Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

This receiver has everything I want and nothing I don't. Sounds great powering my old Sansui 12-inch speakers. Easy to use, inputs for CD/tape decks/video, etc. You can run an MP3 player through the front panel video/audio jacks and it also has a output jack for a subwoofer (should you be so inclined). Yes, you'll need an external antenna for decent FM reception but that's true of any receiver. If you want a home theater surround-sound system, this is not for you. But if you want excellent 2-channel audio at a good price, the HK3390 is near perfect.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

This is specifically used for my preferred mode of music listening...2 channel stereo. The high current amp handles everything I put through it, from hard rock to classical, with ease. The highs are crisp and clear and the bass is perfect through my Polks and Mirage sub. I doubt it would push power hungry speakers, I'd get the higher power HK for that. The remote is comically large, but it does its job.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

Hooked this up to a set of Bose 301 series III bookshelf speakers. Had a few issues setting it up but they were my own fault. There are two jumpers on the back that I had accidentally removed but once I replaced them there was no problem. Sound quality is excellent! And it even comes with a component to mini-audio cable in the box so I was able to hook my iPhone up to it right away. Definitely impressed with this receiver.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

I own and run an independent record store and staring down a dying receiver led me on a trek to find an affordable new receiver to run my sound system from.After much research I decided upon picking up a Harman/Kardon (a new venture for me). The Receiver has been marvelous and it turns numerous customer's heads, I have my computer, CD, DVD and Record player mixed into it and amplified to the shop; and there is still inputs open for more equipment! The receiver is a little warm so I bought a small $7 fan to put behind it and this has made a significant difference! The receiver bumps and pushes a clear well rounded sound, but I am considering upgrading to the 120W model above the 3390; only for the extra boost and Digital Inputs. I will add that I have enjoyed the H/K product and I anticipate purchasing the upgraded model for my new HD Television!I have no need for the Remote Control, but I have to add that the H/K RC is a huge piece of equipment on it's own! A little too big! I was thinking of adding a 'CON' listing of "Lack of Power" and "Limited FUnctions" but the receiver is great for what it's worth and I knew what I was instore for when I bought it, it isn't as if it is poorly designed or falsely advertised.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

I bought this receiver to replace my vintage 1978 Luxman L-30 integrated amp. This HK3390 was meant to be a stop gap between my old Luxman and the system I really want, as I don't have the money for that at the moment. I gave the Harman/Kardon over a month of listening and break-in time with a multitude of genres before I decided to write this review. I am running an older Sony CDP-313 CD player and the HK3390 through a pair of Mission M71i speakers. I'll be using the Led Zeppelin BBC Session CD as a point of reference, as I felt that everything I needed for this review was in this live recording. I have listened to this CD between 700-800 times (no word of a lie), and I almost feel like it's ingrained into my brain now. To say the least, I know every nuance of this recording. Here is my evaluation:One of the first things that struck me immediately about the HK3390 was that it was a little too warm sounding. At first I didn't think this was all bad. That is until I realized how this "warmth" was affecting the sound of Led Zeppelin's performance. It seems that the warm sound of this amp muffles the immediate "attack" of each note being played, especially with Jimmy Page's guitar and John Bonham's drum work. All the attack and presence that is supposed to be in this recording seemed to be sopped up by the overly warm presentation of this amp, leading to an non-engaging sound that had no "jump". Overall, it sounded a little too polite. A certain level of attack and presence is needed in an amp, especially for rock music, but the Harman/Kardon left me hanging. I also heard limited soundstaging, as well as lost air and ambiance. Through my old Luxman, I could hear much more air between each instrument being played, as well as where each person in the group was playing on the stage. Also missing from the Harman was the overall sense of the AMBIANCE of the venue, and how it bolsters Jimmy Page's powerful guitar playing. The depth and reverberation coming from the venue itself, not Jimmy's guitar amp, was mostly amiss through the HK3390. For the first time, this made me more aware that I was actually listening to the music through a pair of speakers, and not an actual live performance. I also found that the bass performance was not quite there, either. Although the overall bass seemed to be generally better controlled than my old Luxman, the Harman/Kardon had a warm mid-bass, and an even warmer lower bass, which lead to a bass performance with less detail. Although there is enough bass on tap, it seemed the textural, woody "thunk" of John Paul Jones's bass couldn't be reproduced through the HK3390. I also want to say that the HK3390 is NOT a powerful amp by ANY means. If I wanted to play loud, I had to turn the Harman/Kardon up to 75% to get near what my old Luxman could do at less than 50%. Just to clarify, the HK3390's volume range goes from -80 db (no sound), to +10 db (full power). I had to play between -15 db to -10 db to get to the same volume as the Luxman with it's volume knob set just below half way. I suspect the dynamic power rating is very low on the HK3390. This is mostly important for shorter bursts of high power needed for momentary climaxes in many forms of music and movie reproduction. Dynamic power is where it's at. The HK3390 doesn't have it. Like the old saying goes, "Watts are cheap".Some other dislikes: The HK3390 has an odd speaker binding post design. There is a collar at the base of each post that is attached to the chassis. Each one of these "collars" have a narrow pass-through for the speaker wire to go into. With bare speaker wire, it makes it difficult to insert the wire into the pass-through without jamming and unravelling the wire at the tip. Furthermore, it is very difficult to get the wire to touch the screw post on the inside. Sure, it will touch the base contact when you screw the post down, but I like a more conventional design where you can hook the wire around the post, and then tighten it down, assuring two points of contact. Secondly, the pass-throughs are not top dead center, and are at an intended angle, making it even harder to get the speaker wires in where they need to be. I would suggest banana plug-ended wire for the best hookup. Again, I don't have the money for the banana-ended Kimber Kables that I want. I also found that the radio reception is very poor. This is a problem I have never had before. I have been in the same house for many years, and have had a couple different tuners in that time. Even with the supplied antenna, I couldn't bring in FM stations in stereo mode, and AM reception wasn't much better either, even with a long perimeter of antenna cable. I have an old junky (but cool looking), 70's-era Kenwood tuner that gets infinitely better reception than the HK3390. Also, a few minor things: There is no tone defeat button to bypass the tone controls for a "pure" signal. Not to mention that the tone controls themselves are very small in diameter, making them hard to modulate. I also could have done without the orange standby light. To completely turn this light off, you have to flip the main switch on the back of the amp. Really, how many people use the switch on the back every time to turn their amp on and off? Just give me a simple "when the amp's on, the light's on, when the amp's off, the light's off" kind of operation when I use the ON/OFF button on the remote or on the front of the amp. As pretty as this amp is, the lettering for the row of buttons on the front of the amp is small, and not easy to read, especially if your amp is mounted lower in your rack or TV cabinet like mine was. Also, the HK3390 comes with a huge monolith of a remote. I really do feel ridiculous holding this thing in my hand. It almost reminds me of those massive geriatric, bold letter remotes for old folks who can't see (in size anyway). Other than that, it's fine. It's well laid out, and has all the right buttons to keep you from getting out of your seat to turn up/down the volume, switch amp inputs, etc.Unfortunately, my praises are very few: This amp really does look great (to me anyway), and I really like the Tron Light Cycle look of the volume knob.Overall, this amp has very little glare and "etch" to it's sound, and is relatively non-fatiguing to listen to. But at what cost? The overly warm, and non-engaging sound has left a whole lot more to be desired. By no means do I think that this is the worst amp I've ever heard. It certainly isn't. It's just that when you have had better, you don't want to take a step back and settle for less. I took a real chance on buying this amp sight unseen, and as it turned out, I now have buyer's remorse. I bought the HK3390 in the hopes that it would at least be the equal to my tired Luxman. In the end I got burned for not listening to one before I bought it. I know I am running out of space (and if you are still with me, thanks and kudos to you!), but if I could, I would like to make a suggestion: I bought a NAD316BEE to replace the HK3390 just recently, and it beats BOTH amps by a long shot! I don't have the space to get into the sonics of the NAD, but the HK3390 and Luxman aren't even close. They aren't even in the same ball park as the NAD. The NAD also has WAY more power than either amp. At 40 watts per channel, and 100 watts of dynamic power, it beats the HK3390 with ease. No word of a lie. This is the most powerful 40 watts you will ever hear, bar none! The NAD is able to produce the same amount of volume without cranking up the volume knob. This generally means the lower the volume knob is set, the lower the total harmonic distortion and signal to noise ratio will be, leading to a cleaner, less strained signal. This means a cooler running amp as well. This goes to show the importance of the dynamic power an amp has.Please do yourself a favor and research what is out there, and follow your instincts. And please, don't make the mistake that I did; audition whatever you buy and follow your ears, they will tell you what you need to know. There are better choices than the HK3390 out there! I hope this has been helpful. Happy listening. Cheers.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

changed from an old pioneer receiver and what a difference,excellent product.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

I was looking to replace a Denon receiver for CD and turntable stereo system, and didn't necessarily need all the digital hook-ups and surround-sound for TV, etc. The HK-3390 delivers great sound thru my Bose 201V bookshelf speakers--crisp and clean; the bass isn't booming (sub-woofers can be hooked up if you need to FEEL your bass), but the clarity and separation is amazing, and provides accurate renderings of the full scale from high to low. Vinyl LPs sound ALIVE thru this receiver--i was hearing nuances from LPs never noticeable on previous system. I'm very happy so far with the HK-3390. Only drawbacks--if you don't have 20-20 or better vision, good luck reading the buttons on unit—but the remote takes care of that, so really I have no major complaints.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

Best sounding receiver I've ever owned. True tonal accuracy, plenty of intensity and bass. I almost don't need my sub. I'm running a old pair of Sony towers I got on the cheap and they sound wonderful. I listen to all genre of music and movies. This is a great 2 channel receiver, no frills and I LOVE IT! HK is still making a quality product in my opinion, even though it's produced over seas.

The only feature that bugged me, was how you can only dim the front display in Video 3. In video 1 and 2, the display can't be dimmed. Also cosmetically, the letting on the display doesn't match the color of the volume knob or power button. It's more green like most other main stream receivers. Just little nit-picky things I noticed.

Also the sub output is confusing at times, I only have a 1 channel cable (typical subwoofer cable), and it only worked on the top RCA jack, not the bottom. (this receiver has 2 sub outs) I've ordered a stereo RCA cable and we'll see how that works out.

Lastly the remote is about worthless, but this seems to be the case with most any company. It also came all scratched up, brand new in the packaging. I haven't found the time to contact HK, it isn't bothering me to much for now.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

After losing my Denon AVR 1908 receiver to an unanticipated electrical fluke (buzzing and turning off) issues, I searched the internet for a replacement. I read numerous reviews about other Denon and Home Theatre receiver customers who had experienced similar electrical issues after unreasonably short receiver lifetimes so I decided to give up on the, 7.1, 5.1 Home Theatre Hype. The sound my Denon pushed to my vintage speakers was mediocre and not very pleasing to the ears. I decided to search for a good old analog 2-Channel stereo to push my 1974 Klipsch LaScalas and 1970 Klipsch Heresys. After a couple of minutes of searching I found many reviews on the Harman Kardon 3390 and 3490. Because my speakers have such a high sensitivity db rating I decided to go with the 3390. Four days later it arrived at my home. WOW! What an unbelievable sound that this receiver delivers; crisp highs, warm midrange and an unbelievable sub output. It is the closest sound I have ever gotten to the old school tube amps. I definitely would recommend this receiver to anyone who is searching for the perfect 2 channel receiver. The two sub outputs are just a bonus.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

After losing my Denon AVR 1908 receiver to an unanticipated electrical fluke (buzzing and turning off) issues, I searched the internet for a replacement. I read numerous reviews about other Denon and Home Theatre receiver customers who had experienced similar electrical issues after unreasonably short receiver lifetimes so I decided to give up on the, 7.1, 5.1 Home Theatre Hype. The sound my Denon pushed to my vintage speakers was mediocre and not very pleasing to the ears. I decided to search for a good old analog 2-Channel stereo to push my 1974 Klipsch LaScalas and 1970 Klipsch Heresys. After a couple of minutes of searching I found many reviews on the Harman Kardon 3390 and 3490. Because my speakers have such a high sensitivity db rating I decided to go with the 3390. Four days later it arrived at my home. WOW! What an unbelievable sound that this receiver delivers; crisp highs, warm midrange and an unbelievable sub output. It is the closest sound I have ever gotten to the old school tube amps. I definitely would recommend this receiver to anyone who is searching for the perfect 2 channel receiver. The two sub outputs are just a bonus.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

I have very few quibbles about this product. The sound is terrific and I like using the remote ( didn't have one on my old stereo). On the minor quibbles side the controls on the front pannel are hard to read. I live in a rural area in Washington state and the receiver does not pull in stereo stations from afar.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

This was just purchased to replace an AV Sony reciever. This receiver is intro audiofile level. It produces relatively flat sound and brings out detail not heard in non audiofile equipment. At the sale price of [$] it was a steal. The only negative is the remote is huge.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

We bought this receiver to update the music scene in our smallish house. We hooked it up to a pair of decent bookshelf speakers.
We were all blown away by the quality of the sound coming from this straight ahead and simple system. We thought we might need a sub-woofer to add some bass, but it really isn't necessary. I don't think we could have gotten a better sound for the money spent. Great FM reception, also.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

Had it for about a week- great so far.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

NO GIMMICKS, GOOD SOUND.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

This receiver was to replace an aging Kenwood receiver on my sister's stereo. The new HK receiver sounds very nice through the Bose speakers. Looks very elegant and overall seem to perform well. I like the enclosed ipod cable. My only beef would be the lack of a loudness option.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

This unit receiver is easy to use and set up. It looks great with any decoration and the must importan fact is the sound wich is exellent. Really happy with this receiver. The control remote is big but it's well set up and it feel well in your hand.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

Using this recever at my bedroom with 2 B-20 Klipsch. The recever sound and look great.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

This is a good solid sonically true stereo receiver. Build quality is very good. The power supply volume control takes some getting used to as it is calibrated in terms of a negative decibel (dB) number and takes a sufficiently high number (less of a negative number)for appreciable sound. The subwoofer output is great for connecting to a powered sub. Overall pleased with the HK 3390 [...]

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

For the price, this amplifier is an excellent entry level for quality sound system

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

This receiver has everything I want and nothing I don't. Sounds great powering my old Sansui 12-inch speakers. Easy to use, inputs for CD/tape decks/video, etc. You can run an MP3 player through the front panel video/audio jacks and it also has a output jack for a subwoofer (should you be so inclined). Yes, you'll need an external antenna for decent FM reception but that's true of any receiver. If you want a home theater surround-sound system, this is not for you. But if you want excellent 2-channel audio at a good price, the HK3390 is near perfect.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

This is specifically used for my preferred mode of music listening...2 channel stereo. The high current amp handles everything I put through it, from hard rock to classical, with ease. The highs are crisp and clear and the bass is perfect through my Polks and Mirage sub. I doubt it would push power hungry speakers, I'd get the higher power HK for that. The remote is comically large, but it does its job.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

Hooked this up to a set of Bose 301 series III bookshelf speakers. Had a few issues setting it up but they were my own fault. There are two jumpers on the back that I had accidentally removed but once I replaced them there was no problem. Sound quality is excellent! And it even comes with a component to mini-audio cable in the box so I was able to hook my iPhone up to it right away. Definitely impressed with this receiver.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

I own and run an independent record store and staring down a dying receiver led me on a trek to find an affordable new receiver to run my sound system from.After much research I decided upon picking up a Harman/Kardon (a new venture for me). The Receiver has been marvelous and it turns numerous customer's heads, I have my computer, CD, DVD and Record player mixed into it and amplified to the shop; and there is still inputs open for more equipment! The receiver is a little warm so I bought a small $7 fan to put behind it and this has made a significant difference! The receiver bumps and pushes a clear well rounded sound, but I am considering upgrading to the 120W model above the 3390; only for the extra boost and Digital Inputs. I will add that I have enjoyed the H/K product and I anticipate purchasing the upgraded model for my new HD Television!I have no need for the Remote Control, but I have to add that the H/K RC is a huge piece of equipment on it's own! A little too big! I was thinking of adding a 'CON' listing of "Lack of Power" and "Limited FUnctions" but the receiver is great for what it's worth and I knew what I was instore for when I bought it, it isn't as if it is poorly designed or falsely advertised.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

I bought this receiver to replace my vintage 1978 Luxman L-30 integrated amp. This HK3390 was meant to be a stop gap between my old Luxman and the system I really want, as I don't have the money for that at the moment. I gave the Harman/Kardon over a month of listening and break-in time with a multitude of genres before I decided to write this review. I am running an older Sony CDP-313 CD player and the HK3390 through a pair of Mission M71i speakers. I'll be using the Led Zeppelin BBC Session CD as a point of reference, as I felt that everything I needed for this review was in this live recording. I have listened to this CD between 700-800 times (no word of a lie), and I almost feel like it's ingrained into my brain now. To say the least, I know every nuance of this recording. Here is my evaluation:One of the first things that struck me immediately about the HK3390 was that it was a little too warm sounding. At first I didn't think this was all bad. That is until I realized how this "warmth" was affecting the sound of Led Zeppelin's performance. It seems that the warm sound of this amp muffles the immediate "attack" of each note being played, especially with Jimmy Page's guitar and John Bonham's drum work. All the attack and presence that is supposed to be in this recording seemed to be sopped up by the overly warm presentation of this amp, leading to an non-engaging sound that had no "jump". Overall, it sounded a little too polite. A certain level of attack and presence is needed in an amp, especially for rock music, but the Harman/Kardon left me hanging. I also heard limited soundstaging, as well as lost air and ambiance. Through my old Luxman, I could hear much more air between each instrument being played, as well as where each person in the group was playing on the stage. Also missing from the Harman was the overall sense of the AMBIANCE of the venue, and how it bolsters Jimmy Page's powerful guitar playing. The depth and reverberation coming from the venue itself, not Jimmy's guitar amp, was mostly amiss through the HK3390. For the first time, this made me more aware that I was actually listening to the music through a pair of speakers, and not an actual live performance. I also found that the bass performance was not quite there, either. Although the overall bass seemed to be generally better controlled than my old Luxman, the Harman/Kardon had a warm mid-bass, and an even warmer lower bass, which lead to a bass performance with less detail. Although there is enough bass on tap, it seemed the textural, woody "thunk" of John Paul Jones's bass couldn't be reproduced through the HK3390. I also want to say that the HK3390 is NOT a powerful amp by ANY means. If I wanted to play loud, I had to turn the Harman/Kardon up to 75% to get near what my old Luxman could do at less than 50%. Just to clarify, the HK3390's volume range goes from -80 db (no sound), to +10 db (full power). I had to play between -15 db to -10 db to get to the same volume as the Luxman with it's volume knob set just below half way. I suspect the dynamic power rating is very low on the HK3390. This is mostly important for shorter bursts of high power needed for momentary climaxes in many forms of music and movie reproduction. Dynamic power is where it's at. The HK3390 doesn't have it. Like the old saying goes, "Watts are cheap".Some other dislikes: The HK3390 has an odd speaker binding post design. There is a collar at the base of each post that is attached to the chassis. Each one of these "collars" have a narrow pass-through for the speaker wire to go into. With bare speaker wire, it makes it difficult to insert the wire into the pass-through without jamming and unravelling the wire at the tip. Furthermore, it is very difficult to get the wire to touch the screw post on the inside. Sure, it will touch the base contact when you screw the post down, but I like a more conventional design where you can hook the wire around the post, and then tighten it down, assuring two points of contact. Secondly, the pass-throughs are not top dead center, and are at an intended angle, making it even harder to get the speaker wires in where they need to be. I would suggest banana plug-ended wire for the best hookup. Again, I don't have the money for the banana-ended Kimber Kables that I want. I also found that the radio reception is very poor. This is a problem I have never had before. I have been in the same house for many years, and have had a couple different tuners in that time. Even with the supplied antenna, I couldn't bring in FM stations in stereo mode, and AM reception wasn't much better either, even with a long perimeter of antenna cable. I have an old junky (but cool looking), 70's-era Kenwood tuner that gets infinitely better reception than the HK3390. Also, a few minor things: There is no tone defeat button to bypass the tone controls for a "pure" signal. Not to mention that the tone controls themselves are very small in diameter, making them hard to modulate. I also could have done without the orange standby light. To completely turn this light off, you have to flip the main switch on the back of the amp. Really, how many people use the switch on the back every time to turn their amp on and off? Just give me a simple "when the amp's on, the light's on, when the amp's off, the light's off" kind of operation when I use the ON/OFF button on the remote or on the front of the amp. As pretty as this amp is, the lettering for the row of buttons on the front of the amp is small, and not easy to read, especially if your amp is mounted lower in your rack or TV cabinet like mine was. Also, the HK3390 comes with a huge monolith of a remote. I really do feel ridiculous holding this thing in my hand. It almost reminds me of those massive geriatric, bold letter remotes for old folks who can't see (in size anyway). Other than that, it's fine. It's well laid out, and has all the right buttons to keep you from getting out of your seat to turn up/down the volume, switch amp inputs, etc.Unfortunately, my praises are very few: This amp really does look great (to me anyway), and I really like the Tron Light Cycle look of the volume knob.Overall, this amp has very little glare and "etch" to it's sound, and is relatively non-fatiguing to listen to. But at what cost? The overly warm, and non-engaging sound has left a whole lot more to be desired. By no means do I think that this is the worst amp I've ever heard. It certainly isn't. It's just that when you have had better, you don't want to take a step back and settle for less. I took a real chance on buying this amp sight unseen, and as it turned out, I now have buyer's remorse. I bought the HK3390 in the hopes that it would at least be the equal to my tired Luxman. In the end I got burned for not listening to one before I bought it. I know I am running out of space (and if you are still with me, thanks and kudos to you!), but if I could, I would like to make a suggestion: I bought a NAD316BEE to replace the HK3390 just recently, and it beats BOTH amps by a long shot! I don't have the space to get into the sonics of the NAD, but the HK3390 and Luxman aren't even close. They aren't even in the same ball park as the NAD. The NAD also has WAY more power than either amp. At 40 watts per channel, and 100 watts of dynamic power, it beats the HK3390 with ease. No word of a lie. This is the most powerful 40 watts you will ever hear, bar none! The NAD is able to produce the same amount of volume without cranking up the volume knob. This generally means the lower the volume knob is set, the lower the total harmonic distortion and signal to noise ratio will be, leading to a cleaner, less strained signal. This means a cooler running amp as well. This goes to show the importance of the dynamic power an amp has.Please do yourself a favor and research what is out there, and follow your instincts. And please, don't make the mistake that I did; audition whatever you buy and follow your ears, they will tell you what you need to know. There are better choices than the HK3390 out there! I hope this has been helpful. Happy listening. Cheers.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

changed from an old pioneer receiver and what a difference,excellent product.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

I was looking to replace a Denon receiver for CD and turntable stereo system, and didn't necessarily need all the digital hook-ups and surround-sound for TV, etc. The HK-3390 delivers great sound thru my Bose 201V bookshelf speakers--crisp and clean; the bass isn't booming (sub-woofers can be hooked up if you need to FEEL your bass), but the clarity and separation is amazing, and provides accurate renderings of the full scale from high to low. Vinyl LPs sound ALIVE thru this receiver--i was hearing nuances from LPs never noticeable on previous system. I'm very happy so far with the HK-3390. Only drawbacks--if you don't have 20-20 or better vision, good luck reading the buttons on unit—but the remote takes care of that, so really I have no major complaints.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

Best sounding receiver I've ever owned. True tonal accuracy, plenty of intensity and bass. I almost don't need my sub. I'm running a old pair of Sony towers I got on the cheap and they sound wonderful. I listen to all genre of music and movies. This is a great 2 channel receiver, no frills and I LOVE IT! HK is still making a quality product in my opinion, even though it's produced over seas.

The only feature that bugged me, was how you can only dim the front display in Video 3. In video 1 and 2, the display can't be dimmed. Also cosmetically, the letting on the display doesn't match the color of the volume knob or power button. It's more green like most other main stream receivers. Just little nit-picky things I noticed.

Also the sub output is confusing at times, I only have a 1 channel cable (typical subwoofer cable), and it only worked on the top RCA jack, not the bottom. (this receiver has 2 sub outs) I've ordered a stereo RCA cable and we'll see how that works out.

Lastly the remote is about worthless, but this seems to be the case with most any company. It also came all scratched up, brand new in the packaging. I haven't found the time to contact HK, it isn't bothering me to much for now.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

After losing my Denon AVR 1908 receiver to an unanticipated electrical fluke (buzzing and turning off) issues, I searched the internet for a replacement. I read numerous reviews about other Denon and Home Theatre receiver customers who had experienced similar electrical issues after unreasonably short receiver lifetimes so I decided to give up on the, 7.1, 5.1 Home Theatre Hype. The sound my Denon pushed to my vintage speakers was mediocre and not very pleasing to the ears. I decided to search for a good old analog 2-Channel stereo to push my 1974 Klipsch LaScalas and 1970 Klipsch Heresys. After a couple of minutes of searching I found many reviews on the Harman Kardon 3390 and 3490. Because my speakers have such a high sensitivity db rating I decided to go with the 3390. Four days later it arrived at my home. WOW! What an unbelievable sound that this receiver delivers; crisp highs, warm midrange and an unbelievable sub output. It is the closest sound I have ever gotten to the old school tube amps. I definitely would recommend this receiver to anyone who is searching for the perfect 2 channel receiver. The two sub outputs are just a bonus.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

After losing my Denon AVR 1908 receiver to an unanticipated electrical fluke (buzzing and turning off) issues, I searched the internet for a replacement. I read numerous reviews about other Denon and Home Theatre receiver customers who had experienced similar electrical issues after unreasonably short receiver lifetimes so I decided to give up on the, 7.1, 5.1 Home Theatre Hype. The sound my Denon pushed to my vintage speakers was mediocre and not very pleasing to the ears. I decided to search for a good old analog 2-Channel stereo to push my 1974 Klipsch LaScalas and 1970 Klipsch Heresys. After a couple of minutes of searching I found many reviews on the Harman Kardon 3390 and 3490. Because my speakers have such a high sensitivity db rating I decided to go with the 3390. Four days later it arrived at my home. WOW! What an unbelievable sound that this receiver delivers; crisp highs, warm midrange and an unbelievable sub output. It is the closest sound I have ever gotten to the old school tube amps. I definitely would recommend this receiver to anyone who is searching for the perfect 2 channel receiver. The two sub outputs are just a bonus.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

I have very few quibbles about this product. The sound is terrific and I like using the remote ( didn't have one on my old stereo). On the minor quibbles side the controls on the front pannel are hard to read. I live in a rural area in Washington state and the receiver does not pull in stereo stations from afar.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

This was just purchased to replace an AV Sony reciever. This receiver is intro audiofile level. It produces relatively flat sound and brings out detail not heard in non audiofile equipment. At the sale price of [$] it was a steal. The only negative is the remote is huge.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

We bought this receiver to update the music scene in our smallish house. We hooked it up to a pair of decent bookshelf speakers.
We were all blown away by the quality of the sound coming from this straight ahead and simple system. We thought we might need a sub-woofer to add some bass, but it really isn't necessary. I don't think we could have gotten a better sound for the money spent. Great FM reception, also.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

Had it for about a week- great so far.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

NO GIMMICKS, GOOD SOUND.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

This receiver was to replace an aging Kenwood receiver on my sister's stereo. The new HK receiver sounds very nice through the Bose speakers. Looks very elegant and overall seem to perform well. I like the enclosed ipod cable. My only beef would be the lack of a loudness option.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

This unit receiver is easy to use and set up. It looks great with any decoration and the must importan fact is the sound wich is exellent. Really happy with this receiver. The control remote is big but it's well set up and it feel well in your hand.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

Using this recever at my bedroom with 2 B-20 Klipsch. The recever sound and look great.

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

This is a good solid sonically true stereo receiver. Build quality is very good. The power supply volume control takes some getting used to as it is calibrated in terms of a negative decibel (dB) number and takes a sufficiently high number (less of a negative number)for appreciable sound. The subwoofer output is great for connecting to a powered sub. Overall pleased with the HK 3390 [...]

Comments about Harman Kardon HK-3390 Stereo Receiver:

For the price, this amplifier is an excellent entry level for quality sound system