I've loved my Outlaw Audio 1050 receiver, but it was time for something new.

I thought about Denon again, but after the terrible experience with Denon service, I figured I'd be better off avoiding them. And considering my efforts to show something resembling fiscal responsibility, I was looking at lower-end Denon pieces which were very ugly uninspired.

So I checked out HK stuff for the first time in years. I had an AVR 25 back in college and liked it. I was looking at the AVR 140 or 240 at the lower end of their line. They're pretty-well discound at Circuit City right now, so I figured I'd swing by and check them out. They're better looking in person than I expected. After looking around I saw the 140 on sale for $300, the 240 on sale for $339 and a 340 on sale for $409. Then I see an open-box 635 for $379! This seemed like a damn good deal, so I jumped on it. The unit is flawless... it looks brand new and only lacks the original box. I had no idea what kind of discount this was, but it struck me as worth taking a chance on.

I got home, set it up and figured I'd check MSRP online. Imagine my surprise to see it's list price is $1299!!! The street price for authorized delears I've seen is around $850 or so, so needless to say I was pretty pleased.

http://www.harmankardon.com/product_detail.aspx?Region=USA&Country=US&Language=ENG&cat=REC∏=AVR%20635&sType=C

This should be the only HT rig I'll need for years to come.

I said it once and I'll say it again...

You lucky bastard!