HARMAN KARDON 330c - Speaker Terminal Replacements

[JB8]

Hey All!

During the pandemic I think I've flipped ~15 330c's and absolutely love these units along with their big brother, the 430. I recently found another 330c that's fairly complete but a previous owner did a little hack job and removed the original speaker terminals (didn't even snip the leads close to the terminals, cut them like 4" back, sheez). I have a parts unit that I pulled it's speaker terminals from but I'm not happy with the condition and feel like installing them is a lame bandaid move.

There are the classic terminal blocks you can get online, but they look cheap and are just a newer, prettier bandaid. (yes, I already have some ordered and on the way, but now I'm pivoting!)

I've seen some terminals retrofitted with banana plugs and they're exactly what I want, but I can find them pre-made, seems the sources are all out of stock.

Question: Can I just retrofit the original terminals with banana plugs, has anyone done this with success, AND, which banana plugs did you go with?

Ok, that's more like three questions but you understand.

I know there are tons of HK enthusiasts out there, hit me up! I want to get this done and post some pics!

 

[jpreza]

Hey All!

During the pandemic I think I've flipped ~15 330c's and absolutely love these units along with their big brother, the 430. I recently found another 330c that's fairly complete but a previous owner did a little hack job and removed the original speaker terminals (didn't even snip the leads close to the terminals, cut them like 4" back, sheez). I have a parts unit that I pulled it's speaker terminals from but I'm not happy with the condition and feel like installing them is a lame bandaid move.

There are the classic terminal blocks you can get online, but they look cheap and are just a newer, prettier bandaid. (yes, I already have some ordered and on the way, but now I'm pivoting!)

I've seen some terminals retrofitted with banana plugs and they're exactly what I want, but I can find them pre-made, seems the sources are all out of stock.

Question: Can I just retrofit the original terminals with banana plugs, has anyone done this with success, AND, which banana plugs did you go with?

Ok, that's more like three questions but you understand.

I know there are tons of HK enthusiasts out there, hit me up! I want to get this done and post some pics!

Did you ever find banana plugs that fit the 330C?

 

[JB8]

Hey @jpreza, nope, couldn't find any banana plugs that would fit, so I just used these. They're not great but they fit perfectly and functioned fine. I'm still determined to figure out a banana plug option and I think I can build it myself. If I do I'll post an update to this thread, really just need the blanks the posts would be mounted to.

 

[jpreza]

Hey @jpreza, nope, couldn't find any banana plugs that would fit, so I just used these. They're not great but they fit perfectly and functioned fine. I'm still determined to figure out a banana plug option and I think I can build it myself. If I do I'll post an update to this thread, really just need the blanks the posts would be mounted to.

View attachment 2373263

Those look really nice. Better than the screw on option.

Where did you find it?

Best regards.....Joe

 

[JB8]

Believe it or not these were from a 5 pack I found on Amazon, so they were very affordable. Yes, they're perhaps not the best option, but I was keen on finding something fresh that would fit the application, so these accomplished the task.

I've been flipping 330c's on Ebay for the last couple years, I think I've sold ~25 of them, and this was the first unit that needed the terminals replaced. The previous owner had flat out removed them, so I was kind of fun to find these replacements and pop them in. The most bizarre repair I've had to do was replacing the full lighting array - the aluminum light housing was intact, but all of the connectors had been gutted... Very strange!

 

[CT Jim]

I’ve worked on b’s and c’s, and have a c in the closet now. I also recapped a 430 which is doing duty in a small living room system also feeding the sun porch. And I like all of the HK series.
Here’s my question? Thought?
Why put banana plugs on a low-powered anything? What is the point? I don’t see it, but I agree changing out the connectors to your found ones makes sense.
I guess I’m questioning using what I consider quick change type connectors on entry level equipment? Now, I have banana plugs on some speaker connections, but I don’t make a habit of it?
What would you gain in this type of alteration?

 

[jpreza]

I’ve worked on b’s and c’s, and have a c in the closet now. I also recapped a 430 which is doing duty in a small living room system also feeding the sun porch. And I like all of the HK series.
Here’s my question? Thought?
Why put banana plugs on a low-powered anything? What is the point? I don’t see it, but I agree changing out the connectors to your found ones makes sense.
I guess I’m questioning using what I consider quick change type connectors on entry level equipment? Now, I have banana plugs on some speaker connections, but I don’t make a habit of it?
What would you gain in this type of alteration?

I think it makes sense if you want to quickly switch out between receivers and speakers. Ultimately it's your preference if you're moving say a receiver or speakers from your garage to your basement or your living room. The screw on option takes a few minutes (maybe 2-3) to do a set of both L/R speakers. To speed up the process, I've used soldering to get the ends of the speaker wire into a 'J' so that they screw on easily and the speaker wire strands stay together.

 

[JB8]

I’ve worked on b’s and c’s, and have a c in the closet now. I also recapped a 430 which is doing duty in a small living room system also feeding the sun porch. And I like all of the HK series.
Here’s my question? Thought?
Why put banana plugs on a low-powered anything? What is the point? I don’t see it, but I agree changing out the connectors to your found ones makes sense.
I guess I’m questioning using what I consider quick change type connectors on entry level equipment? Now, I have banana plugs on some speaker connections, but I don’t make a habit of it?
What would you gain in this type of alteration?

I concur with @jpreza, if it's your preference go for it! I've only dipped my toe in the banana plug pool a bit, but c'mon, banana plugs are just cool! I picked up a pair of EPOS ES11's a couple years ago, they of course require ye olde banana plug or two, so once the fiddling began, well, it kept playing. At my age, feeding the tinned end of a speaker wire into the spring loaded type vs the satisfying engagement of banana plug is a no contest situation - banana plug wins every time. Again, different strokes, right? Only a small percentage of my gear is set up for banana plugs, was just trying to mix things up a bit and have fun with the replacement opportunity.

An example of mixing things up, last year I found a Technics unit that needed some love. Veneer was shot, some sections missing altogether, so, having been a musician at one point, I loved the look of my Roland Jazz Chorus amplifier cabinet covering, and thought, why not buy something similar and cover the receiver case with it? I've done 4 of them so far, all with different textures. Again, some won't be into this and prefer the stock look, totally get it.

Here are some pics of the Technics unit I mentioned.



Ultimately, "I'm not a smart man" and have been known to replace parts ahead of solving any functionality component failures that are yet to be diagnosed. In other words, I love to spend time with these classics and just have fun with it.
Thanks again for the question @CT Jim, makes perfect sense! I do take offense to 330c's being considered "entry level equipment" but again, everybody is entitled to their own opinion.

Question for both of you: let's say you drop by a friends house who claims to have a new hifi set-up, wants you to take a listen. You show up and are asked "ok, what do you want me to put on?" Well, what would you cue up that would give you a good sense of the system and it's voice in that room?

 

[jpreza]

@JB8 For Pop/Rock, I'd definitely put on Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon or The Wall. If you're more into jazz, how about Miles Davis Bitches Brew, John Coltrane Blue Train, or Art Blakey Moanin'.

 

[CT Jim]

Ah,yes! The test so one can either keep a friend or make an enemy!
Brothers in Arms works well, and Shawn Phillips, maybe a little Moody Blues thrown in.
Difficult choice between capability and listenability.