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Harman Kardon Collections? Show us your list and/or photos. Any other obsessed types?

sunvalleylaw

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
Mods, or regular veterans of this place, if this would be better in Solid State, let me know and I will move it. Was thinking that was more for questions?

Sheesh! I seem to have a Harman Kardon problem, or at least predisposition. I seem to keep adding to my collection. I guess it is because when my Dad took us out to get a new stereo for I and my brothers to use downstairs in our rec room, we ended up with a Harman Kardon 570i, with a variety of inputs including turntable (can't remember what), tape deck (some Onkyo) and that into some SpeakerLab tower type speakers with an oak base and brown fabric all the way around. Anyhow, spent hours and hours in front of that thing listening to records, making tapes, read album jackets and liner notes, etc. You know, the ususal.

Now I have other gear, including some "The" Fisher tube stuff, some good Hafler amps in need of updating and repair, and some miscellaneous ugly duckings and oddballs I rescued from the local electronics and computer recycler/thrift, but I seem to keep collecting Harman Kardon. I like the slightly warm and not quite sterile, but generally clean and detailed sound I have always experienced, especially paired with my beloved Dahlquist compact box style speakers. So, here are some of mine. I will try to be thorough.


Newest in my possession. I love this little Three Thirty! Sounds really good for such a little guy.
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My beloved 630 Twin I rescued from eBay for $75 and fixed up the wood case, cleaned up the controls, and loved until I just now have put it away until I can get the swelling caps replaced, and an electronic restore done.
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One of the reasons I love receivers in certain spaces. I love to support and listen to public radio, and Boise has a couple good options for classical, jazz and underground/indie/alt.
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Not my fav look of all of them, but a darned nice receiver.
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Another rescue. I picked up a couple of these, and one the next or so size larger my kid has, for cheap a few years ago as they popped up. Now they cost more, like all H/K! Darned Kevin at Skylabs! (just kidding, not all his fault I am sure, and I enjoy how he loves them).
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The one that started me down the road.
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Got overzealouse with the de-oxit and screwed up my tuner display. GAH! I have a back up/parts donor mostly cleaned up and will get a good, cosmetically excellent example out of the two at least. If not repair both. I am surprised how much good sound can come out of this guy. And I really actually like the dial better than the 590i's that I also have. (a couple of those got rescued, I let my kid get away with the bigger 7xxi in that line I also found cheap).
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INCOMING!!! A few rough spots cosmetically, but I think fixable, (and that helped keep the price down a little) and I plan to add a wood case also. This one has been gone through and is working as a receiver, but will need the bulbs replaced for the tuner needle and power button, and I will probably do a full restore on this as a flagship receiver for me. This and some other solid state stuff will rotate in in the place of my Fisher 800C when it gets too hot for that guy. and it does in my office in Boise these days.
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In the process of getting a wood case from a member here for this one. Will restore the metal case and polish out the faceplate and any scratches and it will look good.


Ok, what do you have? Anyone else obsessed, or at least a collector, H/K Aficionado, or etc.? Please share?
 
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I'm with you on this. I have a 430 that was partially recapped, well my son and wife have it. It's getting used so that is ok by me
I have a repaired 730
and a repaired 930, both from a fellow AK'er that is local to me.
I love the HK sound. I also have a Marantz 2270 but I'm going to sell it. Then the 730 will then be back in use
 
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Cute little Nocturne you got there!
Thanks! I am going to see if I can find some more end caps, or see if I can find someone to copy one of the ones I still have and 3d print a few either in the right color or that I can paint to match well enough. I love it so far. Am going to try it with some KLH 22's and maybe some KLH 6's, and perhaps either my Dahlquist DQM'5's or M905's. A little mix and match and see what I like with it.


I'm with you on this. I have a 430 that was partially recapped, well my son and wife have it. It's getting used so that is ok by me
I have a repaired 730
and a repaired 930, both from a fellow AK'er that is local to me.
I love the HK sound. I also have a Marantz 2270 but I'm going to sell it. Then the 730 will be back in use
Yeah man! Let's see your 430 (if you have a pic) and your 930? I don't think I have ever had a chance to play one of those, though I am sure at some point I was around one once. And no offense to the Marantz people, and they are cool looking, but I just prefer the H/K's.
 
Currently have an extensively refreshed A401 integrated with some 8,200uf main filter caps and most (if not all) of the troublesome transistors removed. Really enjoy it driving a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 12.1i bookshelf speakers in an office/den system.

I too agree with sunvalleylaw that there is something about 'the HK house sound'.

Can't quite put my finger on it...maybe it's something like...detailed, but non-fatiguing highs.

I like smaller sized integrated amps so I am keeping my eye open for some of their models like the PM-645 or similar...so you can say I'm one and counting from a collection standpoint. :)


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All I have at the moment is my little 330B. It's completely original except for the power button that someone ruined before I owned it. It's awaiting a full recap/restoration and deep clean, then it's going to my daughter as part of her wedding gift.

I'm constantly on the lookout for a 4/6/7/930 to replace it with, but I'm a buy it cheap and keep it guy, so the search continues. I absolutely love the sound and looks of this era of Harman Kardon gear.
 

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All I have at the moment is my little 330B. It's completely original except for the power button that someone ruined before I owned it. It's awaiting a full recap/restoration and deep clean, then it's going to my daughter as part of her wedding gift.

I'm constantly on the lookout for a 4/6/7/930 to replace it with, but I'm a buy it cheap and keep it guy, so the search continues. I absolutely love the sound and looks of this era of Harman Kardon gear.
That's a pretty one!
 
Here are the ones I have... 80s! The affordable series of HK.

hk550Vxi .. not the biggest they make, but it sounds great!

That kh330i/CD91 was a $20 find at a thrift store. About 1/2 the caps were leaking and bloated. Melted belts on the cassette, frozen mechanisms, the usual with old decks. The results were worth the effort.

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I have a twin to that one that was my first real vintage H/K older than the early 80s. Mine also has that Wood case.
The case sealed the deal, it's nearly mint. I'm the 3rd owner, and the first 2 loved it dearly. The woman I bought it from only sold it because she inherited a Marantz 2250B from her father and wanted her now unused 630 to go to a good home.
 
INCOMING!!! A few rough spots cosmetically, but I think fixable, (and that helped keep the price down a little) and I plan to add a wood case also. This one has been gone through and is working as a receiver, but will need the bulbs replaced for the tuner needle and power button, and I will probably do a full restore on this as a flagship receiver for me. This and some other solid state stuff will rotate in in the place of my Fisher 800C when it gets too hot for that guy. and it does in my office in Boise these days.
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In the process of getting a wood case from a member here for this one. Will restore the metal case and polish out the faceplate and any scratches and it will look good.


Ok, what do you have? Anyone else obsessed, or at least a collector, H/K Aficionado, or etc.? Please share?
Actually, the restoration of the metal case does not require much: Just wipe with Armor All and it would look as it just left the factory. I can't see from the picture, but if you have scratches deep enough to expose the metal underneath, use a black marker.

Best

Soundork
 
Actually, the restoration of the metal case does not require much: Just wipe with Armor All and it would look as it just left the factory. I can't see from the picture, but if you have scratches deep enough to expose the metal underneath, use a black marker.

Best

Soundork
It shows up tomorrow. The dealer says it works well and does not show signs of swollen caps, and had a couple connection issues (phone inputs) repaired. They did not, however, replace the bulbs to illuminate the power button or the FM indicator needle. So I will need to order those parts and do that. The rest of the dial appear to work.
 
730 Twin came in! Cosmetically better than the dealer pictures made it look and it won’t take much to clean it up. All the red lights are out, including the power button, stereo button, and tuning needle. So I will need to replace those. Also, I’m getting one small crackle in the right channel with the volume knob, so I may have to do some additional cleaning there. Just a little chirp as I turned it up past about four or five. The tuner works great pulling in stations strong and clear and with good two channel sound, though I think the alignment will need some work. And it sounds excellent! Very happy to add this one to my collection and I am sure it will see a lot of use.


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Dry fit into the case I bought. Not exactly the same as the original that I have on my 630, but looks great!! and so I won’t really care about the Black case anyway. And a slight marks on the silver face and on the blackened anodized aluminum across the top will be easy to clean up.

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Not sure if you need recommendations with regards a source for the lights. I have attached Joe's information, he is considered to be the lamp guru. His ebay store should have both kits and incandescent and an LED.
Best
Soundork
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