lovin' my new to me harman kardon 730 twin powered receiver

gfong

Been a few days with this now and finally got time to listen and mess around with the HK 730 (1976 - 1979).

Excellent condition in and out! Dude I bought it from really took care of it.

40 watts a channel, plenty for my Klipsch La Scala speakers. I had always read about the synergy with the heritage Klipsch line and the Twin powered HK 730. Well to me they do compliment each other well. Very open wide sound stage and has that 70's laid back sound that I dug back then.

Can't believe this sounds better then the 6 month old NAD 356BEE integrated that I was using.

When I saw the HK up for sale I though hey for $150 US (200.00 Cad) I can take a chance and if I don't like I'm sure someone I know would. Well it's a keeper.

I have a long weekend starting today so time to get some tunes running through it.

Inside out clean.

pumpkinman

Really nice, I've been looking for one as well.
One of the best looking receivers of that era. IMHO

Bill

cnh

Have one in the fold. A lot of clean power for 40 watts a side! Enjoy!

mhardy6647

Thanks for posting innards photos -- I don't think I've seen the guts of a 730 before.

I should pop the top on the A402 sometime & snap a piccie or two.


EDIT: That said -- here's the sine qua non of "opportunities" to hotrod one's vintage soiled state hk receiver, courtesy of the late, great Fred Nachbaur's pages :-P

http://www.dogstar.dantimax.dk/tubestuf/gallery3.htm

twelve 35C5s for outputs -- what a wildman! ;- )

gfong

Thanks, I agree about the styling and the power. Nice receiver, usually when I get something new or new to me I get all overboard about how it sounds.

Takes me a couple of days to hear it and then re evaluate.., kinda like those work emails that you are about to hit send on and after you have had some sit down time you re-read and are thankful for the vetting! ha ha

Anyway... my comparison to the NAD was rushed and unfair as I thought it was the cats pajama's when I auditioned it. It is a very nice strong amp and has some of the qualities that the HK 730 has like a wide sound stage and being able to fill the room even at lower volumes. It also excels in the bass punch department. But enough of the NAD for now... time for some more tunes on the HK... ha ha!

and I will not be pulled down into the vintage gear hole... well maybe I can just have a peak!

gfong

mhardy6647 wrote: »

Thanks for posting innards photos -- I don't think I've seen the guts of a 730 before.

I should pop the top on the A402 sometime & snap a piccie or two.


EDIT: That said -- here's the sine qua non of "opportunities" to hotrod one's vintage soiled state hk receiver, courtesy of the late, great Fred Nachbaur's pages :-P

http://www.dogstar.dantimax.dk/tubestuf/gallery3.htm

twelve 35C5s for outputs -- what a wildman! ;- )

That is quite a beast! Wow. I followed the link, nice page and nice equipment on there. Will definitely give that one some more time. Thanks for the pics/link as well

mhardy6647

I think there's a tendency for some of us, sometimes to get hung up on listening to the sound rather than to music. I've tried very hard to focus on the latter, which I actually find much more enjoyable.

FWIW, I certainly think of the 1970s hk components as musical.

That focus on "musicality" is (probably) why I am listening, at the moment, to a pair of very cheap (then and now) Electrovoice coaxial drivers (Wolverine LT-12) in the 'real hifi'. To my astonishment, they let me hear into the music on par with my regular, and much, much more expensive (then and now) loudspeakers (Altec 604E Duplexes).

The LT-12s have got flesh, blood and soul. They are also perfectly capable of settin' ones' toes a-tappin'... which is pretty much what it is all about (the Hokey-Pokey notwithstanding).

gfong

mhardy6647 wrote: »

I think there's a tendency for some of us, sometimes to get hung up on listening to the sound rather than to music. I've tried very hard to focus on the latter, which I actually find much more enjoyable.

FWIW, I certainly think of the 1970s hk components as musical.

That focus on "musicality" is (probably) why I am listening, at the moment, to a pair of very cheap (then and now) Electrovoice coaxial drivers (Wolverine LT-12) in the 'real hifi'. To my astonishment, they let me hear into the music on par with my regular, and much, much more expensive (then and now) loudspeakers (Altec 604E Duplexes).

The LT-12s have got flesh, blood and soul. They are also perfectly capable of settin' ones' toes a-tappin'... which is pretty much what it is all about (the Hokey-Pokey notwithstanding).

Excellent writing sir, could not agree with you more. Thanks for the clarity!

cnh

Wow! A tube mod of an HK twin power! Now that's something! Something worth a LISTEN!

mhardy6647

it's certainly wild and crazy; Fred's projects always were -- he must have been quite a guy.