- 110 watts X 7 with high-current and ultrawide bandwith capability for accurate, dynamic sound
- Six HDMI v.1.4a inputs with 3-D and Deep Color (including one on the front panel)
- Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding for the latest playback from hi-resolution sources like Bluray
- Network connectivity to access a world of music and entertainment via the Web or from your home network
- Multizone/source functionality for great Harman Kardon sound everywhere you go in the house
Video quality out of the unit was excellent. I observed no problems on Blu-Ray or DVD sources. Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master 7 Channel sound quality from Blu-Ray was excellent. I do not have 3D capability so I was not able to evaluate that.
The unit comes with two remote controls with one being much larger than normal. Both worked fine. One thing that must be noted is that this AVR requires good ventilation . Make sure it has at least 6 inches above it as it will throw off a lot of heat when running full bore on 7 channel audio sources.
Outlined below are some of the Pros and Cons of the AVR:
Pros:
Outstanding Sound Quality
Unit is very attractive.
Offers a wide array of Audio/Video control options
Cons:
No Phono input. A separate Phono Preamp is required for listening to vinyl.
When connecting to a Network Music Server the unit will decode only MP3 and not Wav, AAC, or FLAC encoded material. Hopefully HK will consider incorporating this capability via a firmware update.
The enclosed Manual had an error in it. It stated to select a "Setup" button on the remote during initial configuration. I could not find one and had to instead configure using the front panel controls. Be sure and download the latest manual from hk.com prior to the unit arriving and use that instead.I actually rate this receiver as 4.5 stars.
As a previous owner of the AVR 3600 I was skeptical that this unit would be worthy of owning. I received it as a replacement from HK after having 2 of the 3600's that had serious issues. On the negative side this unit has very few analog inputs and outputs, but that is a sign of the times. Some of my old obsolete equipment is not provided for, so i have to run direct from the device to the display, and do video switching at the display. It would be nice to go direct to the receiver, and output all through hdmi to the display. This leads to the only other complaint I have, and that is the unit does not scale 4:3 images to my liking on a 16:9 display. Images are either cropped, over stretched or those annoying black bars are present. It would be nice if there was a happy medium between stretching and cropping available. This is solved by the same direct video route i used above, and using the display to scale them (Panasonic viera plasma). It will justify the image, and make a 4:3 image look decent in a 16:9 aspect.
All the other problems of the 3600 are fixed with the 3650. The popping through the speakers at start-up, and constant hum of the 3600 is not present with the 3650. Much better signal to noise. Also, the lag of the audio after video starts is almost non-existent. The one other problem of video down-scaling of 1080p to 720p (my display is only 720p)has been fixed. No dropouts of video, with subsequent dropouts of audio are present. Nice job HK!
As to the receiver as an amp, it is a usual great HK performer. Sonic clarity, and smoothness are still present as they have always been in my previous HK receivers, most notably the HK AVR635 (a beast). For it's small physical size and weight this machine has very strong, and smooth power output. It drives my MK 5.1 setup nicely. No clipping at loud volumes (except by my ears), with low distortion. Music and movies both sound great! I would put it on a par with Pioneer Elite, and Yamaha Aventage products, and better than Denon or Onkyo. Once again nice job HK.
As a footnote: I have to comment about HK support and customer service. Both are very good, and left me satisfied after having a second rate earlier product.
Although this product is short on analogue connections, and some of the bells and whistles some others have I still give it a strong recommendation based on sonic qualities, and ease of set up. Did I fail to mention set-up? I was able to install ,get all configs done, and write this review in less than 1.5 hours, as well as a test drive. If the one you get performs like mine you won't be disappointed.1 word: Awesome! Many words: The receiver is fantastic. The audio and video come through great. I have my AppleTV connected to it, as well as a Blu-ray player and cable box and it couldn't be better. I listen to Internet radio through it as well, and while that could be easier to setup, having a web interface does make it better. I do wish they'd update the list of Internet radio feeds on the receiver because many of them are out of date.
A few quirks: The manual says to press the Setup button on the remote control to begin setup. There is no such button so I had to press it on the face of the receiver. Also, the very light printing on a black background is hard to see. And the black backplate makes getting the speaker wires in there a bit difficult. But these are nitpicks.
What's important is that the on-screen controls are great, the audio and video are great, and it's easy to use. Like I said at the beginning: Awesome!1 Star because it drastically failed to meet expectations, not to mention exceed them. I originally decided to purchase the HK 3650 because my 8 year old Harman Kardon AVR630 has been reliable, produced excellent sound and is one of the best looking receivers around. I loved the 630 with its solid tank like build quality and before this purchase, was a die-hard HK customer. Sadly to say, something happened to HK over the years since I purchased my 630 in 2003. While most companies improve their products, this receiver is definitely a step down from the quality that I have in my 630 and definitely from what is expected from a high-end company. The overall impression is that of major cost cutting and cut backs. From the quality of the controls, buttons, dial down to the stamped frame and comparatively (to high end receivers, Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, Onkyo) light weight of the chassis are obvious indicators that HK is no longer a player in the high end receiver market as indicated by the drastic fall in pricing for its line-up. This receiver does not compare to the receivers out there from Yamaha, Denon, or Onkyo. It's more middle of the road Sony, Pioneer, Samsung quality
Another issue that I have is that it just doesn't function like it should. When setting up simple basic settings like Bass and Treble, the buttons work sometimes, sometimes they dont. You cant even tell if they are making contact they are so sloppy. They feel of quality is not there, seems on the cheap side in all areas. I am not exaggerating when I say that the buttons are cheap, they are terrible and it simply is not up to par for this market. Don't forget that I was an HK fan to the end but this is of far worse build quality than my old 630. Illumination colors are nicer than before a white/blue glow around dial vs the more blueish tone of the older model that I had. For the price, it seems good considering that the 3650 "advertises" 110bwatts, but... While it does seem slightly louder than my 8 year old 75 watt per channel 630, real world bench tests for this receiver come up short, in fact barely exceeding half its rating with 7 channels driven. Sound quality is decent, not too colorful (positive), and smooth, but not outstanding. Only someone that hasn't compared it to other high end receivers would consider it outstanding. That said, I just cant get over the cost cutting and lack of reliability of the controls. The RCA outputs are gold plated (nice) unlike my 630 and it is more attractive in it's gun metal casing than previous model that it replaces. The exterior/outside looks is where I think the HK has always stood out and excelled which is one reason why I really wanted to like this unit. If you are looking for a good brand to exceed your expectations, take a good look at the the new Yamaha Aventage line or new Marantz units, they are quality products, very nice, and well built. I scrutinized reviews and specifications for weeks and after careful comparison between Denon, Onkyo, Marantz, Yamaha, and the new class D Pioneer Elite both on-line and in person listening. In the end, I purchased the Aventage (Yamaha) 2010 and the HK is going back to Amazon.
UPDATE* (just received the Yamaha 2010 and connected it to my 9.1 speaker home theater setup... WOW! WOW! Every review that Ive read about the Yamaha is spot on. It does deserve the 5 stars for sound quality and build quality oozes all over the place. I do not regret returning the HK for an instant. There is no comparison to the latest crop of high end receivers. If you just want a receiver and don't care about the details, don't care about how well things are built, then the HK may work for you. It's not exactly the worst product made, it's just that cost cutting is evident in various places. If you want real value for your dollar and seeing the careful craftsmanship and careful attention to detail that a High-end electronic receiver should entail, go with the new Yamaha's, they are simply incredible. Heck, even go with Denon, Pioneer Elite, or Onkyo, but seriously pass on the HK. I wish I had read a detailed review to warn me on this one before purchasing it. I'm sad to see that HK has fallen so far but the word is that they now are trying to fit into a different market than they once had. Thankfully Amazon is excellent and a return was hassle free.
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Harman Kardon AVR 3650 seems to be excellent, i have had it for three weeks now and it is certainly got the power. The on screen guide is excellent and helps you quickly get to what you want. The Hook ups are easy and HDMI is the only way to go, the unit looks good and function is easy with the remote control. Complaints would be the TV is not recognized occasionally and a quick off and on fixes the issue, i have sent Harman Kardon an email advising them of this issue and no reply yet. The shipping stated i was to get the unit by Dec 2-5 and i did not receive it till Dec 12, a little disappointing.Unit now being sent back for repairs or replacement, not clear to me what they are going to do. Sound and picture are inconsistent, change the channel no sound until i turn the Tuner off and on.
Sent 4 e mails and left 2 voice messages with HK and no replies......... finally on the 7th try some help.
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