Harman Kardon Citation I with "Real Sound" Concept

Harman Kardon Citation I pre-amplifier was a one of top quality in it's era.

Great phono-stage with "Turnover" and "Roll-off", very usable features.

4 tube's stages passive equalizer per channel in phono-stage

with high quality capacitors in equalizer too.

And the most surprise for me is a filter choke in power supply !!!

Many of famous tube pre-amplifiers in that time like Marantz 7c, McIntosh C22 or Fisher 400CX

did not use any of filter choke, only resistors in rectifier section.

Very usable features in phono-stage.

Backside with different design.

Top view for inside.

This is only 1 channel with 9 of 0.1uF Sprague Bumblebee capacitors

and 3 of green 0.47uF/10V ceramic disc capacitors in signal path.

Many of capacitors in equalizer section.

Bottom view for another channel and power supply.

Filter choke on left side of photo.

"Bass" and "Treble" components in selectors for each channels. 

Rectifier section.

Loading resistors for "Phono 1" & "Phono 2" inputs.

Time to modify with "Real Sound" concept.

18 of 0.1uF Arizona "Blue Cactus" Capacitors and use 0.5uF PIO capacitors from WE

for replace 0.47uF ceramic type.

Top view after finish modified.

Bottom view for channel A.

Replace rectifier components with Ohmite "Brown Devil" resistors, Ultra Fast Recovery diodes

from ON semiconductor and decoupling capacitors for each high volt points 

with Obbligato film capacitors.

Replace "Phono 1" loading resistor with 2W Allen Bradley resistors.

After "Run in" time for 20 hours, more transparent and good sound quality from bottom to top range.

In my opinion, it's a high quality pre-amplifier with a half or quarter price of more famous brands.

Worth a try and you will find a new sound.

Cheer!!!