Harman Kardon Stereopower system

By Michael Jones

June 2007

Harman Kardon Stereopower BK system. $2495

Harman Kardon Stereopower system (click for larger image)

Back when I was a lad and dinosaurs roamed the earth (we’re talking mid-1980s here) it was common to buy an amplifier from one manufacturer, a tuner from another, a CD player from a third and a pair of speakers from a fourth.

These days many, if not most, hi-fi buyers want a one-brand system – all of the electronics (CD player, tuner, amplifier) from one manufacturer. Speakers from a speaker specialist are still okay.

Increasingly, hi-fi manufacturers have been creating ranges of components to match in appearance, price and (often) abilities. And sometimes – as is the case here – these components are packaged in one carton as a complete system.

Feel the force

Harman Kardon’s “Stereopower BK” system is a cosmetic repackage of their 970 CD player, amplifier and tuner. Instead of the usual current HK two-tone colour scheme, the Stereopower system comes in Darth Vader’s (and Henry Ford’s) favourite colour.

Visitors to my home weren’t overly taken with the black monolithic appearance of this system. There’s a touch of 1970s Scandinavia about the appearance, but with a gloss back finish. The components (tuner excepted) are deep and will need a correspondingly deep shelf for placement (389mm for the amplifier).

Component count

The 970 tuner includes not only the normal AM and FM bands, but DAB (digital radio) as well. There are some trial digital radio broadcasts in Auckland currently, but I have no information on when (or whether) they will be commercially viable.

The 970 CD player contains a Multi-Level Delta-Sigma D/A convertor and 24 Bits/384 kHz Asynchronous Sample Rate Convertor oversampling. Don’t worry – I have no idea of what that means either. The CD player is a slim model and has a centre disc drawer.

The 970 amplifier is rated at 75 watts per channel, according to the USA FTC specs (some amp manufacturers – particularly for home theatre – use a different specification in order to make their products appear to be more powerful). It’s a heavy beastie with the weight dominated by the large transformer. This is A Good Thing. I’ve often found a correlation between a decent power supply and a decent sounding amp.

Sound off

The sonic performance of the HK system is very good. The overall sound is dominated by the amplifier, with a mildly lean overall balance. This is not at the expense of bass control or impact however, as it often is with weedy amplifiers. The generous power supply of the amp – the major cause of its substantial 10.2kg weight – ensures terrific bass weight and power.

Tying in with the slight leanness is a touch of emphasis in the treble. I would be careful in matching this system with the right speakers. Any speakers that are too lean or forward may bring out the worst in both products.

The 970 CD player is a substantially fine model. It’s self-effacing, gets on with doing the job without calling attention to itself. I suspect that it may even give some models from NAD and Cambridge Audio a run for the money. Unfortunately, the CD player developed a fault towards the end of the review period, before any comparisons could be made. (These days it's unusual to see such a fault. I wouldn't hold it against the CD player, as it's likely to be a one-off problem).

The tuner works well and offers fine sound, in my limited trials with it. I skipped over the AM stage (I haven’t played with AM since NatRad moved to the FM band a few years back) but spent a pleasant morning listening to one of NatRad’s weekend morning shows. The DAB section wasn’t tried out for the obviou reason of no broadcasts being available in my location.

Concluding thoughts

This is a substantially good system, offering good sound, build and features for the money.

For your nearest Harman Kardon dealer

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