The headphone jack on my Harman-Kardon HK3480 is amazing!
Jun 8, 2007 at 3:28 PM Post #32 of 60
Yep, I has very happy with this amplifying my HD-595 for a long time. My LD II+ was a noticeable improvement however. Not huge, but noticeable.
 
Jun 8, 2007 at 3:34 PM Post #33 of 60
I wonder what that mod is all about. Being a DIY guy I could probably do it myself.Boy, I am torn between the harmon kardan or a marantz 2235b.Anyone ever do a comparison?
 
Jun 8, 2007 at 5:39 PM Post #34 of 60
Quote:

Originally Posted by headphonejunkie /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I wonder what that mod is all about. Being a DIY guy I could probably do it myself.


with a soldering iron, quality Kester solder & some Black Gates, i'm sure u can

take the sound to another level. solder fumes are pretty addictive.
 
Jun 8, 2007 at 5:50 PM Post #35 of 60
Oh Ya. Blackgates!!! MMMM.
 
Jun 14, 2007 at 2:14 PM Post #36 of 60
I've been trying to decide between the HK3480 and a Panasonic XK-55 for my 2.0 setup for a while . . . this thread is making things harder
frown.gif


Still though, if this amp really is as amazing as you all claim it is, it seems like a steal for $125. I might have to get both!
 
Jun 14, 2007 at 6:15 PM Post #39 of 60
Quote:

Originally Posted by kamal007 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
how do you like the HK with the dt880/990?


tried the DT990 with it and it really tightens up the bass a bit even though there's still too much bass on those cans. the highs on the 990 are normally spitty but the AVR145/DVD31 combo smoothens it out. the bass control on the AVR145 does an excellent job taming the bass down a little which makes the 990 more balanced sounding. best drive of the dt990 i've heard next to the expensive Beyer A1 headamp.

but for bassheads, u can use the bass control to pump it up!
 
Jul 3, 2007 at 9:35 PM Post #42 of 60
I got one as well to use as a 2.0 reciever, and decided to check out the headphone port.

Admittadely, the only source I've tested with is a poor one (my laptop) but the source is not too bad. I also know what it sounds like relative to my main setup so I can make some judgements about the quality, and so far, I can sum up my reaction in one word:

BLOATED

Tons of mids and base. Extreemly recessed highs. The texture of the sound is just a mess, all the mids sort of flow together. I was sort of shocked considering all the people in this thread who liked it, and it might just be pairing exceptionally poorly with my source, but I really was expecting something more.

I am tempted to replace it in my main system (x-mod -> meta 42 -> HD600) and see if it fares better.
 
Jul 11, 2007 at 12:15 AM Post #43 of 60
I was wondering if any harman-kardon owners could compare the dolby headphone to the any of the two wireless dolby headphone sets from pioneer or philips sbc-hd1500u.

i'd like to point out that a quick search revealed that there are loads of apparantly cheap harmans going on ebay.com - most are factory refurbs direct from harman. I dont think i'd hesitate to buy one if only I lived in the states. In europe these things are way more expensive, sadly. be aware that there are several of the the older models like avr 235 that has the dolby headphone processing.

Btw, are you still satisfied with the headphone output or have you found something better? I'd love to hear from more people how the output compares to dedicated headphone amps.
 
Jul 11, 2007 at 2:08 AM Post #44 of 60
Usually I'm all for a rare find/great deal.

But I owned one of these HKs and listened to its jack with an SR-200, SR-225, Senn 580, AKG 501, etc. and used those to compare it to a Xin dual, supermini, RA-1, Rega Ear and go-vibe 5 in various combinations.

All I can say is that there was never a case where it was in the same league as any of those amps, no matter which can (using an Onix CD player, a Sony ES changer or even a PCDP as a source).

The HK was boomy and murky, didn't have the headstage, detail, separation or prat. It was dark and kind of "out of synch" with itself and I couldn't hear things on it that I could with the amps.

Like I said, usually I'm up for a good find, and I'm only one set of ears, so take it for what it's worth
 
Jul 11, 2007 at 3:28 AM Post #45 of 60
Thats very strange indeed!
The jack on my HK3480 has NEVER sounded dark, bloated, boomy, or murky with any headphone, or source that I have used...Never.
Quite the opposite:
If anything, the minor weaknesses that I have found is a very slight thinness or brightness, and that is it.
My unit is not recessed in the highs at all.
Other than that, it holds its own quite well with my Headamp GS-1...surprisingly so!
I wonder why their is so big of a difference between these HK units?
 
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