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#65995 - 08/22/07 03:47 PM 990 vs harman kardon avr300
jcm Offline
Deputy Gunslinger

Registered: 08/01/07
Posts: 7
i hate to say this because i so looked forward to getting the 990/7125 combo, but, to this point i would only be able to say that the 990/7125 is slightly (if that) better than the hk avr300....
more "headroom" yes, sound quality only marginally better (to my chagrin). the 990 doesn't seem to have the warmth of the hk avr300... the depth is about the same.. i really do not get it..
equip.:
klipsch la scala in the front
the center and sides are polk audio
mid size velodyne sub woofer

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#65996 - 08/22/07 04:35 PM Re: 990 vs harman kardon avr300
Jason J Offline
Desperado

Registered: 09/02/02
Posts: 615
Loc: Northern Garden State
Here's a reason why you may be hearing what you're hearing. Klipsch La Scala speakers are very efficient and don't need an amplifier with all that much power to sound good. Along the same lines, because of this efficiency, they're much more likely to display the difference between an amplifier that sounds "neutral" and one that sounds "warmer". This basically adds up to what you've experienced.

The Outlaw sound is known to be neutral, bordering perhaps a bit on the brighter side of the spectrum. When you pair that with horns, unless you have something else in your system "coloring" the sound, you're going to end up with a system that is going to be very forward sounding and maybe a touch bright.

As a side note; I live with a system on the same side of the spectrum. I use M&K speakers, known for their forward, maybe a touch bright, sound with Outlaw amplification. Before I added a CD transport that somewhat "colored" the sound, I felt that my system was neutral but at times a bit harsh sounding. It has led me to read many reviews of tube amplification but my budget hasn't quite caught up yet with my wants. Also, as I mentioned, my new CD transport has helped calm down the system a bit.

I would give the Outlaw pieces a bit more time to break in. Of course, your ears will get used to the sound as well during this time but try your comparison after you've given yourself some time on the new components. You may find that your feelings have changed about the sound.

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#65997 - 08/22/07 05:20 PM Re: 990 vs harman kardon avr300
gonk Offline
Desperado

Registered: 03/21/01
Posts: 14054
Loc: Memphis, TN USA
As Jason J says, your Klipsh fronts are definitely unusually high efficiency, so the power upgrade is going to be of minimal benefit. I would suspect that had you gotten the 7075 and the 7125, you could have compared the two and heard no difference.

Just to kick around all the possibilities, how do you have your sources set up?
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gonk
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