Harman Kardon HK 3490 User manual

Harman Kardon, Inc.
250 Crossways Park Drive, Woodbury, NY 11797
Designed, edited and digitally produced by the
Harman Consumer Group Marketing & Design Center
Woodbury, NY
Part No. HKLITUSA5/08 Printed in USA
516.255.HKHK (4545)
FAX [phone]
www.harmankardon.com
©2008 Harman International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved. SPRING/SUMMER 2008 CATA LOG HOME/CAR/MULT IMEDIA

02 03
TABLE OF CONTENTS
AT HOME 08
IN THE CAR 34
ON THE GO 40
SPECIFICATIONS 44

04 05
WELCOME
As a consumer electronics company, the Harman Kardon®brand dates
back to the days of monaural sound and vacuum tubes. And yet here we
are, still going strong after more than 50 years, still headed by our founder,
Dr. Sidney Harman, and still following our own path, in our own way. Over
the years, landmark Harman Kardon products led the transition from
vacuum tubes to solid state, from mono to hi-fi, and from analog to digital.
With features that often broke new ground, and performance that
always set higher standards, nothing else ever looked or sounded quite like
Harman Kardon components. That’s just the way we always wanted it. And
that’s the way it still is.
* iPod tou ch not included.

0706
TECHNICAL PHILOSOPHY
Harman Kardon products were delivering high bandwidth before most people
realized it was a good thing. Technology leaders can only lead by example, and
we’ve been setting a series of very good examples for more than 50 years.
Many of the technologies found in today’s finest amplifiers were introduced
in Harman Kardon audio equipment. And we’ve always been quick to adopt
and improve on any good ideas we didn’t actually think of ourselves. It doesn’t
happen often, you understand, but it happens.

08 09
AT HOME
AUDIO/VIDEO RECEIVERS
A maximum number of options, a minimum number of buttons.
Harman Kardon A/V receivers employ the industry’s most advanced
technologies to optimize the audio and video clarity of any
entertainment source, old or new. Yet even certified technophobes
will discover that they can operate them successfully.

/ AUDIO/VIDEO RECEIVERS
10 11
AVR 354
7 x 75W 7.1-Channel A/V Receiver with HDMI™1.3a Repeater, Audio/Video Processing and Upscaling to 1080p
The AVR 354 includes a full complement of Dolby®and DTS®decoding technologies, HDMI™repeater capability, Faroudja DCDi Cinema™
processing, EzSet/EQ™equalization and multiroom capability. It connects to a universe of digital and analog sources, as well as to
external amps. And with The Bridge II docking station (included), it will even play, control and charge your iPod. To ensure that everything
works together seamlessly, the AVR 354 features a full-color graphical user interface and an eight-device programmable remote.
Harman Kardon founder Dr. Sidney Harman has always believed technology should serve users, not intimidate them. The AVR 354 is a
perfect case in point. AVR 254
7 x 50W 7.1-Channel A/V Receiver with HDMI 1.3a Repeater, Audio/Video Processing and Upscaling to 1080p
The AVR 254 is the most affordable Harman Kardon receiver to feature both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™decoding on the
audio side, and Faroudja DCDi Cinema video processing to 1080p on the video side. But there’s plenty more to recommend the AVR 254,
including three HDMI inputs, connections for external amplifiers, EzSet/EQ technology to fine-tune your system to the acoustics of your room,
and an RS-232 port for future firmware upgrades. Perhaps the highest recommendation of all? As do all Harman Kardon A/V receivers, the
AVR 254 features a high-current, ultrawide-bandwidth design for maximum fidelity.
AVR 154
5 x 30W 5.1-Channel A/V Receiver with HDMI Switching
The Harman Kardon AVR 154 is all about getting connected. It features three HDMI inputs, two wide-bandwidth HDTV-ready component
video inputs, four S-video inputs, a front-panel input for video game consoles, an auxiliary input for portable media players, and a portfolio of
advanced surround processing technologies, including Dolby Digital, DTS and Logic 7®processing. But the AVR 154 is also about ease of
use, and it features a high-current, ultrawide-bandwidth design for maximum fidelity.

/ DOCKING STATION FOR iPod
12 13
The Bridge II
Docking Station for iPod
Is your home entertainment system incomplete without music from
your iPod? Thanks to The Bridge II docking station, connection and
control are completely within your power. The Bridge II connects
directly to Harman Kardon The Bridge-ready products and allows
you to use your system’s remote to seamlessly select and play audio
and video content – guided by easy-to-read on-screen or front-panel
messages. Let the (gloriously uninterrupted) music begin.
iPod tou ch not included.

1514
BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY
We didn’t start with a business plan in 1953 – we started with a product. We
weren’t looking to find a marketing niche for ourselves – we were looking to
build audio components that satisfied our own passion for music. We built our
very first systems for ourselves and a handful of others who could hear what
we heard. These days, Harman Kardon, Inc., has a business plan, R&D labs and
a marketing department – everything a prestigious company should have. But
we’re still building systems for people who hear what we hear.

16 17
STEREO RECEIVERS
Introduced 50 years ago this year, the Harman Kardon Festival TA 230 was the
world’s first stereo receiver. Today, we continue to keep the audio faith with a choice of
powerful stereo receivers engineered by and for people who prefer to be entertained
with their eyes closed. We’re passionate, to be sure, but we’re not zealots. Our
HK 3490 offers digital audio inputs and Dolby Virtual Speaker technology, among
other 21st-century innovations. Time marches on, and Harman Kardon products
march with it.

/ STEREO RECEIVERS
18 19
HK 3490
2 x 120W Stereo Receiver
The insanely powerful HK 3490 combines all of an audiophile’s must-haves (high-performance phono preamp,
preout/main-in jacks, high-current amplification) with an array of multichannel extras (digital-audio inputs,
video switching, dual subwoofer outputs and Dolby Virtual Speaker technology). Add The Bridge II docking
station for iPod, and the HK 3490 will connect as elegantly to your newfangled iPod as it does to your time-
honored turntable. The HK 3490 isn’t a snob about where the music comes from, as long as it sounds great
when it reaches its final destination: your ears.
HK 3390
2 x 80W Stereo Receiver
The HK 3390 was born to make beautiful music and, like all specialists, it’s very good at what it does. It features
high-current, ultrawide bandwidth amplification, a signature Harman Kardon technology that delivers all the
subtlety of an original musical performance, whether reproduced from vinyl or your MP3 player of choice. But
even specialists enjoy a change of pace from time to time. So the HK 3390 also features four high-quality
composite video inputs, and convenient front-panel inputs for video game consoles and portable audio players.

/ DVD PLAYERS
20 21
DVD 48
DVD-Audio/Video and SACD™Player with HDMI Connectivity
One of the most advanced Harman Kardon DVD players, the DVD 48 is among the most sophisticated
of its kind. The DVD 48 features an HDMI connection, scales older video discs to 1080p with DCDi
by Faroudja®technology, and offers unsurpassed fidelity in the reproduction of DVD-Audio and
SACD™discs, as well as MP3 and WMA files. Do try all of this at home. The DVD 48 makes it easy.
More than a few of the earliest Harman Kardon products – some of them pushing 50 by now – are still in
use today, and some of our earliest CD and DVD players are surely among them. But to fully experience
the very highest resolution of today’s digital sources, you’ll need our newest DVD player. We know
upgrading isn’t always a joy. But we promise that you’ll notice the difference.

/ DIGITAL MEDIA CENTERS
22 23
It has long been a dream to create a media server that works like an entertainment device, not
a computer. This ideal player would be conversant in a universe of digital storage technologies
and formats, serving as the one go-to device to finally bridge the gaping DVD/CD/music
system/cell phone/camera divide. This is no longer just a dream – behold the Harman Kardon
Digital Media Center.
As awarded by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
In the Permanent Design Collection of The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
DMC 1000
Four-Stream Digital Media Center with Progressive-Scan DVD-Video Playback and 250GB Internal
Hard Drive
Smaller, but vastly smarter and better looking than your average CD storage rack, the DMC 1000 will digitize, catalog and store more than
60,000 songs as you play them, allowing you to banish your CDs – and CD storage racks – to the attic. It will also let you send up to four
different audio selections to other rooms of your house at once. With touch-sensitive front-panel controls (the ultimate no-button design),
a concealed front-panel USB jack and hidden memory card slots, the DMC 1000 will even let you transfer your music for use in portable
players, card-equipped cars and cell phones. And your iPod? Enjoy playback, control and charging with The Bridge II docking station for
iPod (sold separately and very much worth it).

2524
MULTIROOM PRODUCTS
One-room systems are only ideal for one-room apartments. All Harman Kardon
7.1-channel AVR receivers are built with multiroom applications in mind. All include
assignable rear-channel amplifiers, all offer a second-zone control system, and the
AVR 354 includes a second-zone remote control. Which means Harman Kardon
multiroom systems are easy to set up and use. So go ahead, spread out and enjoy
yourself. Your Harman Kardon entertainment system will be there for you.

/ MULTIROOM PRODUCTS
26 27
ABH 4000
Four-Zone/Eight-Room A-BUS®Expansion Hub
Different music in different rooms. With an ABH 4000 expansion hub and up to four different input sources (including your
Harman Kardon AVR), you can easily divide your house into four separate entertainment zones, where individual musical tastes
may prevail. Link in an A-BUS®-equipped Harman Kardon product and make its tuner and The Bridge II docking station for iPod
accessible from throughout the realm. May domestic bliss and your favorite music be with you.
ABH 4
Four-Room A-BUS Expansion Hub
One ABH 4 = four rooms; more ABH 4’s = many more rooms. With
A-BUS-equipped Harman Kardon products, the more ABH 4’s you
have, the more rooms you can serve − and the more music-hungry
constituents you can satisfy. But even without A-BUS technology,
the ABH 4’s onboard audio inputs allow you to distribute audio from
any receiver’s “Tape” or “Multiroom” outputs to any room. As usual,
Harman Kardon products have got you covered.
AB 2
Amplified In-Wall Module with Onboard Controls for
A-BUS Applications
The ultimate keypad. The AB 2 connects to your A-BUS-equipped
Harman Kardon products or ABH expansion hub to power your local
speakers without an additional amplifier. Also, it easily allows you to
select and control your listening sources as you enter a room (and its key
caps are swappable, to mirror your system), or to power the system off
as you depart. And during your stay? The AB 2 has an infrared sensor
to relay your every wish to the AVR with virtually any Harman Kardon
remote control.
HE 1000
External Infrared Remote Sensor
We don’t know of many people hiding Harman Kardon components
behind closed doors, but just in case, a remote sensor for your
system’s IR remote control only makes sense. One or more HE 1000’s
can put you in control of your AVR from anywhere in your home. And
although it’s usually considered impolite to point, the IR sensors don’t
seem to mind.
AB 1
Amplified In-Wall Module for A-BUS Applications
Often located next to the light switch, and every bit as important.
Controlling your A-BUS-equipped Harman Kardon products in remote
rooms and powering the remote-room speakers is as simple as a
single connection to the AVR or the nearest ABH expansion hub, and
a link to the speakers. That will give you the option of controlling local
volume with the AVR’s second-zone remote, or directly from the AB 1.

2928
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe borrowed “less is more” from Robert Browning.
We borrowed it from Mies. Minimalism has long been a major force in
architecture, music and design. It’s also been one of our guiding principles
from the very beginning. The Harman Kardon team believes that good
design consists of essential elements presented in their purest form, with
an absence of excess or decoration. We could go on and on about this, but
that would be icing on the cake. We don’t do icing.

30 31
HOME THEATER SPEAKER SYSTEMS
Let Harman Kardon home theater speaker systems make this simple for you. As
you probably know, a 5.1-channel speaker system consists of four satellite speakers,
a center channel speaker primarily for dialogue, and a powered subwoofer. So if
you’re ordering à la carte, that’s four from column A, one from column B and one
from column C. Simple enough. Except the center ought to be voice-matched to the
satellites, the sub shouldn’t overpower the center or the satellites, and all six should
be matched to your electronics. Suddenly, it’s not that simple. Unless you simply
choose one from the column of Harman Kardon HKTS speaker packages.

/ HOME THEATER SPEAKER SYSTEMS
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HKTS 18
5.1-Channel Home Theater Speaker System
The speaker package for people who hate it when people talk during movies. The HKTS 18 is a powerful 5.1-channel solution with
dual midrange drivers in both the satellites and the center channel for heightened realism, and a 200-watt powered subwoofer for
bass that isn’t one bit intimidated by all that heightened realism. And those talkers? We guarantee they’ll find this a tough act to
compete against.
HKTS 15
5.1-Channel Home Theater Speaker System
Please have your tickets ready. With a dual-driver center channel speaker for vivid, distinct movie dialogue, four compact but powerful
satellites to pull you into the action, and a 100-watt powered subwoofer for heart-stopping bass, the HKTS 15 system is more than
equal to all the excitement Hollywood is dishing out these days. Worlds colliding? Total nuclear annihilation? Child’s play.
HKS 6
Surround Speakers
Don’t look behind you. There’s nothing back there but your HKS 6
speakers, faking you out by delivering a back channel that the
5.1 HKTS 15 system, by itself, cannot. We’ll admit that it can be a little
spooky at first, especially if it sounds like the overnight delivery guy
driving up, or anything else that might actually be happening in the
real world. But you’ll learn to cope.
HKS 9
Surround Speakers
No matter how good things get, there’ll always be an upgrade.
HKS 9 speakers are identical to HKTS 18 speakers, except that they’re
available in pairs, for easily upgrading a 5.1-channel HKTS 18 system
to 7.1 channels. The additional speakers add a surround back channel
for the ultimate in cinema-like sound.
HTFS 2
Floor Stands
Designed to position any HKTS satellite at an ideal height for seated
listeners, these aluminum floor stands feature a cable-management
system to keep speaker wires out of sight. (You’re welcome.)

3534
IN THE CAR
CAR SOLUTIONS
We’re one of the world’s leading suppliers of automotive audio and infotainment
systems; our products are found in the premium cars of major manufacturers. But
even if a Logic 7 multichannel audio system isn’t in your budget this year, our elegantly
designed and easy-to-use products mean you can still enjoy superb Harman Kardon
sound in your car.

/ PORTABLE NAVIGATION
36 37
HARMAN KARDON GUIDE + PLAY™
They’re small. They’re portable. And they’re changing the way drivers drive and how passengers
pass the time. All Harman Kardon Guide + Play™GPS navigation and entertainment products offer
turn-by-turn directions to virtually any destination, with a choice of music along the way. Some add
video and communications capabilities. But none requires drivers to take their eyes off the road.
After all, their first job is to get you where you’re going safely.
GPS-810
4.3" Portable Navigation System
A bright 4.3" touchscreen display. An innovative, mount-anywhere wireless controller. Superfast route calculation. Bluetooth®
hands-free phone functionality. Real-time traffic.* Text-to-Speech. And all your favorite music, movies and photos along for the
ride. The Harman Kardon GPS-810 has it all – and works more easily and intuitively than any other system out there.
* Subscription required (first 90 days free).
GPS-510
4" Portable Navigation System
The GPS-510 is a full-featured portable GPS navigation system, digital music player
and widescreen video player that fits in the palm of your hand. Your MP3, WMA and
AAC music and MPEG-4 and WMV9 video files are only a download away. Is there
traffic ahead? The built-in real-time-traffic* receiver will let you know, so you can quickly
calculate an alternate route.
GPS-310
4" Portable Navigation System
The GPS-310 is the ultimate all-in-one navigation and entertainment system. Its
full-browse music player will provide the soundtrack to get you where you need to go.

/ CONTROL FOR iPod
38 39
DRIVE + PLAY™2
Your car is a great place to listen to music. And the Apple iPod is a great way
to bring your favorite tunes along for the ride. But how can you get at your
songs and playlists without taking your mind off your driving? The innovative
Harman Kardon Drive + Play™2 system gives you all the music-browsing
capabilities of your iPod. And it is designed to work with existing car audio
systems. Browse by artist, album, song, genre or composer. Scroll through
your playlists. Jump ahead to the next track or play the last one over and
over. All from the driver’s seat. All without taking your eyes off the road.
Drive + Play 2
Mobile Media Manager
The next generation of in-car media-player interfaces. The Drive + Play 2 system not only controls your iPod, it offers full access
to audio tracks located on all kinds of USB flash devices. The 3.5" high-resolution color display shows full-color album art and
anti-aliased text. The wireless five-button controller lets you generate your own music mixes and control additional Harman
Kardon accessories. The Drive + Play 2 unit plugs directly into your car’s cigarette-lighter port and plays high-quality
audio through a built-in wireless FM transmitter or 3.5mm line outputs.