Speaker pairing with Harman Kardon Ballad A230

Zardoz69

New Member
I was recently given a Harman Kardon Ballad A230 and have fallen in love with it. I'm running it through some JBL bookshelf speakers (will have to get model # when I'm home later) and am really pleased with what I am hearing. Nonetheless, I do have the feeling that there is something even better just around the corner in the speaker department. Wondering if anyone can suggest a good speaker to pair up with this amp? That analysis can be based on experience, theory, clairvoyance...whatever. I don't have the $tew to go for serious high-end audiophile speakers so any suggestions need to keep that reality in mind. I'm looking for more of the few-hundred-bucks-and-under...maybe even luck-up-in-a-thrift-store kind of deal. Thanks!
 
People will give you suggestions but in all fairness, you will just have to trial & error with speakers that you think sound excellent to you. Lots out there to choose from.

What's the wattage of your amp? That, and some efficient speakers (91db & above) will make a big difference on your listening preferences.
 
I have restored 2 of these amps for my friend. I installed an option to bypass the front of the amp and use just the power amp. I also removed the switches between the output transformer and the speakers. The direct in and out mod makes this amp sound 100 times better. He is using B&W DM602 S3 speakers...it is pure magic. Cleanest and most dynamic sound I have ever heard. The speakers were upgraded by removing the electrolytic caps from the crossover and replacing with film caps of the same value. I highly recommend this combination. When "Fixed" these amps are total sleepers.
 
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People will give you suggestions but in all fairness, you will just have to trial & error with speakers that you think sound excellent to you. Lots out there to choose from.

What's the wattage of your amp? That, and some efficient speakers (91db & above) will make a big difference on your listening preferences.

The amp is so old that the wattage info, etc. has been obscured. But sources online say 15 watts per channel.
 
I have restored 2 of these amps for my friend. I installed an option to bypass the front of the amp and use just the power amp. I also removed the switches between the output transformer and the speakers. The direct in and out mod makes this amp sound 100 times better. He is using B&W DM602 S3 speakers...it is pure magic. Cleanest and most dynamic sound I have ever heard. The speakers were upgraded by removing the electrolytic caps from the crossover and replacing with film caps of the same value. I highly recommend this combination. When "Fixed" these amps are total sleepers.

Thanks for the reply. I do have some old B&Ws (not DM602 S3s) in another room so maybe the first step is to switch them out and gauge the improvement. Very curious about the modification you describe but I'm barely able to make a peanut butter & jelly sandwich so I know this is beyond my meager tech capabilities. However, I do know some folks that may be able to do that mod...so you never know. Thanks again!
 
Realistically it makes about 12W RMS Per channel. Since the output power is low, this amp does not pair well with sealed cabinet speakers. If your B&W speakers are ported and efficient, then go for it. Has the amp been refurbished? A stock unit has old electrolytics and the coupling caps are ceramic...YUCK!! When restoring these units I installed Film Capacitors and put in new electrolytic capacitors. These two changes woke up the amp, it was very quiet and transparent. I highly recommend.
 
Realistically it makes about 12W RMS Per channel. Since the output power is low, this amp does not pair well with sealed cabinet speakers. If your B&W speakers are ported and efficient, then go for it. Has the amp been refurbished? A stock unit has old electrolytics and the coupling caps are ceramic...YUCK!! When restoring these units I installed Film Capacitors and put in new electrolytic capacitors. These two changes woke up the amp, it was very quiet and transparent. I highly recommend.

The B&Ws are ported so that might just be the ticket. No restoration that I know of and again I am far from tech-savvy but I bet someone I know can do what you describe. Thanks.
 
I have a restored a230 and it seems quite sweetly with the small Onix bookshelf speakers I have in my 11 by 14 room
 
I was recently given a Harman Kardon Ballad A230 and have fallen in love with it. I'm running it through some JBL bookshelf speakers (will have to get model # when I'm home later) and am really pleased with what I am hearing. Nonetheless, I do have the feeling that there is something even better just around the corner in the speaker department. Wondering if anyone can suggest a good speaker to pair up with this amp? That analysis can be based on experience, theory, clairvoyance...whatever. I don't have the $tew to go for serious high-end audiophile speakers so any suggestions need to keep that reality in mind. I'm looking for more of the few-hundred-bucks-and-under...maybe even luck-up-in-a-thrift-store kind of deal. Thanks!
Speaker mating with the amp also depends on room size. You can get away with smaller speakers in a near field set up in a small room like a den or bedroom. But , vintage Japanese speakers like the Sansui and Pioneer are very efficient and while they are not exactly "audiophile" they can be very satisfying for certain types of music. A long time ago i had a National PP 6v6 amp for my kids bedroom with some vintage Sansuis and they loved that combo. those type of speakers are easy to find on Craig's and the thrift stores.
 
Something really efficient. The sound is there in those HK's but I couldn't get any "oomph" out of them except with speakers greater than 94db efficient. Even in a 12X16 room, there wasn't enough...
 
Thanks to everyone who has chimed in. Do appreciate it. The room this system is in is roughly 10 x 12...so a small room but it is the center room of an older bungalow and I like to let that system be the source when wandering around house. But don't need massive volume/power necessarily. Just always thinking "excelsior!" when it comes to the sound, as most of you are too I imagine.

Anyway, the current speakers are JBL J2060 and don't sound bad at all. The swap...for curiosity's sake...would be with pair of B&W DM10 in the main room. If/when I get around to that I'll post an update.
 
Speaker mating with the amp also depends on room size. You can get away with smaller speakers in a near field set up in a small room like a den or bedroom. But , vintage Japanese speakers like the Sansui and Pioneer are very efficient and while they are not exactly "audiophile" they can be very satisfying for certain types of music. A long time ago i had a National PP 6v6 amp for my kids bedroom with some vintage Sansuis and they loved that combo. those type of speakers are easy to find on Craig's and the thrift stores.

My passing experience with Sansui's (belonging to friends, in store I used to work in, etc.) was always favorable. I do always keep an eye peeled for them when thrifting.
 
Something really efficient. The sound is there in those HK's but I couldn't get any "oomph" out of them except with speakers greater than 94db efficient. Even in a 12X16 room, there wasn't enough...

I love the sound of this HK so much I almost felt bad making this post. It's not so much that it needs to sound better...it's just a curiosity about "could it sound better?"
 
Realistically it makes about 12W RMS Per channel. Since the output power is low, this amp does not pair well with sealed cabinet speakers. If your B&W speakers are ported and efficient, then go for it. Has the amp been refurbished? A stock unit has old electrolytics and the coupling caps are ceramic...YUCK!! When restoring these units I installed Film Capacitors and put in new electrolytic capacitors. These two changes woke up the amp, it was very quiet and transparent. I highly recommend.

This is not a B&W friendly amplifier. The B&W speakers are power hungry. This can barely drive Dynaco A 25, this amplifier needs Klipsch or something along those lines to cut it. Something along the line of 96 or more db efficiency/one watt/one meter or higher.
 
Once fixed up these amps sound spectacular. I ran the A230 with B&W DM602 speakers, and they were plenty efficient. At this power level stay away from sealed cabs. I highly recommend having this amp fixed up removing all the switching at the output of the amp. That was a huge problem with both units I fixed up. If I recall the output transformers feed 3 different switches before the speakers see the signal. The best sound I got was with Amperex (Holland) short plate 12AX7 / 12AU7 and 6BQ5 tubes.
 
My passing experience with Sansui's (belonging to friends, in store I used to work in, etc.) was always favorable. I do always keep an eye peeled for them when thrifting.
You know how they (Sansui) have various models at different price points? Anyway, the top of the line models are much better and can be worth buying.
 
I had a Harman Kardon Model A-230 Ballad,a JVC QL-A2 turntable with JVC Z1-s and a pair of Sony SS-5300A (Made in Norway,1976) and the result was magic. Unfortunately,after some years of acoustic pleasure I had to sell almost everything but I still got the speakers. Happy New Year and best vintage audio wishes from Greece.
 
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