My Harman Kardon Festival 1

RE: My Harman Kardon Festival 1, posted on October 31, 2014 at 14:07:57
DavidLD Audiophile Posts: 4884 Joined: May 29, 2002	Waaaaaaaay coolllll.....

RE: My Harman Kardon Festival 1, posted on October 31, 2014 at 14:18:52
AudioSoul Audiophile Posts: 4594 Location: north central AZ Joined: July 9, 2005	Very cool. What are you using for speakers?

RE: My Harman Kardon Festival 1, posted on October 31, 2014 at 14:31:56
Chucky2 Audiophile Posts: 22 Location: Madison Joined: October 15, 2005	Hello again, let's see if this posts. Speakers are JBL HLS810 on home made stands and JBL N26 on the floor under a bench. It's a small sunroom with plants and two easy chairs. I'm waiting on some 14 gauge speaker wire with the correct RCA/banana connectors. It's using 18 gauge right now. Needs a recap, but I compensate with an external ADC eq.

RE: My Harman Kardon Festival 1, posted on October 31, 2014 at 15:31:09
Chucky2 Audiophile Posts: 22 Location: Madison Joined: October 15, 2005	Thank you, Designed and built in 1970 in the USA, New York state I believe. Right around the time of the Apollo moon landings.

RE: My Harman Kardon Festival 1, posted on October 31, 2014 at 16:38:48
tesla Audiophile Posts: 3180 Location: San Diego County, California Joined: October 25, 2000	Wouldn't it be cool to put a more modern tt in it? Proudly serving content-free posts since 1984.

RE: My Harman Kardon Festival 1, posted on October 31, 2014 at 17:13:03
bluemooze Audiophile Posts: 269 Location: New Jersey Joined: November 18, 2009	Outstanding! Have never seen one of those!

RE: The Monster Amp, posted on October 31, 2014 at 17:32:32
Sherwood Forest Audiophile Posts: 240 Joined: October 7, 2014	Wow, that's neat. I'm not surprised it sounds good, HK usually met certain specs even if Stu Hegeman would have gagged at such a setup. So how fast is that thing, like 300 baud?

My Earlier Festival from 1956, posted on October 31, 2014 at 17:43:31
Awe-d-o-file Dealer Posts: 21037 Location: 50 miles west of DC Joined: January 10, 2004	30 watts mono, two 6L6 in push pull. Easily weighs 30 ponds and has a silly thick copper chassis. ET ET "If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

RE: My Harman Kardon Festival 1, posted on October 31, 2014 at 19:36:56

Chucky2
Audiophile

Posts: 22
Location: Madison
Joined: October 15, 2005

I played with the thought, it would amount to damaging the cutout so as to modify. The BSR McDonald 610 in it is not original, you can see I raised the body TT 1+ inch. That is to let the harness clear the tuner flywheel of the festival. The 610 was the better model of the year, it has a cast aluminum platter as opposed to the pressed platter of the 510 and will spin another 30 or 40 seconds when turned off. I bought a BSR 2630 which will arrive soon and will see if that is an improvement still, the 2630 platter rivals the Dual's of the era being very thick (even though it's a BSR) and has pitch control. All these models which are called the Professional Series have decent tonearms, I'm running my Shure 75ECS at 3 grams spec.

RE: The Monster Amp, posted on October 31, 2014 at 19:44:03
Chucky2 Audiophile Posts: 22 Location: Madison Joined: October 15, 2005	Nothing available to read about specs here, I even have the factory issued manual. I am guessing 15 or 18 era watts RMS, maybe a bit more. Tuner sounds very musical but I use a Denon TU600 with it because taping the WORT jazz shows here in Madison, WI is better sounding with the Denon's low S/N.

RE: My Harman Kardon Festival 1, posted on October 31, 2014 at 19:47:11
Chucky2 Audiophile Posts: 22 Location: Madison Joined: October 15, 2005	I am really pleased I found a NOS Dustcover about 2 years ago when we had the massive protests in Madison. The darn things was wrapped in tissue paper in it's factory packaging after 42 years!

RE: My Earlier Festival from 1956, posted on October 31, 2014 at 21:00:15
Chucky2 Audiophile Posts: 22 Location: Madison Joined: October 15, 2005	Year I was born. Guy I emailed was all set to possibly recap my unit thinking it was like yours. Never heard back from him when I sent a photo.

RE: My Earlier Festival from 1956, posted on November 1, 2014 at 03:43:39
vinnie2 Audiophile Posts: 4481 Location: North Carolina Joined: September 28, 2013	Isn't too hard to tell which unit I would rather have. Cool rig. Also that silly copper chassis is most likely functional.

RE: My Earlier Festival from 1956, posted on November 1, 2014 at 06:46:44
Awe-d-o-file Dealer Posts: 21037 Location: 50 miles west of DC Joined: January 10, 2004	"""Also that silly copper chassis is most likely functional. "" Yes silly good. Something you'll NEVER see again. ET ET "If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

RE: My Earlier Festival from 1956, posted on November 1, 2014 at 06:47:40
Awe-d-o-file Dealer Posts: 21037 Location: 50 miles west of DC Joined: January 10, 2004	Yours is cool too and I had never seen one. I added the pic to my library. Thanks! ET ET "If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

One does not scoff @ the messenger, by the way, that is one SHARP looking piece~nT, posted on November 1, 2014 at 09:20:36
Cleantimestream Audiophile Posts: 7551 Location: Kentucky Joined: June 30, 2005	~! The Mind has No Firewall~ U.S. Army War College.

I Thought, posted on November 1, 2014 at 10:12:00

Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004

all the posts were positive. One said about dropping in a TT as the original is quite basic and a better table would help a lot. I just showed my old Festival to show they had been using that name a while.

But now that you mention it I think it is on the ugly side myself. The KLH's were nicer looking in my opinion. But hey I like BMW boxer motorcycles which most consider ugly.

ET
ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

new heavier platter today, posted on November 1, 2014 at 10:36:23
Chucky2 Audiophile Posts: 22 Location: Madison Joined: October 15, 2005	Just received my BSR 2630, wiring harness would require snipping and surgery so I thought, why not swap platters. Yes, it works. The new platter is twice as substantial. I also have a new cartridge sled so I may try a Shure 97xe. Photo is with newer platter.

:Chucky2..."Don't scoff"...my response as above~nT, posted on November 1, 2014 at 11:04:25
Cleantimestream Audiophile Posts: 7551 Location: Kentucky Joined: June 30, 2005	~! The Mind has No Firewall~ U.S. Army War College.

No No No, posted on November 1, 2014 at 11:04:40
tesla Audiophile Posts: 3180 Location: San Diego County, California Joined: October 25, 2000	The BMW boxer is a thing of beauty. However, I cannot say the same about the inline BMW bike. Proudly serving content-free posts since 1984.

new dust cover and room, posted on November 1, 2014 at 11:15:39
Chucky2 Audiophile Posts: 22 Location: Madison Joined: October 15, 2005	Friday I posted I had a NOS dustcover, thought I would close it with a room photo. To the left is my Njoe Tjoeb CD player, Denon TU-600 tuner and Nakamichi Dr-3. The fender bass amp combo is double isolated from the TT. I also made the stand from the densest lumber I could find at HD.

RE: No No No, posted on November 1, 2014 at 11:21:11
Chucky2 Audiophile Posts: 22 Location: Madison Joined: October 15, 2005	I sold my R75/6 a couple of years ago and am quite content with my Schwinn Voyageur 11.8.

RE: No No No, posted on November 1, 2014 at 12:27:20
tesla Audiophile Posts: 3180 Location: San Diego County, California Joined: October 25, 2000	Where's the cylinders? Proudly serving content-free posts since 1984.

RE: new dust cover and room, posted on November 1, 2014 at 16:46:51
Awe-d-o-file Dealer Posts: 21037 Location: 50 miles west of DC Joined: January 10, 2004	Nice! I makes a big diff in the overall look! ET ET "If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

RE: new dust cover and room, posted on November 2, 2014 at 21:31:05
rickl Audiophile Posts: 583 Location: Twin Cities Joined: February 7, 2002	nice p bass. looking for some jazz and a little libations - js

the BSR turntable, posted on November 2, 2014 at 22:02:31

Chucky2
Audiophile

Posts: 22
Location: Madison
Joined: October 15, 2005

I hope to get this info up in more detail, important...if the thick platter of a BSR McDonald TT is used, the longer special OEM single spindle is needed. A 1 7/8 will not work. Photo shows my 1969 P Bass with Moses neck, Bad Ass bridge and super hot Aguilar Pickups. Also my NS Design entry level EUB. The BSR 510, 610 and 2630 plus more in the series all have interchangeable platters. The 2630 platter is very heavy and thick, hence the longer single play spindle (not an easy find unless it comes with the original unit). As an aside, BSR's that won't spin can be fixed with a hot soldering wand poked in the spindle hole until the solidified grease melts. You can do a google to find more.

RE: new heavier platter today, posted on November 3, 2014 at 09:02:20
Crazy Dave Audiophile Posts: 14371 Location: East Coast Joined: October 4, 2001	That is the fist tricked out BSR that I have ever seen! I think I have one that was my brother-in-law's. I was going to give it away, but if I get my hands on the heavy platter, I might give it a try. (Just for grins!) Is it manual only after the mod? I am working on a Garrard Type A myself. Let us know how the M97xe works out. I love mine on my Grace 707. Dave

RE: No No No, posted on November 3, 2014 at 09:07:55
Crazy Dave Audiophile Posts: 14371 Location: East Coast Joined: October 4, 2001	I just pulled a Schwinn Varsity out of the neighbor's trash, yesterday. He is moving. He is the older brother of two of my teenage friends. It is in great shape. he must have had it in his basement for around 50 years. It had a note taped to it that said "trash". One man's trash ... Unfortunately, it did not have a cool Brooks leather seat like your bike! Dave

RE: I Thought, posted on November 3, 2014 at 18:43:09
Bold Eagle Audiophile Posts: 6936 Location: America's Heartland Joined: May 27, 2001	The BMW boxers are an engineering masterpiece. Jerry

RE: the BSR turntable, posted on November 4, 2014 at 05:10:29
tesla Audiophile Posts: 3180 Location: San Diego County, California Joined: October 25, 2000	Why not just clean the solidified grease out,and regrease it? Proudly serving content-free posts since 1984.

RE: the BSR turntable, posted on November 4, 2014 at 09:08:29

Chucky2
Audiophile

Posts: 22
Location: Madison
Joined: October 15, 2005

Hi, That's what I did, I regreased the TT a few years ago. I think I used Lithium grease. Really pleased with this project. It has turned out better than I could have imagined, especially the heavy platter. The darn Festival 1 sat for 15 years after bought off ebay. Usually in a closet. It was not until a few weeks ago I said no more stereo amps or receivers until it gets working. I could have died early and missed out on all the fun. I will be 58 on Dec 1. This is a photo from a few weeks ago before the TT mod. It has my Fender Modern Chinese Jazz 5 string bass in it.

Vintage Asylum

My Harman Kardon Festival 1

184.60.31.25