Is Harman Kardon Equipment good enough to be included here??
- Thread starter Champco
- Start date
Champco
Super Member
History[edit]
In the early 1950s, Sidney Harman was the general manager of the David Bogen Company, a manufacturer of public address systems at the time. Bernard Kardon was the chief engineer at Bogen. Due to management changes at Bogen in the early 1950s, both men resigned. With $5,000 investment each, Sidney Harman and Bernard Kardon founded the Harman Kardon Company in 1953.
In the 1950s Harman Kardon designed some of the first high fidelity audio products that lent to starting the high fidelity business. Integrated receivers (with a tuner, preamplifier and power amplifier) was an idea to introduce and provide high fidelity performance in a single unit. Integrated high fidelity receivers, however, were not new — Scott Radio Laboratories had manufactured such items in the late 1930s.[2] The company's first product was an FM tuner.
One year after its founding, in 1954, Harman Kardon introduced their compact size high fidelity receiver, the Festival D1000. The D1000 was one of the world's first AM/FM compact Hi-Fi receivers, and a forerunner to today's integrated receivers. This monaural unit was aimed to introduce non-technical consumers to high fidelity and combined many now-familiar features such as a tuner, component control unit and amplifier in a single chassis. The shape, form function and size of the D1000 was a forerunner of the modern integrated receiver. Early Harman Kardon Hi-Fi equipment can be identified by a distinctive design of a copper plated chassis with a copper and black color scheme for panels and enclosures.[3]
By 1956, Bernard Kardon decided to retire and sold his interest in the company to Sidney Harman. As the sole head of Harman Kardon, Harman continued to make the company a technical leader in Hi-Fi products. Sidney Harman would change the company's name to Harman International, but the receivers, tuners and amplifiers were still branded Harman Kardon. The products continue to be branded as Harman Kardon to the present day.
In 1958, Harman Kardon introduced one of the first stereo receivers, the Festival TA230, once again aimed at non-technical users with the intention of making high-fidelity stereo widely available. Stereo sound was achieved by using one channel from the AM band, and one channel from the FM band. This early form of stereophonic reception was called simulcast stereo. Early FM broadcast signals did not have the stereo carrier (pilot) signal that carried the stereo left and right channels. After the stereo signal standard was established, a stereo multiplex circuit connected to or built into the receiver was used to decode the stereo signal. (The first true FM Multiplex Stereo Receiver was sold by H.H. Scott in 1961 with introduction of the Model 350 tuner.)[3]
In 1959, Harman Kardon marketed the Citation II, an early ultra wideband stereophonic tube amplifier. Designed by Stewart Hegeman, it featured 60 watts/channel output with a frequency response of 18-60,000 Hz at 20 watt output.[4] The company promoted their philosophy of designing high fidelity sound using amplifiers that provided widest possible audio bandwidth. Although the human ear highest audible range is around 20,000 Hz, the full range of sound goes beyond that with harmonicsand overtones that may be beyond the hearing range of the human ear. These harmonics interact with other frequencies to produce audible secondary sounds or interference. Harman Kardon promoted the design in audio magazines and product brochures.[3]
In 1969 Harman bought the major speaker manufacturer JBL. In 1970 Harman marketed the first stereophonic cassette recording deck with Dolby B noise reduction, the model CAD5. The Dolby noise reduction system significantly reduced noise due to the narrow track width and slow tape speed of the cassette, allowing the cassette deck to become a high fidelity product.[3]
Harman Kardon 330B Stereo Receiver (early 1970s). Part of a classic line of Harman Kardon entry level receivers with high quality electronic design and performance, but few frills.
Harman Kardon's design goal is to have the highest possible design quality for the price, rather than unnecessary features. The Harman Kardon model 330 series (330, 330A, B and C) from 1968-1979 is an example of the company's design philosophy, a basic no frills stereo transistor receiver but with excellent performance in its class. It is still sought by audio collectors as a quality basic Hi-Fi receiver .[5]
In 1976, Harman supported Jimmy Carter's bid to become President of the United States. When Carter became President, he appointed Harman to be the Deputy Secretary of Commerce. As US law required appointees to have no direct business interests in day-to-day activities, Harman had to sell the company. He sold Harman International to Beatrice Foods, a large conglomerate for $100 million. Under Beatrice Foods, Harman International turned away from the company's earlier policy of advancing Hi-Fi design and marketing of products that appealed to audiophiles. Under the new style of management, Harman International sales had dropped 40% by 1980.
1980 brought the introduction of the Citation XX high current amplifier, which provided quicker response to large signal transitions from the power amplifier to the speakers, which improved the accuracy of sound reproduction. The Citation XX amplifier was called "the world's best-sounding power amplifier" by the editors of The Audio Critic magazine.[6] The amplifier was designed by Finnish engineer Dr. Matti Otala who discovered transient intermodulation distortion (TIM) in 1970[7] and worked to mitigate its effects in the following years. The Citation XX was a project to get the best possible measurements of output signals, and the best perceived sound.[8]
After the Carter presidency, Harman regained ownership of Harman International. In 1980 he purchased Harman International from Beatrice Foods for $55 million. However, the receiver group was not included in the purchase because Beatrice Foods previously sold the group to the Japanese company Shin-Shirasuna. The Harman Kardon receiver group was the heart of Harman International, and in 1985 Harman purchased the receiver group and returned Harman International to its pre-1976 form.
From 1999 to 2007, Harman Kardon worked to develop digital processing for audio products. In 1999 the company introduced the CDR-2 compact disc recorder, the first with 4X high speed dubbing. In 2000, Harman Kardon produced the AVR-7000 audio-video receiver, which was able to decode and process HDCD.
Harman retired from Harman International in 2007 at the age of 88. At that time he hired technology executive Dinesh Paliwal to succeed him as CEO.
On March 11, 2017, Samsung announced the acquisition of Harman International for a reported purchase price of $8B USD [9]
In the early 1950s, Sidney Harman was the general manager of the David Bogen Company, a manufacturer of public address systems at the time. Bernard Kardon was the chief engineer at Bogen. Due to management changes at Bogen in the early 1950s, both men resigned. With $5,000 investment each, Sidney Harman and Bernard Kardon founded the Harman Kardon Company in 1953.
In the 1950s Harman Kardon designed some of the first high fidelity audio products that lent to starting the high fidelity business. Integrated receivers (with a tuner, preamplifier and power amplifier) was an idea to introduce and provide high fidelity performance in a single unit. Integrated high fidelity receivers, however, were not new — Scott Radio Laboratories had manufactured such items in the late 1930s.[2] The company's first product was an FM tuner.
One year after its founding, in 1954, Harman Kardon introduced their compact size high fidelity receiver, the Festival D1000. The D1000 was one of the world's first AM/FM compact Hi-Fi receivers, and a forerunner to today's integrated receivers. This monaural unit was aimed to introduce non-technical consumers to high fidelity and combined many now-familiar features such as a tuner, component control unit and amplifier in a single chassis. The shape, form function and size of the D1000 was a forerunner of the modern integrated receiver. Early Harman Kardon Hi-Fi equipment can be identified by a distinctive design of a copper plated chassis with a copper and black color scheme for panels and enclosures.[3]
By 1956, Bernard Kardon decided to retire and sold his interest in the company to Sidney Harman. As the sole head of Harman Kardon, Harman continued to make the company a technical leader in Hi-Fi products. Sidney Harman would change the company's name to Harman International, but the receivers, tuners and amplifiers were still branded Harman Kardon. The products continue to be branded as Harman Kardon to the present day.
In 1958, Harman Kardon introduced one of the first stereo receivers, the Festival TA230, once again aimed at non-technical users with the intention of making high-fidelity stereo widely available. Stereo sound was achieved by using one channel from the AM band, and one channel from the FM band. This early form of stereophonic reception was called simulcast stereo. Early FM broadcast signals did not have the stereo carrier (pilot) signal that carried the stereo left and right channels. After the stereo signal standard was established, a stereo multiplex circuit connected to or built into the receiver was used to decode the stereo signal. (The first true FM Multiplex Stereo Receiver was sold by H.H. Scott in 1961 with introduction of the Model 350 tuner.)[3]
In 1959, Harman Kardon marketed the Citation II, an early ultra wideband stereophonic tube amplifier. Designed by Stewart Hegeman, it featured 60 watts/channel output with a frequency response of 18-60,000 Hz at 20 watt output.[4] The company promoted their philosophy of designing high fidelity sound using amplifiers that provided widest possible audio bandwidth. Although the human ear highest audible range is around 20,000 Hz, the full range of sound goes beyond that with harmonicsand overtones that may be beyond the hearing range of the human ear. These harmonics interact with other frequencies to produce audible secondary sounds or interference. Harman Kardon promoted the design in audio magazines and product brochures.[3]
In 1969 Harman bought the major speaker manufacturer JBL. In 1970 Harman marketed the first stereophonic cassette recording deck with Dolby B noise reduction, the model CAD5. The Dolby noise reduction system significantly reduced noise due to the narrow track width and slow tape speed of the cassette, allowing the cassette deck to become a high fidelity product.[3]
Harman Kardon 330B Stereo Receiver (early 1970s). Part of a classic line of Harman Kardon entry level receivers with high quality electronic design and performance, but few frills.
Harman Kardon's design goal is to have the highest possible design quality for the price, rather than unnecessary features. The Harman Kardon model 330 series (330, 330A, B and C) from 1968-1979 is an example of the company's design philosophy, a basic no frills stereo transistor receiver but with excellent performance in its class. It is still sought by audio collectors as a quality basic Hi-Fi receiver .[5]
In 1976, Harman supported Jimmy Carter's bid to become President of the United States. When Carter became President, he appointed Harman to be the Deputy Secretary of Commerce. As US law required appointees to have no direct business interests in day-to-day activities, Harman had to sell the company. He sold Harman International to Beatrice Foods, a large conglomerate for $100 million. Under Beatrice Foods, Harman International turned away from the company's earlier policy of advancing Hi-Fi design and marketing of products that appealed to audiophiles. Under the new style of management, Harman International sales had dropped 40% by 1980.
1980 brought the introduction of the Citation XX high current amplifier, which provided quicker response to large signal transitions from the power amplifier to the speakers, which improved the accuracy of sound reproduction. The Citation XX amplifier was called "the world's best-sounding power amplifier" by the editors of The Audio Critic magazine.[6] The amplifier was designed by Finnish engineer Dr. Matti Otala who discovered transient intermodulation distortion (TIM) in 1970[7] and worked to mitigate its effects in the following years. The Citation XX was a project to get the best possible measurements of output signals, and the best perceived sound.[8]
After the Carter presidency, Harman regained ownership of Harman International. In 1980 he purchased Harman International from Beatrice Foods for $55 million. However, the receiver group was not included in the purchase because Beatrice Foods previously sold the group to the Japanese company Shin-Shirasuna. The Harman Kardon receiver group was the heart of Harman International, and in 1985 Harman purchased the receiver group and returned Harman International to its pre-1976 form.
From 1999 to 2007, Harman Kardon worked to develop digital processing for audio products. In 1999 the company introduced the CDR-2 compact disc recorder, the first with 4X high speed dubbing. In 2000, Harman Kardon produced the AVR-7000 audio-video receiver, which was able to decode and process HDCD.
Harman retired from Harman International in 2007 at the age of 88. At that time he hired technology executive Dinesh Paliwal to succeed him as CEO.
On March 11, 2017, Samsung announced the acquisition of Harman International for a reported purchase price of $8B USD [9]
Two of probably about five (according to experts) harman kardon "TA230 Stereo Festival" receivers in Europe. Maybe the first owners of these 117 V receivers were American soldiers based in Germany. These jewels need a step down converter here.
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Champco
Super Member
HK equipment has architecture history which excelled for years and could have been a leader had they over priced it like some other manufactures.
Its marketing was designed to be affordable compared to it's sonic peers of the time. A unfortunate for them, fortunate for the public mistake.
So the Equipment should be judged. Not necessarily its numbers of owners. IMO
Champco
Super Member
How often do you come across these??
I think you are confused about the selection process. The brands, which are represented in that group, were not chosen because of some superiority of engineering, or quality of performance.
Where there is little representation elsewhere on the web, AK has stepped in. As well, due to some once-chronic issues with the Klipsch forum, we stepped in, to provide a place for their members, many of whom are also members of AK. The Lansing Legacy provides a place for discussions of a somewhat less-technical nature, more focused on the end user. As well, there needs to be enough traffic to support the existence of a brand-specific forum, without 'gutting' the general forums from which the threads and traffic would be drawn.
So, the premise of your poll is flawed. It's not about the gear being somehow worthy, or excluded because it is less than worthy, in someone's eyes. (ears?) We have had other forums for brands which did not generate enough traffic, to sustain their continued existence, and those got folded back into the general area from which the threads were mined. At this point, the area is Balkanized so much that it is difficult to make a compelling case for further fragmentation.
Thanks.
Champco
Super Member
Thanks for the information. Always nice to have perspective as well.
I am a fan of HK... have the Citation I, II, III-x, 11,12, 13, 14, ST4, ST7, ST8 and a T-45C. However I have other interests as well and spend my time in the equipment forums, Tuner, Turntable etc. If I need something for Infinity I will migrate there but I have learned so much from the diversity of the equipment forums I'd hate for HK to pigeon holed. My two cents.
Sidney Harman wound up acquiring other brands such as AKG, AMX, Becker, Crown, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon, dbx, DigiTech, Mark Levinson, Martin, Revel, Soundcraft, Studer, Arcam, and BSS Audio.
All under the "banner" of Harman International. After Sidney Harman retired, and passed away, It was only a matter of a few years when then Harman president Dinesh Paliwali sold Harman International to Samsung ...
The sale was completed on March 10, 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harman_International_Industries
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harman_Kardon
All under the "banner" of Harman International. After Sidney Harman retired, and passed away, It was only a matter of a few years when then Harman president Dinesh Paliwali sold Harman International to Samsung ...
The sale was completed on March 10, 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harman_International_Industries
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harman_Kardon
teal'c
Nuclear Cardiac Parent
Probably because no one feels HK is unworthy. It's a manipulative question/answer that I won't answer because while I like HK I don't think we need a HK forum section any more than we need a NAD section.
Champco
Super Member
Let me add a bit here. Yes my poll question was firmly passive/aggressive, but I blame Wayne's world as I meant it in that light. I was mistakenly assuming the categories, of manufactures popularity, was the driving reason for inclusion. Still seems that way as traffic or post numbers on say Eico is low for it's time in existence as a sub category. Most all else is pretty popular stuff.
The main reason I ask is, the fragmentation on HK equipment within the forums. Looking for information on a particular piece requires a ton of research with no confidence of having found all there is on site. I have learned lots here by digging and it is primarily why it seems to me, that with the history, the diversity of equipment, tubes, solid state, integrated, there is enough to justify it's own tab. MRL_AUDIO has listed equipment I had no idea existed, just asking this question.
Another reason is I have spent a lot of time searching for info all over the interweb and have not found anything dedicated to HK. AK has as much as anyone including Hi-FI engine. Did not know about EICO but since I have seen it here, I notice it reading, where I may and probably have overlooked it. Beside that the data I have uncovered shows a need for information on this vintage audio, Harman Kardon. There are problems to solve. It just won't be done here.
I hope more will chime in.
The main reason I ask is, the fragmentation on HK equipment within the forums. Looking for information on a particular piece requires a ton of research with no confidence of having found all there is on site. I have learned lots here by digging and it is primarily why it seems to me, that with the history, the diversity of equipment, tubes, solid state, integrated, there is enough to justify it's own tab. MRL_AUDIO has listed equipment I had no idea existed, just asking this question.
Another reason is I have spent a lot of time searching for info all over the interweb and have not found anything dedicated to HK. AK has as much as anyone including Hi-FI engine. Did not know about EICO but since I have seen it here, I notice it reading, where I may and probably have overlooked it. Beside that the data I have uncovered shows a need for information on this vintage audio, Harman Kardon. There are problems to solve. It just won't be done here.
I hope more will chime in.
Sure it can be here, and it starts with one person and that can be you. You know when you do a search for a specific unit you'll see AK on google and there might be a few threads posted. You can even click on "More" and it will give you a page full of AK threads. I would say most of use found AK because of a google search we did on a unit or two.
Now getting back to you leading the way. I have some pieces that are kinda rare and have posted the here. When I wanted to find info on them prior to owning the equipment there wasn't any real info. Now if you search the pieces it will show a thread or mention at AK on a google search.
When I was looking at buying my fist SOTA Phono Head Amp, there wasn't much.
Now on Google
https://www.google.com/search?q=SOT...=chrome..69i57j69i60&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Now on Google and searched under More From AK
https://www.google.com/search?q=SOT...SwcQHHdziBDcQrQIoBDACegQIBxAM&biw=893&bih=409
Now on Google under "images"
https://www.google.com/search?q=SOT...yhtLgAhVSwcQHHdziBDcQ_AUIDygC&biw=893&bih=409
Under AK images
https://www.google.com/search?q=SOT...UIDygC&cshid=1550931849029876&biw=893&bih=409
Let me know how many post you find and images I posted.
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If you start threads they show up on the worldwide web. You can also tag your threads with other key words that will help people searching google.
I started this thread after I bought these amps, prior to buying I could not find one photo of the amps or any info let alone a sale to show going prices.
My thread
VAC Vintage High Power Mk II Monophonic Power Amplifier
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....ower-mk-ii-monophonic-power-amplifier.768672/
Now a google search of Vintage High Power Mk II Monophonic Power Amplifier
https://www.google.com/search?q=Vin...=chrome..69i57j69i60&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
I started this thread after I bought these amps, prior to buying I could not find one photo of the amps or any info let alone a sale to show going prices.
My thread
VAC Vintage High Power Mk II Monophonic Power Amplifier
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....ower-mk-ii-monophonic-power-amplifier.768672/
Now a google search of Vintage High Power Mk II Monophonic Power Amplifier
https://www.google.com/search?q=Vin...=chrome..69i57j69i60&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
audiohiffle
New Member
HK's Citation Line was one of the premiere early audiophile lines .... less expensive but in some ways more than compotetive with the Marantz and McIntosh units of the time. I worked for them briefly in 1974 just as they fired the design team that did the Citation work and replaced it with NASA electrical engineers who had no in-depth knowledge of audio electronics. The decline subsequently was inevitable. All of the objective at that time was on styling "sex appeal", which the company did very well at. The company was then being run by a Miami-era audio store entrepreneur named Bob Greenberg, who also really didn't understand high end audio. But Sidney was a superb, street smart negotiator (he negotiated the final production pricing of the the 300 stereo receiver with the Japanese supplier from my office) and Bob pushed the brand into the coming big box revolution, thereby eventually losing the loyalty of the true audio merchants.
Yes, the Citation series up to the Citation 15 is true high fidelity. After that, not so much. And yes, the HK stereo and quad receivers from that era were superior to everything else on the market. The last work of the Citation design team.
Yes, the Citation series up to the Citation 15 is true high fidelity. After that, not so much. And yes, the HK stereo and quad receivers from that era were superior to everything else on the market. The last work of the Citation design team.
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
Weird, either we want a forum or think the gear is shite. Why bias the poll that way?
Sitting here cranking some Citation as I write.
Sitting here cranking some Citation as I write.
Champco
Super Member
Blue i do see your point. How would you change the second question in the poll??
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