Harman Kardon ADP-303
Little is documented about the Harman Kardon ADP-303. The record shows an outboard Dolby Digital (AC-3) decoder, introduced around 1996. HiFi-Stereo (May 1996, p.78) called it a "plain" AC-3 decoder and set it against the company's more elaborate Citation 7.5 digital processor. The Citation 7.5 added THX processing, digital Pro Logic, and a touch-screen remote, at a $1,500 target price.
The ADP-303 appears to have been a stripped-down component - just the AC-3 decoding, with no built-in Pro Logic or surround processing of its own. A later HiFi-Stereo review (January 1997, p.66) noted that for non-Dolby Digital programs the user would rely on the Pro Logic processing of the host component. The same article mentioned the ADP-303's master volume knob. It also suggested Harman Kardon expected most buyers to pair it with the company's flagship AVR80 MkII A/V receiver ($1,699).
Almost nothing else survives. There are no production years, no original price, no technical specifications, and no service documentation. It was a niche outboard decoder from the early days of consumer Dolby Digital, likely produced for a short window before A/V receivers made such decoding standard.
Known Specs
- Type: Outboard Dolby Digital (AC-3) decoder
- No further specifications recorded
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