Vintage HK protect mode?


Is there one common cause for the longer delay time in protect mode typical of vintage Harman Kardon amplifiers? Or is the cause any one of 100 possiblilities?
arnettpartners

Showing 6 responses by arnettpartners

OK. Thanks. I can't get back to you yet because I don't have the amp yet. It is being shipped. But this is very helpful.
OK. I'm making a list. Thanks. I'll ask a dumb question just to illiminate it: The only info I've been able to glean from the net is that, while build construction was high quality on Citations 22 and 24, the bias settings were all over the map so that quality control was an issue in this respect. Some were set so high that when the amp was driven hard, it burned up. Could a bias set way too high tell protect mode that it was too hot to turn on?
OK. Thanks. I have a tech lined up who loves to work on vintage.I never thought of that--the click. Like a solenoid. The click can wear out. Cool. Thanks.
Getting back to you guys on the Citation 24 protect mode after getting it back from the tech today. Tech's note: Located and replaced 2 faulty capacitors in protection logic circuit.

I think I found a good tech. He says, disassembled and cleaned pc boards and chassis. Pulled speaker output jack. Plastic broken and cracked. Fabricated support for speaker output jack and jack panel. Checked components for correctness as much as possible. Bias is dead on. Resoldered a few suspect connections on output board. Inspected driver/regulator board-ok. Reassembled and bench tested. Works great. Flat rate $90

For anyone who might be interested, from the research and anecdotal info I found, I believe that the quality control issue regarding the factory bias settings is misinformation. A source who is an agon member told me that the left channel bias circuit board contained an error on both the 22 and 24 which does not agree with the schematic and which he found and corrected on his own amps.
I have run into owners on the net whose amps ran hot and the left channel subsequently burned up. I believe that at some point in production Harman found the error, if not before, then after the amps started burning up, and corrected it during production. Otherwise, I don't think there would be any 22's or 24's left.

Regards,

Lynne
Thanks. I might have added that I'm a little surprised by the sound quality. I like the new stuff and I bought it as a gift for someone who likes vintage. It's soft and full and quick. I can understand why the owners have no desire to upgrade. I wouldn't either.