At CEDIA Expo in Atlanta this week, Harman Kardon has introduced a trio of brand-new audio/video receivers, each with many of the newest home entertainment technologies onboard, including of course Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. They also support standard and high-definition content on iPods, while making these portable devices easy to integrate and operate. The goal seems to be to address the huge installed base of HDTVs, reportedly more than half of U.S. households, offering next-gen sound to go with the next-gen picture.
Top of this line is the AVR 3600, one of the few receivers capable of playing back HD videos from iPods/iPhones, while lower-resolution files are automatically upscaled to 1080p. This is made possible by The Bridge III, harman's single-cable universal iPod dock which allows us to operate a connected device via high-resolution on-screen menus. The AVR 3600 and AVR 2600 feature Dolby Volume, so that sound levels between sources and even between TV shows and commercials takes on a more consistent volume. All three models incorporate the proprietary EzSet/EQ room calibration system with included microphone and on-screen instructions.
The new receivers stylistically match current Harman Kardon components, and offer anywhere from 50 watts (AVR 1600) to 65 watts (AVR 2600) to 80 watts per channel (AVR 3600). Suggested retail prices range from $599.95 for the AVR 1600 to $799.95 for the AVR 2600 to $1,195 for the AVR 3600. All offer Logic 7, 5.1 and 7.1 music and movies, while the exceptionally well-featured 3600 includes a Zone 2 remote. The AVR 3600 and AVR 2600 provide the Faroudja “Torino” video scaler/enhancer, which can upconvert from composite to component video or HDMI, up to 720P or 1080i through component or even to 1080p over HDMI.
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