Harman Kardon Citation XXP (1964)
The Citation XXP was Harman Kardon's first solid-state preamplifier. It came out in 1964 to pair with the company's Citation XX power amplifier. It's a two-chassis design - the preamp itself and a separate power supply connected by cable. Inside are germanium transistors, which were the state of the art at the time but have not aged gracefully.
The front panel has four-section tone controls: bass, mid, treble, and a "presence" control. Inputs are tape head, phono, tape, tuner, and aux. Phono sensitivity is rated at 2 mV into 50k ohms. The specification sheet lists gain at 20 dB, frequency response from 5 Hz to 100 kHz, THD at 0.1%, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 80 dB. It measures 14.5" × 4.5" × 11.5" and weighs 14 lbs. Original price was $249, with a two-year parts and labor warranty.
Period coverage is thin. High Fidelity (April 1983, p.42) mentioned the XXP in a roundup of digital-era preamp developments. It noted the tape inputs, two-way dubbing capability, external processor loop, and moving-coil input, which made this a well-equipped unit for its day.
Contemporary and later owner reports describe the XXP as quiet, detailed, and transparent, with one big caveat. Germanium transistors degrade over time and can become noisy or fail outright, and modern equivalents are hard to source. The commonly recommended fix is a recap of the power supply and replacement of the germanium devices with modern parts. On the used market, working examples typically sell for $300 - $500.
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