Harman Kardon AVR 7000 Test Report page 3

test report
H I G H P O I N T S
Topnotch amplifier performance.
Flexible full-system remote.
Front-panel A/V inputs can double as
record outputs.
Fine all-purpose surround from
Logic 7 mode.
Unusually effective virtual surround.
L O W P O I N T S
Setup options could be confusing.
Temporary channel-level changes are
inconvenient.
Sub-par FM selectivity.
My latest installment of the complete
Shostakovitch string quartets — from a cy-
cle no less excellent for being on the bud-
get label Naxos — sounded stunningly
good with Logic 7 Music processing. It
was more natural, more involving, and just
plain better than ordinary stereo. However,
I did note a decidedly different net bass
level on a number of studio-recorded pop
CDs, compared with two-speaker listen-
ing, and on some material I occasionally
heard a faint trace of "pumping" on heavi-
ly centered vocalists.
More seriously, I also encountered one
recording that was able to overload the
AVR 7000's DSP engine. At about 4:10
into "Gaia" from James Taylor's Hour-
glass, there's a very dynamic big-drum
flourish. In either the Logic 7 Cinema or
Music mode, the passage induced severe
clicking from both the front left and center
channels, regardless of the master volume
or channel-trim levels. The clicks were ab-
sent in stereo mode and in the AVR 7000's
other surround modes, and they also disap-
peared when I used an analog instead of a
digital input. Analysis of the disc showed it
to be recorded at too high a level. Harman
has assured us that current production units
handle overload more gracefully.
I found the AVR 7000's full-system re-
mote control easy to learn — not least be-
cause it has the same layout as that on half
a dozen different handsets I've encoun-
tered in the past year or so. It's a very good
remote, with sensible button spacing, ex-
cellent key lighting, and a logical control
layout. Best of all, it includes both a gener-
ous library of preprogrammed, multibrand
codes and full learning capability, so it
stands ready to accommodate virtually any
combination of components. You can even
50 STEREO REVIEW'S SOUND & VISION
add, delete, or overwrite a command or
two from an otherwise preprogrammed set
of codes. This is the only way to fly if you
want to develop your receiver's remote
into a truly all-purpose system comman-
der. The remote even offers a "volume
punch-through" option that lets you keep
its receiver volume buttons alive even if
you switch control modes — say, to
change channels on the TV. Of course, ex-
tensive macro-command capabilities are
also onboard. This is a top-shelf remote.
Although the AVR 7000 sounded fine on
strong stations, its FM reception was not
DOLBY DIGITAL PERFORMANCE
All data were obtained from the Dolby Labs
test DVD using dithered test signals, which set
limits on distortion and noise. Reference input
level is –20 dBFS, and reference output is 1
watt into 8 ohms. Reference output was
obtained with volume set to –10 dB. All are
worst-case figures where applicable.
Output at clipping (1 kHz into 8/4 ohms)
one channel driven.......................168/249 watts
five channels driven (8 ohms) .............113 watts
Distortion at 1 watt (THD+N percent, 1 kHz)
8/4 ohms...........................................0.03/0.04%
Noise (A-wtd).......................................–76.5 dB
Excess noise (with signal)
16-bit (EN16)........................................+2.45 dB
Frequency response (20 Hz to 20 kHz)
front right ..........................................+0, –0.5 dB
Channel imbalance
at reference output level...............0.5 dB spread
Subwoofer-output frequency response
9 dB/octave above –6 dB point of 110 Hz
High-pass-filter frequency response
9 dB/octave below –3 dB point of 76 Hz
Maximum unclipped subwoofer output
(at reference volume setting) ................7.9 volts
Subwoofer distortion (from 5.1-channel, 31-
Hz, 0-dBFS signal; master-volume at reference
level; subwoofer trim set to 0) ....................1.6%
STEREO PERFORMANCE,
DIGITAL INPUTS
Volume setting for reference output level was
–11 dB. Speakers set to "large," subwoofer off.
Output at clipping
(1 kHz, 8/4 ohms).........................166/255 watts
Distortion at 1 watt
(THD+N, 1 kHz, 8/4 ohms) ...............0.02/0.03%
Linearity error (at –90 dBFS) ...............0.05 dB
Noise (A-wtd).......................................–74.3 dB
Excess noise (with/without signal)
16-bit (EN16)................................+1.35/+1.5 dB
quasi-20-bit (EN20)................+15.25/+15.15 dB
outstanding. Poor selectivity let strong sta-
tions occasionally "pop through," but that
won't be a problem for most users.
The AVR 7000 is an outstanding — if
expensive — A/V receiver that's refresh-
ingly free of frivilous features. The Logic 7
modes offer effective everyday surround
listening, and the remote is one of the bet-
ter system controllers available. The un-
usual array of setup options requires a bit
of forethought to get the most out of this
receiver, but the amplifier section and sur-
round processor are clearly benchmark
performers. What's not to like?
in the lab
Noise modulation ...................................0.3 dB
Tone-control range
100 Hz ............................................+9.8/-8.6 dB
10 kHz............................................. +10/-9.4 dB
Frequency response (tone controls off)
20 Hz to 20 kHz +0, –0.45 dB
TUNER PERFORMANCE
All figures are for FM only except frequency
response.
Sensitivity (50-dB quieting)
mono .....................................................21.6 dBf
stereo ....................................................43.4 dBf
Capture ratio (at 65 dBf) .........................1.5 dB
AM rejection..........................................67.8 dB
Selectivity
alternate-channel ...................................72.9 dB
adjacent-channel......................................8.7 dB
Noise (at 65 dBf)
mono ....................................................–75.0 dB
stereo ...................................................–68.1 dB
Frequency response
FM ..................30 Hz to 15 kHz +2.05, –0.42 dB
AM .................76 Hz to 4.02 kHz +0.40, –6.0 dB
The AVR 7000's technical performance was
fine in almost every regard. I was impressed by
the receiver's ability to maintain comfortably
greater than 100 watts output with all channels
driven, even with a measurably sagging AC
supply; this suggests excellent real-world
dynamic potential. Noise and distortion results
were very good in all modes as well. The
subwoofer output, measured with new test
signals (see "Tech Talk," page 39), went into
slight clipping overload at 1 dB below full
output. This did not change with any setting of
the receiver's subwoofer-output level control.
The high- and low-pass crossover filters
exhibited relatively slow rolloffs of about 9 dB
per octave, a bit less than the usual Dolby
Digital minimum of 12 dB per octave (many
processors and receivers impose a steeper
filter to aid subwoofer performance). The
relatively mild filters are not ideal, but I didn't
detect any audible shortcomings because of
them.
S&V
— D.K.