Harmon/Kardon 430 Twin

Puptentacle

New Member
Greetings all. I was lucky the other day at Goodwill and picked up a Harmon/Kardon 430 Twin Powered for $40!
Testing showed a dead channel so I fired up the scope and traced the problem to the stereo/mono switch. I cleaned the switch and I've been enjoying it in my little shop ever since. It sounds very clean and neutral on the speakers I used, JBL 2600, Axiom and DCM. Quite surprising volume and no observed clipping one the scope.

The lights all work. I really don't think it was used much as the interior was quite clean (cleaner now, though), the black vinyl coating on the cover is perfect. It does have a couple of scratches on the dial glass, but they disappear at over two feet with my eyes.

Links to pics

http://imageshack.us/a/img153/4967/hk420front3.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img546/4899/hk430co9veroff.jpg

Any idea how much it's worth?
 
The 430 is a classic, great sounding little receiver. $100 sounds about right. Though you'll see them fluctuate from time to time from $50-$300 or so depending on condition.
 
I love my 430. It sounds SO clean.

It was $150.00 here - there's another on local kijiji for $275.00. That ones been there over a year. He just won't drop the price.
 
I've rebuilt a few of these for the guys in the Klipsch forum. I'll buy 'em between $50 and $100. Rebuild adds $100 to $150 depending upon how much works goes into it. If you decide to rebuild, I can send you a Mouser parts list.
 
I've rebuilt a few of these for the guys in the Klipsch forum. I'll buy 'em between $50 and $100. Rebuild adds $100 to $150 depending upon how much works goes into it. If you decide to rebuild, I can send you a Mouser parts list.


Elusive, have you rebuilt a 730? Would be interested in a parts list for that if you have. :thmbsp:
 
Here is my spreadsheet with the Mouser parts that I use. Not to say you can't use others, this is just what I think is the best price vs. cost.

Note that on the 430, I'm using Panasonic 4 pin caps for the main filters. This is do to the large pin spacing. However, on the 730, I'm NOT using the 3 pin caps as the spacing is more typical of modern parts.

Most of the caps are Nichicon. The blue part numbers are links to Mouser. The part numbers are the real ones so you can order from whoever you like.
 

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Here is my spreadsheet with the Mouser parts that I use. Not to say you can't use others, this is just what I think is the best price vs. cost.

Note that on the 430, I'm using Panasonic 4 pin caps for the main filters. This is do to the large pin spacing. However, on the 730, I'm NOT using the 3 pin caps as the spacing is more typical of modern parts.

Most of the caps are Nichicon. The blue part numbers are links to Mouser. The part numbers are the real ones so you can order from whoever you like.

Thanks, very helpful!

Are the boards involved pretty easy to access and replace these caps? Any other tips/words of wisdom - board traces are pretty robust and not prone to lifting?

In your restores, these are all the caps you replace? You don't do the ones on the tone boards, etc?
 
In my opinion, these receivers are easy to work on. The two rectifier boards have to be removed from under the chassis. Each has two screws and the wires are long enough to work with. The main filter caps are a challenge to replace if you do not have any desoldering gear. I've never had a trace lift on one of these.

I've replaced caps on the pre-amp boards, but never really heard a differance. I have had a few units that needed small signal transistors replaced.
 
Thanks Elusive - I'll poke around and check out the difficulty of those main filter caps. I have a soldering iron and have desoldered crossover caps in speakers and several caps on various PCB's in receivers, but always hesitated where there were really tight spaces and a ton of desoldering required to free up entangled boards.

We'll see - thanks again for all your input.
 
I have a spring loaded solder sucker. Those dedicated desoldering irons look great for doing extensive work, but they're bucks!
 
I have a spring loaded solder sucker. Those dedicated desoldering irons look great for doing extensive work, but they're bucks!

Yes, but once you spring for a Hakko - you'll never look back. I can remove a 4 pin filter cap in less than a minute. With a 1.6mm tip, the solder flows in less than ten seconds.

...and the iron can be left on for hours without damage. I only have about a hour a night "free time". That one piece of gear has paid for itself over and over again.
 
Here is my spreadsheet with the Mouser parts that I use. Not to say you can't use others, this is just what I think is the best price vs. cost.

Note that on the 430, I'm using Panasonic 4 pin caps for the main filters. This is do to the large pin spacing. However, on the 730, I'm NOT using the 3 pin caps as the spacing is more typical of modern parts.

Most of the caps are Nichicon. The blue part numbers are links to Mouser. The part numbers are the real ones so you can order from whoever you like.

Thanks for that list. Just a quick question: what's the purpose of using twice higher values ? Will this increase the sound in some cases ? Or is it more a choice, as you say, to fit best the original drills ? There are two sub-rectifier boards under the chassis which have one 1000/40 and one 3300/35 (or 25, I don't have it handy). You seem to have increased the 3300 to 10000. Is this reall relevant ?

Thanks :)
 
As far as I know - consider that I am pretty stupid - well, as far as I know the name of the brand is

HARMAN KARDON
 
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