Review on Premium Harman Kardon AVR-154 Home Theater Receiver - Discontinued by Manufacturer by Jerry Mangum

I definitely consider myself an "audiophile" as my lower end system is in the $30-$40k price range (although price isn't necessarily quality, it's my individual components are amazing and handpicked over years of trial and error). However, this receiver is intended for my everyday system upstairs where the family will watch TV together during the day or early evening and sometimes watch a movie and we also want the sound to be good through our 5.1 system 'upstairs'. If we want to get "serious” about music or film, we go downstairs! All the more I was blown away by this relatively inexpensive receiver that looks and sounds so good! And even more surprised that I was able to buy it brand new from Revain for the same or less than similar used or refurbished systems elsewhere (ebay etc.). There are cheaper receivers out there but they are definitely inferior in quality and/or don't have 1080p HDMI or don't switch it! flipping through really 20-30 different sound fields like reverb, disco, reverb, ambient and what else they offer) give me a good upmix of two channels to my five or seven (natural sounding, not too synthetic or mechanical) along with the usually great Dolby Digital and DTS and I'm fine (and of course a good 6 channel analog signal if using a SACD OR HD DVD source)! And the fact that anyone who goes to Best Buy, Circuit City, or Walmart is "sold" there. I almost overlooked the HK AVRs when I saw them in Costco stores (but I've bought several large plasma/LCD TVs from them and they're all great), but I'm glad I got a closer look threw it! The Harmon Kardon hit the mark perfectly with this AVR 154 receiver. It's a sleek looking receiver with a high WAF (female acceptance factor) with a very simple, uncluttered front panel that looks good both on and off (unlike Japanese receivers that seem to be). Competition over who can fit more knobs and knobs in a smaller space instead of faster). Rated at 30W x 5 channels (which is a very real power rating and you should note low distortion across the frequency range from 5Hz to 30kHz where many Japanese models are only rated at a frequency like 1kHz or with only 2 active front channels) These will do for almost any subwoofer/satellite combination, but if I were to use them for full range speakers I might look at the next model which offers 50 watts x 7 ls channels (although it might be worth checking out first try a cheaper model). ). I have replaced an older Sony ES (Elevated Standard) CD/DVD/SACD player in one unit (which is 110 watts per channel) with an AVR 154 and I have seen no difference in performance compared to the 30 watt HK on the channel belongs . ! Wow! My only concern is that digital video (or screen/GUI; it requires a completely separate video connection) like 480p or 720p will not be upscaled to 1080p HDMI, although it does an excellent job of switching or routing original signals. through. For scaling I have to upgrade to the next higher receiver, the AVR 254. That minor annoyance aside, this is a very good bang for the buck receiver. I would recommend this receiver to anyone who wants a world class receiver on a very limited budget. Great sound, great looks, easy to use (after assembly, since the quick start guide and manual are a bit confusing)! Highly recommended. I can try their high end AVR 254 and if so I will give my opinion on that as well.