Harman & Kardon died - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

ZackP · 2010-03-09, 11:08 PM

Hi there,
My AVR603 receiver died on me. It is turning OFF completely after 1 minute or so of playing. Turn it ON, play on low level, looks fine and then turns OFF like I pressed main switch.
I live in Oakville, can anybody recommend good service shop that can handle that?

Thank you in advance

57 · 2010-03-10, 12:44 AM

Before that, remove all speaker wires to make sure you don't have a short. If the unit stays on, connect one speaker at a time (with the unit off) and make sure you don't have frayed wires at the AVR or speaker - could also be a speaker short causing a protection circuit to kick in.

ZackP · 2010-03-10, 09:40 AM

Thank you for advice! Tried it just now, no luck, turned OFF after about 50 seconds.

takeaim · 2010-03-10, 12:59 PM

could be overheating, i added another component to my cabinet and the combined heat caused my receiver to shutoff. added a fan in the cabinet and everything is good now.

ZackP · 2010-03-10, 04:26 PM

It sure is not overheating, it sits cold whole night. turn it ON and it turns OFF after 50 seconds

cfraser · 2010-03-10, 10:39 PM

This sounds like a problem that is fairly common with HK AVRs. Sorry, I don't know your model, but I have a couple of older models of my own that exhibited this after several to many years of use. What it was is a "power" resistor in the standby circuit that is usually fairly hot that over years its value changes. Eventually it gets to the point it triggers the shutdown circuitry relatively quickly after power on (standby circuit is one of the shutdown triggers). That's the best I can guess...HK does the same electronic "thing" the same way for many model generations sometimes. Regardless, I'm sure an authorised HK service person will recognise the symptoms pretty quickly. You want to go to one of those otherwise somebody can spend ages looking in all the wrong places (I know I did with one HK AVR the first time, I had the Service Manual but not the service notes authorised personnel get). HK has (had??) a toll-free line you can call to get authorised out-of-warranty service info.

mon_Key_C · 2010-03-11, 08:50 AM

I agree 100% with cFraser. Take it to an authorized HK Service centre. I wouldn't spend over $50 for estimate and $100 + part cost for repair.

30 years ago HK had a stellar rating for robustness and reliability. But over time they decided to be a mass market player. Hardware cheapened and reliability has decreased with each new generation. To their credit, they are the only American based player in the mass market business to give true amp power ratings.

ZackP · 2010-03-11, 09:25 AM

Thanks both for advice. I'll find HK service in GTA and take it there.

Zack

cfraser · 2010-03-11, 10:27 AM

I don't know how skilled or confident with doing stuff yourself you are. This is a relatively simple and cheap fix, if it's what I think. A can of "cold spray" and a few minutes can determine, once you get inside...the standby circuit (with the resistor I'm guessing is the offender) is usually fairly accessible as it has the fuse most likely to ever need replacement (barring abuse), and the resistor is quite near it. If you lived closer I'd do it for you, or at least give you a can of cold spray (I have way too much, can't legally ship it without great expense I think).

It always amazed me how HK had a known problem with a part, yet continued to use the exact same part for years and several generations of models. And they told you the exact good part (even the digi-key number of it) to install instead, in the service manual. This doesn't make sense to me. Especially since *I know* it takes hours to replace, and is difficult to boot, once you have removed the 125 screws (no exaggeration!) it takes to get at it LOL in some models, you have to take the WHOLE AVR apart. That AVR was the last great piece they made IMO, must have been almost 10 years ago now. I'm not talking about your problem here BTW, but another even more common one across their lineup for years until quite recently. I guess the part does usually last slightly longer than their warranty, which is the bottom line for them, but a shame for their reputation.

2010-03-09, 11:08 PM	#1
ZackP Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Oakville Posts: 119	Harman & Kardon died Hi there, My AVR603 receiver died on me. It is turning OFF completely after 1 minute or so of playing. Turn it ON, play on low level, looks fine and then turns OFF like I pressed main switch. I live in Oakville, can anybody recommend good service shop that can handle that? Thank you in advance

2010-03-10, 12:44 AM	#2
57 Moderator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Toronto, Rogers, 8300HD, eHDD, Panasonic TCP65S1, Denon AVR4310Ci; 8300HD, eHDD & Sony KDL40W3000 Posts: 50,301	Before that, remove all speaker wires to make sure you don't have a short. If the unit stays on, connect one speaker at a time (with the unit off) and make sure you don't have frayed wires at the AVR or speaker - could also be a speaker short causing a protection circuit to kick in. __________________ 57's Home Theatre (Latest equipment & photos) 57's Optimization Services (Home Theatre Optimization)

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2010-03-10, 09:40 AM	#3
ZackP Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Oakville Posts: 119	Thank you for advice! Tried it just now, no luck, turned OFF after about 50 seconds.

2010-03-10, 12:59 PM	#4
takeaim Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 363	could be overheating, i added another component to my cabinet and the combined heat caused my receiver to shutoff. added a fan in the cabinet and everything is good now.

2010-03-10, 04:26 PM	#5
ZackP Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Oakville Posts: 119	It sure is not overheating, it sits cold whole night. turn it ON and it turns OFF after 50 seconds

2010-03-10, 10:39 PM	#6
cfraser Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Pickering, Ont. Posts: 1,418	This sounds like a problem that is fairly common with HK AVRs. Sorry, I don't know your model, but I have a couple of older models of my own that exhibited this after several to many years of use. What it was is a "power" resistor in the standby circuit that is usually fairly hot that over years its value changes. Eventually it gets to the point it triggers the shutdown circuitry relatively quickly after power on (standby circuit is one of the shutdown triggers). That's the best I can guess...HK does the same electronic "thing" the same way for many model generations sometimes. Regardless, I'm sure an authorised HK service person will recognise the symptoms pretty quickly. You want to go to one of those otherwise somebody can spend ages looking in all the wrong places (I know I did with one HK AVR the first time, I had the Service Manual but not the service notes authorised personnel get). HK has (had??) a toll-free line you can call to get authorised out-of-warranty service info.

2010-03-11, 08:50 AM	#7
mon_Key_C Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 49	I agree 100% with cFraser. Take it to an authorized HK Service centre. I wouldn't spend over $50 for estimate and $100 + part cost for repair. 30 years ago HK had a stellar rating for robustness and reliability. But over time they decided to be a mass market player. Hardware cheapened and reliability has decreased with each new generation. To their credit, they are the only American based player in the mass market business to give true amp power ratings.

2010-03-11, 09:25 AM	#8
ZackP Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Oakville Posts: 119	Thanks both for advice. I'll find HK service in GTA and take it there. Zack

2010-03-11, 10:27 AM	#9
cfraser Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Pickering, Ont. Posts: 1,418	I don't know how skilled or confident with doing stuff yourself you are. This is a relatively simple and cheap fix, if it's what I think. A can of "cold spray" and a few minutes can determine, once you get inside...the standby circuit (with the resistor I'm guessing is the offender) is usually fairly accessible as it has the fuse most likely to ever need replacement (barring abuse), and the resistor is quite near it. If you lived closer I'd do it for you, or at least give you a can of cold spray (I have way too much, can't legally ship it without great expense I think). It always amazed me how HK had a known problem with a part, yet continued to use the exact same part for years and several generations of models. And they told you the exact good part (even the digi-key number of it) to install instead, in the service manual. This doesn't make sense to me. Especially since I know it takes hours to replace, and is difficult to boot, once you have removed the 125 screws (no exaggeration!) it takes to get at it LOL in some models, you have to take the WHOLE AVR apart. That AVR was the last great piece they made IMO, must have been almost 10 years ago now. I'm not talking about your problem here BTW, but another even more common one across their lineup for years until quite recently. I guess the part does usually last slightly longer than their warranty, which is the bottom line for them, but a shame for their reputation.