The control unit of the BDS 877 presents a drive bay, a display, the brand name and an illuminated rotary wheel. Then still a USB and jack socket at the bottom of the front, that’s it. No logo, no more buttons, no frills. The Harman / Kardon 5.1 Blu-ray receiver is very solid thanks to its high-quality materials. The system also includes a 5.1 box set with four identical satellites, a center box and an active subwoofer.
Functions without end
The BDS 877 is the top model among Harman / Kardon's Blu-ray systems and is expected to be one of the most successful in the American market: the manufacturer sold more Blu-ray discs in 2012 according to the market figures of the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK) Complete sets over 1,000 euros than any other brand.
Feel-good menu included
This should also be due to the extensive range: Harman / Kardon offers control units with 2.1 and 5.1 amplifiers, box sets with two or five loudspeakers and one active subwoofer each. The most expensive system of the series tested here is characterized by a radio transmission path for the bass signals of the subwoofer. This allows the low-frequency box to be positioned very flexibly anywhere in the room and easily plugged into the nearest socket.
Clear sound, fine image
All components of the set are packaged together in a large cardboard box, the Blu-ray receiver at the top. The installation of the components does not puzzles: All speaker ribs and connectors on the receiver are color coded, the clamps on the device and the boxes have sturdy screw and clamps.
Conclusion
The best Blu-ray Players
The Blu-ray receiver is a real blast Features: Network, photos, videos, and music can be easily accessed via DLNA media streaming as local USB storage media. Music also receives the headset via Bluetooth from smartphones, tablets and computers of any origin.
And for Apple devices, the BDS 877 offers AirPlay as a network music transfer. Conventional audio video sources also provide access to three HDMI and one component input, as well as three digital and two analog audio connections. So many interfaces has hardly any other complete system.
Nevertheless, the ensemble can be easily controlled. The easy-to-use home menu is similar to the device itself, providing fast access to all media, network servers, discs, and feeders. Alternatively, most functions can also be started using buttons on the remote control. Thanks to its rubberized underside, it is as secure on the couch as in the hand.
Only vermouth drops: The two identically shaped control buttons of the control panel led to erroneous operation quite frequently in the first days after the system was put into service. Because in the zeal of the fight, the volume was sometimes raised a few steps instead of navigating upwards as planned in the menu.
The five similar two-way satellites - the otherwise identical center, in contrast to the other speakers designed for the horizontal installation - offered a very closed sound picture and were recommended in combination Also for music playback.
Thanks to Dolby ProLogic II Music, CDs as well as MP3 music sounded particularly well in the room. In stereo mode, however, the sound was somewhat limited - a characteristic that characterizes many 5.1 systems.
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With movie sound the BDS 877 felt most comfortable: the powerful bass underlined clear, precise room effects, dialogues sounded cleanly placed and well understandable from the middle. The sound adjustment mainly depends on effective bass and clear treble. Particularly warm fundamental nuances, on the other hand, are not necessarily their strength. But this is less important in the home cinema anyway.
One more fine the plant went in terms of picture quality to work. Whether it's MP4, MKV and Quicktime videos or films from DVD and Bluray, it always got the best from every video source. The DVD converter worked to a great extent, video and film recordings of Blu-ray Disc also did not cause image unrest. In terms of color, the system acted somewhat more conservatively than the Philips HTB 9550D, which did not detract from the high-quality image impression.
The Harman / Kardon BDS 877 system series is not without reason for success: it makes optics to simple elegance, but the top model revolves in every way in home cinema. It does not offer the cheapest, but a very fine entry into HD surround pleasure.
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