Introduction and Background to the Harman Kardon BDP1 Blu ray player, AVR 3600 receiver and Definitive Technology ProCinema 800 Speakers Affordable Systems Review

This is a complete 5.1 surround sound system. The front end is the new Harman/Kardon BDP1 Blu-Ray player. The Harman/Kardon receiver is also a new model, the AVR 3600. The speaker package is the Definitive Technology ProCinema 800. These products are not typically discounted, so the anticipated system price comes in just under $2,700. This places the system just over the threshold we’ve established for “Mid Priced” systems which we have defined as systems with a street price between $2,500 and $5,000.

The system includes small bookshelf speakers on all four corners, an MTM center speaker, an 8” powered sub, a Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player and a 7.1-channel multi-zone surround sound receiver. The receiver can decode all the latest surround formats and has an impending firmware update to make it HDNI 1.4 compatible! The speakers and subwoofer offer surprising performance for their size and cost. All the components feature tasteful styling and excellent performance.

Price Range: Mid (over $2,501 - 5,000 MSRP)

• System MSRP: $2,698.98
• System Street Price: ~ $2,698.98

System Rating:

Our criteria for rating systems is shown below. Click on the graphic to see the full sized version.