RSSHarman Kardon AVR 154 AV Receiver Reviewed
- By: Andrew Robinson,
HTR Product Rating
- Performance
- Value
- Overall
Disagree with our product rating? Email us and tell us why you think this product should receive a higher rating.
I've always been a fan of affordable gear. I know that may sound weird coming from a reviewer who has had speaker cables costing as much as a small Japanese car, but I do, I love and appreciate affordable gear. One of the brands that I've followed throughout the years and have enjoyed immensely is Harman Kardon. In my years as a home theater enthusiast and as a reviewer, I've owned and/or reviewed a dozen Harman Kardon receivers. Case in point, the super affordable AVR 154 reviewed here. Retailing for a shocking $350 and available almost everywhere electronics are sold, the AVR 154 looks every bit as good as its big brother, the AVR 354, at a fraction of the cost. Now, I'm not suggesting the AVR 154 is better or even competes with the AVR 354 or costlier completion. No, I'm just implying that while most budget receivers look cheap, the AVR 154 does not and has a bit of a feature set to back it up. The AVR 154 is a 5.1-channel AV receiver with HDMI 1.3a pass-through. Now, some of you may be yelling, "No upscaling, no good." I'd like to remind you that, for under $400, you're not going to find 1080p upscaling on any receiver - sorry. The fact that the AVR 154 has HDMI inputs, let alone the most current version, is sort of shocking. The AVR 154 supports nearly every Dolby and DTS codec minus the current uncompressed TrueHD and Master Audio formats. Again, look at the price before getting too worked up. The AVR 154 features an internal, high-current power amplifier section churning out a low (but mighty) 30 watts per channel across all five speakers, making it ideal for small to medium-sized home theaters. I instantly think of my bedroom or office when looking at the AVR 154.
The AVR 154 does not feature Harman's EzSet/EQ system and thank God, for it has to be one of the worst auto EQs I've ever been forced to use. I'd rather have no EQ than EzSet. The AVR 154 also lacks preamp outputs, not counting the LFE output, so you will be unable to mate it to an outboard amp or two for more power should you need it, which is why I would urge you to consider it only for small to medium-sized rooms, or super-efficient speakers from the likes of JBL or Klipsch.
Featured Audio-Video News
The Evolution of the Two-Channel Preamp -
The two-channel preamp has been due for an overhaul for a while now and it seems that the process is beginning with several of the new products hitting the market from several of the major manufacturers. But why is it happening now?
Latest AV Receiver Reviews
NAD T 757 A/V Surround Sound Receiver Reviewed -
Andrew Robinson, editor of HomeTheaterReview.com, got the NAD T 757 AV receiver in for review and went about connecting to his system, including a variety of speakers, as he prepared to put the receiver to the test.
Home Theater Review's 2011 Best Of Awards -
For a third time, the editorial staff of Home Theater Review have examined the year's offerings in AV gear and decided what they deem to be the best in every category. Find out who is the best of the best.
NAD T 748 AV Receiver Reviewed -
NAD has taken a novel approach with the NAD T 748, meaning that they have decided to neglect all the bells and whistles of modern receivers and concentrate on performance. Andrew Robinson evaluates the T 748 to see how that idea paid off.
Anthem MRX 700 AV Receiver Reviewed -
Andrew Robinson was a little skeptical about the Anthem MRX 700 AV receiver, thinking that the price and features didn't quite add up. But after he put the receiver through its paces, he saw that the MRX 700 is greater than the sum of its parts.
Samsung HW-D7000 Receiver/Blu-ray Combination Unit -
Samsung offers a home theater solution more unique than many of their other offerings. The Samsung HW-D7000 is a combination AV receiver and Blu-ray player. Convenient? Yes. But does it perform? Adrienne Maxwell finds out.
Pioneer SC-37 Elite AV Receiver Reviewed -
The Pioneer SC-37 Elite AV receiver is a receiver that brings the goods. Not only does the receiver produces impressive sound, it comes packed with a wide range of features to trick out any theater.
Pioneer Elite SC-35 AV Receiver Reviewed -
The Pioneer Elite SC-35 suffers from a problem that can be common amongst many consumer electronics. Reviewer Andrew Robinson investigates this problem as he reviews the Pioneer Elite SC-35 AV receiver.
Arcam AVR500 AV Receiver Reviewed -
The AVR500 is designed to reproduce movie theater sound and studio music inside your home. For performance when compared to $8,000 separates, our reviewer noted it "comes pretty damn close for a lot less money." It has "more than ample power" and is "brilliantly designed and engineered"...
Sony STR-DA3600ES AV Receiver Reviewed -
The sound on this Sony possesses more than adequate power and finesse and like most Sony's, it is very reliable. In addition, the Auto Calibration on the STR-DA3600 "was by far the smoothest, fastest and also one of the most accurate I've ever had with a receiver," according to our reviewer...
Cambridge Audio Azur 650R 7.1 A/V Receiver Reviewed -
Cambridge is very proud its latest receiver and after testing, it was easy to see why. When playing music, reviewer Jim Swantko was "impressed with the vocal quality that the 650R is capable of reproducing." As for the music, "all musicians were clearly placed around the soundstage" and "the 650R was as happy playing acoustic ballads as it was pounding thrash metal"...
Home Theater Review on Facebook
Home Theater Review on Twitter
Comment on this article
Did you actually have the unit to review? Your "review" doesn't state one concrete thing about the unit that couldn't be gleaned from spec sheets.
IMO, your "review" site is nothing of the sort.
Good day.
Post a Comment
You are encouraged to post your comments using Facebook on HomeTheaterReview.com. Simply sign in to your Facebook account below and post away.