In metaphorical parlance, the “elephant in the room” is an issue that occupies the forefront of everyone’s mind, yet goes ignored because nothing can be done about it. Perhaps it is unfair to hint at the pachydermian proportions of Harman Kardon’s new top-of-the-line audio/video receiver before exploring its merits, but I must. If the real estate in your home theater is limited, you might never give the gargantuan AVR 7300 a second glance.

The AVR 7300’s front panel (right) offers rudimentary controls, but the included universal remote (left) makes it easier to access the receiver’s more advanced functions.

Give it that second glance. Then give it a third. By the fourth you will find yourself wondering if there is anything the AVR 7300 receiver cannot do.

The most momentous of this receiver’s accomplishments is its video processing. Most audio/video receivers simply regurgitate any incoming video and at best pass the signal along with no degradation. But this plus-sized beauty earns the “video” portion of its designation by including Faroudja’s renowned DCDi processing for all of its inputs. What this means is that any video signal I route through the AVR 7300, from VHS tapes to cable TV to TiVo, is passed along to my television as a smooth, clean progressive-scan image ideal for feeding my HDTV set.The convenience of having all your video signals converted to progressive scan and output through a single connection is enough to set the AVR 7300 apart from the crowd, but even more impressive is the substantial improvement DCDi makes in my DVD player’s performance. As soon as I disable my player’s progressive scanning and let the AVR 7300 take the reins, I immediately see a smoother, more natural image. I start to develop a crush when I notice that the “chroma bug,” which afflicts most progressive-scan DVD players by casting a gnarly, blocky halo around bright colors, is completely eliminated. I fall head-over-heels in love when I pop in the Northern Exposure Season One DVD and find that DCDi removes the infamous “comb effect,” a malady that causes uneven scan lines and nauseating flicker on some DVDs produced from television programs.

To be fair, there are high-end DVD players on the market that include DCDi, but that only covers the DVD player. Before now, if you wanted this sort of processing for all of your video components, you had to purchase a separate video processor or acquire a video projector with DCDi built in.

But let us not get so hung up on the video that we forget the “A” in “A/V.” Does this receiver perform admirably in the audio department? Does it hold its own against systems using separate surround processors and amplifiers? The answer is an unequivocal yes. While its stereo performance might not match the sparkle of, say, Primare’s SP31/A30.5 mkII combo, it does not exhibit the dullness and flat imaging for which audio/video receivers are notorious. With surround-sound material, the AVR 7300 generates an aural atmosphere best described as large and spacious.This receiver also includes two rare and welcome sound-processing modes: Logic7 and Dolby Headphone. Logic7 converts ordinary stereo sound into seven-channel surround sound. On certain CDs, I prefer it to Dolby’s ubiquitous Pro Logic II processing, which the AVR 7300 also offers. Dolby Headphone creates a convincing surround-sound effect over ordinary headphones; it comes in handy for late-night listening.

One of the AVR 7300’s finest features is its flexible bass management controls, which allows me to dial in the exact amount of low-frequency sound I want for each of my main speakers. The AVR 7300’s controls are exceptional in that they also work on the multichannel external inputs, which are used for DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD. Despite the fact that my DVD-A/SACD player includes such controls, I actually find that I prefer the sound when I disengage them and allow the AVR 7300 to handle the task.

This is no ordinary surround-sound box, either—Harman Kardon designed it as the soul of a custom-installed whole-house audiovisual system. In particular, its A-Bus feature lets your installer add inexpensive in-wall keypads that make any audio device connected to the AVR 7300 available in any room of your home.For all of its amazing innovations, though, the AVR 7300 does have a few drawbacks. While the receiver features a simple-to-use automated audio level calibration tool called EzSet, which automatically sets the proper level for each speaker in your sound system, EzSet does not set the subwoofer level. Nor does the receiver generate a test signal for the subwoofer. This means that you or your installer will have to use a separate audio calibration disc or set the subwoofer level by ear. I am sure Harman Kardon’s engineers have some well-founded scientific explanation for this omission, but guys, no one cares. Put away the pocket protectors and make EzSet the one-touch process it should be.
 
And then, of course, there is the aforementioned “elephant in the room.” The AVR 7300 is so large, especially in depth, that I must build an extension for my A/V shelves to hold it. It also runs hot, so if your installer mounts it in an equipment closet, that closet must be well-ventilated.

Of course, this receiver performs the functions of several pieces of hardware—a surround-sound processor, an amplifier, a video processor, a bass-management box, a multiroom audio controller—and handles them well at that. Ironically enough, this hefty monolith might actually be a space saver. The AVR 7300 may not fit into every home theater, but it is certainly a receiver that everyone should consider.
DESCRIPTION
Audio/video receiver. Decodes surround sound, controls volume, routes audio and video from source devices (DVD, satellite TV, etc.) to TV and speakers. Provides seven 110-watt channels of amplification (for a 7.1 system or a 5.1 system with second stereo zone). Includes AM/FM tuner. Decodes HDCD and MP3 formats
surround modes
Dolby Digital EX and Pro Logic IIx, DTS ES and Neo:6, Logic 7, VMAx, Dolby Virtual Speaker, Dolby Headphone, 5.1- and 7.1-channel stereo, Theater and Hall

CONNECTIONS
Rear panel: Three component video inputs, five S-video inputs, five composite video inputs, seven stereo analog audio inputs (RCA type), three coaxial digital audio inputs, three Toslink optical digital audio inputs, 8-channel analog audio input for DVD-Audio/Super Audio CD, 7.1-channel analog audio outputs (to amplifier), coaxial digital audio output, Toslink digital audio output, stereo analog audio output for second zone, three stereo analog audio outputs for recording, one component video output, four composite video outputs (one for second zone), four S-video outputs (one for second zone), two 1/8-inch minijacks for main and second-zone IR input, one 1/8-inch minijack for IR output, one 1/8-inch minijack for DC triggers, two A-Bus connectors for multiroom audio, binding posts for AM antenna and ground, coaxial connector for FM antenna, seven pairs of five-way binding posts for speaker output, bidirectional RS-232 connection for touchscreen remote control, three AC outlets (two switched, one unswitched)
Front panel: Coaxial digital audio input, Toslink optical digital audio input, coaxial digital audio output, Toslink optical digital audio output, S-video input, composite video input, stereo analog audio input

DIMENSIONS
7.6 x 17.3 x 20.5 inches (hwd)

PRICE/CONTACT
PRICE: $2,399
CONTACT: 516.255.HKHK,
www.harmankardon.com