# old school amps



## wink1969 (Mar 17, 2010)

How many of y'all remember the old school Harman Kardon amps? Like the CA260, CA240, TC300, TC400q and TC600. I am thinking about doing a old school install and was wondering which amps should I run on the front stage? Which do you think would be the cleanest with the best power and SQ? I no the TC600 is the strongest out the bunch but far as SQ do you think it matches with the CA series amps? Now with the question out there I want to no if anybody remembers the infinity Emit tweeters? If so does anybody have any they are trying to sale? Last but not least who remembers the old school JBL white cone speakers from the late 80's and early 90's? (Car audio speakers like the t595) I am trying to find the model numbers for the 4", 5",6 1/2 and the 8".


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## ollschool (Nov 21, 2008)

well, just my opinion, but i have had both TC and CA series amps. They are very close, but i think the CA's sound wider and MAY!! be just a tad cleaner on top, in the highs. But hands down tighter and more cone control from the TC series. The TC is a work horse, i just don't care for the funky terminals. I have a nice bench setup with a C-90 i use for a headunit, plus i have differant speakers that i use, because i can tell a bit more using differant configurations. It's nice to test amps at ear level and the same distance. Since im off in the winter, i get to play and mess more when the family is gone. So that is why i say for me, the CA's are just a bit cleaner. I've played with em !! I think the CA 240 and 260 just look like a fidelity art piece for display. Nice older design.


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## spydertune (Sep 9, 2005)

I had a pair of HK CA240s. They were great amps and never failed. I sold one off in the 90's and had the 2nd until ~2004. In a weak moment I let it go.


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## azvrt (Nov 11, 2010)

Just picked up a Limited Edition (gold color heatsink) CA260 today.
Must repair it before I can enjoy it, though.
Read very, very good things about these.


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## spydertune (Sep 9, 2005)

azvrt said:


> Just picked up a Limited Edition (gold color heatsink) CA260 today.
> Must repair it before I can enjoy it, though.
> Read very, very good things about these.


I think it had a black heatsink that sun faded. One of my CA240's did the same thing.


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## azvrt (Nov 11, 2010)

The CA260 came out in a Limited Edition with this color.


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## spydertune (Sep 9, 2005)

Well I'll be dipped! Do you have any paperwork on it?


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## azvrt (Nov 11, 2010)

I haven´t I´m afraid.


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## 07azhhr (Dec 28, 2011)

I see emit tweets on ebay almost every time I search for them but they almost always seem to be for just 1. I really liked them in the late 80's early 90's along with polygraph mids.


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## ollschool (Nov 21, 2008)

Thats a sweet looking amp azvrt, i may have too look for one


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## spydertune (Sep 9, 2005)

azvrt said:


> I haven´t I´m afraid.


Love to know the back story on it and if it was a US are export-only model.

When I searched it, the only other hit was on Euro car audio forums.

Neat piece regardless.


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## azvrt (Nov 11, 2010)

It might be for sale as I've been buying tons of amps lately, must sell some.
The only problem with it is that the plastic separating the terminals has (deliberately) been broken off.

Here is a pic of a CA260 (not mine) on which I have indicated some of the parts that are broken off or missing.




Other problem is I live in Europe so you're looking at $45 / $50 shipping if I can make the 5 kilogram limit.


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## azvrt (Nov 11, 2010)

According to the manual the weight is 4.6 kg
If that is correct I cannot make the 5 kg weight limit which would make shipping even more expensive. Unless the buyer would want some BNIB Altec Lansing car speakers to fill up the 10 kg weight limit, I recommend against shipping it overseas.

I don't know if 4.6 kg is the weight lof the amplifier.
For instance and Adcom GFA-4402 is also 4.6 kg according to the manual, but that is the amp in its original packaging. On the scale it's only 3.6 kg.
I suspect the HK weighs 4.6 kg though, it's pretty large.


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## stills (Apr 13, 2008)

fwiw i've run a harmon home amp pretty much everyday for close to 20 years at 4ohm stereo.
never a problem.


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## wink1969 (Mar 17, 2010)

I see Emit tweeters on ebay too. The one's on ebay are not the old car audio tweeters though. I have 5 ca260's and the plastic piece is what covers the fuses. I am actually buying a couple of the tc300's. They are some work horses.


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## wink1969 (Mar 17, 2010)

Which do y'all think will sound better on the front stage the Harman Kardon CA260 or the Soundstream D200? Both are good amps but which do you think would give the most power and have the best SQ?


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## Ampman (Sep 7, 2011)

azvrt said:


> The CA260 came out in a Limited Edition with this color.


Very cool amp I've never owned one but Seen lots of good reviews of the HK's


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## 07azhhr (Dec 28, 2011)

wink1969 said:


> I see Emit tweeters on ebay too. The one's on ebay are not the old car audio tweeters though. .


Yeah I did not think that they looked like I remember remembering them looking like


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## sqshoestring (Jun 19, 2007)

The SS D200 work well on a stage, I have a couple CA260 but never used them. One works one needs repair yet and I was going to run them and see just not gotten to it. Something in the power supply will not work but nothing is blown up. Also have a 240 I could run that with it I suppose. I actually had to make my amp rack deeper to fit those hogs. To me the early SS were great amps but tighter, they didn't make the bass like other amps (such as a linear power xxx2 series, though I would not say the LP was that clean on highs). The 200 will run subs where it has no choice, and it does not matter much on a high pass though it may be weaker in midbass....with no EQ or full range you will hear it compared to other old school amps. Back then we were told some Nakamichi engineers started up SS. We used them for highs a lot, LP for lows back then, in high end systems we did. Did not have HK amps there and never saw any around. Sure I have an old home stereo HK, it is something to be reckoned with. The LP were much better on subs unless you only played jazz or something, IMHO. A LP 2002 would blow out a SS D200 from what I recall, on subs or full range w/no EQ. Few people had EQ then its funny when people today complain about built in EQ in old amps, because it worked way better back then. The LP paII was awesome when it came out but was around 900 in today's money, hardly anyone could afford it, I think a 2002 was cheaper. Many of my cars then were cheaper lol.


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