The AVR 1600 incorporates the brand’s acclaimed, high-current, ultra wide-bandwidth amplifier sections, which generate 50 watts for each of the receiver’s seven channels.

Whether it’s the exciting sound of explosions from the latest movie or the detailed nuances of your favorite musical artist, the AVR 1600’s amplifier delivers sound with uncompromised realism, dynamics and subtlety.

When it comes to surround-sound decoding, the AVR 1600 has you covered. In addition to decoding the latest Blu-ray Disc™ and surround formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™, the AVR 1600 also includes proprietary Logic 7 processing, which is capable of generating discrete 5.1-channel or 7.1-channel sound from traditional two-channel sources. There is even a MP3 Music Enhancer mode, which will bring new life to any compressed digital music.

There’s no denying that a typical home-theater system can be challenging to set up and use, but Harman Kardon receivers are far from typical. The AVR 1600 comes with the Quick-Start Guide, which walks you through the color-coded connections that you’ll need for even the most elaborate multichannel systems.

With three HDMI™ connections that all offer 1080p pass-through, along with a host of additional connection possibilities, connecting the AVR 1600 to the latest high-definition sources or nearly any other device is easy and straightforward. A simple on-screen menu guides you through set-up, and a newly designed remote control gives you command with its intuitive, ergonomic design.

Adding to its appeal, the AVR 1600 features Harman Kardon’s strikingly new, minimalist design, making it stand out from other entry-level receivers. It is elegant and distinctive, with gracefully rounded corners, a gloss-black and dark-graphite lower panel, and soft-white illumination.

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Although home theater receivers enjoy the bulk of receiver sales these days, there’s still room in the market for stereo receivers. Some listeners want a high-quality stereo music-only system. Others want good, full-range home theater sound, but don’t have the room for, or don’t want to install, a surround sound speaker set-up. Harman Kardon is one company that hasn’t abandoned the stereo receiver market, as evidenced by their HK 3490 stereo receiver.

The HK 3490 delivers a robust 120 watts per channel into eight ohms (150 wpc into four ohms). Its rear and front panel provide seven analog audio inputs, including a phono input for those listeners who want to enjoy their vinyl. It includes coaxial and optical digital audio inputs – ideal for users with older CD and DVD players that might get better sound from utilizing the up-to-date D/A circuitry in the HK 3490. The receiver has four composite video inputs and a dedicated input for the Harman Kardon The Bridge II iPod docking station. This latter feature enables you to connect an iPod via The Bridge II; the iPod can then be controlled from the HK 3490’s remote control and menus that are displayed on a connected TV or on the receiver’s front panel.

The Harman Kardon HK 3490 is unusually good-looking for a stereo receiver, with curved side panels and a gloss-black and dark gray front panel that give it a sleek, stylish look.

The HK 3490’s sound quality is excellent. Harman Kardon has long been a proponent of high-current, ultrawide-bandwidth amplifier designs, and it pays sonic dividends. The sound is open and detailed, with clean upper midrange and highs, not harsh or grainy in the slightest. The high-current amplifier and high-power output provide plenty of volume and dynamic capability.

The Harman Kardon HK 3490 stereo receiver combines excellent sound quality with plenty of power (120 watts per channel into eight ohms), an extensive selection of audio inputs, including a phono input and dedicated iPod interface (via the optional Harman Kardon The Bridge II docking station), and other useful features like XM Radio compatibility, Dolby Virtual Speaker and Dolby Headphone, dual subwoofer outputs and other useful features. It’s a good choice for listeners who want to put together a high-quality stereo music system, or add high-quality sound to their TV and home entertainment system.

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