Harman Kardon 820 (c. 1970)
The Harman Kardon 820 - sold under the name “Nocturne 820” - was a stereo FM receiver introduced around 1970. What little survives about it comes almost entirely from contemporary audio magazine coverage. HiFI-Stereo (May 1970, p.31) opened its review by stating plainly that Harman Kardon “was obviously intent upon producing as much receiver as possible for under $300. In this they have succeeded.” The same review called the FM section “as sensitive as any FM tuner we have tested.” It reported that 46 stations came in acceptably at their listening location, sixteen of them in stereo, with muting described as excellent.
The period sources give two different prices. Audio listed it at $269.95, while High Fidelity (May 1970, p.41) gave $299.95 in a formal equipment report. The gap may reflect a mid-year price adjustment, or a difference between advertised and measured-unit pricing. That same High Fidelity report recorded the front panel dimensions as 16¾ by 4⅝ inches, with a chassis depth of 11½ inches behind the panel.
Beyond those magazine impressions, virtually nothing else is documented about the 820. No service literature, power-output figures, or circuit details have surfaced in the Archive’s research. It appears to have been Harman Kardon’s attempt at a full-featured receiver at a competitive price in the late-’60s / early-’70s receiver boom, but the record is thin.
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