Dimensions: 17 1/2 in. W x 5 1/4 in. H x 14 1/2 in. D (44.5cmx 13.3 cm x 36.8 cm).
Weight: 18 lbs. (8.2 kg).
Price: $3,950.
Company Address: 26046 Eden Landing Rd., Suite 5, Hayward, Cal. 94545; 800/787-6766.
Harman Kardon has been introducing some impressive products in its upscale Citation line, the flagship of which is the Model 7.0 A/V preamp/surround processor. According to the company, the 7.0 is the culmination of more than three years of intensive research and development and incorporates the most recent versions of Jim Fosgate's movie and music modes. Among these Fosgate innovations is a new "six-axis" technology, which derives a pair of stereo-like surround channels from Dolby Surround's mono surround track. Fosgate, for those who may not know, championed surround sound well before there was such a thing as Dolby Surround and, over the years, developed a number of highly ac claimed surround sound processors under the Fosgate Audionics label.
The Citation 7.0 is so novel that I don't expect to be able to describe it fully here. The owner's manual runs some 125 pages, which gives you an idea of its complexity. Fortunately, it is well written, and the 7.0's microprocessor and on-screen menus are designed adroitly enough to make the sys tem usable in reasonably short order-even if mastering its potential takes some time.
The 7.0 accepts eight audio/video inputs. Four connections can be in S-video or composite-video form; the remaining four video connections are in composite form only. You can record composite- or S-video signals on two recorders, and both main and auxiliary video outputs also are carried on composite- and S-video jacks. In addition to stereo audio feeds for each recorder, there are line-level outputs for the main front and center channels, for stereo and mono subwoofers, and for two sets of surround channels (side and rear). If Citation's Dual-Drive dipole speakers are used in the surround channels, both sets of surround outputs are used, and the speakers switch between bipole and dipole operation under the 7.0's control. Which outputs are active and which are not is determined during initial setup, when the microprocessor is programmed. On the rear panel are 42 gold plated RCA jacks for the audio and composite-video inputs and outputs; the S-video connectors are base metal. A calibration microphone, supplied with the 7.0, plugs into a rear-panel jack.
Three trigger outputs are provided: One to control room lighting, another to raise and lower a projection screen, and a third to activate compatible Citation power amplifiers. (Interface boxes are usually required to control screen motors, room lighting, et al.; the necessary switching interfaces are built into some Citation power amps.) The projection-screen trigger can be programmed to activate whenever the Citation 7.0 is on or only when specific inputs are selected. A "Custom Install" menu (which contains specialized commands for complex programming of trigger signals) is provided but is accessible only to specially trained dealers and installers. An RS-485 bus jack provides an expansion port for such options as multiroom controllers and external multichannel digital audio de coders, which Citation may introduce in the future.
The Citation 7.0 has two power switches: a master switch on the rear panel, which is normally left on, and an activating switch on the front, which brings the system to life. Although the 7.0 can be operated from its seven front-panel buttons (which select surround mode and source, raise and lower volume, and toggle muting on an off), operation is easier from the remote. With the remote, you can call up any of the eight sources, the eight factory-set surround modes (Dolby Pro Logic, THX, "70 mm," "6-Axis," classical, "Jazz," "Rock," and "Mono"), and four surround modes that you can configure. Needless to say, the re mote controls power, volume, and muting. It also permits you to revert the system to factory parameters ("Reset"), switch in equalization, and disable surround processing ("Stereo Only"). For equalization, your choices are "Bass EQ" (in four steps) and "High EQ" (THX-like front-channel re-equalization for use in modes other than Home THX).
The remote has a switch for a sibilance filter ("SIB. Filter"), which reduces leakage of center-channel dialog to the surround channel, and a panorama circuit ("PAN."), which widens the soundstage and creates a wraparound effect. (Neither function is available when you're using Pro Logic or Home THX processing.) A "Center Speaker" button turns that channel on and off, chooses between center-normal and center-wide operation, and enables you to boost center-channel level by 4 dB.
The remote's "Venue" button controls surround-channel DSP. Your choices are "Night Club," "Cinema," "Concert Hall," "Stadium," and a "Custom Venue" mode that you can configure. The remote's "Panel Dim" key turns off the front panel's vacuum-fluorescent display and its steering-logic and input-level indicators. The display wakes up for a few seconds when you press any remote-control key and then goes back to sleep.
The owner's manual refers to some of the remote's controls as "direct access functions," since each of these buttons performs a specific function. Other buttons on the remote are referred to as "menu call functions," which bring up menus, and "navigational controls," which you use when you're making choices. Four of the navigational controls are directional arrows that move an on-screen cursor. Another, "Select," lets you choose control options or advance to the next menu level. "Cancel" aborts changes to the current menu, and "Exit/OK" confirms a se lection and exits the current menu.
Of the remote's four menu call buttons, "System Setup" is of primary importance. Using its menus and submenus, you can program the microprocessor for the sizes and types of all your loudspeakers, the number of subwoofers you have in your system, whether you're using a center-channel speaker, whether you have one or two sets of surround speakers (and whether they're direct radiators, Home THX dipoles, or Citation's Dual Drive types), and so forth. With the second option in the "Speakers" menu, you can calibrate and balance levels automatically or manually. The third option calls up submenus for instructing the microprocessor how far your listening position is from the center speaker and each surround speaker. Based on the information you've entered, the Citation 7.0 automatically sets itself up for your viewing room and speaker arrangement.
So far, I've discussed only the first level of the "System Setup" menu; I'll not discuss the other options in such detail. Suffice it to say that the "Video CONFIG" menu selects the way video is routed from the 7.0 to your TV, while other menus enable you to personalize the system with your name and to lock and reset settings. You can check the setup status on-screen by tapping "System Setup" once and exiting the menus without changing them.
With the remote's "Options Set" menu button, you can review such settings as how the two record output circuits are set up, which video output (or both) will carry the on-screen messages, the front-panel display's brightness level and time-out period, and the volume level at power on. You can change the options as desired and even de feat the subwoofer output if you don't want to use your subs when you're listening in stereo.
The remote's "Source Edit" menu button lets you check and customize the settings automatically selected for each input source. It gives you control over input level and balance, each adjustable manually or automatically. You can choose to display on-screen warnings, select the background color for on-screen displays, configure and customize the projection-screen trigger for each source, and customize the name of each source.
The remote's final menu call button, "SURR. Mode Editing," is covered in the manual's "Advanced User Operation" section. I think I'll let you find it there yourself, because fully describing its possibilities will open Pandora's box. With these menus you can program the surround DSP almost from scratch and adjust it for room type, size, and acoustical brightness and reflectivity. You can choose among low-pass filter cutoffs for the surround channel and even change the speed of the steering logic. Fortunately, the manufacturer tells you how the system is set when it leaves the factory, which gives you a road map if you find you've strayed too far.
Measurements
Fig. 1-Front-channel frequency response, stereo mode.
Fig. 2-Frequency response, Dolby Pro Logic mode.
Fig. 3-Effects of bass boost and "High EQ" and response of subwoofer output.
I tested the Citation 7.0 rather fully in its stereo and Dolby Pro Logic modes but checked only surround-channel noise in the other surround modes. For the most part, the readings in "Measured Data" and in the graphs were taken on the left channel, with the factory settings for gain and seating distance. Except for the test of sub woofer frequency response, I set the system up as if no subwoofer were used. I switched the center channel to the appropriate mode for each particular test I was running and set up for Home THX dipole speakers in the surround channels. The volume was set to "48," the Home THX reference point.
Frequency response in stereo is shown in Fig. 1. I have no explanation for the stair case-like curve shapes (especially noticeable on the right channel). But even worst-case response within the audio band, for the right channel at 20 Hz, is up less than a decibel, which I guess is reasonable. The-3 dB points are well beyond the audio band, below 10 Hz (the bass limit of the measurement) and at 130 kHz.
Fig. 4-THD + N vs. frequency.
Fig. 5-THD + N vs. output.
Figure 2 shows frequency response in Dolby Pro Logic mode, plotted on the same scale as Fig. 1. The response of the left front channel is flatter here than in stereo. In the center-wide mode there's an overall tilt in the response that amounts to a 0.35-dB boost at 20 kHz and an equal cut at 20 Hz. In the center-normal mode, which you would use with small center speakers, the treble rise does not appear and all bass below 110 Hz is shifted to the main front speakers. Surround-channel frequency response parallels that of center-wide response in the bass and midrange; it then rolls off sharply above 7.5 kHz, as dictated by Dolby Labs standards.
Figure 3 again shows front left frequency response, this time with a more compressed scale so that you can see the effect of "Bass EQ" when it's set to its four boost options (+3, +6, +9, and +12 dB). There's a close match between the settings and the maximum boost each set ting yields. However, each 3-dB increase in boost slightly raises the frequency at which the boost peaks, too. I expect this is purposeful, since it's dangerous to apply excessive boost in the infrasonic region.
In Fig. 3, I've included a frequency response curve taken with "High EQ" switched in. This setting is automatically activated when Home THX processing is selected but can also be applied when the 7.0 is in other surround modes. The curve meets Home THX re-equalization standards reasonably well, although its initial slope could be somewhat steeper. I have also included the response taken at the subwoofer output; it is down 3 dB at 60 Hz and is about -8 dB at 80 Hz. As the THX standard demands, the curve has a slope of 24 dB/octave.
Figure 4 shows total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD + N) versus frequency, in Dolby Pro Logic mode. This set of curves was taken using a 1.5-volt input and a volume setting of "48." I also ran curves using a 0.5-volt input and a volume setting 12 dB higher. The THD + N was higher in the front channels with the lower input level and the higher volume setting but was lower in the surround channels. However, since the readings at the high volume setting were more noise than distortion, I have not included those results. Either way, distortion in the front channels is unusually low for a Pro Logic processor.
I measured distortion versus output at 1 kHz, using various volume settings. It soon became clear that the maximum output level was limited by input overload, not by output-stage clipping, and that all channels overloaded at pretty much the same point. Thus, Fig. 5 reflects performance with the volume set to maximum but does not include a curve for the center channel. Obviously, there's more than enough output to drive even the least sensitive power amplifier into clipping.
With the factory gain settings, input overload occurred at 2.27 volts, which is typical of many processors. Although this level is usually considered adequate, it's actually somewhat marginal because the D/A converters in some new laserdisc and CD players put out more than the standard 2 volts. This need not be a concern with the Citation 7.0, however. I found that if I reduced the input gain (a function available on yet another menu), the 7.0 could accept nearly 4.5 volts before running into trouble; that's more than enough for any current source.
Input impedance was adequate, and out put impedance at the main front terminals and recording outputs was nice and low. Spectrum analyses (not shown) unearthed power-line-related components at 60 and 180 Hz, but they were quite low. Over most of the spectrum, there was only white noise; there was also a noise spike at 100 kHz, presumably related to the digital sampling rate.
On an A-weighted basis, noise was approximately 83 dB below the 0.5-volt reference in all channels. Since typical power amps reach full output with an input of about 1.5 volts, you can count on a usable system dynamic range of about 93 dB. The Citation's own dynamic range, referenced to its maximum output, approached 110 dB! The A-weighted noise in the surround channels was 2 to 3 dB higher with the "70 mm," "6-Axis," "Jazz," and "Rock" settings than in the Pro Logic or THX modes. Steady-state channel separation at 1 kHz in Pro Logic mode averaged about 43 dB; that average would have been better but for a leakage of-21.7 dB from the surround channel to the right front.
Use and Listening Tests
It may seem strange to speak of the Citation 7.0 first as a surround processor for music, but when I hear one of Jim Fosgate's creations, I never fail to be awed. What I find most impressive about his algorithms is how unimpressive they are-until you turn them off! It's easy these days to pro gram a DSP system to wow people with a hot demo of an all-enveloping soundstage. But live with such a DSP system for a while, and the wow will probably wear off.
I don't want my head inside Itzhak Perlman's violin (it wouldn't fit), nor do I want to live in a piano (much as I like its sound). I want to be in the audience. I want the performer in front of me, not surrounding me, and I want a natural and believable sense of ambience. This is precisely what the Citation 7.0 creates in its classical music mode. It provides a solid front image and a remarkably natural hall acoustic. Even the "Jazz" and "Rock" modes are not overly aggressive. (Unlike the classical mode, by the way, they use the center channel.) When the Citation 7.0 was in my home theater, I began listening to music in the various sound-field modes for the sheer enjoyment of it. Normally, I take my music in straight stereo, thank you, and in my listening room, not in my theater.
Some readers will view the Citation 7.0 primarily as a processor for home theater rather than for music. There's nothing wrong with that; it does a remarkably fine job for both. It's not a system that knocks you off your chair but, rather, one that reveals subtleties other Pro Logic and Home THX decoders miss. I've not heard another Pro Logic processor distinguish the rain drops hitting Gene Hackman's umbrella from the surrounding downpour (Crimson Tide) as well as this one does. (AC-3 does it better still, but relatively little material is available in that format yet.) Nor have I heard others that can separate left-side helicopter flyovers from right-side flyovers quite so believably as this one (Clear and Present Danger). Why is the 7.0 superior? I'm really not sure, but I suspect it has to do with the speed of Fosgate's steering logic. Whatever the reason, the results are terrific!
The Citation 7.0 is a surround processor designed as much for the music connoisseur as for the movie aficionado. Its subtlety is unsurpassed, its surround effects the most natural I've heard short of a true discrete-channel system. The Citation 7.0 gets my citation for excellence and rides high on my recommended list.
MEASURED DATA
Maximum Gain, Stereo Mode: 14.3 dB.
Gain to Recording Output:-0.16 dB.
Input Overload: With factory settings, 2.27 V; maximum, 4.5 V.
Output at Clipping, 1 kHz: Stereo, 9.85 V; Pro Logic, more than 9.65 V for all channels.
Frequency Response, Stereo Mode: 20 Hz to 20 kHz, +0.26,-0 dB (-3 dB be low 10 Hz and at 130 kHz).
Frequency Response, Pro Logic Mode:
Main front channels, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, +0.12,-0 dB; center channel (wide mode), 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±0.35 dB; center channel (normal mode),-3 dB at 110 Hz; surround channels,-3 dB at 7.5 kHz; subwoofer output,-3 dB at 60 Hz.
THD + N, Stereo Mode: Less than 0.0133%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
THD + N, Pro Logic Mode: Main front channels, less than 0.0135%, 20 Hz to 20 kHz; center channel, less than 0.03%, 100 Hz to 20 kHz; surround channels, less than 0.867%, 100 Hz to 7 kHz.
A-Weighted Noise re 0.5 Volt, Stereo Mode:-83.2 dB.
A-Weighted Noise re 0.5 Volt, Pro Logic Mode: Main front channels,-83.2 dB; center channel,-83.4 dB; surround channels,-82.9 dB.
Channel Separation: Stereo, greater than 46.3 dB, 100 Hz to 10 kHz; Pro Logic, 43.16 dB at 1 kHz (average), 21.7 dB at 1 kHz (worst case).
Input Impedance: 16.6 kilohms.
Output Impedance, Left Front and Record Outputs: 300 ohms.
-EDWARD J. FOSTER
(adapted from Audio magazine, Apr. 1996)
Also see:
Harman/Kardon Citation Twenty-Five Preamp (Equip. Profile, Mar. 1989)
Harman/Kardon Citation Twenty-Three Tuner (Jan. 1988)
Harman/Kardon HD800 Compact Disc Player (Jan. 1989)
Harman/Kardon Citation 16 Basic Amplifier (Dec. 1976)
First Sound Reference II Passive Preamp (Jan. 1992)
Electrocompaniet EC-1 Preamp (Nov. 1987)
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