Hello guys,

I saw that the original post about the twenties is closed.
I' had the honour, in 1980, to be the very first reviewer to test the Matti Otala's Citations ( on Italian magazine Audio Review). The result was...Incredible. My opinion was so enthusiast that my review has been used for months as the back cover of, pratically, all the Japanese Magazine.
I always thought that the XX was (is) one of the best power amplifier ever. And the preamp was not so bad too.
During this 27 years I had ( for test, or for my reference amplification) all the best pre and power amp made during this period ( Krells, Levinson 23, 23.1, 20, 20.5, every kind of Macs, every kind of crazy valve amp you can imaging, even the OnGaKu, Rowland's, Perreaux's, Viola, Lamm...
Recently I found a couple of XXP and XX in very good conditions ( except for some transport damages that I'm fixing up) Well, I turned on the Citation's and the impression was exactely the same of 27 years ago.
The one to be in presence of maybe the best power amplifier ever made, and a very very good (and missunterstuded) preamp.
What a glory with my JBL L300 Summit!
Another time surprised by HK: as it was five years ago, when I bought the Valve Citations ones: I,II and V.
Two year ago I decide to show a vintage equipment in my magazine listening room at the Top Audio Show in Milan. Thorens TD 124, Pritchard Arm, ADC ZLM pick up, Citation I and II electronics, Dahlquist DQ 10 Imp, loudspeaker. That was the crowdiest room of the entire show. The sound was simply fantastic ( what an incredible piece is the Citation I preamp! The II amp is a delight, and an incredible powerfull, solid and dinamic driver) and people asked me: "why I should buy all the new, very expensive things exposed in the hundred rooms of the fair?".
Just because word go ahead, and to mantain in the ideal condition a vintage complete equipment require a lot of patience and application.
Anyway,thanks forever to Harman Kardon to had the courage to present in 1980 such a perfect amplifier, with a price that, at time, was considered outrageous ( now it make me smile, looking at the list price of pieces that doesn't have even 10% of that sound and technical perfection).
Someone told me that Harman still service the XX's. Anybody know if it's thrue? For future (hope not) references.

Best Regards to all of you

Bebo Moroni

Italy