[Audio Empire]

On Sun, 6 Mar 2011 18:02:48 -0800, ScottW wrote
(in article ):

On Mar 6, 12:35=A0pm, Audio Empire wrote:
On Sun, 6 Mar 2011 09:59:44 -0800, ScottW wrote
(in article ):

On Mar 5, 8:22=3DA0pm, Audio Empire wrote:

[quoted text deleted -- deb]

Let me suggest an integrated amp to put on one's short list: The new
Harman Kardon HK-990. It is =3DA0a marvelous performing and very
flexible unit. It is also somewhat of a bargain - considering what it
brings to the table.

From the technical specs tab on H-K website

Phono Input Yes, MM and MC.

Why can't companies provide sufficient documentation of their
products?
So I download the pdf manual.

Input sensitivity/impedance: 350mV/43k ohms (Tuner/CD)
10mV/47k ohms (Phono =3D96 MM)
1mV/100k ohms (Phono =3D96 MC)

100k for MC....are they kidding?

Kidding, no. Mistaken, yes. The manual for this amp is a complete joke. It
doesn't give you all the specs, and some that it does give, like the MC
loading is wrong (that should read 100 Ohms, not 100K Ohms according to an
engineer at H-K with whom I spoke). The manual also doesn't tell you how to
assign a high-level input to either the corresponding analog jacks on the
back, or one of the digital inputs but you can figure that out. It also
doesn't tell you what the built-in A to D converter is. I assumed it was
16/44.1, but it doesn't seem like it is. If I try to copy a DVD-A to CD for
instance, the output won't sync to the digital input on my CD recorder, but
if I try to copy an LP to CD, the digital output does lock to 16/44.1.
Nobody
at H-K seemed to know for sure either.

Sounds like the usual block of copying digital sources to me.
None of my receivers will provide digital record outputs from a
digital source.


H-K says it will output to 24/96 and the manual says nothing. But you could
be very correct here. Or, perhaps it outputs digitally what it inputs
(16/44.1 in, 16/44.1 out; 16/48 in, 16/48 out; 24/96 in, 24.96 out, etc) . I
don't know.

Some won't even provide analog outputs for recording from a digital
source but all will support record out from analog sources.

This one will provide analog outputs from a digital source, that I was able
to check!

On the other hand, the presence of =A0built-in phono inputs, a 24/192
up-sampling D/A converter (with four user assignable inputs), SEVEN
high-level analog inputs, a built-in A/D converter, room/speaker calibration
software built-in (it even comes with a calibration microphone), separate
high-current power supplies for each channel (the amp section is rated at
150
Watts/channel and the power supply can instantaneously source 200 Amps of
current). All of this for $2500 seems to be quite a bargain in this day and
age.

Instantaneous specs are about as meaningful as the 4th generation
Real-Time Linear Smoothing.

It shows that it has a robust power supply, nothing else. I'll say this. The
two toroidal transformers are impressivly huge.