Vintage Stereo: Harman Kardon 430 Receiver

I’ve just added another vintage receiver to the collection – this time it’s a 1976-77 Harman Kardon 430.  I really like the look of this receiver with its timeless, simple and elegant design.  The challenge with these receivers, now that they are 35+ years old, is finding one in good condition because that large strip of plastic across the front is easily scratched.
 
I’ve been wanting one of these Harman Kardon x30 receivers for a while [ideally the 730] and I saw a 430 come up for sale locally on Craigslist for $150.  I thought that was too expensive and not surprisingly, no one bought it at that price and the seller relisted it a couple of weeks later at $100.  I offered $75 and we settled on $85 once I saw it.  It is in excellent condition with just a minor ding on the left front bezel and the tiniest scratch on the glass.  All lights work and inside it is super clean so I knew this was a good unit. 

After a DeoxIT to cure the scratchy controls I fired it up through my Klipsch KG4 speakers.  The guys on the Klipsch Forum are all crazy for the x30 Harman Kardon receivers and their tube-like sound, especially some of the low wattage units and I must say, it sounds excellent driving the KG4s.

The first thing I noticed is how loud this receiver is.  While it is only 25 watts per channel, it sounds much louder than that and I barely get the volume control past 10 o’clock.  This characteristic is probably due to the receiver’s unique “dual mono” design, which leverages two transformers and two fairly large capacitors per channel.

To my ears, this really makes a difference in sound quality compared to other ‘70s silver faced receivers. In addition to more volume you get great clarity and detail.  With the dual power supplies the receiver does not need to break a sweat to deliver sweet sounds.  Treble is crisp and clean and bass is deep and controlled.  However, the thing that really got my attention was how fast and rhythmic this receiver is.  Many of my other vintage receivers sound plodding in comparison. Very impressive.  It sounds great through headphones and the phono stage is also very good, although not quite up to the standards of my Marantz 2245.

This is definitely a keeper and is what buying vintage stereo is all about – fantastic build quality, great looks and superb sound, all for under $100. 

HK430 Stereo Receiver (25 watts x 2)

FIRST MANUFACTURED: 1976
LAST MANUFACTURED: 1977
SPECIFICATIONS: Tuner Section
Capture Ratio : 2.5dB
Image Rejection : 60dB
Spurious Response Rejection : 50dB
Alternate Channel Selectivity : 60dB
Total Harmonic Distortion : MONO - 0.6%STEREO - 0.7%
Amplifier Section
Power Output : 25 watts RMS/ch, both driven into 8 ohms 20Hz - 20kHz,w/Power Bandwidth : 10Hz - 40kHZ at Frequency Response : 20Hz - 20kHz +/-0.5dB4Hz - 140kHz, -3dB
Rise Time : SQUARE WAVE - Square Wave Tilt : Total Harmonic Distortion : Intermodulation Distortion : Hum and Noise : Better than 65dB below rated output
Damping Factor : 40