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Harman Kardon AVR-254 7x50W 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI 1.3a Repeater | 
| Brand: Harman Kardon
Category: CE
Buy New: Too low to display
New (12)
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 2990
Color: SilverBlack
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 33
Dimensions (in): 15 x 17.3 x 6.5
MPN: AVR 254
Model: AVR 254
UPC: 028292506208
EAN: 0028292506208
ASIN: B0016BGRX6
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Harman-exclusive Logic 7 Movie, Music, and game surround sound processing in 5.1 and 7.1 channels | | • | HDMI 1.3a with Deep Color and Faroudja DCDi Cinema video processing with upscaling to 1080p | | • | EzSet/EQ equalization for quick and accurate system setup | | • | Full Suite of Dolby surround decoding, including Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus | | • | XM Tuner Ready |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
50-Watts x 7
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great Sound, Dolby True HD, And DTSMA September 2, 2008
So Far a great Receiver. Only had a problem on one blu-ray disc with DTSMA Bitstreamed, yet all other discs I have tried work fine with DTSMA and Dolby TrueHD Bitstreamed and the receiver decoding DTSMA AND Dolby TrueHD. I have heard alot of problems if you are using a PS3 as your blu-ray player, but I am using a samsung 1400 and it has worked perfectly so far. I am also using a Directv Hr20 HDDVR and have had no problems. The GUI is the best I have seen. The sound quailty is excellent, with plenty of power for a 20'x15' home theater room. This was an replacement to my Harman Kardon AVR247 because of the 3 HDMI inputs and the HD audio codecs decoding.
 Would be the king of the hill, if it just worked... August 28, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I spent several months researching my new receiver for my home theater. I spent countless hours hanging out on the avsforum, read everything I could about receivers. I was looking for a receiver that would have the following features:
- at least 2 HDMI inputs
- great sound quality for music as well as movies
- HD audio codecs (Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA) support
- would cost $650 MSRP or less
The choice is clear:
- Onkyo 606 or 705
- Yamaha 663
- Sony 820 or 920
- HK 254
- Pioneer 1018
- Denon 1909 or 988
I didn't even try the Onkyos, because I was afraid of the overheating problems and the humming noise reported on many units. Plus, they are downright ugly. The Yamaha had only 2 HDMI, and did not pass BTB/WTW, the Sonys are notorious for having the worst sound quality (unless you tap into the really high end models) across the board, so I didn't consider those either.
I was then left with the HK, Pioneer and Denon receivers.
I first bought the HK 254. All the users on avsforum swore by the HK sound. Well, they were right. The sound is nothing short of outstanding. The GUI is light-years ahead of the competition too. And finally, it is by far the slickest looking receiver of all.
Now, on the negative. HK is notorious for releasing products that haven't been thoroughly tested, and that don't work properly until the firmware update is released, and even at that point, it doesn't always work right. Well, they got that right too...
1 - the fan noise on 2 different units was unbearably loud, and not only was it loud, it wasn't a constant noise: it was pulsating. Crappy quality control from HK, can't afford more than $2 on a decent fan!
2 - if you connect your PS3 to the HK receiver using HDMI audio out + Linear PCM (the only way to take advantage of the HD audio codecs), here's what happens: you get sound drop outs that last for several minutes in many bluray movies (There Will Be Blood is a good example). Also, in GTA IV, you cannot hear the dialogs from the person you talk to on your cell phone. When I say "you cannot hear the dialogs", I mean: there is NO sound at all, it's not that the volume is low.
3 - the surround sound never "locks" on the one you want, it always reverts to Logic 7 eventually, and even if you can sometimes get it back by cycling through the surround sounds, it doesn't always work and it is a major hassle.
4 - it can't pass HDMI video with video processing turned OFF (it's always on!), and it won't pass BTB/WTW either.
I don't want to go into the details of all these bugs, but they completely kill all the enjoyment you could get from the unit. I exchanged my first unit, thinking I got a lemon, but the 2nd unit showed exactly the same problems, all of them. I finally returned the unit, disgusted with HK's quality control.
I then tried the Pioneer 1018, the Denon 1909 and the Denon 988. All 3 of them performed flawlessly, without a single hickup.
The Pioneer worked great but sounded a little weak, lacked punch and attack compared to the HK. It also had a very annoying bright blue LED that you can't turn off, and the worst remote I've ever seen.
The Denon 1909 and 988 were very similar, the 988 having a very slight edge in terms of SQ for music, but lacked the extra HDMI input and didn't have the Audyssey Dynamic EQ and Volume features. The 1909 was the only receiver I tried that could maintain the surround field perfect at any time and any given volume.
I ended up keeping the 1909, because of its great sound quality and of its superb handling of surround field, thanks to the Audyssey Dynamic EQ and Volume. Oh, and did I mention that it just works? ;)
After my disastrous experience with the HK, I wouldn't touch that receiver with a 10ft pole. If you consider this unit, wait until HK comes up with a firmware update, and make sure that it actually fixed all the problems. For more info about these problems, visit the avsforum dot com forum, and search for "Official Harman/Kardon AVR x54: Problems and Solutions Thread".
 good menus and easy set up but!!!!! read below: August 25, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
that avr-254 has a big problem, beware. i had, while watching blu ray movies a loss in video/audio signals plus white noise and flickering - which i've never had before.
i conntaced h.k customer service and... they admitted they know about that issue and working on an software update.
so its up to u if you want to buy it and wait for an update.
 Sounds good, little quirks though August 24, 2008
I received my AVR-254 from Onecall through Amazon for a great price (less than $400), and with the usual great service. This replaced an older 6.1 Sony receiver with 100 WPC. The SQ difference is night and day better than anything I've ever had, except a Heathkit receiver I built myself in the 70's; of course it was stereo only. This 50 WPC unit will do everything and more than the unit it replaced would. The 254 has some very cool GUI functions and the remote is a very capable unit.
Now that I've talked about the upside of the 254 (I really do like it), let me tell you that it has a few quirks... I don't like that it won't pass through a signal when it is shut off. There are times I'd like to just watch my Hitachi L47V651 without the receiver turned on. It has auto speaker calibration, but I decided to tune them myself by ear... I liked the sound better that way. The receiver seems to like a source turned on before it is turned on. Today I got a "green" screen before I shut everything off and started over.
Over all I'd give it high marks and is definitely superior to anything entry level. But, with the few quirks I've seen - I believe that might disturb some people. However, I haven't seen anything yet that has made me consider returning it.
Big Bang For Your Buck July 26, 2008
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
This is the best receiver in its price range, period. For a mid-level receiver, this unit has features often found in higher-end models. Out of the box, setup was a snap. Directions are clear and easy to flow. The included microphone for the EZ setup made calibrating this unit a breeze. The sound is phenomenal. Crisp highs and deep lows. Plenty of power for the user looking to bring their speakers to life. The High Definition on-screen interface makes adjusting the AVRs features simple, and users hooking up multiple components (DVD, Bluray, Cable) will rejoice at the levels of customization. With support for all the newest lossless audio encoding, this model is sure to please well into the future.
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