Harman Kardon’s digital path receiver technology.
Digital path receivers eliminate an additional conversion step by
keeping signals in the digital domain straight through until they reach
the speaker outputs. This preserves signal quality by removing the
possibility of inducing conversion artifacts and other noise.
signals back to analog for amplification. The signal path is purely
digital, and the result is a significantly quieter output that is as close
to noise-free as you can get.
The incredible system efficiency of the digital design dramatically
reduces the size of the receiver. With over 80% of the system’s
energy converted to power (as compared to slightly more than 55%
in a conventional design), DPR models pack seven channels of high-
quality amplification into a design that is considerably smaller. This
efficiency allows our designers and engineers to eliminate the large
transformers. A small, self-contained amplifier module replaces rows
at the inputs and the digital-to-analog converters (DACs) that
convert all digital signals, regardless of their origin, back to analog
for amplification after the decoding and processing is completed.
Within these digital islands, signals are virtually free from interference,
but each time they are converted from analog to digital, or back to
analog, there is the possibility of signal degradation. No matter how
good the converters are – and Harman Kardon products use only the
best – some change to the signal is inevitable.
Unfortunately, when digital signals exist as individual blocks, the
potential for trouble is inescapable. Until now. Harman Kardon’s DPR
series of digital path receivers eliminates the need to convert digital
If the introduction of the compact disc in 1982 was the first wave in
the digital waters, today’s home entertainment landscape is a veritable
ocean of digital technology. Initially used only for playback sources
such as CDs, digital technology is now at the heart of every phase
of a program’s life, from the initial recording, to editing, to making
a disc or the transmission process.
Digital technology is what makes DVD players and today’s A/V
receivers possible, but until now each component was a digital island
connected to another component or circuit by analog bridges. In an
A/V receiver, these bridges include the analog-to-digital converters
Output Power in Watts
Conventional
DPR
Efficiency in %
10
of power transistors and bulky heatsinks. This adds up to a system
that is sized and styled to complement today’s digital video displays,
fitting in places where you never thought a high-quality audio
component could.
DPR receivers are big on performance. The new DPR 2005
and DPR 1005 have tremendous flexibility and features. And, of
course, there’s the sound. It’s everything you would expect from
Harman Kardon – and more. By letting digital signals take the
shortest course, direct from the original digital source to your
speakers, our digital path receivers deliver totally digital entertainment
and realize our promise of Power for the Digital Revolution.
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