Harman Kardon HK680I User manual

harman/kardon hk680i
owner's manual
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Owner's manual hk680i
Your investment in a component high fidelity sys-
tem indicates you have a more than average interest
in music. The fact that your investment includes a
Harman Kardon Ultrawideband Stereo Receiver shows
us your appreciation of uncompromised reproduction
of the music you enjoy. Throughout the design and
manufacture of this unit, we made every effort to
assure tt will meet all of your expectations.
To ensure continuing high performance, read this
manual carefully before you connect and operate
your hk680i.
Warning
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose
this appliance to rain or moisture.
Warning
Do not mistake the ferrite loopstick AM antenna
for a handle. Its bracket cannot support the unit.
Connections
For the moment, leave the POWER LINE CORD
(53) of the hk680i unconnected. Put the unit on the shelf
or table where it will be installed. Leave enough work-
ing space so you can make all connections easily.
The hk680i requires adequate ventilation. It should
not be installed on a cushion or rug, and a minimum
of two inches (5cm) clearance should be provided
above and behind.
Like most stereo equipment, your hk6801 is fitted
with pin tyoe RCA connectors to accept standard pin
type RCA patch cords. If these are not compatible
with your other equipment, consult your audio dealer
for patch cords with proper adaptors.
Connecting your turntable to the hk680i
Turntables are supplied with their own signal
cables. Consult the owner's manual and determine
which cable is for the left channel and which is for the
right channel. Insert the left channel cable into the left
PHONO INPUT connector (44) on your hk680i. Insert
the right channel cable into the right PHONO INPUT
connector (44). Push the plugs in all the way so they
are firmly seated, making good electrical contact.
If your turntable has a separate ground wire,
connect it to the knurled thumbscrew on the receiver
marked GND (42).
Connecting your tape decks to the hk680i
To connect a tape deck, connect the left output
connector of your tape deck to the left TAPE 1 INPUT
connector (46) on your hk680i. Now connect the right
output connector of your deck to the right TAPE 1
INPUT connector (46) on your hk680i.
Using a second pair of patch cords, connect the
left input connector of your deck to the left TAPE 1
OUTPUT connector (47) on your hk680i. Now con-
nect the right input connector of your deck to the right
TAPE 1 OUTPUT connector (47) on your hk680i. Push
the plugs in all the way so they are firmly seated, mak-
ing good electrical contact.
A second tape deck may be connected similarly
using the TAPE 2 INPUT and OUTPUT connectors
(48) (49).

Connecting other equipment to the hk680i
A pair of AUXILIARY INPUTS (45) is available at
the rear of the hk680i for the connection of any “high
level” output equipment. A special tuner for long
wave, marine, aircraft or citizen’s bands, etc., may be
connected. Or you may choose to connect the output
of the audio section of a television receiver. Any num-
ber of choices are available. Consult your audio
dealer for information as to what equipment is com-
patible with your hk680i.
Connecting speakers
Use two-conductor stranded wire to connect your
speakers to the receiver. Eighteen gauge lamp cord
(zip cord) is satisfactory, but a heavier gauge (16 or
14 gauge) is preferable, especially for distances over
25 feet.
Cut two segments of wire long enough to reach
each speaker. Separate the conductors at each end
of the wire segments for a length of two to three
inches. Then carefully remove about one-quarter inch
of insulation from each free end. Twist the strands of
each conductor so they are smooth and tight with no
loose strands.
Lamp cord usually provides a “code” that differ-
entiates the two conductors. A conductor may be
coded by a rib, sharp corner, or indentations molded
along the length of the insulation. In some cases, a
thin colored thread is molded inside the insulation of
each conductor. In others, one conductor is darker
than the other, or the insulation of each conductor is
of a different color. Connect the bare ends of one
segment of lamp cord to your right speaker as fol-
lows: Connect the coded conductor to the speaker's
positive (“+”) terminal, and the uncoded conductor to
negative (“—”). The “+” and “—” markings are in gen-
eral use, allhough some speakers use other labeling
systems, such as “1” and “2,’ “A’ and “B” and so on.
Find the appropriate row of speaker connectors
on the receiver marked SPEAKER SYSTEM 1 (50).
Push in on the red plastic head of the connector
marked RIGHT to reveal an opening beneath. Insert
the bare end of the coded conductor into the open-
ing. Release the connector. The conductor should
now be locked firmly into place. Insert the uncoded
conductor into the adjacent black connector
marked GND.
Repeat the procedure for the left speaker, taking
care to observe the coding of the conductors as
described for the right speaker. If the code is followed
as described, your speakers will be connected “in
phase”, which is important for solid bass and precise
lateral location of the sound source. To connect a
second pair of speakers, repeat the procedure for the
right and left speakers of the second pair, using the
receiver terminals marked SYSTEM 2 (51).
Connecting an AM antenna
A ferrite loopstick type AM ANTENNA (36) is
provided and can be rotated to improve reception.
If an external AM antenna is used, connect it to the
terminal marked AM (41).
Connecting FM antennas
If no outdoor antenna is available, connect the lugs
of the dipole (supplied with the unit) to the FM3000.
BAL terminals (39) and (40). The dipole can then be
tacked or taped to a wall or the back of a shelf.
However, reception will be greatly improved if the
receiver is connected to an outdoor FM antenna sys-
tem. If you live in a fringe reception area, or if your
house Is situated among obstructions (such as moun-
tains or tall buildings}, you may need a more power-
ful, directional FM antenna.
To connect 3000, (ohm) outdoor antenna wire,
attach as described in the preceding paragraph.
However, if your cable is 75 ohm, as is the case with
many outdoor antennas, it will be round with either
two protruding wires or a threaded coaxial connector.
If the cable ends in bare wires, connect the wire that
forms the outer mesh braid to the terminal marked
FM 75Q, UNBAL GND (88). Connect the solid, cop-
per-colored wire protruding from the center of the
cable to the FM 3000, BAL terminal (39). If your 750,
cable has a threaded coaxial connector, fasten it on
to the threaded antenna receptacle (37).
AC convenience ouilets*
Three AC outlets (52) on the rear panel of the
hk680i provide power connections for turntables,
tape decks or other equipment. One is marked UN-
SWITCHED and provides power whether the receiver
is turned on or not. Those marked SWITCHED pro-
vide power only when the receiver is turned on.
If you have completed the connections above,
you are now ready to place the hk680i in its perma-
nent position and plug the POWER LINE CORD (53)
into an AC outlet. To turn the unit on and off, press the
POWER switch (2). When power is on, the POWER
indicator (1) will light.
To operate your hk680i
Speaker selection and headphones
The SPEAKER 1 (4) and SPEAKER 2 (5) switches
select the pair of speakers to be played. When either
switch is depressed, the corresponding pair of
speakers Is activated.
The front panel HEADPHONES Jack (3) accepts
headphones for personal listening. Headphones may
be used simultaneously with speakers if desired.
To play records
Depress the PHONO pushbutton (15), activate
your turntable, and advance the VOLUME control
(26) clockwise to a comfortable level.
if you hear a hum at average listening levels, turn
the POWER switch (2) off and check to see that phono
and ground connections are secure.
*In some countries, owing to Safety Agency Electrical requirements,
these AC receptacles are covered.

To listen to broadcasts
When you first turn on the power, the STATION
DISPLAY (33) will automatically show “FM 88.10 MHz,”
the lowest FM frequency. To tune to an FM station
manually, press the FM or AUTO FM pushbutton (17)
(16) and place the TUNING button (25) in its MAN-
UAL position (in). To scan to higher frequencies, press
the TUNING UP button (35), releasing it when the
desired frequency has been found. To scan to lower
frequencies, press the TUNING DOWN button (34).
During scanning, no sound will be audible at any
time, even as you pass frequencies that contain
broadcasts. This feature protects your audio system
and loudspeakers from sudden high level signals. As
you scan, the SIGNAL STRENGTH display (29) will
help you locate broadcasts. To tune to an AM station,
press the AM pushbutton (18), and follow the same
procedure. The QUARTZ LOCK indicator (30) will
light any time the receiver is properly tuned to any
station. To scan automatically, place the SCAN STOP
button (24) in its “off” position (out) and the TUNING
button (25) in its AUTO position (out). When you press
the TUNING UP button (34) or TUNING DOWN but-
ton (35), the 680i will autornatically scan in the de-
sired direction, stopping at each station to play sev-
eral seconds of music. If the system is not disen-
gaged by placing the SCAN STOP button (24) in its
“on” position (in), the 680i will continue scanning and
sampling until disengaged.
In its “on” position (out) the MUTING
button (28) will automatically reject weak or distant
stations that would give poor reception. To receive
these stations, press the MUTING button
(28) to its “off” position (in).
You can adjust the action of the muting circuit in
your hk680i by using the MUTE ADJUST control (43)
on the rear panel. The mute adjust is set at the factory
so that you can receive the maximum number of sta-
tions. You may wish to alter the setting to mute some
of the weaker and noisier FM stations by adjusting the
MUTE ADJUST control (43) clockwise. When the
UTE ADJUST control (48) is turned fully clockwise,
all but the strongest FM stations are muted.
When the AUTO FM button (16) is selected, the
680i will automatically shift into the mono mode when
he signal is too weak for good stereo reception. To
receive weak stations in mono (and reduce noise),
press the FM button (17) instead.
FM/AM preset memory
Each of the FM/AM PRESET MEMORY buttons
(23) on the hk680i can store one AM station and one
FM station in memory for easy recall. Once registered
in memory, these stations may be recalled simply by
selecting either the AM or FM band with the function
selector buttons, then depressing the proper FM/AM
PRESET MEMORY button (23).
To register a station in memory, first locate the
station, then press the MEMORY BUTTON (22). Press
any of the 6 FM/AM PRESET MEMORY buttons, and
when the light above the button lights, the station has
been stored in memory.
To return to that station at any time, simply select
the proper function (FM or AM) and press the appro-
priate FM/AM PRESET MEMORY button. Any time
any of the FM/AM PRESET MEMORY buttons (23)
is pressed, and the MEMORY button (22) is also
pressed, the previously registered station will automat-
ically be cancelled and the new one registered. When-
ever the receiver is turned on, it will automatically tune
to the last station you listened to, regardless of
whether that station was registered in memory or not.
Note: If power to the 680i is cut for any reason,
a battery backup system will activate to prevent pre-
set stations from being cancelled from the memory.
Momentary power cuts will not affect the memory.
However we recommend that you do not connect the
680i to an outlet that may inadvertently be turned off.
Otherwise excessive battery drain may occur.
Auxiliary equipment
If you have connected other equipment to the
AUXILIARY INPUT connectors (45), you may listen to
this program source by pressing the AUXILIARY
pushbutton (19).
To play tapes
The TAPE MONITOR pushbuttons (8) (9) admit
programs from tape decks connected to TAPE 1
INPUT connectors (46) and TAPE 2 INPUT connec-
tors (48). When you wish to play a tape or program
source connected to the TAPE 1 INPUT connectors
(46), depress the TAPE MONITOR SOURCE/MONI-
TOR pushbutton (9) to its MONITOR position (in) and
place the TAPE MONITOR 1/2 pushbutton (8) in its
TAPE 1 position (out). To play a tape or program from
the TAPE 2 INPUT connectors (48), place the TAPE
MONITOR SOURCE/MONITOR pushbutton (9) in
the MONITOR position (in) and depress the TAPE
MONITOR 1/2 pushbutton (8) to its TAPE 2 position (in).
To record tapes
The hk680i allows you to record programmed
materials from any source selected by the function
control pushbuttons (15) (16) (17) (18) (19).
Leave the TAPE COPY SOURCE/COPY push-
button (7) in its SOURCE position (out). Activate the
program source and place tape deck 1, tape deck 2
or both in record mode.

To listen to the original program, place the TAPE
MONITOR SOURCE/MONITOR pushbutton (9) in its
SOURCE position (out). To monitor the new record-
ings as they are being made, press the TAPE MONI-
TOR SOURCE/MONITOR pushbuiton (9) to its MONI-
TOR position (in) and select the tape deck to be
monitored with the TAPE MONITOR 1/2 pushbutton
(1-out, 2-in) (8).
The VOLUME control (26), BALANCE contro! (20),
and the various tone controls do not affect the signal
at the TAPE OUTPUT connectors (47) (49). Hence
you may change the settings of these controls without
altering a tape recording in progress.
To copy tapes
When copying material from one tape deck to
another, the TAPE COPY SOURCE/COPY pushbut-
ton (7) should be pressed to the COPY position (in).
To copy material from tape deck 1 on to tape deck 2,
the TAPE COPY (1 to 2)/(2 to 1) pushbutton (6) should
be in the “1 to 2” position (out). Put tape deck 1 in the
play mode and tape deck 2 in the record mode.
To copy material from tape deck 2 onto tape deck
1, press the TAPE COPY(1 to 2)/(2 to 1) pushbutton
(6) to the “2 to 1” position (in). Put tape deck 2 in the
play mode and tape deck 1 in the record mode.
While copying material from one tape deck to
another, you may listen to the original tape, the new
recording, or any other program source selected by
the function control pushbuttons (15) (16) (17) (18)
(19). To listen to either tape deck, press the TAPE
MONITOR SOURCE/MONITOR pushbutton (9) to its
MONITOR position (in) and select the tape deck you
wish to hear with the TAPE MONITOR 1/2 pushbutton
(8). To listen to other program sources, leave the TAPE
MONITOR SOURCE/MONITOR pushbutton (9) in its
SOURCE position (out) and select the program
source using the function control pushbuttons (15)
(16) (17) (18) (19).
Volume, balance, loudness and tone controls
To increase the volume, turn the VOLUME control
(26) clockwise. The BALANCE control (20) shifts the
sound to one speaker or the other.
The BASS and TREBLE conirols (13) (14) affect
the frequency balance of the program material. Their
neutral positions are at 12 o'clock. Turning the TREBLE
control (14) clockwise increases the high frequencies.
The BASS control (13) has the same effect on
low frequencies.
When the LOUDNESS button (27) is in its “on”
position (in), very high and very low frequencies are
boosted at low settings of the VOLUME control (26).
This compensates for the ear's relative insensitivity to
extreme frequencies at low volume levels. The LOUD-
NESS button (27) has very little effect at volume set-
tings beyond 12 o'clock.
Mono/stereo blend
The MONO/STEREO BLEND cortrol (21) allows
you to compensate for a variety of speaker place-
menis. Ideally, the distance between the speakers
should be about the same as the distance from the
listener to a point midway between the speakers.
Under these conditions, the MONO/STEREO BLEND
control (21) should be in its full stereo position (full
clockwise). If the distance between the speakers is
substantially greater than the distance to the listener,
stereo imaging may be improved by rotating the
MONO/STEREO BLEND control (21) counterclock-
wise toward the mono seiting.
Filters and tone defeat
The hk680i also incorporates three additional
controls, a SUBSONIC FILTER (11), a TONE DEFEAT
(10) and a HIGH CUT filter (12). Placing the TONE
DEFEAT button (10) in its “on” position (in) eliminates
the action of the BASS and TREBLE controls (13) (14)
to allow for critical evaluation of their effect. Placing
the SUBSONIC FILTER button (11) in its “on” position
(in) engages a filter to protect your speakers from
inaudible low frequency signals caused by severe
record warp, acoustic feedback or tonearm reson-
ance. Placing the HIGH CUT FILTER button (12) in its
“on” position (in) minimizes “hiss” and other high fre-
quency noises.
Maintaining appearance
Clean the metal panel with mild, diluted detergent
applied with a soft cloth or cotton swab. Never use a
strong abrasive cleaner.
Remove dust or smudges from the acrylic front
window with diluted glass cleaner applied with a soft
cloth. Do not use a strong solvent-type cleaner or
ammonia.
The hk680i is a high quality precision instrument.
If the instructions in this manual are followed thought-
fully, the receiver should provide many years of musi-
cal pleasure.
Note: In some areas, AM stations broadcast at
frequency intervals of 10 kHz, in other areas at inter-
vals of 9 KHz. Your 680i has been factory set for the
frequencies in your area. However, if you find you
cannot receive AM stations in your area, change the
position of the switch on the back panel marked ODD
9 kKHZ/EVEN 10 kHz.
Congratulations
Your new Harman Kardon High Technology
Receiver is now properly connected and ready to
use. We hope you'll enjoy it for years to come.
If in the future you decide to add a cassette deck
to your system, we hope you'll consider one of the
new Harman Kardon High Technology Metal Cas-
sette Decks. They're styled to be the perfect mates to
our high Technology Receivers. In addition to being
metal compatibie, they also give you the all new Dolby
HX headroom extension system for superb perfor-
mance. Performance that can’t be topped by any-
thing less than a professional open reel deck.
Again, congratulations on your new receiver.
With a little care, it will provide enjoyment for a long,
long time.