Harman Kardon Signature 2.1 5ch. amp??

aaharvel
aaharvel Posts: 4,489
edited April 2 in Clubhouse Archives
does anyone have any experience with this one?
H/K Signature 2.1+235
Jungson MagicBoat II
Revel Performa M-20
Velodyne cht-10 sub
Rega P1 Turntable

"People working at Polk Audio must sit around the office and just laugh their balls off reading many of these comments." -Lush
Post edited by RyanC_Masimo on
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited May 2006
    I thought you were the HK guru?
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • sucks2beme
    sucks2beme Posts: 5,602
    edited May 2006
    I haven't listened to it. I saw one that a HT place was discounting heavily during a moving sale. The thing was about 60 lbs !
    Any reviews I have seen give it a good rating.
    Are you looking at the one on Audiogon?
    "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
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  • aaharvel
    aaharvel Posts: 4,489
    edited May 2006
    dorokusai wrote:
    I thought you were the HK guru?

    no more than anyone else who owns their product. this model came before my time.
    H/K Signature 2.1+235
    Jungson MagicBoat II
    Revel Performa M-20
    Velodyne cht-10 sub
    Rega P1 Turntable

    "People working at Polk Audio must sit around the office and just laugh their balls off reading many of these comments." -Lush
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  • aaharvel
    aaharvel Posts: 4,489
    edited May 2006
    no suckstobeme. Just browsing on ebay and I saw one, but am not buying- so feel free.
    H/K Signature 2.1+235
    Jungson MagicBoat II
    Revel Performa M-20
    Velodyne cht-10 sub
    Rega P1 Turntable

    "People working at Polk Audio must sit around the office and just laugh their balls off reading many of these comments." -Lush
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  • Mike682
    Mike682 Posts: 2,074
    edited May 2006
    Amp gets good ratings from the folks at audioreview. I think this amp was one of the last HK amps that were made in the USA

    http://www.audioreview.com/cat/amplification/amplifiers/harman-kardon/PRD_115826_1583crx.aspx


    Here is a link to the manual:

    http://media-server.amazon.com/exec/drm/digital/moleproxy.cgi?name=SGFybWFuIEthcmRvbiBTaWduYXR1cmUgU2VyaWVzIDIxIE11bHRpY2hhbm5lbCBNYW51YWw=&file=TUFOVUFMMDAwMDE5MTUyLnBkZg==
    Receiver: harmankardon AVR235
    Mains: polk R30
    Center: polk CSi3
    Rear Surrounds: polk R20
    Subwoofer: polk PSW404
    DVD: Panasonic DVD-S29
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  • aaharvel
    aaharvel Posts: 4,489
    edited May 2006
    well i've been following this amp for the past few days and at the last second I finally took the bait. Since selling my Adcoms a couple months ago, i've really missed the sound that only good separates can provide.

    Anyway, the thing's a 9/10 on the audiogon scale, weighs right at 50lbs. and I ended up getting it for $450. 100x5, +/-100 amps o' current= me likey! :D

    When I get it, I'll post some feedback.
    H/K Signature 2.1+235
    Jungson MagicBoat II
    Revel Performa M-20
    Velodyne cht-10 sub
    Rega P1 Turntable

    "People working at Polk Audio must sit around the office and just laugh their balls off reading many of these comments." -Lush
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  • aaharvel
    aaharvel Posts: 4,489
    edited May 2006
    here are some pics. I never knew H/K made stuff like this. I've always heard the "Citation" word being flung around these forums, but never really knew what it was.
    1.jpg 27.5K
    5.jpg 34.4K
    6.jpg 34.8K
    H/K Signature 2.1+235
    Jungson MagicBoat II
    Revel Performa M-20
    Velodyne cht-10 sub
    Rega P1 Turntable

    "People working at Polk Audio must sit around the office and just laugh their balls off reading many of these comments." -Lush
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  • aaharvel
    aaharvel Posts: 4,489
    edited May 2006
    does anyone know if upgrading the power cord would be a worthwhile investment over the stock one?
    H/K Signature 2.1+235
    Jungson MagicBoat II
    Revel Performa M-20
    Velodyne cht-10 sub
    Rega P1 Turntable

    "People working at Polk Audio must sit around the office and just laugh their balls off reading many of these comments." -Lush
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  • aaharvel
    aaharvel Posts: 4,489
    edited May 2006
    well I finally got this thing.

    First off, it's ALOT bigger and heavier than I anticipated. at 17"deep, 17.5" wide and almost 8" tall, this thing is very imposing. I've never had a piece of audio gear that weighs this much. At right at 50lbs, I almost needed help in getting on the shelf.

    Visually, this thing is beautiful. No marks whatsoever, and infinitely more attractive than the adcoms I had. When you power it on, the Signature insignia on the front lights up to a gorgeous blue, and stays that way until you turn it back to standby mode. It actually blends perfect with that funky blue volume knob on my receiver. Actually it blends perfect just sitting below my receiver. Inside my cabinet, it looks like an 80lb. square block of bad assness (not a word but who cares) :D

    The torridal in this thing is massive, and each channel has 2 BIG blue capacitators (power supplies?) for a total of 10. This thing has an incredibly clean layout on the inside. It's really remarkable.

    Sound wise, Wow. WAAAARRRRRM sound. I can't believe this is solid state. I'm actually surprised at how well my rti4's sound with a 15 year old pearl jam redbook... with speakers set to LARGE nonetheless. I'll be listening to some SACDs on this thing later on today, and possibly some scenes I'm familiar with in Raiders Of The Lost Ark and Dances W/Wolves to test the current capability of this thing. As far as the crossovers, well everything's going to 60hz now. This amp just laughs at the settings I originally had in the receiver.

    With an all LSI setup, my receiver and now this amp- you would be approaching that tube sound all the vets keep describing... that warm, dry sound. With the rti setup, it sounds wonderful. On the warm sign of neutral- never thought I would ever say that, not with these speakers. And that's with simple redbook cds!

    Overall, I am overwhelmed with this amp. This f--kin thing is a BRUTE! I can only imagine what the older Citation amps were like. I find it amusing at how so many people are powering nice speakers with inferior equipment. RTi's and Kenwoods, LSi's and mid-line receivers, etc. If anything, it really speaks volumes at how well designed the RTi speakers are. Matching them up with the proper gear makes all the difference in the world. Absolutely incredible sound. 2ch, 5ch, movies, music, whatever.

    Thanks for reading.
    H/K Signature 2.1+235
    Jungson MagicBoat II
    Revel Performa M-20
    Velodyne cht-10 sub
    Rega P1 Turntable

    "People working at Polk Audio must sit around the office and just laugh their balls off reading many of these comments." -Lush
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited May 2006
    Good on ya, when are you picking up the LSi's? ;)
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • Demiurge
    Demiurge Posts: 10,874
    edited May 2006
    Makes me hunger for that B & K I got even more. I'm thinking LSi9s or LSi15s by fall. Then...it'll be time for an SVS and a new DVD player.
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  • ohskigod
    ohskigod Posts: 6,502
    edited May 2006
    nice snag AA, I heard good things about those amps, BEEEEFY!
    Living Room 2 Channel -
    Schiit SYS Passive Pre. Jolida CD player. Songbird streamer. California Audio Labs Sigma II DAC, DIY 300as1/a1 Ice modules Class D amp. LSi15 with MM842 woofer upgrade, Nordost Blue Heaven and Unity interconnects.

    Upstairs 2 Channel Rig -
    Prometheus Ref. TVC passive pre, SAE A-205 Amp, Wiim pro streamer and Topping E50 DAC, California Audio Labs DX1 CD player, Von Schweikert VR3.5 speakers.

    Studio Rig - Scarlett 18i20(Gen3) DAW, Mac Mini, Aiyma A07 Max (BridgedX2), Totem Mites
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