Harman Kardon BALLAD User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
It is essential you read this ins tru cti on booklet c:i. refully before installing yo ur
high fidelity system. You h ave in vested in an ext remely fine e le c h· cnic instru-
me
nt into which many exce ll e nt en gi n ee ring dev el opme nt s ha ve b ee n incorpo-
rated, and eac h is important for the pro per operation of yo ur system. This booklet
has
bee n written in simple non -t ec hni ca l bnguage and if you will t:ik- 3 time to
r
ead it f:h- st before doing anything else, you w :ill fin d it simple to obtain optimum
perfo
rm ance from yo ur Harm an -Kardon Model A230 Stereophonic Amplifier.
Be s ur e to k eep this booklet available at all times. It contains indi spensab le
technical a
nd service information.
ThiJ rs the Harman-Kard on S1er eo Sy mb ol. It i.r your ,umra11ce of mperb 1/ereo perfo,-,nance.

j
UNPACKING
After unpacking the Model A230, i nsp ec t it carefully for signs of transit dam-
age. Th e unit was subjected to man y inspections and te sts prior to final packing ,
and
ther efo re sho uld be in perfect condition. If damage is visible, notify yo ur
d ea ler at once. If th e unit was s hipped to you, notify the transport ation company
without del ay .
Check th e contents of th e carton thoroughly and inspect the folds of the
packing material before discarding it. Your package should c ontain the following
it ems:
1 Mod el A230 Stereophonic Amplifier-Preamplifier.
1 ln s tru ction Booklet
1 Warranty Card
1 Mounting Template.
WA RRANTY PO LI CY
We ur ge you to fill in yo ur warranty card a nd mail it to the factory with-
out delay to protect yo ur rights 1mder warranty. Th e wa rranty cards ar e ca refully
fil ed for r efe r ence and should you re quire information on the use of this high fidel-
ity unit, or re
pair service, we will be able to id e ntify your set and re pl y quickly.
N OTE: It is necessary to receive factory a utho rization before re turning a
se t for warranty r epa ir to an authorized station. Repairs are to be returned on
an Express Prepaid basis. A le tt er desc ribing th e exac t djfllculty must be enclos ed
with the unit to ge th er with your original sales slip.
WA R RA NTY
We warrant each Mode l A230 to be fr ee from defects in mat erial and wo rk-
mans
hip under normal use a nd se rvice, a nd in accordance with th e conditions
he
rein below set forth, for a pe riod of 1 year from date of delivery to th e original
purchaser, and agree to replace or r epa ir any part or part s, with the except ion of
tubes
which are under th e manufacturer's 90 da y warranty, returned to us within
sa id 1 yea r, with transportation prepaid and wh i ch o ur examination shall disclo se
to our satisfaction to h ave b ee n thu s defective. Thi s warranty does not include
free labor, nor is it ap pli ca bl e to any instrum e nt which shall h ave b ee n r epaire d
or a
lt ered in any way so as in our judgm ent to a ff ec t its stability or reliability nor
wh ich has been s ubj ec t to neglect, misuse, abuse, neglig e nce or acc id e nt nor
which has had the se rial numb er a lt ered, effa ce d, or rem ove d. Neither shall this
warranty app ly to any ins trum en t which has b een co nn ec t ed otherwise th an in
accordance wi th ins tru ctions furnished by us.
This warranty is expressly in li eu of all other warranties, express or implied ,
a
nd of all other obligations or liability on our part , and we ne i ther assume nor
authori ze any representative or other person to assume for us any o ther liability
in connection w
ith the sale of this in st rum e nt.
IN ST ALLATION PR OC EDURE
Ventilati on:
The Ballad is we ll ve ntilat ed in itse lf , but sufficient space must be allowed
arou nd it to p erm it proper a ir fl ow. Th e unit m ay be mount ed v·ertically. Allow th e
rear of the eq uipm e nt cabi n et to remain open and if poss ib le cut louvres on the
woode n mounting pane l for added ventilation. Re du c in g air flow will sharply re-
duce tub e and co mp one nt li fe. \Vh en installing th e am plifier on a book shelf, do
not place books or oth er objects on th e cage or in the imm e diate vicinity of th e
ins
trum ent. Follow these mountin g precautions carefully a nd yom unit s hould
continue to o perat e perfectly for ma ny years.

Power Requirements:
Plug the AC line cord into any outlet furnishing 117 volts, 50 or 60 cycle
AC current.
The voltage may vary between 105 and 125 volts.
AC Convenience Outlets:
Two AC convenience receptacles are located on the rear panel of the A230.
Auxiliary
equipment ( tape deck, record player, tuner) may be plugged int o
these outlets
and will be controll ed by the push-button power on/off switch
located
on the front panel.
~T~
TAPE
EOUALllATION
:=:LEFT RIGHT=
LOW LEVEL INPUT
HIGH LEVEL INPUT
TAPE HI
AUX
TUNER
PHONO
HI
I-
TAPE
OUT
LEFT RIGHT
I SPEAKER CONNECTIONS I
~©~CE1r~0~
A 8 COM Lr,...J
L5_J COM 8 A
~ L-.:::::::::::1
~
8""- 16.1'\.
SPEAKER IMPEDANCE
l@D
oo 1 000
SPEAKER PHASING
117V AC 601"\,,
'\j"w
2 AMP
2 AMPS TOTAL
[[]] [OJ 8
REAR PANEL MODEL A 230
Spea ker Connections:
Your two speakers shou ld be identical if possible to obtain optimum result s.
Experts agree that a perfectly matched system offers the best stereophonic re -
production.
The speakers should be placed along the same wall app roximate ly 8 to
15
feet apart depending upon room size and furniture placement. It may be neces-
sary to experiment
with the speakers until best results are ob tained.
Use any type wire to connect yo w- speakers to the ampli£er. L amp cord
("zip cord") is excellent
and may be dressed easily around the molding for an
inconspicuous and neat installation. Do n ot drive the stap les or tacks through
th e center of the wire for this will short out the two sections and will decrease
tl1e overall volume
or short out the speakers ent ir ely. It is permissible to use
approximately 100
feet of speaker connecting wire for each speaker without loss
of volume.
The unique switching arrangement on th e Mode l A230 enables you to con-
nect your speakers in any of several ways. It is possible to have stereo in one
room, while listening to monophonic reproduction in another portion of your
home. If you prefer, you may add a thii-d channel speaker for "fill" in yo ur main
listening room, or listen to monophonic reproduction in another location. The
stereo speake r selector switches also enable you to listen to stereo in one room,
or stereo in anot her portion of the house. You may also add third channel
speakers to
one or both rooms, also selectable by the front panel switches. Please
follow
the diagrams listed below for the installati on best suited for your use.
St ere o In Room A. No Speakers In Room B:
Connect both leads from the l eft speaker in Room A to terminals A and
COM on the LEFT SPEAKER OUTPUT strip. Connect both leads from the
right speaker in Room A to terminals A and COM on tlie RIGHT SPEAKER
OUTPUT str ip. The shorting bars between all terminals on the SPEAKER
OUTPUT strips must remain connect ed for this method of operation. Refer to
Diagram 1.

.-----SP EA KE R CONNEC TI ON S--- -
r-CE NT~E_R __ -'---'---'- "-'---'-- ~
LE FT SPEAK ER
SY STEM A
RIG HT S PE A KE R
Diagram 1.
The IMPEDANCE SELECTOR switch l ocated on the rear of the chassis
should
be pl ace d in the 8 or 16 ohm position depe ndi ng u pon the nominal im-
pedance r ating of your speakers. If the speake rs have an im pedance of 4 to 12
ohms, t
hrow t he I MPEDANCE SELECTOR sw i tch to 8 ohms. If the speake rs are
rated from 12 to 20 ohms, throw the IMPEDANCE SELECTOR sw itch to 16
ohms.
To operate,
the CENTER SPEAKER switch and the STEREO SPEAKER
SELECTOR switch l ocated on the front pane l may rema in in any posi ti on since
they
are inoperative in this app li ca ti on.
Stereo In Room A . Stereo In Room B:
It is recommended you con nect one stereo speaker syst em at a time.
-- -- SPE A KE R CO NN EC TI ON S----
-~--~ ~-- -C ~EN T,..: E c.;. R __ -'-- -'- --'--="-'---'-- ---,
L EFT SP EAKER
LEFT SPEAKER
SYSTEM A SYSTEM B
RIG HT SPE AKER RIGHT S
PEAK ER
Diagram 2.
•

Remove th e shorting bars bet ween the A and B SPEAKER O UT PUT ter-
minals on both the right and left output strips.
Connect both leads from the l ef t spe ak er in Room A to terminals A and
COM on the LEFT SPEAKER OUTPUT st rip . Connect both l ea ds from th e
rig ht speaker in Room A to te rmin als A a nd C OM on the RIGHT SPEAKER
OUTPUT strip. Now connect th e two l eads from the l eft speaker in Room B
to t er minals B a nd COM on the LEFT SPEAKER OU TPUT strip, and two
leads from the right speaker in Room B to te rmin als B and COM on the RIGHT
SPEAKER OUTPUT str ip .
Th e short in g bars on CENTER A and B mu st rema in conn ec ted. R efe r to
Diagram 2.
The IM PEDANCE SELECTOR sw itch lo ca t ed on th e r ea r of th e chassis
sh ou ld be placed in th e 8 or 16 o hm pos it ion de pending upon the nomin al im-
pedance rating of your speakers. If th e s peaker s ha ve an impedance of 4 to 12
ohms, throw the IMPEDANCE SELECTOR switch to 8 ohms. If th e spea kers
have an in1pedance of 12 to 20 ohms, thr ow the IMPEDANCE SELECTOR
sw it ch to 16 ohms.
To ope rate, th e CENTER SPEAKER sw it ch located on th e front panel
may remain in any position since it is in ope rativ e in this application. To se le ct
stereo operation in Room A, place th e fro nt pan el STEREO SPEAKER SELEC-
TOR swit ch in the "A" position. To se l ect Room B, place th e STEREO SPEAK-
ER SELECTOR switch in the "B" position.
Stereo In Room A. Single Monophonic Speaker in Room B:
Remove the shorting bars between A a nd B SPEAKER OU TPUT terminals
on both the right a nd left outp ut strip s. Also remove th e sho rting bar on th e
CENTER B CHANNEL on the rig ht SPEAKER OUTPUT str ip. Conn ec t a 4
ohm, 10 watt resistor to terminals B a nd COM on the LEFT SPEAKER OU T-
PUT st rip , a nd also con n ec t a 4 ohm , 10 watt resis tor to terminals B and COM
on th e RIGHT SPEAKER O UTPUT s trip .
C onn ec t bo th leads from th e l ef t speaker in Room A to t er minals A a nd
COM on the LEFT SPEAKER OUTP UT strip. Co nn ec t both l ea ds from th e
right speaker in Room A to te rmin als A and COM on th e RIGHT SPEAKER
OUTPUT str ip . This co mpl etes th e stereo spea k er conn ec tions for Room. A.
Connect both leads from your monophonic spea ker in Room B to th e two
CENTER B terminals on the ri ght SPEAKER OUTPUT strip. Note, th e CENTER
A termina ls mu st r ema in strappe d. R efer to Diagram 3.
LEFT SPEAKER
CENTER SPEAKER
SYSTEM A
SYSTEM B
RIGHT SPEAKER Diagram 3.

The IMPEDANCE SELECTOR switch located on the rear of the chassis
should be placed in the 8 or 16 ohm position depending upon the nominal im-
pedance rating of your speakers. If tlJe speakers have an impedance of 4 to 12
ohms, throw the IMPEDANCE SELECTOR switch to 8 ohms. If the speake rs
have an impedance of 12 to 20 ohms, throw the IMPEDANCE SELECTOR
switch to 16 ohms.
To ope rate, the front pane l speaker svvitches must be set as follows:
1. To play stereo in Room A only without oper _ ating the monophonic speak-
er in Room B, throw the CENTER SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to "OFF" and
the STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR sw i tch to "A".
2. To play stereo in Room A and monophonic in Room B, throw the CEN-
TER SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to "B'', and t he STEREO SPEAKER SE-
LECTOR switch to "A".
3. To play only the monophonic speaker in Room B, throw the STEREO
SPEAKER SELECTOR switch and the CENTER SPEAKER SELECTOR swi tch
to "B".
St er eo With Th ird Speaker In Room A. No Sp e ak ers In Room B:
Remove the shorting bar strapping the CENTER A terminals on the LEFT
SPEAKER OUTPUT strip. The sh orting bars strapping terminals A and B on
both the right and l eft SPEAKER OUTPUT strips must remain connected .
Connect both leads from the left speaker in Room A to te rminals A and
COM on the LEFT SPEAKER OUTPUT str i p. Connect botlJ leads from the ri gh t
speaker in Room A to terminals A and. COM on tJ1e RIGHT SPEAKER OUTPUT
strip. Connect the two leads from the center speaker to the two CENTER
SPEAKER A term i na ls. The two CENTER B termina ls on the SPEAKER OUT-
PUT strip must remain strapped. Refer to Diagram 4.
LEFT S PEA K ER
CENTER SPEAKER
RIGHT SPEAKER
SYS T EM A
Diagram 4.
t
.J,

The IMPEDANCE SELECTOR switch located on the rear of th e chassis
s
hould be pl aced in the 8 or 16 ohm position dep e nding upon th e nominal im-
pedance rating of yom speakers. If the speakers have an impedance of 4 to 12
ohms, tlu·ow
th e IMPEDANCE SELECTOR switch to 8 ohms. If the speakers
have
an impeda n ce of 12 to 20 ohms, throw the IMPEDANCE SELECTOR
to 16 ohms.
To
op e rat e, the front panel speaker switches mu st be set as follows:
1. To pl ay stereo in Room A without th e us e of th e center speake r, the
STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR switch may be set in either the "A" or "B"
position as th e switch is inoperat i ve in this application. Set th e CENTER
SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to " OFF ".
2. To play stereo in Room A with th e use of th e center speaker, the STEREO
SPEAKER SELECTOR switch may be set in e ither t he "A" or "B" position as
this switch is inoperative in this application,
and th e CENTER SPEAKEH. SE-
LECTOR switch must be set to "A" to activate th e ce nt er chann el.
Stereo With Th ird Speaker In Room A. Single Monophonic Sp e aker In Room B:
Remove all shorting ba rs located on the re ar SPEAKER OUTPUT strip.
Connect both l eads from th e l eft speaker in Room A to terminals A a nd
COM on th e LEFT SPEAKER OUTPUT strip. Conn ect both leads from the
right speaker in Room A to ter mina ls A and COM on the RIGHT SPEAKER
OU
TPUT strip. Connect both leads from the cen ter speaker in Room A to both
A terminals on the CENTER SPEAKER OUTPUT strip. This completes the
speaker installation for Room A.
Now
connect both leads from the single mouophonic speaker in Room B
to both B terminals
on th e CENTER SPEAKER OUTPUT sh·ip. Connect a
4 ohm, 10 watt resistor between te rminals B and COM on the LEFT SPEAKER
OUTPUT sh·ip and similarly connect an additional 4 ohm, 10 watt resistor
be
tw ee n terminals B and COM on the RIGHT SPEAKER OUTPUT strip.
Refer to
Diagram 5.
LEFT SPEAKER
CENTER SPEAKER
CE NTER SPEAKER
SYSTE M A
SYSTE M B
RIGHT SPEAKER
Diagr am 5.

l
The IMPEDAN CE SELECTOR switch located on the rear of the chassis
should be placed in the 8 or 16 ohm position depending upon the nominal im-
pedance rating of the speakers. If the speakers have an imp eda n ce of 4 to 12
ohms, throw the IMP E DAN CE SELECTOR switch to 8 ohms. If the speakers
have an impedance of 12 to 20 ohms, throw the IMPEDANCE SELECTOR
switch to 16 ohms.
To operate, the front panel speake r switches must be set as follows:
1. To play two speaker stereo in Room A without operating the single
monophonic speaker in Room B, set th e CENTER SPEAKER SELECTOR l'
switch to "OFF" and the STEREO SPEAKER SELCTOR sw it ch to "A".
2. To play tlu-ee speaker stereo in Room A wi thout operati ng the single
monophonic speaker in Room B, set the CE
1
TER SPEAKER SELECTOR sw i tch •
and the STEREO SPEAKF.R SELECTOR swi t ch to "A".
3. To play only the monophonic speaker in Room B, throw the CENTER
SPEAKER SELECTOR switch a nd the STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR
switch to "B".
4. To operate only the center speake r in Room A, set the CE 1 TER SPEAK-
ER SELECTOR switch to "A" and the STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR to "B".
Stereo With Third Speaker In Room A. Stereo With Third Speaker In Room B: ·
Remove all shorting bar s located on the r ear SPEAKER OUTPUT strip.
Connect botl1 l eads from th e le ft speaker in Room A to termfoals A and
COM on the LEFT SPEAKER OUTPUT strip. Connec t both l eads from the
right speaker in Room A to terminals A and COM on the RIGHT SPEAKER
OUTPUT stri p. Connect both l eads from the cen t er spea ker to tl1e A ter minals
on the CENTER SPEAKER OUTPUT strip. This completes the speaker con-
nections for Room A.
Connect both leads from th e left speaker in Ro om B to terminals B and
COM on the LEFT SPEAKER OUTPUT strip. Connect both l eads from the
right speake r in Room B to terminals B and co;v 1 on the RIGHT SPEAKER
OUTPUT str ip. Now connec t the cen t er speaker in Room B to th e two B t er -
minals on tl1e CE TER SPEAKER OUTPUT strip. T hi s completes the speake r
conn ec ti ons for Room B. Refer to Diagram 6.
The SPEAKER IMPEDANCE switch located on tl1e r ea r of the chassis
shou ld be pl aced in th e 8 or 16 ohm position depending upon the nominal im-
pedance ratinis of th e speake r s. If the speakers have an impedance of 4 to 12
ohms, throw tl1e U.I PEDANCE SELECTOR sw it ch to 8 ohms. If the speake rs
have an impedance of 12 to 20 ohms, th row the IMPEDANCE SELECTOR
sw it ch to 16 ohms.
To operate, the front panel speaker switches must be set as follows:
1. To play two speaker stereo in Room A w ith out operating any of the
spea kers in Room B, set the CENTER SPEAKER SELECTOR sw itch to "OFF"
anil the STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to "A".
2. To play two speaker stereo in Room B without operating any of th e
speakers in Room A, set up the CENTER SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to
"OFF" and tl1e STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR sw i tch to "B".
3. To play t lu- ee spea k er s ter eo in Room A wi th o ut operating any of the
speakers in Room B, set the CENTER SPEAKER SELECTOR sw itch and the
STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to "A".
4. To pl ay three speaker stereo in Room B without op era ting any of th e
speakers in Room A, set the CENTER SPEAKER SELECTOR sw it ch a nd the
STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to "B".
5. To play thr ee spea k er stereo in Room A or two spea ker stereo in Room
B, set the CE TER SPEAKER SELECTOR swit ch and the STEREO SPEAKER
SELECTOR sw itch to "A". This enab l es you to listen to three speaker ste reo in
Room A. To pl ay two ste reo speakers in Room B, merely thro w the STERE O

LEFT SPEAKER
CENTER SPEAKER
CENTER SPEAKER
SYSTEM A
SYSTEM B
RIGHT SPEAKER
RIGHT SPE AK ER
Diagram 6.
SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to "B'' without touching the other controls. The
reversal of this app lication is quite simple for if you desire to play two speaker
stereo
in Room A or three speaker ste reo in Room B, set the CE 1 TER SPEAK-
ER switch and the STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to "B". This ena
1
Jles
you to li sten to three speaker stereo in Room B. To play the two stereo speakers
in Room A, merely throw
the STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to "A"
without touching the ot h er control s.
6. To play three speaker stereo in Room A or s in gle speaker monophonic in
Room B, set
the CENTER SPEAKER SELECTOR switch and the STEREO
SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to "A". To play only sin gle speaker monophonic
in Room B, throw t he CENTER SPEAKER SELECTOR sw it ch to "B" a nd allow
the
STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to remain in the "A" position. The
reversal
of th is application applies to play a single monophonic speaker in Room
A and
three stereo speakers in Room B.
Single Monophonic Speaker In Room A. Single Monophonic Speaker In
Room 8:
Remove the shorting bars on the CE TER SPEAKER OUTPUT strip.
Terminals A a
nd B on the LEFT and RIGHT SPEAKER OUTPUT strips remain
strapped for this
type of application.
Connect
both leads from the single monophonic speaker in Room A to both
CENTER A terminals on the LEFT SPEAKER OUTPUT strip. Connect a 4
ohm, 10
watt resistor across terminals A and COM on the LEFT SPEAKER
OUTPUT strip.
Connect
both leads from the single monophonic spea ker in Room B to both
CENTER B terminals on the RIGHT SPEAKER OUTPUT strip. Connect a 4
ohm, 10
watt resistor across terminals A and CO~vl on the RIGHT SPEAKER
OUTPUT strip. Refer to Diagram 7. s

SYSTEM A SYSTEM B
Diagram 7.
The SPEAKER IMPEDANCE switch located on the rear of the chassis
should
be placed in the 8 or 16 ohm position depending upon the nom in al im-
pedance rating of the speakers. If the speakers have an impedance of 4 to 12
ohms,
throw the IMPEDANCE SELECTOR sw itch to 8 oh ms. If the speakers
have an
impedance of 12 to 20 ohms, throw the IMPEDANCE SELECTOR
switch to 16 ohms.
To operate, the front panel speaker switches must be set as follows:
l. To play the single monophonic speaker in Room A, set the CE TER
SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to "A". The STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR
switch may remain in any position for in this application it is in operative.
2. To play the single monophonic speaker in Room B, set the CENTER
SPEAKER SELECTOR switch to "B". The STEREO SPEAKER SELECTOR
switch may remain in any position for in this applicat i on it is inoperative.
Connecti ng Your Tuner:
The FM output of your Harman-Kardon stereo tu n er shou ld be connected
to
the LEFT TUNER HIGH LEVEL I PUT receptacle located on the rear
panel of the amplifier. The AM outpu t should be connected to the RIGHT
TUNER HIGH LEVEL INPUT receptacle. The same method of installation
app li es if you are using a separate FM and AM tuner. If you are using a mono-
phonic
tuner in conjunction wit h the A230, connect the tu n er output to eith er the
LEFT or RIGHT HIGH LEVEL I PUT receptacle. Pl ug the tu n er AC line cord
into
one of the AC convenience receptacles located on the rear panel.
Connecting Your Ste r eo Record Player:
A stereophonic car b·idge uses two output connecting plugs. Prov isi on has
been made on the Model A230 to accommodate any of the three types of phono-
graph pickups available on the market.
MAGNETIC CARTRIDGE: The A230 bas two LO \ i\T LEVE T, T NPUT receptacles
located
on the rear panel. Connect the two outputs of your stereo magnetic ca rt-
ridge to these receptacles. The two PHO O/ TAPE equalization switches must be
placed in the "UP" or PHONO position.
CERAMIC CARTRIDCE: Connect the two outputs of your stereo ceramic cartridge
to the two PHO TO HI receptacles located on the rear panel. Equalization is
automatically selected
when connecting to this position and the FUNCTIO
SELECTOR switch is in the PHONO HI pos ition.
CRYSTAL CARTRIDCE: Connect the two outputs of your stereo crystal cartridge
to the two PHONO HI receptac les.
Connecti ng A Monophonic Record Player:
A monophonic record player uses only one connecting plug. If you are
using a low output magnetic type cartridge, connect it to either of the LOW
f