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Entered CNET Catalog: 12/26/2004
SKU: AVR635F
Manufacturer: Harman International Industries
Manufacturer description
The AVR 635 combines the sonic power of the high-current, ultrawide-bandwidth amplifier design with advanced audio processing technology from Texas Instruments to deliver unparalleled performance. Thanks to Harman Kardon 's advanced EzSet/EQ functionality, the AVR 635 not only automates speaker output and delay settings, it corrects for room acoustics. The AVR 635's video technology is equally impressive, with video conversion so that all input sources may be viewed via component video, and A/V Sync Delay that reconnects the timing of sound and image. An RS-232 port makes future software upgrades possible, and enables external control systems.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 05/12/2005
Black or silver receivers are pretty common, but Harman's receivers, such as this new AVR 635, combine the two with a crisp brushed-metal and glossy-black look. We think Harman's models are some of the most attractive receivers on the market, but this new one's 17-inch depth is a little larger than average. And since it puts out a fair amount of heat, it needs a supply of fresh air to keep its cool. Oh, and we have to mention one other thing: when we first unboxed and used the AVR 635, we noticed its strong "new electronics" odor. Most brand-new receivers have that smell, but the Harman's aroma was more intense and lingered for a couple of days before it disappeared for good.
The Harman Kardon AVR 635 weighs a brawny 41 pounds, and that's probably the best indication of its beefy higher-end build quality. The sole exception is the receiver's paper-thin, metal top cover, which feels a little flimsy.
The receiver's sleek handset is backlit and pretty easy to use; a smaller remote is also provided for a second zone or room.
The AVR 635's 75-watt-per-channel power rating seems a little low for a $1,300 receiver, especially when 500-watt HTIBs go for $99, but we think Harman's engineers are just being more realistic than their competitors. In any case, the receiver feels as powerful as any comparably priced 100-watt-per-channel receiver we've tested. The full regimen of Dolby and DTS 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1 surround modes are present and accounted for, and the AVR 635 offers Harman's proprietary Logic 7 surround processing. Dolby Headphone, which delivers credible surround effects over stereo headphones, is also part of the game plan. The AVR 635's bass-management system covers its SACD/DVD-Audio inputs and simplifies setup chores. Meanwhile, an adjustable A/V-sync delay corrects for tardy video displays' lip-synch problems.
In the past, we knocked Harman Kardon's autosetup process, EzSet, because it handled only satellite speaker-level adjustments. But the new EzSet/EQ also determines speaker size and delay settings and corrects room-acoustics maladies with its parametric equalizer. Great, but EzSet/EQ is a 12-step operation that requires you to place the supplied microphone in four different locations in your room, so it's nowhere as easy to use as, for example, Pioneer's autocalibration system. If the extra work resulted in more accurate setup, we'd grudgingly concede the effort, but EzSet/EQ is no more precise than Pioneer's system. As it stands, we'd recommend sticking with the AVR 635's manual setup routine.
Moving on to the Harman Kardon AVR 635's connectivity suite, there's an eight-channel analog input for SACD/DVD-Audio players, four A/V inputs with S-Video (including three with component-video connections), and one component output. Digital-audio connections are also plentiful. You get six inputs--three optical and three coaxial--as well as one of each type of output. Audio-only connections include CD and a tape loop, but there's no phono input. A fourth set of A/V connections with S-Video can be found on the front panel.
It's worth mentioning that the AVR 635 does have preamplifier outputs, which allow you to hook up the receiver to a burly multichannel amplifier and use the receiver as a surround processor. If you're like us and are happy with 5.1-channel surround sound, you can reassign two of the receiver's 7.1 channels for use in another room.
Multiroom devotees have plenty of options: the AVR 635's rear-end facilities include an RS-232 computer-control port, IR inputs and outputs, and Harman's A-Bus multiroom system.
There's nothing like an over-the-top special-effects DVD to test the fortitude of an A/V receiver, so we popped on The Day After Tomorrow and let 'er rip. The DVD's battery of effects were vividly presented: the tsunami wave crashing into Manhattan, check; countless scenes with windows smashing to smithereens, check; arctic winds so fierce we could sense the granularity of the snow, check--the Harman Kardon AVR 635 consistently unleashed an incredibly realistic sound experience.
Not only did we feel the impacts of the cannonballs on the Master & Commander DVD, the men's boots thumping over the wooden decks sounded like they were in the upstairs apartment! We nudged the volume up and never detected a power shortfall; the 75 watts per channel felt pretty darn powerful.
We next sampled the high-resolution DTS 96/24 sound mixes on Peter Gabriel's Play DVD. The mixes were particularly enveloping, and bass detail and definition pumping through "Games Without Frontiers" added a new dimension to the music. And that's exactly what separates the AVR 635 from the better $500 receivers: the Harman Kardon sounds bigger and more flesh-and-blood present, so it opens up the sound of DVDs and CDs in ways that more affordable receivers can't match.
We heard impressive clarity from the AVR 635 on a series of boogie-woogie piano duets from the Rockin' the Spirit CD. Fully reproducing the sound of a pair of concert grands is an impossible task for any audio system, but when called upon to deliver the instruments' wide dynamic range and weighty presence, this receiver's graceful poise clinched the deal for us.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 User Rating: 
8/10
Worth every penny.
Pros: Spectacular sound and looks
Cons: Set up could be easier, auto calibration is just OK
User Rating: 8/10
No HDMI input/outputs only downside (if that's a downside)
Pros: Prodigious power with little or no distortion at full power. Easy to operate and setup using Avia and Radio Shack SPL meter.
Cons: Small buttons on remote. Cheesy auto setup.
User Rating: 
7/10
Very good receiver for the price
Pros: Good sound quality; easy to use, decent price
Cons: Auto setup does not work well in small spaces
My setup is through a hi-res digital projector, so i did not need the HDMI input on the receiver. My audio goes directly from my upconverting DVD player and cable box directly to the receiver via separate coax cables. The video signal goes from the cable box and DVD player via HDMI cables through a switchbox to my Sanyo hi-res LCD projector. The image is projected onto a DA-LITE pull-down screen, for a 105" high-definition picture.
This HK receiver allows for a variety of inputs, including an MP3 player, so it has plenty of versatility. I only use the two coax inputs. I have it hooked up to my SV Sound SBS-01 5.1 speakers with a separate Monster subwoofer cable.
One of my first test runs was "The Incredibles" on DVD. Pardon the pun, but it was incredible. The HK receiver put out amazing bass, well defined midrange, and clear highs.
The main drawback with this unit is the auto setup feature. Given the relatively small size of my listening area (12' x 30' x 8' high), I kept getting "far field errors" during the auto setup process. I set it up manually, and the sound quality is very good.
I could have spent twice the price for a Denon receiver with comparable features; however, for my needs and space limitations, the HK AVR 635 does a very good job.
Bottom line: I have a 105" hi-def picture with excellent sound for a fraction of the price of an HDTV with a high-end receiver and comparable speakers.
User Rating: 
9/10
Excelent!!!!
Pros: Sound and Video
Cons: Remote control
User Rating: 9/10
Excellent product
Pros: Tons of inputs and outputs; more than enough wattage for most rooms; speaker set-up easy
Cons: Optical output sockets flimsy; the caps break and then the optical plug does not fit snugly
The optical sockets' little caps break off when you pull out the optical plus - mine were spring loaded Monster optical cables, which now don't fit very well. I should have been more careful.
You should also be careful not to pull the digital cabled out when in use - the microprocessor is very picky. My optical outputs stopped working - I sent email to HK, got a response within hours telling me to reset the microprocessor (press 2 buttons at the same time,,,) and the outputs are fine now.
User Rating: 
6/10
Excellent Sound, nice look
Pros: Excellent Sound, Nice design
Cons: Took it for repair 3 times, Complicated setup, Fragil flip panel door, only tow fiber opt imput in the back. no HDMI
When the Unit worked, the unit had an exeptional good sound, the setup wasn't that easy, but was able to figure-out. heat fan is noizy and ran frequently. The unit had only two Fiber opt inputs in the back, no HDMI, remote nice looking but unpractical. I felt that the previous HK units where more solidly built (I sold my old unit on ebay after years of service). HK is taking the path of every MFG who is trying to compete with the Made in China products. Won't buy HK again. I am looking into other MFG, Receivers shouldn't break that frequently.
One Credit to H.K. is that they have a good fast responce to online technical questions.
Sorry HK but you lost a good HK customer I pushed the sale of several of your Units to friends and Family, can't recommend you no more. Maybe I bought a LEMON ?!!
User Rating: 
3/10
When it was working it was good but that wasnt often
Pros: Sensational smooth sound, Impressive looks
Cons: Reliability. Faulty unit and they wouldnt replace it
User Rating: 
10/10
Best reciver for the Money
Pros: Great sound, Lots of hookups, Easy setup
Cons: Cant think of any
If you are a audio freak like my self you can't beat it! My pionner was over $2000.00 and this reciver cost me $845.95 so the price point and quality make it a 10 in my book.
User Rating: 7/10
Excellent receiver that did NOT solve my problem
Pros: Excellent sound, easy setup
Cons: Missing specs in manual, A/V Sync Delay too small
User Rating: 9/10
Great for the Money..
Pros: sound, features, expandibility, reputation
Cons: heavy, no phono input
Another thing that was a BIG deciding factor in my purchase decision was the support staff at Harman Kardon. I wrote the several times from their website and always received a prompt reply, sometimes within 45 minutes, even on Sunday. I tried writing other companies that built audio equipment and no one, I repeat, NO ONE even came close to the support and knowledge of the HK engineers. I say, engineers, because they had the knowledge that could only come from someone who was intimately familiar with their equipment design and purpose. The response and answers I received from some companies was laughable at times, even when talking to the level 2 tech support.
I would recommend this to anyone who like movies but also wants to listen to music.
User Rating: 9/10
The sound quality just blew us away !
Pros: The sound tells the whole story and your neighbors will hate you!
Cons: Setup was time consuming but worth it !
User Rating: 9/10
Form meets Function - I love it
Pros: Outstanding Sound, Feature Packed, & Looks Cool
Cons: Learning Remote didn't quite learn for me
User Rating: 10/10
We here feel this is the best sound system on the market today for the money.
Pros: Crisp clear sound and balance with the EQ for each room size and shape
Cons: Can't think of any
User Rating: 10/10
absolutely incredible!!
Pros: gorgeous to look at, stunning to listen to
Cons: consumes a lot of power
got a great deal on the HK, couldn't pass it up as the wife was pushing me to get it because it looked prettier than the other ones. i on the other hand don't require much prodding either when i'm given the ok to purchase something that is levels ahead of what i was planning on purchasing. plus, the audio system in my car is an HK and sounds spectacular! (M3). so... right out of the box, this thing sounded great! after a little tweaking it sounds better than i could ever imagine - crystal clear quality sound - gorgeous enough to have its own place in the Met - easy to set up - and every necessary feature and surround option that even the most discerning audiophile and geek would be proud of. Bottom line.. this thing rocks!
