Harman Kardon

Sidney Harman and Bernard Kardon met at the David Bogen Company and left together in 1953 to start their own firm in Westbury, New York, each putting in $5,000. Their first products, in 1954, were the A-100 AM/FM tuner and the Festival D-1000, billed as the world's first integrated hi-fi receiver: tuner, preamp and 20-watt amplifier on one chassis, priced at $189.50.

The tube years produced some of the company's most collected equipment. The A-224 of 1959 was a 24-watt stereo amplifier the company advertised as America's best-selling stereo amplifier; the Citation II of the same year was a 60-watt-per-channel wideband stereo power amplifier. Citation kits and factory-built units carried the line into the 1960s.

Harman sold the company to Beatrice Foods in 1976 and bought most of it back in 1980; Samsung acquired Harman International in 2017. The original site filed some posts under the misspelling "Harmon Kardon"; both categories lead here.

Harman Kardon: quick answers

What was the first Harman Kardon product?

Two products arrived in 1954: the A-100 AM/FM tuner and the Festival D-1000, a tuner, preamp and 20-watt amplifier on one chassis that sold for $189.50.

Which Harman Kardon tube amplifiers do collectors look for?

The A-224 stereo amplifier of 1959, rated at 24 watts, and the Citation II of the same year, a 60-watt-per-channel stereo power amplifier, are among the best known.

Who owns Harman Kardon today?

Samsung, which acquired Harman International in 2017.