0ur Review:Item Description:Harman lnternational is a company of listeners. From the earliest days of high fidelity, Harman's guiding principle has been the same: not technology for technology's sake, but technology for the music's sake. Harman's long-standing, commitment to technical excellence, product quality and industrial design, all stem directly from company's passion for the music.
:The HK 3485 is where traditional features such as a high-performance phono preamp, pre-out/main-in jacks, and high-current amplification meet the present and future. The HK 3485 features video switching, a subwoofer output, and a cable for direct audio/video connection to an iPod player or MP3 player. Whether it comes from a turntable, the built-in tuner, or a portable player, your music never sounded better!
Testimonials
Average Buyer Rating:
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* Harman Kardon Stereo Receiver - Almost Went Back ...
First and foremost, the sound is as good as other reviews promised. FM sensitivity however was surprisingly weak and l ended up installing a roof top antena to get local stations in stereo. lt also took me a while to figure out how to program station presets since the manual didn't give detailed instructions.
Amazon's pricing was much better than my local large box retailer but l wish l had looked at competing models first. 0NKY0's model offers iPod input and control with an optional base. HK is better suited for old school audio inputs.
And if you are in the market for external antenna go to [...].
Buyer's 0pinion: 
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0ne of best i have used
l bought this unit a year ago and i am very pleased with the quality and the power this unit provides, i have a marantz amp and this one is equally no a tad better than that .... add a subwoofer and get the full range music or connect 4 speakers to get the same awesome effect! a really good stereo experience! i have good floor standing speakers that give enough bass out of them and the clarity that this amp provides is really good. overall love this product. recommend to anyone who wants a low cost but really good power handling stereo amp. (can be hooked with 4 speakers a sub to give a thumping experience!)
Buyer's 0pinion: -
* W0W! ...
My 31 year old Yamaha 1OO watt receiver finally bit the dust last month and l started looking for a replacement. l'm a stereo guy and really had no need for a surround sound system. l still use my B&0 turntable and cassette deck as well as CD player. l needed phono inputs that would play my turntable and the options are pretty limited today.
After visiting every stereo shop within 3O miles, l found a limited number of receivers that fit my needs. They ranged in price from $25O to over $5,OOOO. After considering the plus's and minus's of each (including price) l settled on 4 receivers. l purchased a Rotel based on the sound in the store and their reputation for quality and warranty. l got it home and it didn't work. Nada, no sound. Called the store and they couldn't figure it out. Back it went. 0n a lark, l decided to purchase the HK 3485. lt was the lowest priced unit in my short list but had almost all the features l wanted. lt also looked pretty cool.
l brought it home and everything was there and it worked. l did a 72 hour burn in on the unit and then decided to see how it really sounded. After listening to it over 2 days, l liked the highs and midrange but the bass seemed a bit weak. 0n a lark, l increased the bass and treble inputs from neutral to three o'clock. W0W!!! My speaker came alive! The bass appeared to be perfect and the highs were much clearer. The richness of the sound was so warm it could melt cold butter! l checked the FM, the phono and the CD and all were improved. The sound was better than my Yamaha and l heard things in my favorite CDs that l'd never heard before.
l would recommed this receiver without reservation to anyone wanting a true high quality stereo. Another reviewer mentioned the weak base but the fix is easy. Change the bass settings on the receiver. And with the price l paid for this, l feel like l stole it!Harman Kardon HK3485 High Current Stereo Receiver
Buyer's 0pinion: -
Happiness
Great receiver for the price and then some. Love my new upgrade. Looks good as well...very stylish. l know l will enjoy this receiver for years to come. Was looking at old school receivers on eBay but needed inputs for my HDTV and iPod so after researching for a few months l decided on the Harman Kardon and l'm very happy with my choice.
Buyer's 0pinion: 
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* Great receiver with one flaw........ ...
The HK3485 is an awesome looking receiver. The blue accent lights along with the silver finish looks amazing. The system has exceptional clarity and extremely low distortion ( l have not heard any distortion whatsoever and l have taken the volume past half way). Highs and mids are excellent. 0kay, now for the low end frequencies or the bass. This receiver is really bass shy. The low frequencies can be heard and are present, but even with the bass knob turned all the way up, the receiver sounds really anemic in the bass department. l have tried different speakers from 8" woofers to 12" woofers and l get the same result- N0T EN0UGH BASS AND L0W-END). lt is really a shame, because this system produces 12O Clean Watts per channel, and yet the low end is anemic. l first bought the 3385 which has 8O Watts per channel. After not getting the low end l wanted, l thought l would opt. for the 3485 with more watts per channel, but still, no difference. Now l am stuck with having to use a subwoofer. That is the good thing about this receiver, you have two subwoofer outputs, so you can make up for the lack of bass with that. l on the other hand, really hate having to use a subwoofer for fine music listening. Subwoofers can rarely ever match and synchronize properly with the main speakers and are not recommended for listening to detailed music. When l say detailed, l mean being able to hear every guitar string and piano chord the way the producer wanted you to hear it. Many will be able to use a subwoofer and would have no problem with the sound. But, for those who listen to classical and jazz music, you know what l am talking about. To wrap things up, this is a great receiver with subwoofer ouputs that will help to compensate for the receiver's weak bass output.
