After all my kneejerk badmouthing of Harman Kardon, here and elsewhere, I feel compelled to publicly set the record straight and give credit where credit is due. I have a bad habit of venting my frustration online (and only posting criticism) because it's anonymous and safe, thinking a few overheated, semi-unjustified rants won't cause any harm. But company's reputations are at stake, and I need to learn to reserve judgement until a situation has completely played out...

For what it's worth (and it's worth a LOT to me), all of my correspondence with HK was been extremely professional. Their reps achieve a nice blend of offering helpful suggestions w/o treating their customers like idiots, and they always reply very promptly (I've never waited more than a few hours).

Moreover, among the big companies, it seems that HK is leading the charge in the proactive category, proving they actually do listen to their customers. Earlier this year they released a software upgrade for the 430s and 630s that improved upon certain features, added entirely new ones (DPLIIx), and even offered up some beguiling possibilities for automated control of an AVR with your PC. The upgrade was user-friendly, only required a serial port and cable, and worked flawlessly.

But most importantly, HK receivers just sound GOOD (especially with the Ascends). Admittedly, this is my first foray into real hi-fi, but, assuming all goes well with 635 they are kindly sending me to replace my defective 630, I don't think I'll be tempted to upgrade again anytime soon.

Michael