Can I use HK 230 receiver as preamp for Citation II?

[1929pa]

Hi
I've recently purchased a Harman Kardon Citation II. Until I find a decent Citation I preamp, Would there be a problem if I use my HK TA230 as a preamp? Or would I be better off using my Dynaco SS preamp? Thanks.

 

[spantou01]

Is your Cit II restored to working order? I will assume so, or else it has to be done first, before powering it up. The OEM build does not have an input capacitor, so you will have to verify that there is an output capacitor on any intended preamps before connecting it to your valuable Cit II.

I’m not familiar with the HK TA -230 and can’t vouch for its performance or convenience of getting a preamp output. What Dynaco SS preamp?

Other than that I’d say try them both and see what your ears prefer.

 

[cademan]

It looks like your TA 230 does not have pre out capabilities so no, it won't work for a preamp.

Your SS Dynaco preamp should work fine for you until you get you HK preamp.

 

[TriodeLuvr]

I would personally want to use a more contemporary preamp with the Cit II. It's virtually impossible to achieve like-new performance when all the controls and switches are 50+ years old. There's also the issue of "minimalization." Most legacy units include a lot of unnecessary circuitry in the signal path. Capacitors, resistors, tubes, etc. - almost everything contributes to veiling the sound of a high quality tube power amplifier. A simple line stage with a single low-Z triode in each channel will be completely transparent if done right. From there, you can determine if additional features are desirable and how best to add them to the system so they can be bypassed when not in use.

Jack

 

[gadget73]

Just from a basic compatibility POV, a dedicated preamp would be a better fit than something lacking preamp outputs

Whether it sounds good or is a happy pairing is another matter