio for my 360 or my HDDVD player. Alas the plan flew off the tracks with the crazy and bizarre situation where each HDMI port is married to an obscure digital audio input. Worse yet both the DVD player and my 360 only do Optical digital audio with neither able to do Coaxial digital output. The really bizarre thing about this unit is that the HDMI 1 only accepts the Coaxial digital audio while the HDMI 2 only accepts Optical digital audio. There is no ability to tweak the audio input settings for the 2 HDMI ports, you can’t use the unit for video and route the audio to any of the RCA inputs. That left me stuck and I had to return it for a proper HDMI switcher with my AVR-40 pressed back into service. Basically if you aren’t interested in HDMI switching this is a nice unit, if you need a HDMI switcher don’t bother with this unit as the HDMI implementation useless."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:No
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
5.05
Great Sound03/08/2008
By Hamersonfrom Rochester,Mn
What's great about it: Price,lots of hookups for game and stereo equippment. What's not so great: not as many options as the higher priced Receivers
"Had this receiver for a few months now and very happy with the sound production.Completely customizable as to speaker sizes and ranges,setup isn't too bad, need to follow the manual closely.Some have said output of receiver is kinda of low? I havn't been able to turn the volume all the way up without hurting my ears.
Overall this is a very good receiver for us people on a limited income that must have quality sound for games, music, and movies.I have this hooked with the Klisph Quintet and sub."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 7 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
4.05
Best Purchase yet03/03/2008
By TheRealMagnoliafrom 305
What's great about it: Clean sound, Multiple inputs, Multiple outputs
"For starters this is a great item, eventually I will upgrade as the size of my theater grows. Only thing I don't like is the fact that HDMI produces the best sound quality, but it doesn't allow you to use HDMI for sound. The fiber optics is still a good quality sound. I found out the reason for this AVR not producing sound through the HDMI input is due to the size of the AVR you will actually loose quality in the sound and picture. The processor just cant handle sound and video through the HDMI. No big deal the human ear really can't tell the difference between the two. Like I said as my theater grows so will my equipment."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 8 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
1.05
Way to difficult02/19/2008
By la15otafrom San Jose, CA
What's great about it: Cheap and looks nice What's not so great: Difficult to setup and very confusing
"Great price, but the Magnolia guy was right, its returned because its difficult to setup, and yup I'm returning mine. I love the look of it and was trying to give it my best and set it up. But road block after road block, I'm tried of trying and I'll return it to get something better. This is way to complicated to setup and why should I have to dig around for my S-video cable to setup the receiver when I've got all the HDMI cables ready. Plus I want to lessen the number of cables, but this receiver I need optical cables to input the sound, plus the extra HDMI."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:No
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Review 9 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
4.05
best bargain receiver01/31/2008
By icedoggfrom Cincinnati
What's great about it: great sound, many inputs, low price What's not so great: confusing setup
"I don't care about the HDMI switching that everyone complains about. Why would you want to buy 2 $50 HDMI cables to just hook up satelite or cable to your TV? Why not just plug the HDMI cable directly to your TV and then buy a $15 digital Coaxial cable from the satelite to your receiver? It has the same sound quality and the sound is NOT delayed when playing a movie or watching TV. Power wise this receiver sounds pretty good, it won't push gigantic speakers but you should expect that for the price. I'm running Polk floor standing speakers which i got online for $69 a piece and a 12" Polk subwoofer that puts out thundering bass. I believe it's the speakers that make the system. 30 watts RMS to my floorstanding speakers are enough. It's not the best receiver by far but compared to the Yamaha in it's price range it sounds much better and is $100 cheaper than a comparible Onkyo."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 10 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
3.05
Good for entry system, but not great.01/08/2008
By Kenneyfishfrom Alaska
What's great about it: Looks, HDMI switching, lots of progammable inputs/outputs, many features only available in higher priced systems. What's not so great: Power! No HDMI audio! Remote control.
"Warning! This unit is underpowered! Paperwork says 30 W x 5 @ 8 Ohms...Best Buy says it's 60 W x 5. Unit also does not have access to the audio channel on HDMI. If your TV only has one HDMI input then this receiver may help...but I'd spend a little more to only hook up one wire and get audio out of it too. With that being said I only have one device with HDMI and it goes straight to the TV...and I have an optical wire going to the receiver for audio. I have two devices with HD content hooked up to the receiver via component cables and the video switching is very fast and looks like I have it plugged in the TV.
To get to all the programmable inputs you have to have a composite (single yellow cable) or a s-video cable connected to view the menu options...just one more wire to plug in the TV from the unit.
The remote has a steep learning curve. My wife can't operate it after two weeks of ownership...and that's after reprogramming it to be easier. To switch video/audio modes you press the appropriate button but then the remote won't control the volume on the receiver by default. You have to press the AVR button to do that. I now have it reprogrammed to do AVR volume in all modes...like it should be by default. I don't know too many people that buy a receiver and then use the TV speakers as primary audio output.
I find the sound quality to be it's saving factor. At the price of this unit it offers tons of modes for surround including Harmon Kardon's Logic 7. It has discrete amp circuitry meaning that it seperates the different signals and shut off parts of the receiver it doesn't need to have on...minimizing noise and interference in the receiver. Granted, you're not going to amplify what little noise might be in a receiver very much if there is only 30 Watts/channel.
The receiver has a input for ipod dock, but the reviews on the dock aren't very great. My wife just plugs her ipod in with a headphone to stereo rca cable...no remote control for it but sounds good.
I would tell everyone to save their money for the higher model...one that can process HDMI audio for starters."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:No
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Review 11 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
2.05
Manual lists different spec than BestBuy12/26/2007
By CPein
What's great about it: cheap What's not so great: inaccurate specs shown at store/online
"While this was inexpensive, and looked to serve my purpose, I was disappointed when I went to set it up. The store advertised this as 300 watts (60 Watts x 5 channels) the manufacturers manual shows it to be 30 watts x 5, + 40 watts x 2 (auxiliary speaker outputs). I never even powered it up, and back it goes. I could live with a low-end 60 watt/channel unit, and this was in fact what I was looking for. but 30 watts is just too low to adequately drive my system. (an error of 100% is pretty significant in my book)"
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:No
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
4.05
Great deal12/19/2007
By hifi2themax
What's great about it: HDMI, great price, THD% is lower then alot of othere brands higher up recevers, What's not so great: HDMI yea it has it but its just a pass threw. low watage per channel
"This is a great receiver for the price. The avr146 has great sound and has amazing clarity, but lacks power. It has every input and output you will ever need but the HDMI is pointless, I see no real point of it being included in the unit, why you may ask because its just a pass threw all it dose is take say your ps3 and a hd-dvd player let it hook into the avr146 and then from it to the tv but it wont convert composite, s-video, or even component to hdmi so you must run a s-video, composite, component, and hdmi to your tv. if you want to use say your ps3 you not only have to switch to that input on the avr146 but also switch your tv to its hdmi input, on top of that the audio that runs threw the hdmi dosn,t get tap into so you need to run optical to the receiver to get sound, so i just run my ps3 to my tv via hdmi and then from my optical out on my ps3 to my avr146. other then the hdmi being worthless this is a great receiver."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
2.05
Harmon Kardon not what they use to be12/13/2007
By getluckyfrom Orlando
What's great about it: Looks great, HDMI switching worked as described What's not so great: Sound: too bottom heavy & lacking in natural vocals (ie midbass)
"On paper an in the store this looked like a winner. HDMI, switching (no it does not pass audio but that was ok with me) high current low distortion amplifer, top notch brand..and it looks sharp compaired to the competition. Afther getting it home however I noticed something was missing. The mid range was shallow so voices were very hard to hear and there is no eq to correct for this. Both in surround and stero vocals seemed to almost dissapear in the presence of any other music or effects. Even with the center channel speaker turned way up I strained to hear anyone talking in a normal tone of voice whenever music and or effects were present. I have had several surround sound and stero systems from many brands but this was a suprise, HK has a rep for being a great brand and while I would prefer this over the comprable sony (sounds too flat altogether) there are definatly better deals available. Other equipment used in audition Speakers Klipsch F3,C3,S3 + sub and Toshiba HDDVD A20 / xbox360 Brighthouse HD PVR"
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:No
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Top 1000 Contributor
Customer Rating
5.05
Great Entry Level Reciever12/10/2007
By jasedfrom Riverside, CA
What's great about it: Sound is top notch What's not so great: not enough audio/video connectivity.
"I bought this reciever for my mother in law and this sounds amazing. I helped her hook it up to some new JBL floor standing speakers. Compared to her old Sony reciever this thing sounded AMAZING. I even think it sounds better in 2 channel stereo than my Yamaha reciever I paid $500 for. The controls are a little difficult and the learning curve is about 1 hour. If you have a lot of video and audio hear that you want hooked through this than you may have to look elsewhere, other than that this is worth the money."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
5.05
Fantastic Receiver for the Price12/09/2007
By Narnianfrom Midlothian, VA
What's great about it: Flexability, Sound, Style What's not so great: None to speak of
"This is a great receiver for the price and should be judged based on it's price point. Someone apparently didn't read the manual - you can cross connect any video input with any sound input - there is a menu function you can put up on the TV and program the receiver. Unfortunately it does not process the HDMI sound but neither did any receiver I looked at in this price range. But so what, I just run another cable and I get digital audio. And I think they have among the cleanest styling."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 16 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
1.05
big mistake12/06/2007
By cubbiefrom IN
What's great about it: there are a few What's not so great: one major con
"does not proccess the audio when using hdmi, seperate cables are needed. This does not allow picture to exactly match up with sound, even with optical. don't buy this receiver..."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:No
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Review 17 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
2.05
Save your money and buy the AVR-24712/05/2007
By LoveToWatchTVfrom Bay Area, CA
What's not so great: Does not pass audio through HDMI. No TV display menu.
"This receiver seemed too good to be true...and it was. The HDMI does not process audio (whats the point?). You must run a seperate optical or coaxial for both HDMI inputs. The receiver does not show the menu on the TV. Do yourself a favor and buy the AVR-247 which will make you much happier!"
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:No
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
5.05
Exellent Product12/01/2007
By Chinhtastic
What's great about it: Super Clear and beautiful sound What's not so great: Kinda cunfusing to set up
"I change my new yamaha receiver to get this Harmon Kardon and it's a huge difference. Yamaha makes really good receiver but Harmon Kardon blows it away. Even if you're familiar with audio system, you might still have to read the manual because on screen set up is a little confusing at first. But after you get everything hooked up. You'll get the best sound from the best receiver. I get this receiver connected with my klipsch F1, C1, S1, 10'' sub. I can't expect anything better."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 19 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
5.05
Exceptional A/V Receiver for the Price11/27/2007
By BestBuyFan2
What's great about it: Sound, Power, Inputs, Good Speaker Connections instead of cheap spring clip type What's not so great: None for the Price
"I grabbed the A/V 146 on Black Friday for $199 along with the Klipsch Quintet III 5 speaker package for $300 (reg. $500). From the moment I opened it up, I wasn't really expecting all the inputs available on this unit. I realize the one person rated it two stars for not doing HDMI audio. I'm not sure what he expects for the price but pretty unfair to compare to a higher end HK A/V receiver that does more and cost more. I was blown away with all the possible connections along with getting decent speaker wire connections instead of those stupid spring clip ones that always break after a while. I would have bought this if it only had a few inputs since I needed something with good power for a HD DVD player, VCR (yeah, old technology) and maybe running my tv audio through it. Looking at all the possible connections and thinking about the various switching possibilities made me nervous since it's been a while hooking up an A/V receiver and I'm use to hooking up audio gear. I knew a video cable was needed by reviews I read so this helped. Some complain that it only s-video or composite will work. I think this is being pretty picky. I hooked up a composite and presto, I could see the menu which was pretty straight forward to go through. Once I got the toslink installed for my HD DVD player, it quickly picked up the digital bit stream to recognize Dolby Digital 5.1 w/o any problem. I really couldn't believe all the different audio it will accept such as DTS, etc. I might be a little older since I have an old but very new looking HK Prologic receiver in a closet that cost $500. I didn't end up using it long when the dolby digital wave started. Getting the A/V 146 for $199 is an incredible price compared to what things use to cost."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 20 for Harman Kardon 300W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver
Customer Rating
4.05
Great product with one big flaw11/27/2007
By jtnave23from Mississippi
What's great about it: Attractive, Good Sound Quality, Good Remote What's not so great: Not enough connections on the back, HDMI has no Audio Connection-just Video
"I was researching the AVR147 to replace my great Panasonic 6.1 Channel receiver because I wanted to purchase one that had HDMI ports built into it. I came across the AVR146 in the Black Friday ad and decided to get it instead.
Overall, I really enjoy this receiver. The sound quality is great and 3 times better than I had before. I really like the On Screen Display that lets me customize the layout on the receiver making it easier for my wife to use. The remote is odd shaped, but has made life easier by cutting out 3 remotes.
The bad is that I purchased the Toshiba A2 HD-DVD player and now have to use an optical cable for sound instead of only the HDMI cable. You get only 2 optical outs (on the back, but there is another on the front) and I have 3 devices-Cable box,HD-DVD player, Xbox-360. that use it. And it's not clean looking to have a wire running to the front of the receiver... or so my wife tells me..."
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