Harman Kardon HK6850 - HK6850 and HK6950 R Features; Discrete circuitry; HCC (High-instantaneous Current Capability); Ultrawide bandwidth

Thank you for choosing a Harman
Kardon integrated amplifier. This is a
superb piece of high fidelity equip-
ment that has been meticulously
designed to provide you with thou-
sands of hours of enjoyment.
This manual describes the features
and capabilities of your new inte-
grated amplifier. In addition, it de-
scribes the proper method for con-
necting your integrated amplifier to
your system. Please read this owner’s
manual and use your integrated
amplifier only in accordance with its
instructions. Keep the manual in a
safe place for future reference.
HK6850 and HK6950R Features
Discrete circuitry
Rather than employing simple integrated circuits
in the amplifier section, the HK6850 and HK6950R
use completely discrete (separate) electronic compo-
nents for greatly improved linearity and less distor-
tion.
HCC (High-instantaneous Current Capability)
While reproducing dynamic music signals, the
instantaneous impedances of nearly all loudspeakers
drop to less than a third of the nominal rating. These
low instantaneous impedances typically require three
to six times more current from the amplifier than a
nominal 8 ohm resistive load requires. The HK6850
and HK6950R integrated amplifiers can provide
respectively 70 and 90 amperes of instantaneous
current, which ensures that your speakers will be able
to continually reproduce the entire dynamic range.
Ultrawide bandwidth
Unlike ordinary integrated amplifiers, the
HK6850 and HK6950R can reproduce musical fre-
quencies ranging from less than 10Hz to more than
100kHz. This ultrawide bandwidth improves the
accuracy of reproduction of transient signals and
ensures phase linearity.
Low negative feedback
This design philosophy is used by the world’s most
exclusive amplifiers. It requires the highest quality
internal components, and results in an extremely
stable amplifier with unmeasureable TIM distortion
and absolutely outstanding imaging characteristics.
Main direct
The PREAMPLIFIER BYPASS switch routes the
source signal directly to the input of the amplifier,
bypassing all tone controls and other preamplifier
circuitry. The signal is therefore attenuated only by
the high-quality volume control, resulting in very pure
sound quality.
Tone defeat
The TONE DEFEAT switch causes the source
signal to completely bypass the tone control circuitry.
This results in unaltered, completely accurate musical
reproduction.
Electronic function switching
The controls on the front panel of the HK6850 and
HK6950R switch input and output connections
electronically through the use of high fidelity elec-
tronic analog switches. Harman Kardon’s simple and
elegant electronic design makes possible complex
component configurations. In addition, this all-
electronic circuitry ensures that the switches will
function quietly and reliably for the life of the unit.
High voltage/high current design
Harman Kardon has designed the HK6850 and
HK6950R to be able to handle low impedances and
unstable speaker loads that would destroy less rugged
amplifiers. While the HK6850 and HK6950R can
easily manage these loads, the unit can be set to
provide higher voltage and even more power into
higher impedance loudspeakers, allowing you to use
the unit to full capacity.
Phase correct loudness contour
Harman Kardon’s exclusive Phase correct loud-
ness circuitry provides a special fixed equalization
curve that compensates for the ear’s decreased
sensitivity at low volumes. This special circuitry is
unusual in that it corrects for midrange phase errors
inherent in low frequency loudness equalization. The
result of this correction is that low frequencies sound
clear and natural, with no coloration or degradation of
stereo imaging.
Active/passive phono section with MM and MC
inputs
A switch on the front panel of the HK6850 and
HK6950R sets up the gain and input impedance of
your amplifier’s internal circuitry to match the type of
cartridge being used on your turntable. The HK6850
and HK6950R provide you with both a passive (unam-
plified) phono section for use with standard moving
magnet phono cartridges, and an active (amplified)
phono section for use with moving coil (low output)
phono cartridges. You can connect both moving coil
and moving magnet cartridge inputs and use the
switch on the front panel to select between them.