Summary: I have never heard a receiver sound as amazingly warm and clean as the 330c.Whatever H/K did with this thing they did it right.First of all..it looks cool! The green backlit display is awesome looking. I bought mine for $75 off Craigslist and the guy threw in a pair of crappy speakers,wire and some useless stands.There was no light at all except the power on/off but the sound was full on.I took a chance that all it needed was some new bulbs and $25 dollars later she was restored back to her full glory! I am running it with 2 pairs of of EPI 100's a DK 10 band EQ,Sony BluRay DVD/CD and Hitachi Turntable.I have friends who have spent thousands of dollars on Audio Equipment who come over and weep when they hear this setup! The only drawback...if you can call it that.. is the fact that it only sounds good at mid to moderate volumes.If you want room shaking dance beats this is not for you!!Since I live in an apartment this is really not a problem...more of a plus if anything.I can have amazing sound with crisp high's and solid well defined bass(thank's in part to the EPI 100's) and not totally piss off the neighbours...lol..If you ever see one of these...Grab It!!! You won't be dissapointed
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Summary: There is something about h/k's 330c that just seems right. This particular garage sale find meets all the criteria for something that one wants to keep and enjoy listening to.... it sounds wonderful, works perfectly and is cosmetically like new. There are receivers collecting dust in my closet that have more power, better specs... yet they sit. Perhaps that says it all.
I use this receiver in my bedroom and drive a pair of Polk Audio RT25's as well as a pair of JBL 2500's (both garage sale finds of $15.00 and $10.00 respectively) which spaced around the room yeild a big open feeling to small 12'x14' room. It drives this set-up with ease and provides plenty of volume.
In a nutshell, I've spent countless hours enjoying this receiver over the past couple years. H/K did it right.
Strengths: first and foremost it has a wonderful, warm sound.
beautiful styling (h/k nailed the looks this model - cool at night with the lights off)
perfect for a small room and a good set of bookshelf spkrs.
Weaknesses: pots and switches need occasional cleaning but are easily accesable and have never failed to come back to optimum.
plastic push-in style speaker connections are not my favorite (a simple thumb screw would have been sufficient)
I consider these to be "quirks" more than actual weaknesses
Similar Products Used: Harman/Kardon, KEF, Mission Electronics, Cerwin-Vega, Sony, Onkyo, Polk Audio
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Summary: I inhereted my Harmon Kardon 330C receiver from my grandparents. I can remember the day they bought it (back in the 70's) along with a turrntable and a pair of Altec Lansing Model 3 speakers. My grandfather put on a Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass album, and I was floored!
This was at a time when quality audio equipment was much more poplular than today. Heck, there was probably a dozen high end stereo shops in our area at the time. Most of my high school friends and I would frequent these shops regularly. We would be ooohed & ahhhed when they would show off their McIntosh amplifiers and Klipsh La Scala's, etc. as they played well produced Supertramp and Emerson Lake and Palmer albums. They all had had huge President's Day sales (actually it was the time for them to get rid of last year's models... I remember picking a Marantz cassette player for 55 dollars!). Harmon Kardon was a decent name at the time. Sadly, times have changed. There's about three high end stereo shops in the area now, and most of their showrooms have been taken over with home theater equipment.
I have a pair of Snell Type D speakers that are bi-amped, and I use the 330c to power the mids and highs. Along with my modifed Dynaco tube pre-amp, the clarity of these speakers is truly amazing! I'm hearing nuances that I've never heard before. I was listening to my Ben Webster meets Oscar Peterson CD, and I detected a constant thump when Oscar started off on one of his piano solos. I freaked out at first, and then realized it was Ben Webster tapping his foot on the floor along with the beat!
I've often thought about upgrading my amplifier(s) for my Snell Type Ds, but have a feeling that I may be wasting a lot of money. I'm very happy with the Dynaco/Harmon Kardon combo for the mids and highs.
Strengths: Good receiver for highly efficient quality bookshelf speakers, or to use as an amp to power the mids and highs of Bi-ampable speakers. Warm and detailed... very easy on the ears. I gave this a 5 star value rating because I've seen great prices on Ebay for them.
Weaknesses: A bit light on the overall power, but more powerful than the specs they list. Can get very dusty inside, and the pots may need to be sprayed with contact cleaner.
Similar Products Used: Pioneer and Sansui receivers
I have Snell Ds too - upgrade your amps. Not only will you hear Ben Webster's shoes tapping, but you'll be able to hear that his left shoe is untied! The HK 330 provides youy with a pretty limited soundstage - a better amp will really allow the Ds to disappear.
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Summary: My Grandparents bought this receiver with a pair of Altec Lansing Model Three Speakers and a decent turntable back in the late 70's. As an impressionable high schooler at the time, I was floored by the dynamics when they played their Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass album. I ended up with it after my grandparents passed away.
Only one channel was working when I got it, but I took it apart, cleaned it up (it was VERY dusty inside), and sprayed all the pots good with contact cleaner. I hooked it up to my Kef C10 bookshelf speakers, and it sounded quite good.
I am currently using it to power the mids & highs for my Snell Type D speakers (they are bi-ampable, I have an older pioneer receiver powering the lows). This combination along with my modified Dynaco Pas tube preamp works out very well. I'm picking up nuances never heard before (for ex. I was listening to a Ben Webster with Oscar Peterson CD, and I could detect quite clearly a constant, low "thud" noise when Oscar was playing his piano. I thought maybe something was wrong with the speakers. I figured out it had to of been Ben's foot tapping on the floor! There's a real sense of ambience around each instrument, and female voices sound particularly well. I've been debating on whether or not I should get a newer amp for these speakers. I just can't imagine them sounding much better being bi-amped and using this Harmon Kardon for the mids & highs. I never listen to the radio, but the tuner works fine.
Strengths: Very accurate and detailed, warm receiver. Really shines with well recorded music. You can pick them up really cheap on Ebay. With a little TLC, you can have a great little receiver. If you're looking for a good sounding 2 channel system, find a better than average CD player and / or turntable, and some decent highly efficient speakers to go along with this little gem. You won't be sorry.
Weaknesses: Not the most powerful receiver. Recommended for bookshelf speakers, or to use for speakers that can be bi-amped (I use mine for the mids/highs for my Snell Type D speakers).
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Summary: My HK 330C was stumbled upon at a church rummage sale and it had no sticker price so the nice lady let me have it for $2.50 but it was half-price day so I got it for $1.25!!! I thought I would put it on Ebay and make a few bucks. Wrong! This unit reproduces sound quite naturally and it's hard to believe that it's only putting out the rated 40 or so watts per channel. It's quite attractive asthetically, as well, but physically lives up to the "less is more" standard, as it's not overly laden with cosmetics. Myself and some other reviewers find the FM to be a bit hissy, however, I am using a lame antenna so I must not rush to judgement. Anyway, I have been enjoying my CD's on it so much, who needs the radio? It seems to run nice and cool and my custom-made tower speakers with some really old school Rockford Fosgate 12's actually sound tolerable for the first time ever! That wouldn't be a big deal in-and-of itself, but the bottom passive 12's are missing from the cabinets so I have 12" holes where the passive radiators should be; I can only imagine how nice the bass response will be when the speakers are once again sealed cabinets with new passives in place! On top of all that, the tower speakers are standing on a bare wood floor in a weight room with no carpet or furniture of any kind. Of course the sound is boomy, but I have been a sound technician for years and the boomy base is my open cabs and 1907 wood floors, for sure. Mids are warm and distinct and there is a real touchy sweet spot to be found when rotating the treble control, but once you find it, how sweet it is. Obviously, I would never sell this wonderful treasure on Ebay, in fact, listening to it has been like cold water in my face, reminding me that older cars and vintage audio are in a class of their own and the digital tuner/amps of today lack the warmth and resonating presence of the vintage classics. When I bought this fine item I wouldn't have paid more than $25.00 for it, but now that I'm enlightened, I wouldn't hesitate to drop $250.00 for it. Now I am on a mission to replace my modern digital system with all the vintage stuff I can find.
Strengths: Warm, rich, penetrating soundstage. Asthetically pleasing. Much "Bigger" sound than rated power. Overall quality workmanship you can see and hear.
Weaknesses: Limited inputs and outputs but easily overcome with purchase of selector unit. FM may be hissy but could be my antenna, plus I'm running it without an EQ and into some speakers that are not even completed yet.
Similar Products Used: N/A
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