Harmon Kardon Citation Twelve, Vintage Amplifier With Original Manual

Description

WHO WE ARE
SkyFi Audio is a small startup business specializing in the purchase, reconditioning, and reselling of high end audio equipment. We only buy equipment that we admire and are passionate about. No mid-fi, no gimmicks, no junk.
Each piece of equipment is cosmetically restored and fully tested in our well-equipped lab by an engineer with 30+ years of experience in the HiFi world. If it does not meet or exceed the original manufactures specifications, it will not be sold. We are very selective about the equipment we purchase, focusing on mostly analog, high-build quality, American, and European built units.
Through our sister company, which is an authorized dealer for McIntosh, Audio Research, Sonus Faber, ClearAudio, Project, and Sony ES, we have access to OEM parts, service, and support.
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As per the included original owner's manual, the full name is:
"Harmon Kardon Citation Twelve Professional 120 Watt Stereophonic Basic Power Amplifier"
Please note that this is a vintage unit that is currently working as intended - but further service/restoration is recommended for extended use.
Service Notes:
This example was serviced at some point in the past, and one pair of transistors on the driver board were replaced.
It's also possible that the transformers were replaced, as evidence of splicing is present.
For both items the work was done by a skilled technician in our opinion.
A power switch was also added to the front panel for convenience, in addition to upgraded RCA left and right jacks from Esoteric Audio USA.
The electrolytic caps have all been tested, and all passed a basic ESR (Equivalent series resistance) test.
Bias was adjusted, and the amp passed a power and sweep test at its full rated output power of 60W per channel.
The SkyFi Testing Process for Solid State Amplifiers:
We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure there are no signs of stress or aging. Capacitors are checked for telltale sings of bulging or leaking, resistors are checked for signs of overheating or cracking, and transistors are checked for signs of stress or damage.
We then power up the unit carefully and run a simple 1k sine wave while monitoring the output on an oscilloscope for signs of distortion or noise. Finally, we run the amplifier to its full rated power into the appropriate resistive load provided by our Sencore amplifier tester. If there is an issue, it will usually be noticeable at this point. If everything reads clean, we will often test for THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) measured by our Keithley distortion meter, and compare it against the original manufacturers specifications. The amplifier then remains powered on to "burn in" on our test bench for a few hours to make sure there are no heat related issues. If there are balanced inputs available they will be also be tested.
Final testing involves pushing actual music thorough the amplifier. We've learned over time that some issues are only noticeable to a trained ear while listening to familiar source material. Our test bench has reference vintage KEF speakers that we're very familiar with which quickly reveal any discrepancies. Some amplifiers will then move into our listening room where they are tested with our in-house reference speakers of choice.
Item
Included
Original Box
No
Manual
Yes
Remote
Not Applicable
Cables
Yes - Power
Physical Condition
6
Working Condition
10