Harman Kardon Citation 17
Documentation on the Harman Kardon Citation 17 is thin, and what survives comes mostly from period advertising rather than independent review. The Citation 17 was a preamplifier in Harman Kardon's flagship Citation line, a series that included multiple Citation models. The specs were ambitious for the era. Audio (November 1977, p.76) noted a frequency response from below 3Hz to beyond 270,000Hz at −3dB. Total harmonic distortion was rated at less than 0.001% for the line stage and less than 0.002% for the phono preamp.
The Citation 17s was advertised as having the same performance specifications as the 17, minus the active equalizer section. A 1978 directory listing in HiFI-Stereo (p.43) priced the 17s at $425.00 and described it as "similar to Citation 17 but without equalizer section." The available sources don't settle whether the "s" suffix means a distinct revision or just a stripped-down version. The naming appears inconsistently across period materials.
Beyond those specifications and the model's place in the Citation family, the record is largely silent. No production years, original price for the base 17, dimensions, or weight have surfaced in the research materials. No independent lab measurements or owner commentary from the period have been located either. What survives is the impression of a serious, specification-driven preamp from one of the more respected American audio brands of the 1970s — a component that promised state-of-the-art performance but left little documentary footprint behind.
Known Specifications
- Frequency response: below 3Hz to beyond 270,000Hz, −3dB (as advertised)
- THD: less than 0.001% (line stage); less than 0.002% (phono preamp)
- Citation 17s variant: same performance specs, without active equalizer — $425.00 (1978 listing)
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