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Entered CNET Catalog: 01/18/2002
SKU: 0028292500282
Manufacturer: Harman International Industries
Manufacturer description
With the purchase of a Harman Kardon AVR 220 you are about to begin many years of listening enjoyment. The AVR 220 has been custom-designed to provide all the excitement and detail of movie soundtracks and every nuance of musical selections. With onboard Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, the AVR 220 delivers six discrete channels of audio that take advantage of the digital soundtracks from the latest DVD and LD releases and digital television broadcasts. While complex digital systems are hard at work within the AVR 220 to make all of this happen, hookup and operation are simple. Color-keyed connections, a programmable remote control, and on-screen menus make the AVR 220 easy to use. The AVR 220 is among the most versatile and multifeatured A/V receivers available, incorporating a wide range of listening options. In addition to Dolby Digital and DTS decoding for digital sources, a broad choice of analog surround modes are available for use with sources such as CD, VCR, TV broadcasts and the AVR 220's own FM/AM tuner. Along with the latest Dolby Pro Logic II decoding technology, Dolby 3 Stereo and custom Hall and Theater modes, only Harman Kardon receivers offer Logic 7 to create a wider, more enveloping field environment and more defined flyovers and pans. Another Harman Kardon exclusive is VMAx, which uses proprietary processing to create an open, spacious sound field even when only two front speakers are available. Finally, the AVR 220 is among the very few A/V receivers that offer decoding of MP3 data, so that you may listen to the latest music selections directly from compatible computers or playback devices with the power and fidelity you expect from Harman Kardon. In addition to providing a wide range of listening options, the AVR 220 is easy to configure so that it provides the best results with your speakers and specific listening-room environment. On-screen menus make it simple to enter settings for speakers, inputs and delay times, while exclusive EzSet remote measures a system's sound levels and automatically calibrates them for perfectly balanced soundfield presentation.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 01/22/2002
A sound idea
EzSet isn't totally automated; it won't set parameters such as speaker size or time-delay settings, but thanks to the microphone built into the receiver's programmable remote, it can measure the sound level of each speaker from the listening position and send calibration information back to the receiver. EzSet is a clever system, but audio nerds will still prefer to fine-tune their speaker levels the old-fashioned way, with a sound-pressure level meter. That said, EzSet will deliver better balanced sound than that which most nontechie folks are currently experiencing.
Connecting all the wires in back may prove to be far more complex than setting speaker levels. There are enough inputs and outputs to accommodate most users: it has Super Audio CD (SACD)/DVD-Audio 5.1 inputs; six digital audio inputs and two outputs; numerous A/V and S-Video jacks; and extensive front-panel A/V connections. Only the turntable input was neglected. MP3 playback is possible but requires an S/PDIF-compatible signal, which is something that most DVD players won't do. However, many PC sound cards with digital audio outputs will work. This receiver, like so many others, occasionally mutes the first fraction of a second of sound when changing CD tracks.
The AVR 220's digital-to-analog converters are audiophile-grade, 192KHz/24-bit devices. In addition to all the standard digital-signal-processing modes, Dolby digital, and DTS, the AVR 220 sports Dolby's latest update, Pro Logic II, and Harman's proprietary surround-enhancement system, Logic 7. Both provide superb surround sound from two-channel sources, such as CD and radio; they sounded enveloping and far more natural than the standard-issue Concert Hall or Jazz Club surround modes found on lesser receivers. We were also impressed with the clear sound of the AVR 220's tuner.
Relative power rating
We once again learned not to judge loudness capability by power-rating numbers alone. Remember, since your home theater's powered subwoofer handles most of the bass content, this 5-by-45 watt receiver can play small satellites loud enough to annoy your neighbors. But if you have full-sized speakers and like to crank your music, the power limitations will be more obvious. We certainly didn't feel shortchanged when we pumped up the volume of the new Planet of the Apes DVD; its thunderous score rolled out of our bookshelf Dynaudio Contour speakers, and the film's wraparound surround effects were completely enveloping. The Session at West 54th, Volume 2 DVD's sonics knocked us out, especially the energy and rhythmic drive on the John Hiatt cut "Cry Love." DVD after DVD, the sound was smooth and detailed, and even after hours of listening, our ears never felt fatigued.
The $549 (list price) AVR 220 is a fine receiver, but it lacks 6.1-channel surround processing. That extra channel can fill out the rear-surround soundstage, and Harman Kardon's next model up in the line, the $799 (list price) , decodes DTS ES discrete and matrix 6.1 DVDs, and it's slightly more powerful. That said, we thoroughly enjoyed our time with the AVR 220.
User opinions
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10/10
please help me find a remote for harman kardon avr220
Pros: it'sa good product i love it
Cons: no negativity
User Rating: 
9/10
The best $250 I've ever spent on a HT receiver.
Pros: Clean power, plenty of connections, easy set-up, elegant design and Harman Kardon quality make this the ideal HT receiver for moderate sized rooms.
Cons: I had to wait about 5 business days for the AVR220 to arrive from Harmanaudio.com.
I say budget because my AVR220 was purchased for $249.00 US, DVD50 for $188.00 US, HTS-20 sub/sat package w/12" 150w subwoofer (sub later disgarded for the SV Subwoofer) for about $400.00 US (all purchased at www.harmanaudio.com)and the amazing SV Subwoofer for $525.00 US (check out www.svsubwoofers.com). That's less than $1400.00 for all the audio, video and speaker equipment, less the television and the JVC VCR, both non HD pieces.
The power ratings of the AVR220 can be deceiving. 45w x 5 doesn't sound like much, but the HCC (high instantaneous current capability) of the 28 amp fuse is quite suprising. I considered an Onkyo with 100w x 5 and found the difference in total volume compared the the lesser wattage of the AVR220 not enough to pay more than double the price (price of my AVR220 at the harmanaudio website and an outlet store for Onkyo). By the way the Onkyo only has a fuse rating of 39 amps and is supposed to have more than twice the power. Don't be fooled by numbers concerning wattage. Look deeper and see what actually makes the power in the receiver you may choose. It is hard to do better than Harman Kardon audio products.
User Rating: 10/10
Top shelf product great looks and performance!
Pros: Has all kinds of inputs with plenty to spare. Cool "EZ-Set" remote, awsome good looks and that smooth HK sound.
Cons: none
User Rating: 9/10
Fantastic Reciever, Well worth the price
Pros: Sound quality, Visual look, Well built. Can push my Cambridge soundworks Ensamble speakers with no problems and power to spare. Onscreen display for configuring your settings.
Cons: No 6.1, but I knew that before buying it.
User Rating: 10/10
Harman Kardon
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8/10
Very good unit
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User Rating: 9/10
Big clean sound from small wattage!
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User Rating: 8/10
I have it and like it!
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User Rating: 9/10
Great Sounding Receiver
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User Rating: 10/10
A good receiver
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User Rating: 
7/10
Great sound at an affordable price.
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User Rating: 8/10
The best fully discrete reciever at a reasonable price
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