scotbuck Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Greetings, I tried the HK 430 with my KG-4's and found it's 25wpc to be a little lean for these speakers (remember, the KG-4 has a relatively low - for Klipsch - 94 dB sensitivity rating). However, the sound quality/price of the HK was definitely worth investigating further. Therefore I'm wondering whether anybody knows of an HK 930 for sale? I suspect the 930's 45wpc might be just right for providing that extra "oompf" to the KG-4's. Thanks! Take care, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Scott, Just keep checking on Ebay........they pop up every so often. Good Luck with the search! Welcome! Here is a 730........ http://search.ebay.com/Harman-Kardon-730_W0QQsofocusZbsQQsbrftogZ1QQsojsZ1QQfromZR10QQsacategoryZ-1Q26catrefQ3DC6QQsotrZ2QQsosortpropertyZ1Q26sosortorderQ3D1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotbuck Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 Greetings, Thanks for the info, Bill! I've got "Kardon 930" bookmarked in my list of eBay searches. I was just hoping for a quick fix...! Take care, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heresy2guy Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Keep your eyes open for a 730 (clone of 430 but with 40 or 45 watts instead of the the 430's 25). My own HK 430 drives me out of my 25X15 room when I have the volume at high noon...just too loud for my ears to take. I love high volume, but there's a point when it gets so loud it ceases to be enjoyable. Twelve noon on my volume pot does it for me. Don't know how many watts the HK 430 is putting out at that indicated level, but it's too many for me to withstand given the dimensions of my den. Then again, I've got Heresy IIs which are 97db at 1 watt versus your KG4s at 94 db at 1 watt so there is an audible difference there, but even so, you should technically have 104 continuous decibles with only 10 watts, with much higher decibles during musical peaks. Unless you're in a really big room, 104 continuous decibles is pretty darn loud in anybody's book, and that is easily attainable with your HK430/KG4 combination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Scott, I am surprised the 430 sounded thin with the KG4's ... I put a system together for my daughter this summer that was exactly what you have and I couldn't believe the sound. Did you have your KG4's up on stands of some kind? Also, did you clean the pots with some contact cleaner? I found that the cleaner made a significant difference in the quantity and quality of the sound. Also, make sure they're about a foot out from the wall. It makes a big difference in the bass response. Just a thought. _______________________________ Music Hall MMF-7 Turntable w/ Goldring Eroica H MC Njoe Tjoeb 4000 CDP with 24 bit/192 KHz Upsampling Wright Sound WPP-100C Phono Stage JF Lessard Pantheon 6SN7 SRPP Preamp w/ RCA 5R4GY & Sylvania 6SN7 JF Lessard Horus Parafeed Cobalt 2A3 Monoblocks w/ Tung Sol 5687 & AVVT 2A3 1976 KCBR Klipschorns with ALK Crossovers Gear Online: Two Channel & Home Theater Systems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotbuck Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 Greetings, Right now the KG-4's are on the floor about 8" from the wall, slightly toed in. It's not that the KG-4/HK-430 combo lacked volume; rather, they weren't as robust as they could be. I've tried the KG-4's with higher powered amps and got that extra "oompf," but sacrificed the beautiful mids and top-end clarity of the 430. (Remember, as a toob freak mids and clarity are a high priority for me!) Therefore, I decided that perhaps the 430's big brother (or is it big sister? ) would be perfect. Ultimately I'm hoping to use this set-up not as my main system, but for 2-channel home theatre. Therefore, getting a "bigger" sound at lower volumes might be a good thing -- with plenty of headroom left over for dynamic peaks. It actually was the post regarding your experience with the Harman Kardon 430 and KG-4's that got me interested in these amps -- and I think that's a very good thing! However, I think that (at least for my tastes) the gorgeous "twin power" sound, with simply *more* power, will be my perfect mate for the KG-4's. Thanks for the input! Take care, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotbuck Posted October 21, 2004 Author Share Posted October 21, 2004 Greetings everyone, Bill and Heresy2Guy -- thanks for the advice on getting the model 730; I purchased the one on eBay with "Buy It Now." Pretty sweet deal for just 99 bucks! (With just 5wpc difference between the 730 and 930 I couldn't justify passing this up.) I'll let ya know how this works out... Take care, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heresy2guy Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Congatulations on your purchase! Just make sure you clean the pots well with contact cleaner. Andy (HDBRbuilder) has posted a few threads on properly using this stuff to clean out the pots. Do a search for Harman Kardon 430 or HK 430; you'll find his procedure in one or more of those posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotbuck Posted November 1, 2004 Author Share Posted November 1, 2004 Greetings, Well the HK-730 arrived and has had a weekend of playing ... and it's just what the doctor ordered! To my ears, it has the same incredible clarity of the HK-430 but is tighter and has more "oompf" to give greater authority to the sound coming grom my kg4's. (I no longer feel the need to turn the bass up as much.) I suspect folks who prefer a more laid back presentation of music or who have higher sensitivity speakers than the 94dB kg4's would still prefer the 430; however, I found that the 730's 40wpc as opposed to 430's 25wpc was just right for my particular needs. I agree, though, that a thorough cleaning is in order (thanks for the info!). At any rate, for around 100 bucks or less, those old Harman Kardon Twin Power family of receivers really do deliver quite a lot of bang for the buck! Thanks to the forum members for pointing this out to a newbie! Take care, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heresy2guy Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 Glad it worked out for you and that you're happy with your purchase! My hat's still off to Andy for letting everybody in on the little HK 430/730 series - great sounding equipment at a great price. They take to Klipsch heritage like a duck does to water! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfandbark Posted November 3, 2004 Share Posted November 3, 2004 I wonder what a HK 730 would sound like through a pair of Cornwalls? Any opimions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 ---------------- On 11/3/2004 12:04:24 AM arfandbark wrote: I wonder what a HK 730 would sound like through a pair of Cornwalls? Any opimions? ---------------- I think this would be a very fine combo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huhuru Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 HK 730/Klipsch Cornwall II(s) combination. Fantastic. Currently listening to: 1976 - The Duets Brubeck & Desmond. Just fantastic. Have a Fisher 400 Receiver coming soon - will be able to compare the difference. Huhuru Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted November 4, 2004 Share Posted November 4, 2004 I'm using an HK 630 with my Cornwall IIs and it sounds very good. I also have an HK 505 amp which is (I have heard) very similar to a 930 without the tuner. This amp has incredible low end and very detailed high end, and it kicks butt on the Cornwalls when playing rock music. However, I also have a 430 that I prefer with the Cornwalls. There is a warmth with the 430 that the others don't quite seem to have, especially when listening to classical or jazz. Maybe this is some coloration that the "HiFi" guys would find objectionable, but I like it. BTW, why am I using the 630 instead of the 430? Well, the 630 looks better in the living room (according to my wife). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfandbark Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 Well, I'm gonna find out soon regarding the H/K 730. Grabbed the one floating around in e-bay the other day. Just have to watch for the mailman now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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