Harman Kardon AVR-154 5x30W 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
- Harman-exclusive Logic 7 Cinema and Music surround sound processing in 5.1 channels
- HDMI 1.3a switching
- Dolby Digital surround decoding
- Three HDMI 1.3a inputs and one HDMI output
- Full Suite of DTS Mode
Product Description
The Harman Kardon AVR-154 5x30W 5.1-channel home theater receiver is a powerful little receiver at a reasonable price. This 5.1-Channel A/V receiver includes HDMI™ switching and 150 watts (30 watts x 5 channels) to put you into the middle of the action of your favorite movie. It is affordably priced and full-featured. The AVR-154′s sonic quality and sophisticated features make it an exceptional value. From two-input, Simplay HD™-verified HDMI™ switching to the… More >>
Harman Kardon AVR-154 5x30W 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
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Well, my application for this technology is a bit different from most, so I may as well tell my story here.
I like to watch DVDs while I walk on my treadmill, so I have a flat panel on the wall above the treadmill and the speakers very close to me too. The problem is that every time I wanted to tweak the volume (and I really prefer not to wear headphones) I had to jump off the treadmill, run over to my stereo, and jump back on the treadmill.
I needed a sound system with a remote so I could control the volume, so I bought a refurbished one of these things. My large fear was that this new unit would sound significantly worse than the vintage 70′s Pioneer unit it would replace.
Surprise! It sounds just about as good, and not only is there remote volume control (and of course a lot of other stuff), the volume adjustment is very gradual so I can set it just right to get the volume of my movie over the treadmill noise but not so loud the rest of the house can hear it at night. And, it’s got a sleep auto-off timer too, which is handy for those like me who often fall asleep listening to radio but don’t want to get woken up by the very stuff that they fell asleep to.
So, for a little over a hundred bucks refurbished, I can’t really complain.
Rating: 4 / 5
The product so far has worked great as a radio receiver. However it didn’t come with the cords needed to hook it into the tv. I went out and got an HDMI cord but that didn’t work. I have no idea what to do at this point
Rating: 4 / 5
I really should be reviewing the AVR 146, they seem to be out of stock, but i pretty much reckon all Harman products are this good.
I bought the 146 for just over $200 from an Amazon supplier (very quick delivery) and bought a factory recondition Bose AM10 the two cost me less than a grand, and trust me when its all hooked up you will not want to go to a Cinema to watch a movie ever again!
The only issue is for non tekkies, Harmans are not an out of the box plug and play thing, you have to set them up properly, but its easy if you follow the instructions step by step, once you’ve done that, welcome to Sound and Video heaven!
I did an extensive review beofore buying one and yes i do recommend Harman Kardons 100%, it was spot on!
Rating: 5 / 5
Good value, with sound quality you expect from HK. Only wish that it’s decoder handled some of the newer formats such as dolby HD and others. One more note; 1 week after my purchase from Amazon, A local store (Brandsmart) advertised the same unit for less than half Amazon’s price and Amazon indicated it eliminated its price protection guaranty. With this huge difference, I was quite disappointed.
Rating: 5 / 5
I have just opened the box and tested this unit, have not had a chance to install. However, it may be a while before I can and this unit certainly deserves some praise. I have been an audio hobbyist for years, as well as a professional musician/production person at night. I build my own speakers, and have regular experience tuning and troubleshooting pro-audio systems in a variety of venues. I favor simplicity over complexity, always cut before boost, etc.. One of those guys that works with music enough that the home system is always a simple, purist approach with older tried-and-true hardware.
So– I wired the AVR-154 into an old (early 70s) single pioneer 4-way floor speaker. Not even running in stereo. No comb effects. Speaker in the center of the wall. No reflections.
This unit is crystal clear, clean. Lows are pronounced, realistic, full but tight. Highs are not rolled off early, yet are present without any distortion that I can hear. Tight sound. Knowing what it sounds like to stand next to the drums, bass, keyboard, and hear everything happening around me, this receiver gave me a similar feeling. I could hear the instrumentation.
Rating: 5 / 5