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Harman Kardon AVR 7550HD (2008 announcement) - Page 41

post #1201 of 1501
1/9/12 at 4:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by phantom52 View Post

I would contact H/K if you have not already. IIRC this firmware update was available for a USB update. H/K may have to e-mail the revision now.

Just before I sent it off I called HK Canada (which is handled by JAM Industries up here) and they confirmed that the 7550 needs to go in for this update. The other units in the line-up can be done by USB. For some reason it has to go in.

Maybe our resident expert M Code can elaborate as to why. In any event, my 7550 is gone and my old 745 is back in the rack. It still sounds pretty awesome after calibration. In my AV room and with my speakers it sounds somewhat "crisper" or clearer somehow - but in a good way. I'm no audiophile purist though!
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post #1202 of 1501
1/9/12 at 6:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by IslandHT View Post


Just before I sent it off I called HK Canada (which is handled by JAM Industries up here) and they confirmed that the 7550 needs to go in for this update. The other units in the line-up can be done by USB. For some reason it has to go in.

Maybe our resident expert M Code can elaborate as to why. In any event, my 7550 is gone and my old 745 is back in the rack. It still sounds pretty awesome after calibration. In my AV room and with my speakers it sounds somewhat "crisper" or clearer somehow - but in a good way. I'm no audiophile purist though!

I owned the 745 for four years and loved the sound. I got the 7550hd and was not getting much of a upgrade in my setup. I wanted a change however and amiable owned a Nad T775hd for a few months now. I love the sound.
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post #1203 of 1501
1/9/12 at 7:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bommai View Post

I owned the 745 for four years and loved the sound. I got the 7550hd and was not getting much of a upgrade in my setup. I wanted a change however and amiable owned a Nad T775hd for a few months now. I love the sound.

Yeah, I followed your story for quite awhile. I really like NAD too. I used to own an AV store and NAD was one of the brands I carried. That was YEARS ago though. Very high quality and understated. They sound really, really good. I'm very happy with my H/K units though - once I figured out their idiosyncrasies
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post #1204 of 1501
1/9/12 at 9:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by IslandHT View Post

Just before I sent it off I called HK Canada (which is handled by JAM Industries up here) and they confirmed that the 7550 needs to go in for this update. The other units in the line-up can be done by USB. For some reason it has to go in.

Maybe our resident expert M Code can elaborate as to why. In any event, my 7550 is gone and my old 745 is back in the rack. It still sounds pretty awesome after calibration. In my AV room and with my speakers it sounds somewhat "crisper" or clearer somehow - but in a good way. I'm no audiophile purist though!


The 7550HD, 760 and 660 can all be upgraded by USB. However the download file is much larger than the upgrade file of the other AVRs 1600/160/2600/260/3600/360/460..
But...
HK apparently was concerned that if anything happened during the longer download/upgrade process the CPU could be corrupted, then it would need to be replaced. The download/upgrade process for the 7550HD/760 and 660 takes about 30 minutes. Also many, many more lower priced HK AVRs were sold compared to the 7550HD/760 and 660 so to have these returned to HK would have been far too expensive.


Just my $0.02...
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post #1205 of 1501
1/9/12 at 11:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Louie_18 View Post

Is the HK AVR7550HD a good match for JBL LS series?

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post #1206 of 1501
1/10/12 at 5:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Louie_18
Is the HK AVR7550HD a good match for JBL LS series?

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I am running the 7550 with 6 ohm rated speakers that have a sensitivity rating of 87db it handles them just fine. The LS series have a sensitivity rating of 90db so I don't see a problem at all.
The Hk 7550 has a very good amplifier section and some nice features like Dolby Volume.
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post #1207 of 1501
1/10/12 at 3:06pm
Don't recall seeing this posted before, but I came across a french A/V forum which has a discussion/owner's thread for the 7550's EU counterparts, the 760 and 660.
This post has some interesting pictures of the unit partially disassembled, along with some information on replacing/upgrading the small (and sometimes noisy) HDMI fan to a larger, quieter unit which may be helpful for those who have experienced the fan squeal problem;
http://translate.googleusercontent.c...3EQ#p174616548
(Google translated FR->EN)

Direct link if you have problems with that one;
http://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/v...800#p174616548
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post #1208 of 1501
1/11/12 at 11:24pm
Guys,

Does the HK 760/660 supports audio streaming from DLNA capable devices?

Thanks...
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post #1209 of 1501
1/12/12 at 4:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Louie_18 View Post

Guys,

Does the HK 760/660 supports audio streaming from DLNA capable devices?

Thanks...

From the manual;

Quote:


NETWORK PLAYBACK
The AVR 7550HD is capable of playing audio media stored on
a PC when both the PC and the AVR are connected to a homenetwork
router.
NOTES:
The PC must be running Windows Media® Player version 11
or higher, Windows Media Center version 2.0 or 3.0, or
Intel® Media Server. It is recommended that any firewalls be
turned off, although Windows Media Player may automatically
make any necessary adjustments to the firewall settings
to allow media sharing.
An Apple Macintosh computer must be running DLNA
(Digital Living Network Alliance)- compliant software.
Examples of compatible software include the MediaLink
program by Nullriver, Inc., and EyeConnect software by
Elgato Systems.
From the media player software, select the Share media option
(or a similar menu option), and select the AVR as the device.
On the AVR, select Network as the source. Press the Network
Source Selector a second time, if necessary, to switch from the
Internet Radio source to the Network source. Press the Menu
Button, and the PC should appear by name.
Browse the content stored in the PC's media player library, using the
slide-in menu. Scroll to the desired item and press the OK Button or
the 3 Navigation Button to select it. To return to the previous menu
level (or to clear the menu from view from the top level), press the
Back/Exit Button or the 7 Button.
NOTES:
The Repeat, Random and Slideshow Speed settings are
global for Network Playback and USB Playback. Changing
these settings for one of these sources will have the same
effect for the other source.
Although video content may appear in the menu, the AVR
does not support video playback from the network connection.

I have used the network connection with Win7+Vista PCs using WMC and Media Player.

What type of device are planning to use? I am unsure if the network streaming will work with other DLNA devices (e.g. network HDD w/ DLNA server) as I've never tried it.
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post #1210 of 1501
1/12/12 at 4:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dRockHK View Post

Don't recall seeing this posted before, but I came across a french A/V forum which has a discussion/owner's thread for the 7550's EU counterparts, the 760 and 660.
This post has some interesting pictures of the unit partially disassembled, along with some information on replacing/upgrading the small (and sometimes noisy) HDMI fan to a larger, quieter unit which may be helpful for those who have experienced the fan squeal problem;
http://translate.googleusercontent.c...3EQ#p174616548
(Google translated FR->EN)

Direct link if you have problems with that one;
http://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/v...800#p174616548

The replacement fan is twice the size of the OE one, and they have cut away a portion of the chassis..
Seems like overkill, also the larger fan will be louder.

Once the OE video fan is oiled, it is quiet I did mine over year ago and no issues..

Just my $0.02...
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post #1211 of 1501
1/12/12 at 8:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dRockHK View Post

From the manual;



I have used the network connection with Win7+Vista PCs using WMC and Media Player.

What type of device are planning to use? I am unsure if the network streaming will work with other DLNA devices (e.g. network HDD w/ DLNA server) as I've never tried it.

Planning to use my android device (Samsung Galaxy Note)

Thanks
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post #1212 of 1501
1/13/12 at 12:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by M Code View Post

The replacement fan is twice the size of the OE one, and they have cut away a portion of the chassis..
Seems like overkill, also the larger fan will be louder.

Once the OE video fan is oiled, it is quiet I did mine over year ago and no issues..

Just my $0.02...

Not necessarily, all depends on what model fan you use. Small fans normally compensate for their small form factor by spinning at very high speeds with steep blade pitch = high decibel output. A larger fan can achieve the same CFM with much lower blade tip speed (and substantially lower motor RPM) and a shallower blade pitch, which normally translates into lower noise output. (Further refinements can also be made to blade twist, quantity and spacing (even irregular) to reduce, change or spread the noise output frequency)

In this case, there wouldn't be any overkill as far as airflow is concerned - only matching or perhaps slightly besting the existing piece. However, fan noise can be greatly reduced.
While I don't have exact specifications for the stock fan, we do know it is 12v, 30mm with 5000rpm rating. Fans with similar blade design and rpm rating normally make ~2.5-3cfm at around 20+dbA. The larger replacement fan pictured in that link is designed for reduced noise output. Despite the larger size, it also only outputs a little under 3 cfm - but the noise output is rated at 11dbA.

I'm not wild about hacking up the chassis to fit a larger fan, though I found the pics/info interesting none the less.
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post #1213 of 1501
1/13/12 at 1:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dRockHK View Post

Not necessarily, all depends on what model fan you use. Small fans normally compensate for their small form factor by spinning at very high speeds with steep blade pitch = high decibel output. A larger fan can achieve the same CFM with much lower blade tip speed (and substantially lower motor RPM) and a shallower blade pitch, which normally translates into lower noise output. (Further refinements can also be made to blade twist, quantity and spacing (even irregular) to reduce, change or spread the noise output frequency)

In this case, there wouldn't be any overkill as far as airflow is concerned - only matching or perhaps slightly besting the existing piece. However, fan noise can be greatly reduced.
While I don't have exact specifications for the stock fan, we do know it is 12v, 30mm with 5000rpm rating. Fans with similar blade design and rpm rating normally make ~2.5-3cfm at around 20+dbA. The larger replacement fan pictured in that link is designed for reduced noise output. Despite the larger size, it also only outputs a little under 3 cfm - but the noise output is rated at 11dbA.

I'm not wild about hacking up the chassis to fit a larger fan, though I found the pics/info interesting none the less.


An interesting project...
But again my question is why do major surgery on the chassis to fit in the larger fan....
It is pertinent to note that Noise Blocker actually has a replacement 40 m/m fan that would drop rite in without any metal work & cutting..
It is called the Black Silent Noise Blocker, thus one can take advantage of the lower dB by simply installing a drop-in component.
My other concern would be the increased wattage draw of the bigger fan could exceed the design limits as it is 3x of the OE video fan which significantly increases the risk of possible component failure in the 7550HD power supply.

But again..
IMHO..
These type of design changes should be done by the brand's hardware team not by an outside party.

Just my $0.02...
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post #1214 of 1501
1/13/12 at 4:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by M Code View Post

An interesting project...
But again my question is why do major surgery on the chassis to fit in the larger fan....
It is pertinent to note that Noise Blocker actually has a replacement 40 m/m fan that would drop rite in without any metal work & cutting..
It is called the Black Silent Noise Blocker, thus one can take advantage of the lower dB by simply installing a drop-in component.
My other concern would be the increased wattage draw of the bigger fan could exceed the design limits as it is 3x of the OE video fan which significantly increases the risk of possible component failure in the 7550HD power supply.

M Code, that fan is the 40mm "Black Silent Noise Blocker" (XM1) The stock fan is 30mm hence the modification required to fit a 40mm unit. NoiseBlocker doesn't have a drop-in option for us. The OP of that modification could not source a 'silent' 30mm which is why they went with the 40mm. If an ultra low noise 30mm fan could be found, that would be ideal as no modification would be required (However, a 'silent' version of this size would most likely have considerably lower CFM than the stock unit and may not provide adequate airflow)

You bring up a valid point regarding the wattage draw, do you have a specification for the stock fan? That particular fan (NB XM1) draws a mere .36w. Fan's comparable to the 7550's 5000rpm/30mm video fan draw ~.5w+ and it seems unlikely the stock fan is only ~.12watts. Again, I have no specs for the stock fan besides the RPM and size to judge from, but if the replacement's current draw is the same or lower there should be no risk at all.


I should mention, on both of the 7550s I have/had, the video fan (in their properly operating, non-squealing state) doesn't seem that intrusive. Albeit a much lower tone the main amp tunnel fan is more audible when it kicks on, and would seem more worthwhile to replace with a quieter unit if replacement was ever required. Only problem is that it looks to be a major PITA to get to!
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post #1215 of 1501
1/13/12 at 4:46pm
There's always the "remove the tiny fan and replace with a 140mm 700rpm Noctua fan" mod
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post #1216 of 1501
1/15/12 at 9:02pm
If you are annoyed by the 7550 trimming the first second or so of tracks from a CD then there is a solution, albeit a bit of a hassle, but it will save you the frustration thereafter.

If your DVD/Bluray player has L/R analog out just hook that up to an available analog in on the 7550 and use an available source (I used D) and name that "CD" and set the audio in to the analog input that you connected to your player.

This means that your movies (DVD/Bluray) will play through a separate input and logical source using HDMI (presumably) and your CD music listening will be coming from the same source component (different logical source) but via stereo analog output rather than HDMI. Unfortunately if you listen to highdef music like SACD which requires an HDMI connection this may not satisfy (I don't have SACD so I can't test it).

My CD's now are not being trimmed by the 7550. Every second of each track is played very nicely and I am happy.
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post #1217 of 1501
1/15/12 at 9:09pm
That picture on Crutchfield doesn't look like the inside of the 7550. If you take a light and shine it over the top of the grill and take a good look you will see that the 7550 is not configured like that picture and in fact has a much larger power supply.
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post #1218 of 1501
1/15/12 at 11:25pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kmaclac View Post

If you are annoyed by the 7550 trimming the first second or so of tracks from a CD then there is a solution, albeit a bit of a hassle, but it will save you the frustration thereafter.

If your DVD/Bluray player has L/R analog out just hook that up to an available analog in on the 7550 and use an available source (I used D) and name that "CD" and set the audio in to the analog input that you connected to your player.

This means that your movies (DVD/Bluray) will play through a separate input and logical source using HDMI (presumably) and your CD music listening will be coming from the same source component (different logical source) but via stereo analog output rather than HDMI. Unfortunately if you listen to highdef music like SACD which requires an HDMI connection this may not satisfy (I don't have SACD so I can't test it).

My CD's now are not being trimmed by the 7550. Every second of each track is played very nicely and I am happy.

Your solution will work for those that have a good DAC in their player. However, it will not work for people that are going to rely on the DAC in the 7550HD. I owned the 745 and never had that problem. I owned the 7550 for a couple of weeks before returning it because I did not feel like I got the upgrade from 745. Then, I got a NAD T763 used and it did not have any such problems with its optical input. Then I got the NAD T775HD (newer receiver) and it had the same one second audio cutout at the beginning of every track. Curiously, the problem only happened for 44.1kHz and 48kHz sample rates. If I used my mac and sent 88.2 or 96kHz music to the receiver, it did not cutout. Anyway, I reported the problem to NAD and they finally fixed it in their most recent firmware and I am happy to say that no more audio cutouts. I am wondering if HK has a similar problem because as we all know and M Code can attest to, there is a lot of overlap in chipsets and even certain firmware.

I wonder if HK will fix it in a future firmware release. I suggest people keep bugging HK about it.
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post #1219 of 1501
1/16/12 at 11:54pm
Last night I was watching TV and thought I heard a dying animal. I heard errp errp errp. I muted the sound and followed it to my 7550HD. I blew a can of air on the main fan and after seeing the dust on the side figured out where the smaller fan was. I blew it out too but the sound returned after a while.

This morning I pulled it out of the cabinet and removed the cover. It was surprisingly clean inside but the 30mm fan was still a little dusty. I cleaned and lubed it and now everything is back to normal. I took a couple of pics to make it easier for the next guy who gets a noisy fan.



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post #1220 of 1501
1/18/12 at 3:46pm
I have been meaning to take my cover off and look at the fan. I was going to try replacing mine with a quieter model. You didn't happen to get any specs off the fan did you. You mention 30mm fan size but that does not seem to be a standard size. Anyone replaced this fan with a quieter model and have model number.
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post #1221 of 1501
1/19/12 at 7:01pm
Anyone know of a Canadian retailer still selling the 7550? I tried to purchase one of the refurbs off ebay, but they won't accept payment from a non-US paypal account even though I have a full US shipping address. I have most my packages delivered there and this is the first I have been denied purchase - most other vendors are just sticky about shipping to US only.
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post #1222 of 1501
1/21/12 at 7:34am
I have my 7550hd in the shop as I previously mentioned a week or two ago that I could not get HDMI to transfer video signal to my TV. It turns out its a bad HDMI card that will be replaced. I will let you know how it turns out when I get the reciever back probably next week.
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post #1223 of 1501
1/22/12 at 12:41pm
I missed the writeup on the 30mm fans before my last writeup. I think I am going to try the 40mm fan mod to get a quiet unit. I already bought an external amp to quiet the main fan down. This might be easier than the fan mod that the french website shows. The smaller 30mm fan does not look to bad, but it will require some modding. It is too bad there is not a quiet 30mm fan. If someone has found one please let me know.
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post #1224 of 1501
1/24/12 at 12:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin S View Post

Anyone know of a Canadian retailer still selling the 7550? I tried to purchase one of the refurbs off ebay, but they won't accept payment from a non-US paypal account even though I have a full US shipping address. I have most my packages delivered there and this is the first I have been denied purchase - most other vendors are just sticky about shipping to US only.

Found a guy selling on in Michigan, but he bailed after he agreed to a shipped price. Not having much luck tracking one of these down, but if anyone knows of a vendor still selling these, please let me know. I will consider used if the price is fair and it is still in excellent condition.
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post #1225 of 1501
1/24/12 at 1:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin S View Post

Found a guy selling on in Michigan, but he bailed after he agreed to a shipped price. Not having much luck tracking one of these down, but if anyone knows of a vendor still selling these, please let me know. I will consider used if the price is fair and it is still in excellent condition.

Only ones I've found that still have them. Make an offer on one. I did but was never accepted for one. I found a brand new in box from a vendor for a little less. I do know that if you do make an offer for one of these it must be close to what they want for it though.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harman-Kardo...#ht_4930wt_905
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post #1226 of 1501
1/24/12 at 2:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by phantom52 View Post

Only ones I've found that still have them. Make an offer on one. I did but was never accepted for one. I found a brand new in box from a vendor for a little less. I do know that if you do make an offer for one of these it must be close to what they want for it though.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harman-Kardo...#ht_4930wt_905

Harman Audio actually accepted an offer I made (which was a great deal IMO), but when I went to pay they denied payment since it was from a Canadian PayPal account. This is the first I've run into this in around 10 years or so dealing on ebay - I didn't know PayPal had international limitations in some cases. I still don't understand why either - as long as they get the money, why do they care? Frustrating...
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post #1227 of 1501
1/24/12 at 3:00pm
It's not Pay Pal, it's Harmon Audio that is limiting it. They clearly state they will only ship to the lower 48 states in the US. And also that no Pay Pal accounts outside of the US are accepted.


"Shipping cost to the 48 contiguous United States is shown at the top of the listing.
We DO NOT ship to Alaska or Hawaii.
We DO NOT ship internationally! We ship to the 48 contiguous United States ONLY.
We DO NOT ship to P.O. boxes or APO/AFO addresses.
We DO NOT accept any payment types that are based outside of the United States.
Your PayPal account MUST be a U.S. based account. No exceptions."
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post #1228 of 1501
1/24/12 at 3:08pm
I realize it's a Harman Audio thing and I am aware of the restrictions noted above. Plenty of sellers only ship to the lower 48 (bids won't even go through if your address isn't in the US) which is why I have a US shipping address. I just have never run into the "US Based PayPal account" issue from a vendor and really don't understand why they (Harman Audio) have such a restriction. I didn't think it would be a problem since my primary shipping address on my account is set to New York, but obviously they are extremely sticky on this for some unknown reason. I know someone in the US that I could probably ask to purchase the receiver for me, but that's a lot to ask of someone.
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post #1229 of 1501
1/24/12 at 3:32pm
The limitation is not PayPal..
It is due to the distribution contract between Harman International & Jam Industries, who is their Canadian distributor and has exclusive title to ALL sales in Canada...


Just my $0.02...
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post #1230 of 1501
1/24/12 at 3:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by M Code View Post

The limitation is not PayPal..
It is due to the distribution contract between Harman International & Jam Industries, who is their Canadian distributor and has exclusive title to ALL sales in Canada...


Just my $0.02...

Thanks for the information. I guess it's a technicality, but the receiver really would have been sold in the US (since I have a US address), but at the end of the day the funds would have come from a CDN account. In a nutshell, I guess I was just surprised to see a vendor delve that deep to see what country the money was coming from. That being said, I'm sure I could drive 20min to the US and buy any HK product in store without issue, which isn't really any different (bought in/on US soil, paid for with CDN funds).

Good to know though and at least there is a reason for it. I actually emailed Jam Industries the other day (had their contact information from when I bought a spare remote for my 335 years ago), so we'll see if they respond and whether or not they still have access to the 7550. I won't hold my breath though
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AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Receivers, Amps, and Processors › Harman Kardon AVR 7550HD (2008 announcement)