It not very often that I am lost for words, in fact if I remember correctly there has only been four or five times in my life that this has happened. One of these times was when I unpacked my own Harman Kardon AVR 265 and the other was trying think of an opening for this review…
So on that note here is Harman Kardon’s blurb on the AVR 265 since I couldn’t of written it better!
“If you’re looking for an AVR packed with next-generation
technology, look no further than the Harman Kardon
AVR 265. The AVR 265 has an impressive list of features
that take your home entertainment experience to the
next level. With HDMI® v.1.4a with 3-D, Deep Colour
and Audio Return Channel, and all the latest Dolby® and
DTS® audio modes, the AVR 265 lets you experience
a new dimension in TV viewing – all while our own
Logic 7® processing creates an exhilarating 360-degree
soundstage via 7.1-channel surround sound. And this
AVR does far more than just movies and soundtracks –
it can even be set to power a Zone 2 speaker system
for multiroom audio. With five HDMI inputs, extensive
video and audio connectivity, and the ability to connect
with The Bridge IIIP for iPod/iPhone playback, the
AVR 265 solidifies itself as a versatile receiver that
can accommodate your every entertainment whim
with grace, style and ease.” – HK
The one thing I have always liked about the design of Harman Kardon Receivers is its simplicity, they have that “quiet person” appeal to them.
We all know that one “quiet person” that is quiet most the time but from time to time is known to get loud and wild, well this is how I see the AVR 265. Most of the time it just sits in the cabinet nice and sleek, not drawing any attention to its classy self then when the lights go out it becomes a complete monster making your movies and or music come alive!
When it comes to sound quality usually there is more to it than having a powerful amplifier/receiver and big speakers to getting a clear clean signal, but in saying that having a good quality amplifier/receiver is a good starting point.
The sound produced by the AVR 265 is very crisp and clean and has more then enough amperage to make the 95w RMS it produce seem like a lot more, even at high volume levels. At the moment I am running 5 x Digital Designs DD-LS-241 satellite speakers and a Digital Designs DD-PS3 12″ home theatre subwoofer on the AVR 265 which produce’s amazing sound, I do plan on getting large floor-standers but for the mean time the setup is already big enough for my lounge and produces movie theatre sound!
Key Features
Power/Technology
■ Powers a 7.1-channel surround-sound system
■ 95 watts of power per channel
■ High-current-capability (HCC), ultrawide-bandwidth amplifier
design for accurate, dynamic sound and emotion
■ HDMI v.1.4a with Deep Colour, Audio Return Channel and 3-D
for playing content from compatible sources such as 3-D
movies, TV and sporting events
■ HDMI Audio Return Channel sends TV sound back to the
AVR, making for better quality, fewer connections and a
system that’s easier to use
■ Dolby Volume maintains the same volume level – no matter
what you’re watching, even when you change channels
■ Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding produces
high-resolution sound that matches high-resolution video of
Blu-ray Disc™ recordings
■ Logic 7 processing turns conventional stereo sources into
incredible 7.1-channel surround sound
■ FM/AM tuner with 30 station presets and Radio Data System
(RDS) to display radio text information
■ 30 presets for Internet radio stations
■ EzSet/EQ automatically adjusts individual speaker volume levels,
delay and equalisation
■ Multizone functionality allows you to power Zone 2 speakers
so you can feed audio into multiple rooms of the house –
without having to buy a separate amplifier
■ Dolby Pro Logic IIz decoding for a more in-depth surroundsound experience
■ Surround-sound decoding for all popular Dolby Digital and
DTS audio formats
■ Lip-sync adjustment delays the audio signal to match the
video signal
Connectivity
■ Network connectivity allows for streaming media files from
your home network and Internet radio stations when using a
broadband connection
■ Assignable SBL and SBR amplifier channels for flexibility during
configuration
■ Works with The Bridge IIIP (optional) to play entertainment from
your iPod or iPhone device on your home entertainment system
■ Five HDMI inputs provide extensive video connectivity
■ Two component and two composite video inputs
■ Four digital audio inputs and three analogue audio inputs
■ Zone 2 line output expands your system into an additional room
■ Subwoofer pre-out allows for connection to a powered subwoofer
■ Colour-coded binding-post speaker connectors for secure
connections
■ Headphone jack with HARMAN headphone surround mode for
stereo headphones
■ Subwoofer trigger output for compatible subwoofer
■ Upgradeable firmware via USB port
■ Detachable IEC power cord
Ease of Use
■ Graphical user interface (GUI) for easy system setup
■ Multidevice, programmable remote for your entire
audio/video system
■ Two-line dot-matrix information display lets you adjust the
unit without turning on the TV; great for listening to music
■ 30 FM/AM radio-station presets make it easy to find your
favourite station
■ Control4® certified technology allows the receiver to be used
with a centralised home integration and control system
Key Specifications
Audio Section
■ Stereo mode, continuous average power: 95 watts/channel,
both channels driven @ 8 ohms, 20Hz – 20kHz, <0.07% THD
■ Multichannel power: 7 x 95 watts/channel, two channels
driven @ 8 ohms, 20Hz – 20kHz, <0.07% THD
■ Bandwidth @ 1W (+0dB/–3dB): 10Hz – 130kHz
■ Input sensitivity/impedance (line-in): 200mV/47k ohms
■ Signal-to-noise ratio (IHF-A): 100dB
■ Adjacent channel separation – Dolby Pro Logic® I/II: 40dB;
Dolby Digital: 55dB, DTS: 55dB
■ High instantaneous-current capability (HCC): ±35 amps
■ Transient intermodulation distortion (TIM): unmeasurable
■ Slew rate: 40V/μsec
FM Tuner Section
■ Frequency range: 87.5MHz – 108.0Mhz
■ Usable sensitivity (IHF): 1.3μ
V/13.2dBf
■ Signal-to-noise ratio (mono/stereo): 70dB/68dB
■ Distortion (mono/stereo): 0.2%/0.3%
■ Stereo separation: 40dB @ 1kHz
■ Selectivity (±400kHz): 70dB
■ Image rejection: 80dB
■ IF rejection: 90dB
AM Tuner Section
■ Frequency range: 522kHz – 1620kHz
■ Signal-to-noise ratio: 45dB
■ Usable sensitivity (loop): 500μV
■ Distortion (1kHz): 50%, mod 0.8%
■ Selectivity (±10kHz): 30dB
Video Section
■ Television format: PAL
■ Input level/impedance: 1Vp-p/75 ohms
■ Output level/impedance: 1Vp-p/75 ohms
■ Video frequency response (composite video): 10Hz – 8MHz (–3dB)
■ HDMI v.1.4a with 3-D, Audio Return Channel and Deep Colour
General
■ Power requirement: 220V – 240V, 50/60Hz
■ Power consumption: 840W maximum/420W rated
■ Dimensions (H x W x D): 165mm x 440mm x 385mm
■ Weight: 11.1kg
I’ve owned the Harman Kardon AVR 265 for close to a year now and it has worked flawlessly with no issues what so ever. It also gets used for at least sixteen hours a day having everything from the TV, Radio, Blu-Rays to Video game consoles being played through it without any issues. Being able to set all the video/audio settings individually for each source is a brilliant idea as I tend to sit in different parts of the room depending if I am playing video games, watching TV or a Blu-Ray.
The Zone 2 option is also a brilliant idea that allows you to play one source in your lounge and another elsewhere in the house via two channels, I how ever have set it up in my lounge to having two sets of fronts instead of using the Zone 2 option to give the stage a powerful sound during movies.
Overall I have to say that if I was to buy another receiver it would be another HK AVR 265 as it has a lot of bang for buck when compared to a lot of the competition and also other receivers I have previously owned too.
