Hegeman HAPI 2 preamp
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Hello,
One of the audio components that I've always searched for but never could find was built by audio legend A. Stewart Hegeman and is called the HAPI 2. I finally found one in great shape and have done a little sprucing up and am thoroughly enjoying how it sounds. When I used to sell Mr. Hegeman's products I enjoyed talking to him and he was a wealth of information, always delivered with kindness to a novice. The HAPI 2, in my opinion, is one of the truly superb musical sounding preamplifiers of all time, especially true when reproducing records. It was an early example of using passive circuitry for phono EQ and carefully matching components. Mr. Hegeman designed the original Harmon Kardon Citation vacuum tube preamp and power amp and was a proponent of wide bandwidth designs. He felt that the use of high amounts of negative feedback caused a brittleness that while he couldn't measure he could audibly identify.
Here is a link to an interview with Mr. Hegeman that is worthwhile reading:
http://itishifi.blogspot.com/2011/01/stewart-hegeman-interviewed-by-norman.html
If you ever get the chance to own any one of his designs, including speakers (he invented omnidirectional speakers), please treat yourself.
Enjoy, Ken
One of the audio components that I've always searched for but never could find was built by audio legend A. Stewart Hegeman and is called the HAPI 2. I finally found one in great shape and have done a little sprucing up and am thoroughly enjoying how it sounds. When I used to sell Mr. Hegeman's products I enjoyed talking to him and he was a wealth of information, always delivered with kindness to a novice. The HAPI 2, in my opinion, is one of the truly superb musical sounding preamplifiers of all time, especially true when reproducing records. It was an early example of using passive circuitry for phono EQ and carefully matching components. Mr. Hegeman designed the original Harmon Kardon Citation vacuum tube preamp and power amp and was a proponent of wide bandwidth designs. He felt that the use of high amounts of negative feedback caused a brittleness that while he couldn't measure he could audibly identify.
Here is a link to an interview with Mr. Hegeman that is worthwhile reading:
http://itishifi.blogspot.com/2011/01/stewart-hegeman-interviewed-by-norman.html
If you ever get the chance to own any one of his designs, including speakers (he invented omnidirectional speakers), please treat yourself.
Enjoy, Ken
Post edited by [Deleted User] on
Comments
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Man that looks really nice inside!"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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Ken always has the coolest toys.Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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Interesting thread and oiece of equipment. I have never heard any of Mr. Hegeman's products. In general I am not a fan of chips in my electronic audio gear. I like chips in my cookies but not in my gear. Having said that , lots of things in this hobby surprise me. Thanks for posting.Carl
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Interesting thread and oiece of equipment. I have never heard any of Mr. Hegeman's products. In general I am not a fan of chips in my electronic audio gear. I like chips in my cookies but not in my gear. Having said that , lots of things in this hobby surprise me. Thanks for posting.
Never heard an hk Citation "Deuce"? You owe it to yourself... :-)
Stewart Hegeman was one of the greats. -
I know what you mean about ICs sounding good. Evidently Mr. Hegeman knew enough about how to design the power supply and how to adjust each unit to get the best sound quality with whatever he was using. It takes about 20 minutes for it to start sounding up to potential, but after that it is excellent.
Mark, have you ever heard his Lafayette K550 amp? That's one on my list to find. -
No I haven't - there's probably floating around amongst the tube gurus in the Boston metro area - but I've not stumbled across one in the... umm... flesh yet.
I don't have a catalog scan of the amp handy... but I do have a scan from an old LRE catalog for the LA-600 preamp (also rather highly regarded in some circles) :-)
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A Deuce!!!
You lucky fella.
I'd love to have a Citation II... but I gotta tell you, one of my few real bucket list (vintage) amps is a Marantz 8B. I rehabbed one for someone here in MA a few years back, and I loved everything about it - particularly the sound quality it produced.
(Yeah, the Deuce is a tad bit more attractive...)
EDIT: Please show us her underpinnings, when you get a chance and if you're amenable! :-) -
Ah, the 8B, alas I had one and powered a pair of Tympani IB with it, just a superb sounding amp. I think I sold it to buy an ARC D75. This Citation II is just in for some medical attention. It belongs to a friend of mine and he said it started smoking. Hopefully I can figure it out.
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aiyeeeee! The Magic Smoke!!!
May the Hand of Provenance guide you in your quest to recapture and corral... The Magic Smoke.
http://sjpdesigns.com/poa/lucas.html -
The aforementioned KT-550, from the 1963 LRE catlog...
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Thanks for posting that Mr. H, just think for $134.50 (probably a fair amount in those days) you could build a very high quality amp. "No money down, easy pay plan". It was an extra $50.00 to build it. Once apon a time I made extra money assembling Dynaco ST70 kits for people who didn't want the hassle.
The Citation II is on it's feet, two resistors later and everything checks out, really low distortion. -
In 1963, the solid state stuff in the same catalog was considerably more expensive ;-)
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Does the catalogue have the KT-600?
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Kenneth Swauger wrote: »The Citation II is on it's feet, two resistors later and everything checks out, really low distortion.
Good to hear the Citation is up and running. I have never heard this piece of equipment. It is on my wish list to hear someday.Carl -
Yes (well, the KT-600A) is on the facing page. I'll scan it tonight if I have bandwidth (crazy day pending today) :-)mhardy6647 wrote: »In 1963, the solid state stuff in the same catalog was considerably more expensive ;-) -
Thanks for checking, no hurry.
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I have a Hapi 2 preamp and currently using it, with documentation. do you know what it is worth? and yes, i have never heard clearer sound.
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Hello dfield1955,
I'm glad a Hapi 2 is being used and appreciated. I listen to mine just about every day as part of my workshop system with Polk satellite speakers and subwoofer. It's hard to say what the dollar value would be, the condition of the unit would determine final value, I suppose.
Regards, Ken -
Question? I've had two maybe three Hapi 2 preamps (I purchased two used from the same dealer, and inherited one from my father. I assume that his was one of the ones I traded in, but not sure.) I've noticed that one channel comes up sooner than the other when you turn up the volume. Is this normal? I assumed it was since this was the case with both, but wanted a second opinion. Other than that, I've always loved the sound from this unit.
At different times, paired with:
GAS Ampzilla
GAS Grandson
Dynaco ST-70 -
Hello,
I connected a signal generator to both channels and measured the left and right outputs with the balance set to the middle at three different volume settings. I found that the left channel was between 1.28 and 1.5dB louder than the right channel, within acceptable tolerance range.
Cheers, Ken -
hi there is an auction for one of these puppies goin on
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131270147636?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 -
edgerernst wrote: »hi there is an auction for one of these puppies goin on
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131270147636?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Yours? Hope not....
