2010 - ALL STAR BRANDS

SEE, HEAR, FEEL
 

 3D Sound Investment Product Information

An Insight into to Harman Kardon^® Technologies – 

Virtually alone among today’s most-respected audio brands, Harman Kardon® can point to a history of innovation stretching back more than 55 years, across dozens of landmark products and technologies, from the earliest days of high fidelity.  All that history adds up to a lot to keep in mind when interacting with customers on the sales floor. Think of this guide as a short course for learning about the Harman Kardon brand – its products, its philosophy, and the many benefits its technologies offer to listeners and users who are passionate about getting a real 3D audio-visual experience. The knowledge in this letter will help you understand What Harman is all about.  

Since 1953, Harman Kardon designers and engineers have focused on improving home entertainment by combining extraordinary industrial design, innovative technologies, meticulous engineering and the highest levels of manufacturing quality into the Harman’s products. Extensive experience, research and up to date design has put the brand in the unique position of being able to bring together the best in analogue and digital technologies, with trendsetting design philosophies and a flexible user interface all combines to create high-performance, market-leading home entertainment systems. In fact, most of the technologies currently associated with today’s very best amplifiers were originally introduced in Harman Kardon products. Such as – high-current capability, ultra-wide-bandwidth design (10Hz to 100 kHz+) and discrete circuitry, these have all assisted in building Harman into a Brand Leader which now represent some of the Audio Visual products, while incorporating and advancing the very latest audio and video technologies and formats currently available.  

Harman Kardon Milestones:

1954 Festival D 1000. The world’s first high-fidelity receiver. 1958 Festival TA 230. The world’s first stereo receiver. 1959 Citation II. The world’s first ultrawide-bandwidth amplifier. 1970 CAD 5 The world’s first cassette deck with Dolby® B-type noise reduction. 1980 Citation XX. The world’s first high-current-capability amplifier. 2000 AVR 7000. The first A/V receiver with Logic 7,® VMAx® and HDCD® processing. 2001 EzSet/EQ.™ Sound calibration technology. 2009 The AVR 760. Is The world’s first implementation of Dolby Volume technology in Amplifier technology.

… [The true leader] knows that there is

    more knowledge and insight available

    from the group than he or any one

    person alone can bring to it.

Sidney Harman | Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Harman International

High-Current Capability:

There’s no use trying to hide it: Harman Kardon engineers have always been driven by a lust for power (or more accurately, high amperage). (“Power as measured in watts per channel”) is an almost meaningless predictor of an amplifier’s ability to drive loudspeakers. The Amplifier current (measured in amperes) actually creates the audio signal that loudspeakers respond to – and the higher the current rating, the better the sound quality, at any volume level. Harman Kardon amplifiers have always delivered higher current ratings with more than enough headroom to drive the most demanding loudspeakers during even the most dynamic musical passages and movie soundtracks. And unlike others in the industry, we’ve always published our power ratings with all channels driven @ 20Hz – 20kHz, in strict accordance with United States of Americas. Federal Trade Commission guidelines. This means our performance figures are accurate numbers, that are free of exaggeration, inflation or puffed up statistics. By delivering the full-rated power to all channels simultaneously, Harman Kardon products reproduce music and movies the way the director intended them to be heard, experienced and enjoyed in our three dimensional world.

 Understand how Power measurements are calculated:

 Example:

Take six 1½V AA Penlight Batteries or one 12V Car Battery - Both deliver 12 V, but which one would you choose to start your car? One solution is High Current the other is not!

Ultra-wide-Frequency Bandwidth:

While many amplifiers and receivers struggle to cleanly reproduce the full audible frequency spectrum from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, Harman Kardon components typically perform to well beyond 100 kHz. This specification exceeds the usual limits of human hearing; however it does reduces phase distortion for improved phase linearity and transient accuracy in the frequencies we can hear. Or simply put - It sounds better.

Benefit: Vastly improved sonic detail with precise imaging and less background noise which improves the musical experience. 

Low Negative Feedback:

All amplifiers use negative feedback to reduce harmonic distortion. But high levels of negative feedback can have a harsh, grating effect on overall sound quality. By using only the highest quality transistors, passive components and construction techniques, Harman Kardon amplifiers limit negative feedback to less than 25dB compared with the 60dB or more in some competitive amplifiers – Lower Negative feedback substantially lowers distortion – Yeah you guessed it;
It Sounds Better

Benefit - Purer, Real sounding Amplifiers. Real Music finally comes home.

Discrete Circuitry:

To the fullest extent possible, Harman Kardon products use high quality discrete transistors, resistors, capacitors and diodes in their circuitry, instead of integrated circuits (ICs), in which such components are bundled together on all-purpose silicon chips. Discrete circuits are more expensive than ICs, but they always outperform them sonically. Is it any wonder that Harman Kardon engineers prefer them?

… [Our products] are an expression of customers’ 

     desire to command the “best seat in the house”,

     no matter what kind of music or entertainment

     they enjoy.

       Dinesh Paliwal | Chairman and CEO, Harman International

The Power Cube Measurement:

In an ideal amplifier, output voltage remains constant, regardless of the current being drawn from the power supply or the phase angles of that current. This can be visualized in three dimensions, with “phase” as the horizontal axis, “impedance” as the depth axis and “power output” as the vertical axis. Groundbreaking Harman Kardon research has established the power cube measurement as the most accurate indication of amplifier quality ever devised, as correlated with the results of real time subjective listening tests using real people. It also provides a useful visual aid for comparing the performance of Harman Kardon amplifiers to the performance of amplifiers made by other manufacturers.

Benefit - Minimal noise and signal loss.

About DTS and Dolby:

Throughout the years, landmark Harman Kardon products have led the transition from vacuum tubes to solid state. From monophonic to high-fidelity and analogue to digital, with features that have break new ground, and performance that has always set higher standards. In the current fast-moving digital era, Harman Kardon products have implemented the widest range of popular sound-processing technologies into their products. Our newest A/V receivers, for example, feature two on-board 32-bit DSP processors to decode the full suite of Dolby and DTS® technologies, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD™ Master Audio delivered by the latest Blu-Ray Disc technology.

Dolby Volume Technology:

Dolby Volume is a sophisticated new technology that resolves the problem of varying volume levels across both program content and program sources. Starting in select Harman Kardon A/V receivers, namely the AVR360, AVR460, AVR660 and AVR660. Dolby Volume technology enables listeners to enjoy all their content and programming at a comfortable listening level without having to reach for the remote controls to adjust volume.

The direct Benefit for you is – A more consistent, comfortable and enjoyable listening experience that the whole family will enjoy.

Logic 7 Technology:

Harman Kardon Logic 7’s sound processing uses proprietary digital algorithms to create a more cohesive and enveloping 3D sound field from analogue matrix recordings. This includes the hundreds of thousands of stereo CD titles still in widespread use. Logic 7 is not only capable of resolving either five or seven channels from a two-channel source, it actually increases the accuracy with which sounds are directed to the center and surround channels for more precise reproduction of the original soundtrack. Developed for high-end Lexicon processors it is now featured in a large number of luxury automobiles, Logic 7 processing is built into every Harman Kardon A/V receiver as the default analogue stereo to surround sound format.

Benefit – Stunning 5- or 7-channel surround sound from compact discs, LPs, cassettes and videotapes.

… While it’s nice to enjoy something good,     it’s even better to experience something great.

     Rich Sorota | President, Harman Consumer Division

A Glossary of Common Video Formats:

MPEG-2

A widely used format for digital television signals, DVD discs and SVCD discs with a resolution limit of 720 pixels x 480 pixels.

MPEG-4

A series of codec’s designed to standardize the production and distribution of digital content for HDTV and multimedia applications.

Blu-Ray

The Latest-generation disc format developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video. A Blu-ray Disc™ offers up to 10 times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs, holding up to 25GB on a single layer disc, and 50GB on a dual-layer disc.

DivX

A video codec that is popular for its ability to highly compress digital video into small file sizes with relatively high visual quality.

Connectivity, Compatibility and Convergence:

The Harman Kardon brand was the first to link home entertainment systems to computer audio in a variety of popular formats, and Harman’s new receivers include the very first models that allow you not just to listen to a USB memory device, but to actually control playback through your receiver’s remote. Harman Kardon - receivers also feature connections for a great number of video devices, including with the latest versions of HDMI: Video recording outputs, preamp-out jacks for all channels and color-coded eight-channel inputs make Harman Kardon Audio Video Receivers uniquely versatile.

… I’d rather explain our prices than compromise on quality.

Thijs Linthorst | General Manager, Harman Consumer International

Media Formats:

Discs, Tapes, LP’s, Hard Drives USB Sticks, Memory cards and mobile device like Phones, iPods and other mobile media are now part of our daily lives.

Managing Digital Assets:

Just as some digital devices are converging, digital sources continue to grow, but generations of analogue sources steadfastly refuse to go away. Consumers may own entertainment in the form of CDs, vinyl records, DVDs, magnetic tape and memory cards of one sort or another some neatly stored on computers and portable players, others simply scattered about in various attics, closets, drawers and glove boxes. New products make it possible to store much of this material onto hard drive servers and to share it amongst otherwise incompatible digital devices and port music and movies into many rooms.

… Harman Kardon products:    The materialization of unfettered design.

     Kurt Solland | V.P. Industrial Design, Harman International.

iPod computability Building Bridges

The Apple iPod and countless other portable music players that came before and after it – has revolutionized the way we listen to music. From Harman Kardon “The Bridge” was one of the first products specifically designed to integrate the iPod into home entertainment systems. The Bridge iPod docking station connects directly to a large number of Harman Kardon A/V receivers and is controlled by the AVR remote control with on-screen or front-panel menus so that users can read and select music easily.

Benefit - Choose or change tracks and playlists on your iPod using the on-screen or front panel  display without interrupting the playback of your music.

A-BUS® Technology

With an A-BUS-equipped Harman Kardon AVR and an ABH-4000 hub, any home can easily be divided into four separate entertainment zones, in which local customs and individual musical tastes there are. Link an A-BUS-equipped remote Audio Video Receiver to A-Bus key-pads and the possibilities of enjoying your music throughout your house multiplies. Whole-house audio systems do not have to be complicated they just need to be enjoyed.

Benefit – Multi-room solutions are built in, not added on.

… There are always more rooms to improve.

 Carsten Olesen | Commercial Director, Harman Consumer Group.

Keeping the Audio Faith:

The Harman Kardon Festival TA 230 Receiver, introduced more than 50 years ago, was the world’s first stereo receiver. Today, we continue to offer a choice of powerful stereo receivers engineered by and for people who prefer to be entertained with their eyes closed. We’re really very passionate about what we do. Our newest receivers feature digital audio inputs and Dolby Virtual Speaker, Dolby Headphone and Dolby Volume technology, amongst other 21st-century innovations. Time marches on, and Harman Kardon products march with it for your ultimate home entertainment experience.

High-Resolution Synchronization Link 

To minimize the A/D and D/A conversions that degrade signal quality, the Harman Kardon HK 990 stereo integrated amplifier uses an RJ45 connector and LVDS (Low-Voltage differential Signaling) drivers/receivers to synchronize the amplifier’s data clock with incoming data streams from a HD 990 CD player. The result is a jitter-free connection between the amplifier and the source, making the sound as three dimensional as possible from a two channel source.

Benefit – Flawless sonic resolution.

… 2-Channel sound at its best is like having artists perform live in your living room.

 Frank Gaisser | Product Manager Home Solutions, Harman Deutschland.

D/A Conversion

Harman Kardon multimedia players use only the highest grade digital-to-analogue converters, with high-definition, wide-bandwidth, low-feedback output circuitry in a pure Class A configuration

Benefit Minimal noise and signal loss.

RLS Technology

Harman Kardon Real-Time Linear Smoothing conversion technology, introduced in 1992, has been hailed as an efficient, high-performance means of transforming digital signals to high-quality analogue. Today’s RLS III- and IV-equipped Harman Kardon multimedia players and amplifiers banish noise to inaudible frequencies with a very high jitter rejection.

The direct benefit to you – is a Spacious, richly detailed sound other players try to emulate. Brands that copy others cannot be a leaders.

… Video without audio is just surveillance.

       Jurjen Amsterdam | Brand Director, Harman Kardon Home Solutions

HDMI Connectivity:

HDMI cables deliver high definition A/V signals through a single cable with a bandwidth of up to ten Gigabits. It is the connection of choice for all HD applications, and all Harman Kardon products offer it.

Benefit – Lossless connectivity and simple system setup.

Maximum Video Resolution from Any Source:

The rapid advancement of video technology has left a variety of entertainment relics in its wake – tapes and DVDs in various resolutions, aspect ratios from 480i to 1080p, and players and set-top boxes with analogue and digital outputs ranging from RCA plugs to HDMI. Almost all Harman Kardon A/V receivers are configured not just to accommodate the latest formats and technologies, but also to make the most of older analogue sources that may be forgotten but not gone.

Benefit - Automatic optimization of any video input to get the best possible result.

Faroudja DCDi Cinema™:

DCDi Cinema processing, offered on all New Harman Kardon 7.1 A/V receivers except the AVR 160, this technology uses sophisticated algorithms to improve the image quality of low resolution NTSC and PAL video signals, removing the jagged edges that are especially noticeable on LCD and plasma flat-panel monitors.

Benefit – Up-scales and processes picture quality to get the best-possible picture from any source.

… It should not be difficult to be entertained.

       Richard Metcalfe | Global Brand Director, Harman Kardon.

On-Screen Displays (OSD):

Harman Kardon have developed a new full-colour, high-definition OSD with “drop-down” or “scroll” style menu style which is intuitive and pleasing to look at. Competitors’ products often generate a low quality Graphical user interface (GUI(Graphical User Interface)) in standard definition (SD) and then scale up to high definition (HD). With the help of a Faroudja® Torino processor, Harman Kardon A/V receivers generate GUI screens directly in HD, eliminating the need for this extra step of up-scaling. The use of the Torino processor also allows for Alpha-blending. With Alpha-blending, the GUI screens can be shown as a transparent overlay over the video input. The OSD is available in 6 different languages.

Benefit - Easy setup and a gentle learning curve with improved appearance.

EzSet/EQ Technology:

EzSet/EQ technology uses an easy to uses microphone sound-pressure measurement to automatically configure speaker-channel levels, size, crossover information, and delay times. It also has a room-equalization feature, which takes into consideration the specific parameters of the room in which the system is placed, as well as other factors, to ensure optimal sound quality.

Benefit Optimum surround sound, regardless of room conditions or speaker type.

… Harman Kardon design explores the rich fabric

 of human culture to deliver experiences that

 define entertainment.

      Daniel Ashcraft | Harman Kardon Product Designer, Ashcraft Design

Less Is More:

Minimalism has long been a major force in architecture, music and design. It has also been one of our guiding principles from the very beginning. Harman Kardon, Inc. believes that good design consists of essential elements presented in their purest form, with an absence of excess or decoration. Harman Kardon engineers always strive to build products that offer a maximum number of options with a minimum number of buttons and knobs.

Power Consumption:

Many of our customers are increasingly aware of environmental issues, and we share their concern. For example, Harman Kardon products offer owners a total power-off option, in addition to standby mode, to reduce unnecessary power usage.

Brand Experience:

Premium brands require premium experiences. The value and excitement of the Harman Kardon brand and products should also be reflected in the presentation at retail. Our presentation systems and shop-in-shop solutions ensure that customers will experience all values, features and functions of Harman Kardon products in the best possible way. It is yet another example of the unwavering Harman Kardon commitment to doing things right instead of following trends. We provide in-store audio and video performance, not just bare specifications. Those who truly love entertainment wouldn’t want it any other way.

Did You Know?

The Harman Kardon brand is also one of the world’s leading suppliers of automotive audio and infotainment systems; our products are found in the premium cars of every major manufacturer.

For more detailed information please visit our website: http://www.3dsi.co.za

3D Sound Investment (Pty) Ltd.

Tel 012-665-0185