HARMAN/KARDON CP 65 5.1-CHANNEL HOME THEATER SYSTEM WITH FAROUDJA MULTIROOM CAPABILITY

While most audio manufacturers trot out a new line of AV receivers every year, Harman Kardon generally sits out of the "feature war" and lets its models stay in the product line longer. That's why it's a big deal that the company has announced three new receivers, bringing many cutting-edge features that were previously missing from the company's lineup. As always, these new receivers have Harman's typically refined look, and now that some of the models include updated features--like high-resolution audio decoding, a high-def graphical user interface, and video upconversion--you won't have to settle for beauty without brains. Don't get spooked that the watts-per-channel specs on these receivers seem low. While other manufacturers tend to inflate their power ratings, Harman Kardon sticks to real-world numbers--in other words, Harman Kardon's 30-watt receiver may sound just as loud as another company's "100-watt" receiver.Of course, Harman Kardon fans have always trumpeted the brand's excellent sound, but we'll have to wait until we get our hands on a review sample to do a comparison. Harman Kardon also puts a big emphasis on making products easy to use, and we have to admit that the company's manuals are a cut above the competition.