92
Home Theater /
August 2004
>
www.hometheatermag.com
manufacturers. For disappearing in
the dark, it’s the strongest color;
however, for users of front-panel
controls, it’s often the most frus-
trating. H/K compromises by stick-
ing with black for the top half of
the front panel, including the dis-
play, and lightening up the bottom.
That makes it easier to read the
legends for (or just to find) the row
of front-panel buttons provided in
lieu of a jog dial. You can select
inputs and surround modes using
1.5-inch-long, two-sided rocker
switches. Finding the volume knob
is easy because it’s outlined by a
cute, round, blue LED glow.
This one’s got the staple sur-
round modes, plus a few more.
There are two different modes for
simulating surround-like effects
from two speakers: Dolby Virtual
Speaker, which acts directly on sig-
nals in Dolby’s formats, and
Harman’s own VMAx. For head-
phone listeners, Dolby Headphone
R E C E I V E R R O U N D U P
Harman/Kardon AVR 630
from the
test bench
A sweet deal.
BY MARK FLEISCHMANN
If you’re shopping for a deal,
you might find one on this stylish
two-tone receiver. Its list price is
not the lowest in this group. Search
the Internet, though, and you’ll
find good deals on the AVR 630
from authorized dealers. (To make
sure you buy from an authorized
dealer, with a valid warranty,
check the “where to buy” page at
www.harmankardon.com
.) The street-
price differential between the
AVR 630 and the others in this
roundup is many hundreds of dol-
lars. For some, that may prove to
be the deciding factor.
Basic black seems to be losing
its luster among trend-conscious
performs various feats of DSP
magic seemingly in your head; it
changes the quality of the space
occupied by voices and instru-
ments, although it also adds a
processed feeling. A free software
update via the RS-232 port will
upgrade Dolby Pro Logic II to IIx.
Harman’s Logic 7 converts 2.0 to
7.1 with its own distinctive matrix-
ing circuitry, which also appears in
Lexicon products; H/K’s are the
only receivers to feature it.
H/K was the earliest adopter of
the auto-setup process, and they
include it here. But wait, where’s
the mic? Doesn’t H/K supply one?
Look carefully for three holes at
the top of the remote, and there it
is. The EzSet routine spits out test
tones and adjusts each channel’s
level accordingly. It affects speaker
levels only; it doesn’t detect the
speakers’ size and placement. But
it’s still a whole lot easier than
having to raid the kids’ college fund
Pioneering use of remote-
driven auto setup and com-
petitive pricing make the
AVR 630 easy to set up and
easy to afford.
HARMAN/KARDON AVR 630
AVR 630, $1,299
Harman/Kardon, (516) 496-3400,
www.harmankardon.com
Dealer Locator Code HAR
General information
>
With holes at the top
and sides, it’s the best
ventilated in the roundup
>
It’s nice to find a
detachable power cord
at this street price
>
When you look at the
specs and features on
paper, the value propo-
sition seems iffy
>
When you look at the
street price, your attitude
changes dramatically
>
There’s no room EQ,
component-out conver-
sion, or digital interface
for SACD and DVD-Audio
>
You do get basic
auto setup and Logic 7
>
Better dynamics than
expected from a receiver
that’s rated at 75 watts
per channel
>
Turn it up all the way,
and it doesn’t turn nasty
>
Few receivers are
this easy to set up
>
The EzSet routine
doesn’t require an SPL
mic or meter
Build Quality
Value
Features
Performance
Ergonomics
OVERALL RATING
The EzSet micro-
phone is built into the top
of the silver-finished,
backlit, learning remote.
^
