The new Harman Kardon AVR1700 - Page 2

But the Denon AVR-1713 has Audyssey MultEQ XT room calibration which is better than whatever HK uses.

Logic 7 on this receiver only works on 2 channel sources anyway, you may never use it.

Good to know, thanks

Good to know, thanks

I am pretty happy with the receiver, I did use the microphone to setup the speakers and it did a decent job for my bose speakers. I do have a few issues: big difference in volume for HDMI and other digital input compared to the Radio and Airplay (iPhone). Does anyone know if there is a way to control this better. When I switch from HDMI to Radio the voume is too high since I had to crank up the receiver a lot to hear the HDMI audio.

The Airplay volume directly corresponds to the volume on your Itunes player. Lower the volume on your Itunes slider and you should be good to go. It is really an application issue not a receiver one. Download the newest version of Itunes (11 was just released). On the upper left corner there is a box with a triangle near the volume slider. Click on that box and you can then adjust your Master, Computer and device (in this case the AVR 1700). Good luck, I hope that works.

This AVR has a switchmode power supply that cuts out a fair number of pounds of transformer iron, and replaces it with a highly regarded high tech alternative that has been used for decades and is being used more because its costs keep coming down,

You should have noticed that starting a couple of years ago wall warts lost a lot of size and weight. This happened first for large, relatively costly power supplies like those for laptops, but now it is being done with just about everything. It works and saves size and shipping costs. It makes it easier to install the equipment. I say, don't fight it!

Ephraker,

Thank you, yes, I can set the volume from iTunes and from the iPhone, but I sitll have the big difference between HDMI input and FM Radio, when I watch TV I have to crank up the volume a lot, -20dba and when I switch to Radio it is very loud, and I turn it down to -35dba or so. I wonder if there is a setting to adjust the base level for HDMI somehow, it's low for both my Tivo and DVD player.

Marcel

Nimwegen, you sound like you are referring to the actual radio source not the internal VTuner? You may want to try the VTuner and add the FM stations that you want to the presets. I will see if I can replicate your problem once I have the system set back up. Maybe someone who currently has theirs up can check it out in the meanwhile. I do not think that there is a way to adjust the HDMI preset volume but I may be mistaken. I see a learning remote in your future. I recall seeing that the Harman remote will allow you to program macros. You might be able to program the provided remote it to automatically reduce the volume when you switch inputs but I don't think so. A learning remote will certainly reduce the volume, darken the lights and feed the dog.

Good Luck

Nimwegen, It looks like you might be in luck. Don't forget to stretch before and after vigorous remote typing exercises. You will have to experiment with the order in which you want the commands to execute for it it perform the way you intend. Please let us know how it works out for you.

To program a macro:
1. Simultaneously press one of the four macro buttons (M1-M4), or the power on button, and the
mute button to enter the programming mode.
2. press in up to 19 commands that you want stored in that macro button. press the
Source Selector button for each device (or AVr button for the AVr itself) before you
enter individual commands. this step counts as one of the 19 commands allowed for
each macro.
3. for the power on command, do not press the power on button. press the mute
button instead.
4. press the power off button to program the power off command.
5. press the Sleep button to end the programming process.
It isn’t possible to “edit” a command within a macro. however, you may erase the macro
as follows:
1. Simultaneously press and hold the mute button and the macro button containing the
macro until the program Indicator led flashes.
2. press the channel down button to erase the macro.
to execute a macro, press the macro button (or the power on button) into which you
programmed the macro. Aim the remote at the AVr and the other components until all of
the macro commands have been executed.

They also had an avr 700 next to the 1700, and the 700 was about two hundred dollars cheaper

The 1700 was just on sale for $250 about a week ago at Best Buy. Hopefully it'll come back again.

Ephraker,

Using a macro is a great suggestion, I started to work on this, I actually have a Harmoney remote, but you can't really set the volume at a certain specific level, like -40dba, you can only send volume up or down, I guess I could create a macro that does a volume down 20 times or so when setting the input to the FM Radio and do the opposite wen chaning input to TiVo or DVD, but this seems rather clumsy. Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Marcel


PS: I did go through the warmup and stretch before I started this

Another question about the 1700. Has anyone figured ot how to add the internet stations as favorites? The manual is not very clear on this, it talks about going to a website to manage your favorites.

Go to www.radioharmankardon.com


From the manual;

Note that the 1700 does have a preset volume level upon Power ON..
The feature is called Volume Level Default, check page 26 of the Operation Manual for more info.
Note that this has been a standard HK feature for many generations of their AVRs..

Just my $0.02...

Saw it in Best Buy's Sunday ad yesterday for $299.00, same price as on CyberMonday.

Don't all receivers have this?

Nope..
Some only have the last used Volume Level...

Just my $0.02...

You can still get it from acousticsounddesign for $250 right now (perhaps less if you make an offer) and they are an authorized retailer.

How do you guys think this receiver compares to the Yamaha RX-V373? I'm leaning toward waiting a couple months for the 2013 models to come out, but ...

Upon further reflection, i believe Bestbuy had it for $199.00 on cyber monday. Regardless, i still went with a Denon for the audessey.

Does anybody know how the sound quality of the avr 1700 would compair with that of the avr 1650? Just curious. Thanks.

Sound quality should be similar.
Amp section is essentially identical. Same amplifier topology used for past several generations of H/K 1,2,3 series AVRs.

Differences are the power supply (now using a SMPS for the 1700) and change in secondary/filter/storage/reserve capacitance (total 6600uf 2/63v caps for 1700, total 16400uf 2/50v caps for 1650)
For comparison, secondary capacitance for AVR 1565 13600uf 2/50v caps, AVR 1600 (preceded 1650/1565) 20000uf 2/50v caps, AVR 154 (preceded 1600) 27200uf 4/50v caps (x54/x550HD series last generation with dual secondary power supply)


If you are using very efficient speakers crossed over, unlikely you will notice a difference in power between the 1700 vs 1650. How the new switch mode power supply impacts the sound quality has yet to be established, though IMO I don't expect any appreciable difference. I don't have any hands-on time with the new 1700 driving familiar speakers, however.
If you have less efficient, power hungry speakers (especially if they will be running full-range) any shortcomings will become apparent more readily. These receivers are best suited for smaller bookshelf/sub or sat/sub configurations.

I'm about to replace my hk avr330 with a 1700. Hk advertised the 330 as 55 watts per channel and the new 1700 as 100 watts per channel.

I know advertising changes but will the 1700 be an upgrade in power over my old hk avr330?

The 1700 and 330 use different methods for measuring power, but suffice it to say they are both about the same power output in real terms. Though the 1700 is pretty new all indications are that it is an excellent value, one thing to note is that its unit net weight is very light as it uses a digital power supply like a computer. Also its features and warranty are excellent...

Just my $0.02...

Does the avr 1700 have a compressed audio restorer like some denon models? For an ipod? Thanks for the quick reply @dRockHK

I was looking at a denon too so i researched both. My research of the 1700 is that it does not have that feature. You can look at the 1700 manual on hk,s website.

Does the avr 1650 or the 1700 have a compressed audio restorer like some denon models? For an ipod? Thanks for the quick reply @dRockHK

Note the 1700 connects to the iPod through its USB port using the SMSC processor. So the audio streamed from the iPod is digital whereas much of the competition can only handle analog iPod audio, the digital audio allows the higher quality DAC in the 1700 to do the audio decoding versus the lower performance DAC in the iPod..

Also note that the majority of audio restorer modes are more fluff than real sonic improvement, if one wants higher performance from an iPod than rip the content @ a higher bit rate...

Just my $0.02...

I am looking at getting some Infinity Kappa 6.1 towers with the AVR 1700. I really like the sound of Infinity and hear that these are really good speakers. Asking price is $150.00 from a private local seller. My setup will be for music and movies and I will have likely have Episode ceiling mounted directional rears. I do not have a center channel yet and am hoping for suggestions and I know that there is no "matching" center for these speakers. I have heard that the Kappas are power hungry, do you think that the AVR will push enough?