Harman Kardon HK 3490 or a vintage Denon DRA 425r

[rifmon]

Hello

So I picked up a nice used set of Sierra 1's and I think a good amp for it is a Harman Kardon HK 3490 which I can also get used. It has very good reviews overall.

But there is something about the Denon that I like. I read somewhere that it was a very good receiver and even sounded better than the HK with the Sierra's but it is rated at only 50 watts. But this thing has such low distortion ratings I am tempted to get it instead of the much higher powered HK.

Am I crazy? 50 watts per channel vs 115 watts.

Thanks

[NewHTbuyer]

I can't speak to the Denon, but I have been happy with my Hk3490. It has an interesting mix of features and connections, so it really depends upon how it fits your setup. I needed both digital connectors, so most stereo receivers were not gonna do it. But, it does not have room correction or bass management, although you can hookup one or two subs.

[rifmon]

Thanks. I just placed an order on Amazon on for a used 3490 in good condition no surface wear with remote and box and manual. Under $300.00 including shipping

Haha. I know. .... Fast decision! But that is because I had my old Onkyo 602 listed on ebay with no bids and was considering canceling the auction in the event that I wanted to get the Denon. I figured I would use the Onkyo still for the optical in for tv but since I asked the question, three bids were placed haha. So between your input and that event on eBay my decision was made! I had no AVR anymore and now I NEED all the features of the HK

Thanks! I hope I like it. I'm sure I will.

[cel4145]

I think you'll like it. I run the 3390, the 3490's baby brother, with my setup. They are definitely nice receivers for the money. Under $300 is a good deal.

[rifmon]

Thanks. I am really looking forward to finally assembling my new-to-me set up. So far I LOVE the sound of the Sierra's! And I'm just talking about TV! I've done no critical listening yet.

I also got a 1978 Technics 1710 turntable which is not set up yet, so between the HK, the Sierra's and the turntable, I have a LOT of music to listen to.

I have a huge amount of LP's that I trash picked on a dumpster day at my condo. Imagine throwing out a stack od classical vinyl in three separate boxes stacked 4 feet tall! I have well over 100 classical minty condition LP's. I need to get busy cleaning them!

Ascend fan for life!

[Scooter]

Would you share with us what you think of the Harman/Kardon 3490 with the Sierra 1 now that you've had it for a couple of weeks. I'm thinking of getting the exact same set up.

Anybody else with experience with the Harman Kardon 3490 receiver? Does HK provide reasonable service?

I was thinking of not buying a subwoofer with it -- I mostly listen to classical music. Any thoughts about need for subwoofer with the Sierra 1? I talked to someone at Ascend who said I probably would no need a subwoofer with Sierra 1 for classical music.

Thanks.

[rifmon]

darn... just spent 20 minutes replying to this and hit the wrong button and it was erased! DUGH!

I will actually reply later on. It was SO well written too!!!:(

[Scooter]

darn... just spent 20 minutes replying to this and hit the wrong button and it was erased! DUGH!

I will actually reply later on. It was SO well written too!!!:(

So sorry about that mishap....
Looking forward to hearing what you had to say.

[rifmon]

OK I shall try again.

So, keep in mind I have an entire new set up. Because of the sum of new speakers, new turn table and new receiver, it's kind of hard to know, tell, discern, where the improvement is coming from. It really is coming from all of the above.

I believe the speakers make the most difference in the audio chain. But without the clean power to drive them, the improvement will suffer. That's what I was concerned about; 87 dB sensitivity with an 85 watt per channel 7.1 AVR...Had me concerned. Well, not that 120 watts is THAT much more than 85 but without having 5.1 or 7.1 speaker set ups, I just wanted my amp to better match my dedicated stereo set up. Why have more features that will never be used? The Harmon Kardon 3490 is really the perfect match in quality and features without spending a a lot of money.

So now my impressions of this receiver specifically. I like it. There. end of review.

haha. No I love it!

First of all, I think it has every feature I could want in a stereo receiver. It has the optical-in which allows me to feed the audio out of my LCD TV into the receiver. This streamlines my video sources so that I can watch cable, Net Flix or DVD through Video 1 /Optical. vs Video 1 for Cable, Video 2 for DVD, well, you get it. Finding a stereo receiver with a lot of power AND the optical in is not easy. I tried and this is the only one that fit the bill. Lucky for me it is also a great sounding unit.

For TV shows and movies (especially movies) the simulated surround DSP is pretty amazing. Sound does come from the sides, so it seems. The illusion is very good! Now for a person like me who majors in music (and I was a music major too haha) and minors in movies, this receiver has a great balance of features!

OK now to the sound itself. The receiver runs my Sierra 1's perfectly. It is not lacking in CLEAN sound even if pushed to volumes WAY above normal listening levels. I do not listen to music that loud normally but I worked from home one day and put a CD of Jethro Tull Bursting Out live CD and it filled my 20 x20 room beyond my expectations. So it passes the LOUD test.

Bass reproduction with the combo of this receiver and the Sierra's is remarkable, remarkably acurate and musical. For my purpose I do not miss my subwoofer. Mission accomplished! No more dialing in the sub! Better balance. Less room boom. Perfect!

I even put Apollo 13 on and the scene where the Saturn V rocket was being assembled in the huge rocket assembly building had a very satisfactory BOOM. The blast off scene was really very good! No sign of strain not bottoming out, no port noise at all.

I am really thrilled with my new set up!

My newest medium is vinyl. I may not be listening to CD's for a while. I added a Technics 1710 Turntable with a Ortifon 2M red cartridge and head shell. I have a huge stack of classical music and operas that I salvaged from a trash day near a dumpster about 8 yrs ago that I've never listened to. I have been playing some. The music from this source just comes at you in a different way than with CD's. I plan to spin a few albums every Saturday and Sunday for a long time to come. Really, listening to vinyl is a revelation! I am not saying I don't like CD's, but the sound is different. Like I said, the music comes out to me differently. More dynamic and wider in the presentation.

One more observation. This set up is smooth and relaxing to listen to. I am a fan of the series The Office and I watch the episodes on Net Flix. The opening theme of The Office on my old set up; Onkyo SR TX-602 and 170 SE's, sounded very bright. Not bad but a little bright. I tended to turn it down a little. With the Harmon and the Sierra's, it sounds smoother and more balanced. The drums and symbols no longer stick out. I know, it is strange for me to use a TV show theme to describe audio qualities but the difference in the two set ups was obvious with this theme.

Well, that's about it. I sort of dumped out my thoughts in a random way. Like I said, this is a little difficult to know what the source of the improvement is but I can say that the combination of the Harmon Kardon receiver with the Sierra 1's is a winner! The turntable added in is a bonus. Can you tell I'm excited? haha

Let me know if I missed anything else you're curious about.

[cel4145]

One more observation. This set up is smooth and relaxing to listen to. I am a fan of the series The Office and I watch the episodes on Net Flix. The opening theme of The Office on my old set up; Onkyo SR TX-602 and 170 SE's, sounded very bright. Not bad but a little bright. I tended to turn it down a little. With the Harmon and the Sierra's, it sounds smoother and more balanced. The drums and symbols no longer stick out. I know, it is strange for me to use a TV show theme to describe audio qualities but the difference in the two set ups was obvious with this theme.

I wonder if it's the DAC/preamp in the HK making a little difference? Or the reputation the HKs have for a slightly warmer sound? Maybe a bit of both.

But not surprised to hear your overall assessment. It's rare to hear people unhappy with the 3390/3490 series of receivers. :D