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(More customer reviews)A couple of months ago my old and very simple Sony equipment started to give up on me after years of use. So I started to look for a good replacement for it.
Since this was meant to be a replacement to be located at my bedroom and mostly for music playing, my first idea was to look for one of those popular mini-systems with everything integrated on them. I found some interesting products from Onkyo and Denon but, although their sound was quite nice (especially Denon's), I found that their power was somehow limited.
Then, I decided to look for some of those "Home Theater in a box" systems that are so popular nowadays, even if I would use it primarily for music reproduction! I tried Sony, Kenwood and Denon. I found an interesting Denon system, but before buying it I decided to bring along a couple of my own CDs in order to try it out with my own music!
The next day I took a couple of my favourite CDs with me to try them with the Denon. I chose Mahler's Symphony #3 (with Boulez), Andreas Scholl's "Ombra mai fu", some Dead Can Dance and Air's "Moon Safari". It really sounded nice but since I had those CDs with me I decided to make a last visit to the department store where I had seen the Denon and Onkyo mini-systems before making a final decission.
An hour later I visited this department store and went to their audio department. Instead of looking for the mini-systems I went directly to the high-end audio area. Among the various Onkyos, Marantz, Denons and Yamahas I noticed Harman Kardon's new HK-3480, and I immediately liked the looks of it's new design! Then, I contacted a salesman and after telling him that I mostly listen to classical music (although my other musical tastes are quite varied), he suggested me to give the Harman Kardon a try!
I was able to compare the Harman Kardon with the Denons (both the mini-system and the Home Theater options). After some listening I was convinced that a nice stereo system was more than enough for me. The power and sheer clarity of sound of Harman Kardon's HK-3480 was immediately noticeable!
We first tried it with a couple of Yamaha speakers, then with Cerwin-Vega, Infinity and finally with Polk. Boy oh boy, what a beautiful sound the Polk's have, cristal clear and absolutely gorgeous!!! Besides, they look so sharp! We finally added an Infinity subwoofer and there it was, the perfect setup for me! I was really ready to make a final decission! I bought Harman Kardon's HK-3480 reciever along with H-K's FL-8385 CD player, a pair of Polk's RTi8 speakers and Infinity's PS10 subwoofer. What a difference from my old and humble Sony setup! By the way, if you choose Polk speakers like I did, get the black ones, they look great along Harman Kardon's silver and black design!
The HK-3480 receiver works great! There are more than enough connections inputs on it, including several for audio/video and a phono input too (now I'm also thinking about replacing my old Technics for a brand new turntable). The HK-3480 is surely a great receiver for those who want top quality stereo sound, but it should me mentioned that with the VMAx feature on this receiver you can have simulated surround sound too when you need it!
I now feel that all of a sudden my CD collection doubled in size since every single CD in my collection sounds so much better now! I'm rediscovering music that I bought 10 or 15 years ago! What a joy!!!
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Not everyone wants or needs a 5.1-channel receiver, which is where this HK3480 two-channel receiver from Harman Kardon comes into play. This ultra-high-bandwidth, 240-watt unit is perfect for fans of jazz, classical, or rock, as its powerful features bring out both the bombast and the nuance of your favorite music. The HK3480 is also one of the few stereo receivers to employ VMAx technology, a proprietary signal-processing technique that simulates a 360-degree sound field through a mere two speakers. The technology gives the listener the sensation of sitting in a concert hall or theater without requiring a surround sound setup.Though the HK3480 is designed primarily for music, it also pumps out high-quality audio for your TV, DVD player, VCR, and video game console. It includes enough inputs for each of these components, along with composite video switching that allows you to conveniently switch between them. And unlike many current receivers, the unit offers a high-quality phono input (with preamp) for people who treasure the unique sound of LPs and don't want to give up their lifelong record collections. The HK3480 also comes with an AM/FM tuner with 30 station presets, a three-step fluorescent display, and a multicomponent remote control. As with most modern receivers, it's ready to serve as the audio centerpiece of all your listening needs, with seven audio inputs and four video inputs (including one on the front panel). The inputs are gold-plated for quality. The unit also comes with pre-out/main-in jacks for use with external amplifiers or speaker processors and a separate subwoofer output. Hookup is simple due to the color-keyed connections. The receiver's tuner section offers exceptional performance, from its high signal-to-noise ratio (73 dB in mono, 72 dB in stereo) to high (40 dB) channel separation for superior stereo imaging--not to mention strong tuning abilities with the help of better-than-80-dB image rejection and better-than-100-dB IF (intermediate frequency) rejection. This component is equipped with a nonvolatile EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read-Only Memory) that preserves tuner presets and system configuration information, even when the unit is not connected to a main power source. What's in the Box Stereo receiver, remote control, two AAA batteries, user's manual, and warranty/registration information.
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