2. amps-preamps
  3. 1292723894

harman kardon citation 16 amp?????

How do some of you older audiophiles like this amp? Is it a good amp for driving psb gold speaker? I have a tube preamp and i am not sure how it will perform with it. I can pick it up for around 300 bucks, is this a decent deal or too much for this vintage amp? Sorry so many questions i just am on the fence about purchasing it. Is there any way to check it out with a volt meter before buying it. I am no electrician at all but with some guidance i may be able to check it out further. Its a all black face and doesnt have the v pattern lights like most ive seen. ANy way to tell what the amp is? Just says citation sixteen on the front with 2 leds and a toggle switch. thanx for the info, much appreciated
flyin2jz
rwwear
2,881 posts
 
Aragon is back Krell.
http://www.indyaudiolabs.com/1aragon.aspx
normansizemore
601 posts
 
I hope you bought the amp. I use a Citation 16A, I find it the most listenable transistor amp ever made. Wonderful mids, superb upper octaves and the bass goes way down stairs. Very engaging, with no listening fatigue. This amp replaced my McIntosh 2300, which is no slouch in any department. I have found the Citation 16 to be a wonderful amp very stable even driving 2 ohm loads. They can be easily strapped in mono to deliver well over 500 watts into 8 ohms. My 1977 example was sent in a few years ago for a check up, and came back with only one neon bulb replaced. All else is original. My unit delivered 205 watts into 8 ohms and nearly 300 into 4. Very rugged, well built and beautifully voiced amplifier.
hifigeek1
770 posts
 
Very good amp. BTW the Citation 12 was the first amp to use a differential input stage. I believe both the 12 and the 16 were designed by Matty Otala. A very gifted designer in the day. I don't know if he is still designing. The Citation 12 was the first amp to deliver wide bandwidth and he showed that an amp that delivered good square wave response had sonic advantages. High Fidelity and Stereo Review Magazines started to publish square wave responses of the amps under test. He also did pioneering research on transient inter-modulation distortion. All of his pioneering designs are still in use today in most amplifier circuits.
hifigeek1
770 posts
 
Sorry for the misspelling. His name is Matti Otala.
noisehead
3 posts
 
I just purchased a Citation 16 amp in excellent working order, the second owner said he has not had it serviced at all for all the years he had it, so it must be very reliable. I plan on servicing it though, checking the specs and probably replacing some common parts due to the age. Any amp as old as this one, from 76 or 77, will need checked over at least, by a good tech. This was a good design, which many still value today. However, for daily duty, i use newer amps in my system, because i dont want to destroy the value of a vintage amp and chance that something happens to it from my carelessness.
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