Thanks to David Rich of "The Audio Critic" for the summaries of detector and MPX circuits for many Kenwood tuners, as posted in our FMtuners discussion group. Our Kenwood brochures page has images, information and specs for many Kenwood tuners and other components as well.
Kenwood KT-313 (1979, $180, photo) search eBay
and Kenwood KT-413 (1979, $250, photo) search eBay
The KT-313 and KT-413 are low-end tuners that are not recommended because better Kenwood tuners like the KT-615 are so inexpensive. The KT-413 has 3 gangs and its selectivity, unmodified, is not sufficient for DXing. We're told that its unusual "motorized tuning" works well but may make it difficult to tune in a weak station next to a stronger one. The KT-313 and KT-413 usually sell for $10-20 on eBay, but a KT-413 sold for 70 cents in 12/03. See our Kenwood brochures page for more about the KT-313 and KT-413.
Kenwood 600T (1976, $650, front, back, block diagram, detector/MPX scheme: pulse count detector, charge injection cancellation discrete MPX switches, MPX PLL generated 38k with HA1156 chip) search eBay
The 600T was Kenwood's first tuner to use their pulse count detector circuitry, which was designed to reduce noise, and the 600T is a very quiet tuner. It has an 8-gang variable capacitor (it appears to have 9 gangs but 2 of the gangs are tied together - it uses a 2-gang variable capacitor for a local oscillator, unlike conventional local oscillators which use a single type variable capacitor), and uses 2 parallel IF filter paths (wide/normal and narrow). Wide mode uses linear phase LC filters, while narrow mode uses a 12-element ceramic filter section (three 4-pin filters with 4 elements, or stages, each). The 600T is among the most sensitive tuners but in stock form its adjacent channel selectivity is not as good as one might expect. It has excellent sound, in part because of the wide bandwidth, but will probably disappoint a DXer unless some of its filters are replaced with narrow ones. The catch there is that it uses the old-style 4-pin filters in narrow mode, rather than the 3-pin type currently available, so the filter mod is not a straight swap. See the DIY Mods page for information on adjusting the filters in the 600T. In addition to the IF bandwidth switch, the 600T's front-panel features include a button to switch the combination multipath/deviation meter, FM MPX filter switch, variable output knob, two levels of muting (or muting off), deemphasis normal/25uS and dimmer on/off. On the back panel are fixed and variable RCA outputs, jacks for an oscilloscope and an AC convenience outlet. Our contributor Charles has a 600T story: "In my kitchen, I took the McIntosh MR 78 down and put up the 600T so I could adjust my antenna better. The 600T has a marvelous signal strength meter calibrated in 10 dB increments. It's almost worth owning this tuner (or sibling KT-917) just for the useful strength meter. The strength meters on most tuners are useless, except perhaps for tuning. I still haven't done as much antenna experimentation as I'd like, but I'm beginning to like the 600T's sound so much I haven't put the MR-78 back. To get the full benefit of the 600T, you have to use the fixed output, which avoids an extra output buffer stage. On the MR 78, the level control is simply a low-impedance pot, like a passive preamp, so it doesn't much matter. As far as DXing, unfortunately the stock 600T is abysmal, with its "wide, wider, widest" IF bandwith control." The 600T's front panel resembles the KT-917's, leading some people to assume erroneously that the differences between the tuners are merely cosmetic, but the 600T is smaller and has very different circuitry inside. See the 600T vs. KT-917 page for Bob's technical comparison of the 600T to the KT-917, the results of a head-to-head shootout between the two tuners, and a quick comparison between the 600T and the KT-8300. The 600T generally sells for $460-700 on eBay, but one very silly person put a "Buy-it-Now" price of $200 on his in 5/04. The only professionally modified 600T ever offered on eBay, in 2/02, drew bids as high as $800 but failed to meet the seller's reserve, and a beautiful 600T with extensive audio and DX mods sold privately for $1,200 in 1/03. [BF][EF][EH]
Kenwood KT-615 (1979, $300, photo, schematic) search eBay
The KT-615 has 4 gangs and 4 filters and uses Kenwood's pulse count detector circuitry. It has an FM MPX filter and wide/narrow bandwidth switch, but its FM mode (auto/mono) and muting controls are on the same switch, meaning that one cannot choose to listen to a weak station in stereo. Stock, it's a pretty good tuner, but when modified with narrow filters, it makes a huge jump up the rankings and becomes an excellent tuner for DXing. The KT-615 also has a good AM section and is a nice bargain for as low as $20-50 on eBay, unmodified. Make sure the tip of the power switch is not broken, a very common problem with the KT-615 and KT-815. On rare occasions nice KT-615s(particularly with the rare rack handles) can go for $100 or more. In the "ancient history" department, a perfect KT-615 modified with narrow filters sold for a stunning $256 in early 2001, before TIC and our FMtuners group helped make mods commonplace. See the DIY Mods page for information on DIY audio section mods for the KT-615. See our Kenwood brochures page for more about the KT-615. [EF][EH][JR]
Kenwood 650T (photo1, photo2) search eBay
This extremely rare tuner is identical to the 600T electronically, but has a bronze face. A 650T sold for $851 on eBay in 9/05. [JR]
Kenwood 700T (1975, $750, front1, front2, B&W, back, ad, detector/MPX scheme: ratio detector, diode bridge MPX, PLL generated 38k with upc33C chip) search eBay
The 700T, which predated the 600T, is a very rare 5-gang tuner whose tuning dial resembles the KR-6600/9600 receivers. According to our contributor Charles, the 700T is the only Kenwood tuner that uses an analog dial to set a digitally controlled oscillator - a very unusual system that is also used in the Pioneer F-28. We don't have much info from users of the 700T, but here are an interesting S/N test sheet and the left half and right half of the 700T schematic, thanks to our contributor Lonnie. The 700T shows up once or twice a year on eBay, on average, and can sell for $350-600, with a bizarre high of $810 in 8/03. But be careful: a "very unusual" tuner is not the same as a "great" one.
Kenwood KT-800 (1981, $275, open, closed) search eBay
The FM-AM KT-800 is the baby brother of the KT-1000 and KT-900 in the "Audio Purist" line. Only two inches high, it has digital tuning in .2 MHz steps, 8 memory presets, and a clock that can be displayed instead of the frequency. Signal strength is shown by an LED indicator with up to four bars. Except for the preset buttons, all of the controls (even the power switch) are hidden behind a door that pops out of the front panel. With the electronic equivalent of 4 gangs and good stock selectivity, the KT-800 is not a bad buy at its usual price of $30-50 on eBay. [EF]
Kenwood KT-815 (1979, $440, front, inside, schematic) search eBay
Even better than its little brother, the KT-815 has 5 gangs and 4 filters, with the main differences from the KT-615 being the extra gang and an output level knob on the front panel. It also uses Kenwood's pulse count detector circuitry. In our panelist Eric's side-by-side test, a modified 815 was the equal of the McIntosh MR 78 and MR 80 for sensitivity and selectivity, although the Macs sounded a bit better. The KT-815 seems to be better for DXing than the KT-7500, but the 815 sometimes sounds a bit "thin" to audiophiles. In their own side-by-side shootout, our contributors Tim and Ann found the KT-815 to be very "electronic, harsh and two-dimensional" sounding compared to a Pioneer F-91. A contributor to our FMtuners group, however, posted this nice review that may illustrate the tremendous variability in different examples of 25-to-30-year-old electronics: "I think the KT-815 is a very attractive tuner and its layout is practical and uncluttered. Internally, the circuit layout is again attractive and uncluttered. The 5-gang FM front end employs dual-gate MOS-FETs as active amplifiers. There is a Touch-Action Servo Lock Tuner that works very well (grabs a station and holds it, but is defeatable). Wide and Narrow IF bandwidth selection. Double Conversion which is found only in professional grade equipment which results in dramatic improvement in signal-to-noise ratio when used with the pulse count detector. Pulse count detector ignores distortion by turning each FM wave into a precise and uniform pulse of energy. Pilot Carrier Cancellation subtracts the pilot signal from the audio output signal at no sacrifice to overall frequency response. Direct Coupled Operational Amplifier that is powered by a +- dual power supply. It ensures low distortion, wide dynamic range, and low output impedance, and will withstand 300% overload. Powerful, well-regulated power supply with 1,000 microfarad capacitors. Sonically, in my opinion, this tuner is a sleeper. It reminds me a lot of its more expensive brother the KT-917 (honestly). Being a audiophile rather than a DXer, I am more inclined to purchase based on sonics. This tuner, like the 917, has a 'big' sound and flat frequency response (which I prefer to the colored sound of some tuners). I would rather make the tonal adjustments via my control amp myself. The soundstage is large (not compressed) and spatial characteristics are excellent (even more so than the KT-917). I could easily discern individual instruments and their placement in the soundstage. The stereo
separation is an incredible 55 dB and signal-to-noise ratio is an extremely quiet 80 dB in stereo. This tuner really does live up to these specs. I at no time felt any listening fatigue - in fact, I find myself listening to it more often and, depending on the station and its music source, I sometimes forget that I have the tuner on and not the CD player! This is no exaggeration. This tuner is currently used with a simple dipole antenna in a hilly rural setting. I pick up a classical station that is more than 50 miles away with a strong multipath-free signal. The result is outstanding sound quality and a very quiet background in the wide mode. I had occasion to use the narrow mode for a jazz
station with a weaker signal, and it eliminated much of the interference with
an almost imperceptible change in the frequency response. Other tuners I've owned have included well-cared-for 'like new' versions of the Pioneer TX-9100 and TX-9500, Kenwood KT-917, McIntosh MR 77 and MR 74, Yamaha T-2, and Fisher KM-60 and FM-100B, and I must say that dollar for dollar, the Kenwood KT-815 is the best value of them all." The KT-815 usually sells for $65-125 on eBay, with a high of $276 in 9/04 for a "new in box" one. KT-815s with rack handles are seldom seen. See the DIY Mods page for information on DIY audio section mods for the KT-815. See how one stock KT-815 sounded in comparison to other top tuners on our Shootouts page, and read our panelist David "A"'s Ricochet. See our Kenwood brochures page for more about the KT-815. [DA][EF][JR]
Kenwood KT-880D (1987, $269, service manual, schematic, audio section) search eBay
The KT-990D's much more common little brother, the KT-880D is also a decent and mostly unknown tuner. It has 4 gangs and wide and narrow IF bandwidths, and our panelist Bob likes it for reception capability and sound. Bob adds, "It appears that the KT-880D was very similar to the KT-5020, perhaps the model before it. While not exactly the same, it shares some design traits like the same MPX chip, same RF front end, same buffering and lowpass filter after the detector (which I think is sonically important), and similar, if not the same, IF section. Differences are the PLL detector, and the KT-5020 has a buffer after the MPX that the KT-880D lacks. Is the KT-880D an overall overachiever? We'll let others decide for sure. My vote is yes." Our contributor Stephan compared his KT-880D to an Onkyo T-4500: "For tougher (more crowded) receiving conditions, I'd prefer the T-4500, since it features one more gang, one more IF filter and a nifty channel separation correction circuit for narrow IF mode (simple but effective; look out for Q202)." Stephan also speculated, "Maybe the usual cap mods and the like would be worth a try with the 880D. On strong signals, the Kenwood with its nominally lower distortion LA1235 (instead of the LA1266 as used in the T-4500) may sound better, though that's probably more a matter of alignment." But Bob does not quite agree: "The IF chips are wholly dependent on the type and quality of quad detector *transformers* attached directly to them, and how well they are adjusted. The difference of .015% vs .03% distortion is meaningless, as the filters, quad TX and of course, alignment, will be much greater factors." The KT-880D usually sells for just $30-60 on eBay. We wouldn't bother with the KT-880, without the D at the end (1985, $235), which sells for $10-30 on eBay with a low of $1.50 in 4/05 (search eBay). [BF]
Kenwood KT-900 (1981, $350, photo) search eBay
Part of Kenwood's "Audio Purist" series, this little brother of the KT-1000 uses their pulse count detector circuitry also found in the 600T and KT-615/815/917 series. The KT-900 has analog tuning but has a digital LED frequency readout in addition to the analog dial. It has 4 gangs (although we have an Audio Purist brochure that erroneously claims 5 gangs!) and 4 filters and, when modified, is similar in DX performance to a modified KT-615 or 815. The KT-900 usually sells for $80-100 on eBay, with a recent high of $122 in 2/05. A KT-900 with matching KA-800 amp sold for just $64 in 5/04. [EF][JR]
Kenwood KT-917 (1979, $1,000, photo, schematic, detector/MPX scheme: pulse count detector, discrete CMOS switch driven with slimed pulses (no charge injection cancellation) generated by analog means, MPX PLL generated 38k with HA11223 chip) search eBay
The KT-917 was the successor to the 600T as Kenwood's flagship tuner. The KT-917's front panel controls are identical to those of the 600T, leading some internet commentators to assume erroneously that the differences between the tuners are merely cosmetic, but the KT-917 is larger and has very different circuitry inside. The KT-917 has a huge 9-gang tuning capacitor, similar to the 600T's 8-gangs-and-a-jumper capacitor, and the 917 also uses Kenwood's pulse count detector circuitry, but the similarity ends there. Unlike the 600T which uses 2 parallel filter paths (wide/normal and narrow), the KT-917 uses a single serial IF filter circuit with taps for the 3 filter bandwidths. It starts with a single ultra wide ceramic filter (there are two other ceramic filters but they're used only for meters and are not in the IF path), followed by a single tuned LC filter in wide mode, followed in narrow mode by 4 Murata "Surface Acoustic Filters" (sometimes called SAW filters, for Surface Acoustic Wave) which were specially designed by Kenwood and are also used in the L-07T II. As each filter is normally 2 elements, or stages, this would give the KT-917 a 12-element narrow mode, similar to the 600T. (There are two SAW filters in the wide IF bandwidth mode.) Doing a filter mod on the KT-917 would be extremely difficult, other than replacing the single ceramic filter that's in the IF path, so no one should buy a KT-917 expecting to change the filters without checking with a professional first. The KT-917 sounds great and is extremely sensitive, but anyone expecting state-of-the-art selectivity will be disappointed. The KT-917 is considerably scarcer than the 600T and can sell for $500-800 or more on eBay, depending on condition (one even sold for $975 in 12/02). See Bob's 600T vs. KT-917 page for a further technical comparison of the KT-917 to the 600T and the results of a head-to-head shootout between the two tuners, and the DIY Mods page for information on DIY audio section mods for the KT-917 and how to adjust its filters. See how one KT-917 sounded in comparison to other top tuners on our Shootouts page, and read our panelist David "A"'s Ricochet. See our Kenwood brochures page for more about the KT-917. [BF][EF]
Kenwood KT-990D (1988, $375, detector/MPX scheme: PLL detector, "Direct Pure" linear multiplying circuit with MC 1495L) search eBay
Somewhat of a sleeper until Jim's Shootout hit the presses, the fairly scarce KT-990D is a humdrum-looking black digital tuner. It has the electronic equivalent of 5 gangs, but 2 are in the local oscillator, so it's more like 4 by our traditional method of counting. The KT-990D has 2 ceramic filters plus an LC filter for the Wide IF bandwidth mode, and 3 ceramics in Narrow. The output amp is an NJM4560. There is a DLLP, which is Kenwood's implementation of a phase locked loop detector, only seen on top performance tuner models. The "Distortion Cancellation Circuit" appears to generate a distortion-canceling signal that is mixed into the signal to correct for IF filter non-linearities. The KT-990D's current eBay price range seems to be $175 and up, with a high of $255 in 9/05. [BF][JR]
Kenwood KT-1000 (1981, $450, photo, detector/MPX scheme: pulse count detector, discrete CMOS switch driven with slimed pulses (no charge injection cancellation) generated by digital means. MPX PLL generated 38k with HA11223 chip) search eBay
The top tuner in Kenwood's "Audio Purist" series, the KT-1000 uses the pulse count detector circuitry also found in their 600T and KT-615/815/917 series. It has 5 FM gangs and 5 filters (4 ceramic and one LC filter) and most think it sounds wonderful on strong stations. Note: Don't confuse the 1981 KT-1000 with the late '60s 3-gang Kenwood tuner with the same model number (photo). Our contributor Charles calls the newer KT-1000 "the best sounding transistorized tuner I've heard so far," but for various reasons he feels that "DXers need not apply" (read Charles's full review in our FMtuners discussion group). The KT-1000 has a 3-gang AM section and a jack on the back panel labeled "AM IF. out." The front panel buttons include "RF Select" normal/direct (like local/distant?), wide/narrow IF bandwidth, calibration tone, and a button that annoyingly combines servo lock on/off, auto blend on/off and muting on/off all together with auto (stereo)/mono. In other words, as Charles observed, the only way to turn off the servo lock, auto blend circuit or muting is to switch to mono. On the back panel are jacks for an oscilloscope, fixed and variable outputs, a variable output level knob and a 75 uF/25 uF deemphasis switch. Our panelist Jim tried to enter a KT-1000 in a Shootout but it failed its physical: "I had problems with this tuner from the start. I have a rule that a known 'sick' tuner can't be in a Shootout. Either this one needs repair, or Kenwood slipped up on this design. The KT-1000 has a so-called 'touch sensor servo lock' that is supposed to disable when you touch the tuning dial. At least on this piece, it does not. I've been inside this tuner twice. Cleaning the tuning caps, tightening screws, and working and cleaning the switches. Nothing helped with these simple attempts. The servo lock doesn't disable correctly when I push the "LOCK AUTO BLEND MUTING" button either. As a matter of fact, you can try and tune off a station and the active servo lock will aggressively hold the same station for over an inch of dial pointer travel. Very frustrating. I thought this tuner might sound like the L-02T, because they have a similar look and style, but it does not. On a first listen, it has more bass punch than the KT-815 or KT-7500, but on extended listening I just wasn't happy with the sound. The whole sound was lighter and somewhat brighter than the L-02T. The audio op-amps are listed on the KT-1000's board as IC18 and 19 and are 4557s. These could easily be upgraded to my fave OPA2604s, but I doubt it would help much. The circuit contains three more 4557s marked as IC 21, 22 and 23 and are used as part of an 'active low pass filter' network. The signal also goes through RL1, a mechanical muting relay. I'll leave this tuner to be upgraded by the more inspired among the DIYers. I can't recommend it to any of our readers." Our panelist Eric owned a KT-1000 for awhile and had no trouble disabling the servo lock, so Jim's sample apparently did have a problem, but anyone considering buying a KT-1000 should be careful because we don't know how common the problem is. The KT-1000 is rare and can sell for almost any price on eBay - usually $120-200, but one went for just $76 in 5/03. Here's a nice photo of the Japanese version, the Trio KT-1000. [EF][JR]
Kenwood KT-1100 (1983, silver, black) search eBay
The KT-1100, which somewhat resembles the KT-1000, is believed to have been originally sold only in Europe and Japan. The KT-1100 has 5 gangs for FM and 4 ceramic filters, and 3 gangs for AM. Our contributor Peter tells us: "Looking at the schematics, the circuitry is fairly advanced. More functions are implemented using integrated circuits than in the KT-917, like the pulse count detector and sample-and-hold stereo decoder (which samples at four different phase angles). Audio low pass filters are Sallen-Key filters using op-amps, and not any LC filters. As usual, several capacitors and op-amps in the audio path should be replaced and the path simplified or shortened. The wide IF mode uses two identical ceramic filters, and in the narrow mode two more filters are added (another type with narrow bandwidth). All the ceramic filters should be easily replaceable. The tuner's sensitivity is among the very best, the selectivity is good in the narrow setting and very wide in the wide setting. The frequency counter is helpful but could use some trimming to be optimized. For a non-modified unit, the audio is smooth and 3-dimensional with promising low-level resolution, but compared to my modified KT-917, there is some treble smearing, most likely due to the less than optimum capacitors in the audio path and phase shift from the low-pass filters. Bass is rather OK, but could benefit from more dynamics and extension. One positive surprise is the AM section, which clearly has more than average sensitivity, and if the signal is good enough, selectable IF bandwidth and usable AM tuning meter (like the Sansui TU-X1) which adds to the usual signal level meter. The KT-1100 is a completely different tuner than the KT-1100SD, of which I have a modified unit." The KT-1100 is fairly common on eBay-Germany but very rare on eBay-U.S., where it sells for around $125. See how one KT-1100 sounded compared to other top tuners on our Shootouts page. [JR]
Kenwood KT-1100SD (1985, photo) search eBay
The KT-1100SD is believed to be identical to the KT-3030, but with back-panel switches to change the voltage (120-220-240), channel spacing (50 or 100 kHz) and de-emphasis (50 uS or 75 uS). Also on the back panel are RCA variable outputs and an output level control, multipath outputs (horizontal and vertical) for an oscilloscope, and a 75-Ohm antenna jack. Front-panel controls include a slider for wide and narrow IF bandwidths, record calibration tone, modulation meter control, and local/distant signal button. There are gold-plated RCA outputs on the front as well. According to our contributor Peter, the KT-1100SD has a 5-gang varicap quartz synthesizer and tunes in 50 kHz steps. It has 5 180 kHz ceramic IF filters which are easily replaced (Peter suggests 230-230-150-150-110), and 4 different IF bandwidth settings. Much can be done to clean up the audio, like a better filter for the varicap control voltage, eliminating the "distortion canceling" circuit, and using better op-amps (including the feedback loop of the detector) and capacitors in the audio signal path. Actually, it is possible to eliminate all coupling capacitors in the KT1100SD, making it DC-coupled from detector to output. "Flywheel tuning" can be arranged by modifying the mechanics of the tuning knob. Also, the muting-while-tuning should be disabled. The modulation bar graph display can be modified to show multipath level as a switchable alternative. After modification, the audio and DX are very good. Before modification, Peter ranks the KT-1100SD just below the Kenwood KT-8300, but after modification it improves a lot and will in some respects outperform an unmodified KT-917. Our DIY Mods page has more of Peter's suggested mods. Peter notes that there is also a tuner called the KT-1100D, "which looks almost like the KT-1100SD, but with AM added and with smaller buttons. I recently had the opportunity to have a look at its schematics and, generally speaking, the FM circuitry is less sophisticated than the KT-1100SD's but with some similarities." The KT-1100SD is very rare on eBay-U.S. and could sell for $88 (in 6/05), $213 (in 1/05), or anywhere in between, but it's usually found at the low end of that range on eBay-Germany.
Kenwood KT-1300Bsearch eBay, Kenwood KT-1300G (1975, $140) search eBay
and Kenwood KT-2001 (1970) and KT-2001A (1973) search eBay
The KT-1300B, KT-1300G and KT-2001A are crummy old budget tuners that are probably not even worth what you'd pay to have someone ship them. With so many decent Kenwoods available dirt cheap, why bother with these? The only reason we're even listing them is that we're tired of seeing eBay sellers call them "rare" just because they weren't listed on this site. "Rare" does not mean "good."
Kenwood KT-2200 (photo1, photo2) - If you have any information on this mysterious tuner, which may have been sold only in Japan, please post it in our FMtuners group.
Kenwood KT-3030 (1984, photo1, photo2) - This digital so-called "Direct Linear Loop Detector Super Synthesizer FM Tuner" may have been sold only in Japan. It has 5 gangs, decent specs and wide and narrow IF bandwidth settings. Here's an inside photo of the KT-3030, which our contributor Peter believes is identical to the KT-1100SD.
Kenwood KT-3050 (1993, $269) - The KT-3050 uses the same MPX chip (Sanyo LA3401) and output amplifier (NJM4560) as the KT-5020. The KT-3050 also has the same usable sensitivity spec as the KT-5020, although some of its other specs fall short. The KT-3050 has wide and narrow IF band settings and an active reception circuit that automatically detects the best setting of the IF band and stereo/mono switch, and preset stations can be given names. There are switches on the KT-3050's rear panel for voltage, channel spacing, and de-emphasis adjustments. Please post in our FMtuners group if you know anything about it.
Kenwood KT-3300D (1987, $525, photo1, photo2, schematic 1, schematic 2, block diagram, detector/MPX scheme: PLL detector, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th composite distortion generators with analog multipliers) search eBay
David Rich offers this analysis of the KT-3300D: "Pot adjustments subtract these internally generated distortion components from the composite using trim pots (separate pots for stereo and mono). This approach does not appear to be very helpful since it is not temperature compensated and is likely to go out of adjustment quickly, but I could be wrong about this. This circuit is how Kenwood reports such low THDs. It is easy to rip out of the unit if this is desired. The KT-3300D has a true analog multiplier based MPX. The pure sine wave 38 kHz needed for this approach is generated from IC based MPX (AN7418)." The FM-only KT-3300D tunes in increments of .05 MHz and has 16 presets, multipath output jacks and a recording calibration switch. Our panelist Jim shares lots more technical info and describes the KT-3300D's controls on our Shootouts page, where you can also see how one KT-3300D sounded in comparison to other top tuners. The KT-3300D is extremely rare (one or two per year on eBay) and can sells for $100-210. [BF][JR]
Kenwood KT-3500search eBay
The KT-3500 is an old bottom-of-the line tuner that we might pay $5-10 for, just for curiosity.
Kenwood KT-5000 (1970?) search eBay
Here's another example of how "rare" does not always mean "good." This scarce tuner is not listed in the Orion Bluebook, but it appears to be the bottom-of-the-line sibling of the KT-7000. Since the KT-7000, a fairly decent tuner when in good condition, can often be found for $25 or less on eBay, we don't see why anyone would pay more than $10 for a KT-5000.
Kenwood KT-5020 (1990, $269, photo, schematic 1, schematic 2, schematic 3, schematic 4) search eBay
The fairly scarce KT-5020 is an unassuming black digital tuner that, amazingly enough, has sound quality that many believe challenges that of the all-time best tuners. Our contributor Bill Ammons tested quieting, separation and distortion on an unmodified KT-5020 and exclaimed, "Holy potatoes, this is a sleeper!" Our panelist Jim provides lots of technical and operational info on the KT-5020 on our Shootouts page, where you can also see how one KT-5020 sounded in comparison to other top tuners. Our contributor Hank, who owns many top tuners, chimes in: "Jim, skeptic and tin ear that I am, I had to go reread your Shootout on this fellow before committing my admittedly short-term listening impressions to paper. Suffice it to say that stunned hardly describes my reaction. Without exception, this guy excels in every realm that for my purposes is important: 1- Within literally five minutes it was obvious that its sensitivity elevated it to within the top four tuners I own; 2- Its selectivity in its unmodified and unaligned state is magnificent; 3- Though I've neither the test equipment nor the expertise to verify the operation of the multiplex demodulator or the audio section, my ears tell me that if they're not perfect, they're mighty damned close. The soundstage has the spaciousness of a good concert venue a la Carnegie Hall or the Boston Symphony Hall and the sound itself is seductively natural and lifelike; and 4- My personal 'acid test' is long-term listening and this, for me, is what ultimately separates the men from the boys. Many a fine tuner which excels in one or another realm has had its mask ripped off here. Not this Kenwood. The biggest problem I encountered was trying to keep myself listening to the tuner and not the music--it's really that good. And I don't know if all 5020s are like this one, but in it I can hear absolutely no difference in audio quality between the 'Wide' and 'Narrow' modes. How many tuners do you know of that can make that claim?"
Our contributors Tim and Ann write, "We found a KT-5020 in a pawn shop two weeks ago. We happened to have a stock McIntosh MR 78, fresh from a McIntosh labs alignment/refurbishment, that we borrowed from a dealer friend, so we compared the KT-5020 to the stock MR 78 and to the MR 74 we use as our standard tuner. From a sound quality perspective, the Kenwood CREAMED the MR 78 and was very close in sound quality to the MR 74. Compared to the KT-5020, the MR 78 was very two-dimensional and 'transistory' sounding on live Public Radio broadcasts. We were pretty surprised, as the KT-5020 is certainly no 'looker' and the MR 78's appearance suggests that it would eat the KT-5020's lunch, but such was not the case. Even the Narrow selectivity setting of the KT-5020 was identical, in our listening environment, to the Super Narrow setting of the MR 78, and the KT-5020 sure sounded much better in its Narrow setting than the stock MR 78 did in its Narrow or Super Narrow setting." Our panelist Eric, a longtime FM DXer, agrees that the KT-5020's sensitivity and selectivity exceed what one might expect and rival his top tuners for DXing and audio quality. Our contributor Todd adds, "I have done some standard audiophool things to the KT-5020 (clean connectors, dampen the thin chassis, mount transformer on o-rings) but nothing electrical, and I've got to tell you that in comparison, my Magnum Dynalab FT-101A with the Signal Sleuth sounds much thinner, with less body on instruments. One could almost say 'Where did the drums and bass go?' The Kenwood's noise floor is quieter and has much better 'room feel'; with the FT-101A, the instruments sound like they are recorded in an anechoic chamber, with little reverb or depth. My comparison was done with headphones to be able to get down to the smaller details." See the DIY Mods page for information on DIY audio section mods for the KT-5020. Since early 2005, eBay sale prices have ranged from $325-420. NEWS FLASH: A KT-5020 sold for $710 in 4/06 when two nuts ran the price up from $421. Even given its relative scarcity, that's a ridiculous price. [BF][EF][JR]
Kenwood KT-5300 (1977, $140, photo) search eBay
A very common bare-bones tuner that might be OK for those on a budget, the KT-5300 has 3 gangs and 2 ceramic filters. It has a center-tuning meter but no signal level meter. The KT-5300 is not very sensitive in stock form because it has no IF amplification, and would have to be partially taken apart to access the circuit board for mods. Our contributor Brian B. was pleasantly surprised by his: "These simple tuners work amazingly well. This thing has just two chips in the FM strip and a few transistors elsewhere. I was hearing all kinds of stations while I was aligning it (the downside of living on a hilltop). It seems to work great, even on AM. (Don't want to spoil my fun and actually measure a sensitivity number, and no fair listening next to a loud local.) Lots of fun for a $5 garage sale item." The KT-5300 usually sells for $10-30 or so on eBay, with an all-time low of $1.30 in 4/05. [EF]
Kenwood KT-5500 (1978, $175, photo) search eBay
The KT-5500, apparently an improvement over the KT-5300 at the bottom of the line, also has 3 gangs and 2 ceramic filters. The KT-5500 has signal level and center tuning meters and an IF amplifer that improves sensitivity. Our contributor Bill Ammons says the KT-5500 is a favorite of his because it is inexpensive and easy to modify or service, and gives excellent performance when modified. See the DIY Mods page for information on DIY audio section mods for the KT-5500. The KT-5500 usually sells for $20-40 on eBay, but up to $60-70 is possible for mint ones. A nice KT-5500 with a cabinet and modified with Bill Ammons' "Filter Adder Board" sold for just $54 in 2/03. See our Kenwood brochures page for more about the KT-5500.
Kenwood KT-5550 (1978, photo) search eBay
This very rare tuner is the same as the KT-5500, but with a dark gray face. It only shows up about once a year on eBay and sells for $40 or less.
Kenwood KT-6005 (1972, $290, photo) search eBay
The little brother of the KT-8005, the KT-6005 uses all discrete circuitry and some say it sounds great. The KT-6005 has 4 FM gangs and 3 AM gangs and is reasonably sensitive, but it has a single IF bandwidth and is not very selective in stock form. The KT-6005 has one ceramic filter, one metal-can LC filter, and a tuned IF stage, so it should not be considered an easy filter mod candidate. The KT-6005 usually sells for $50-70 on eBay. In 3/05, an eBay seller called "oddstuff!" put up a ridiculously hyped auction listing that called the KT-6005, among other things, "Unique Rare Collectors Grade," "Best tuner they made!" and "The ultimate tuner of tuners!" It seemed that potential buyers were offended by the hyperbole and it was quite satisfying to watch that KT-6005 sell for an all-time low of $10.50 (if you can't trust an eBay seller, don't bid!). The 3-gang KT-4005 (1972, $190, photo), which can sell for $10-65 on eBay, completes the line.
Kenwood KT-6007 (1974, $320, photo) search eBay
The little brother of the top-of-the-line KT-8007 is a good-sounding tuner in its own right. The KT-6007 has 4 gangs, but its sensitivity is only "OK." It does have some of the same nice features as the KT-8007, including a variable output knob, combination signal strength/multipath/deviation meter and FM MPX filter button on the front panel, and scope output jacks on the back panel, but the KT-6007 lacks a headphone output and has only one level of muting. The KT-6007's adjacent channel selectivity is mediocre in stock form because it uses only one Taiyo Yuden Co. LC filter and one strange green 3-pin filter (not a Murata or Toko). One KT-6007 sold for a too-high $125 on eBay in 9/03, but most sell for $40-80. Completing the line is the 3-gang KT-4007 (1974, $230, photo, which usually sells for $15-40 on eBay (but one silly person paid $100 in 3/03). [EF]
Kenwood KT-6500 (1978, $200, photo) search eBay
The KT-6500 was a new addition to Kenwood's 5500/6500/7500 line (there was no equivalent model in their 5300/7300/8300 line). It sounds great, but only has 3 gangs and 3 filters so it'll never be as hot as a KT-7500 even if modified. The KT-6500 can sell for as low as $20 or so or as high as $90 on eBay, but usually $40-70. Our panelist Bob sold a nice modified KT-6500 for $99 in 5/03. Note: it is possible to buy a KT-6500 cheaply and use its wooden cabinet for a KT-7500. See our Kenwood brochures page for more about the KT-6500. See our DIY Mods page for a writeup and photo of a KT-6500 modified with a tube output. The Trio KT-6100 (photo, closeup, back), which tunes the Japanese 76-90 MHz FM band, is cosmetically identical to the KT-6500. [BF][EF][JR]
Kenwood KT-6550 (1978, photo) search eBay
This very rare tuner is the same as the KT-6500, but with a "gun-metal" color front panel. Typical sale prices on eBay are about the same as for the KT-6500, and one KT-6550 even went for $14 in 9/04 "as is."
Kenwood KT-7000 (1970, $250, photo) search eBay
and Kenwood KT-7001 (1971, $310, photo) search eBay
These clunky-looking 4-gang tuners reportedly sound good but don't quite match the performance (or looks) of most of Kenwood's later tuners. They are also very likely to need at least an alignment, and perhaps repair as well, when found on eBay. Both have variable output knobs on the front panel, and the KT-7001 has two levels of muting. The KT-7001 claims "4 crystal filters." On the back panel, the KT-7001 has one set of RCA jacks for an oscilloscope and another pair to connect a tape deck (we haven't checked the back panel of a KT-7000). The KT-7000 usually sells for $10-50 on eBay, while the KT-7001 usually goes for $30-75. On the other hand, one silly person was the only bidder willing to go over $35 for a nice KT-7000 with wooden cabinet in 1/04, but he kept bidding until he hit the inflated $150 reserve. [BF]
Kenwood KT-7020 (photo, German info sheet) search eBay
You can search, but you're not likely to find this big brother of the renowned KT-5020 on eBay (U.S.) because it was sold only in Europe and Asia. We'll have a writeup shortly.
Kenwood KT-7300 (1977, $260, photo) search eBay
The KT-7300 is a solidly built tuner that weighs a ton, and the consensus is that it has excellent sound. With 4 gangs and 3 280 kHz (wide) filters in stock form, the KT-7300 has the potential to be a decent tuner for DXing (but not as good as a modified KT-7500) when tuned up and modified with narrow filters. The KT-7300 has one IF gain stage and there is easy access to the circuit board for mods. Our contributor Bill Ammons reports that it is a great tuner for weak-signal areas but not as good a performer where there are a number of strong signals. See Bob's Filter Corner for a description of Bill's PCB filter mod, and see the DIY Mods page for information on DIY audio section and power supply mods for the KT-7300. The KT-7300 is virtually identical, cosmetically, to the KT-7500, even though it's not even close to the same tuner electronically. It has a variable output level knob on the front panel, plus an FM MPX filter and separate muting and auto/mono switches. On the back panel are jacks for an oscilloscope, a 75 uS/25 uS de-emphasis switch and an FM detector output jack. See how one KT-7300 sounded compared to many top tuners on our Shootouts page. The KT-7300 can usually be bought for $35-75 on eBay, but especially nice or modded ones can go for as much as $95-130. [EF]
Kenwood KT-7500 (1978, $310, photo1, photo2, service manual, schematic, PC board) search eBay
The KT-7500 has 5 gangs and 5 filters, with one filter being used for the wide IF bandwidth setting and 4 for narrow mode. It is a very DIY-friendly tuner and will sound terrific when its audio section is updated. It will also blow away most unmodified tuners (at any price) for DXing with a few narrow filters installed. The KT-7500 has a variable output level knob on the front panel, plus an FM MPX filter and separate muting and auto/mono switches. On the back panel are jacks for an oscilloscope and a 75 uS/25 uS de-emphasis switch. The KT-7500 usually sells for $60-100 on eBay without a wooden cabinet, or $75-125 with a cabinet, but there are always exceptions when people do dumb things: in 5/03, in frenzied last-minute bidding, two guys drove up the price of one KT-7500 from $123 to $255, and one of those same people and two others ran another one up from $111 to $206. A couple of days later, when the stupidity was over, a nice KT-7500 with a cabinet sold for just $87 (moral: don't overpay for common tuners!). One KT-7500, "as is" and with a scratched cabinet, went for just $21 in 9/04. Two KT-7500s with DIY audio section and power supply mods as described on our DIY Mods page each sold for $350 in 2-3/02, and one was resold in 6/02 for $338. More recently, other KT-7500s with audiophile mods have sold for $170-295. See how one stock KT-7500 sounded compared to other top tuners on our Shootouts page, and see our Kenwood brochures page for more about the KT-7500. [BF][EF][JR]
Kenwood KT-7550 (1978, photo, service manual, schematic, PC board) search eBay
This rare tuner is the same as the KT-7500, but with a bronze face. They are seen once or twice a year on eBay and usually sell for $100-125, just slightly more than the average KT-7500. Our contributor Ken M., who owns several top tuners, had a chance to listen to Jim's modded KT-7550 (see the DIY Mods page for details of the mods): "I listened to the Kenwood and it's VERY impressive. Stereo separation, soundstage, highs and mids are outstanding. Especially impressive is the lack of grain in the mids and highs. The highs were very natural-sounding compared to my Sansui TU-X1, which I find to be artificial (I'd love to know whether that is just my sample or true of all the TU-X1s). Bass was there, but not with the definition, punch and dynamics of the Accuphase T-109V. My guess is, this is power supply-related. I was getting quite a bit of background noise and the KT-7550 did not have the DX capability of the Accuphase, but I think both of these were antenna-related and not tuner-related, although I used the same dipole as I used with the Accuphase." [JR]
Kenwood KT-8005 (1973, $390, photo) search eBay
The KT-8005, Kenwood's top-of-the-line tuner at the time (replaced after a year by the KT-8007), is a solidly built, 25-pound FM-AM tuner with a 5-gang, 2-FET RF front end. The KT-8005 uses two 4-stage filters, early ceramic type, in small metal boxes labeled "MuRata Ceramic Filter" on the top. Each of these filters is equivalent to two modern 3-pin ceramic filters. The specs in the owner's manual say 100dB alternate channel selectivity and it performs like it, with excellent selectivity as well as sensitivity. Instead of a chip, the MPX section consumes an entire board of discrete components. The audio output stage is also all discrete transistors, and many feel that the sound, when the tuner is properly serviced and aligned, is wonderful. Our panelist Jim, who admits to a prejudice against early transistor designs, says, "It was interesting to have this two-tone tuner on my shelf. I see the common heritage of the silver and bronze Kenwood tuners that came later." This tuner, like any other 30-year-old piece of equipment, is unlikely to be in perfect shape as found on eBay, so anyone considering buying a KT-8005 should either check it out first or budget some money to have it aligned. But our panelist Bob adds, "The 8005 and 8007 seem a lot better [when in typical 'as found' condition] than the earlier KT-7000 and KT-7001, which seem to need parts/repair to work well, rather than just an alignment." See the KT-8007 writeup below for more of Bob's comments on the KT-8005. The KT-8005 usually sells for $100-180 on eBay, with a recent low of $78 and an all-time high of $290 (with manuals), both in 9/04. [BF][JR]
Kenwood KT-8007 (1974, $420, photo) search eBay
The KT-8007 was Kenwood's top-of-the-line unit produced just after the KT-8005 and right before the KT-8300. It was the first Kenwood with a deviation meter that would also be standard on later top models like the KT-8300, 600T and KT-917. The differences from the KT-8005 are in the MPX circuit: the KT-8007 uses a chip based HA1156, while the KT-8005 uses an all discrete MPX board. Other than that, they are very similar in appearance, features, and function. The KT-8007 has a 5-gang front end, 2 4-stage ceramic filters (equivalent to 4 modern 3-pin filters), and a discrete output stage that combine to make one of the best-sounding tuners around. Our panelist Bob recommends the KT-8007 for "deep bass, extended highs, and a very clean midrange that has an incredible sound on uncompressed jazz and classical music." Another contributor agrees, telling us that his KT-8007 has exceptional sensitivity and a warm, "tube-like" sound that he prefers to that of all his other tuners, including the 600T! Bob adds, "The MPX chip in the KT-8007 makes it much less likely than the KT-8005 to go out of alignment in a way that disturbs the audio sound. In a nutshell, the KT-8007 is more reliable, and is similar in many ways inside to the KT-8300, except that the 8007 still has the single IF path. Of course, it looks nothing like the 8300, cosmetically. The board of discrete MPX stuff in the KT-8005 has a much higher drift rate over a long time, whereas the chip in the KT-8007 basically never needs alignment." A bit of trivia: the KT-8007 uses basically the same tuning knob and selector buttons as the 600T, with a combination signal strength/multipath/deviation meter, variable output knob, muting off/level 1/level 2 switch and FM MPX filter. The KT-8007 also adds a front-panel headphone jack, which the 600T does not have. It also has scope output jacks on the back panel. The KT-8007 usually sells for $200-280 on eBay, with a recent low of $80 in 11/04 and an all-time high of $360 (wow). Its little brother, the KT-6007 (see above), sells for much less. [BF]
Kenwood KT-8155 (1979) (schematic) search eBay
The KT-8155 is the extremely rare dark-gray version of the KT-815. The only one seen on eBay in the past several years sold for $130 in 3/04.
Kenwood KT-8300 (1976, $380, photo, inside, audio section 1, audio section 2, RF section, circuit description and adjustments) search eBay
The KT-8300 is a great tuner, very sensitive and selective even when unmodified. It has the classic Kenwood silver-faced styling, a powerful front end with a 6-gang tuning capacitor, and fantastic sound. It was one of Don Scott's "reference" tuners and, in a 1989 Stereophile issue, he said it had the best sound of any tuner made since 1977! The KT-8300's front-panel features include a button to switch the combination multipath/deviation meter, a wide/narrow IF bandwidth button, MPX filter switch, variable output knob and two levels of muting (or muting off). On the back panel, there are fixed and variable RCA outputs, scope outputs, an FM de-emphasis switch and a dimmer on/off switch. Inside, you'll find two independent filter paths, very much like a 600T (which it somewhat resembles) but without the "middle" path. The KT-8300 uses two 4-pole linear phase LC filters for the wide IF bandwidth setting and three 4-element ceramic filters for narrow mode. The KT-8300 is tricky to modify for DXing because the ceramic filters are the older 4-pin type, rather than the common 3-pin type. See how one stock KT-8300 sounded compared to other top tuners on our Shootouts page. The KT-8300 usually sells for $220-380 on eBay, but up to $470-510 is possible for a nice one, and the all-time high was a stunning $610 in 4/04 for a mint one with manuals. See the 600T vs. KT-917 page for Bob's quick comparison between the 600T and the KT-8300, and see our Kenwood brochures page for more about the KT-8300. In our FMtuners group, our contributor Ryan C. tells how audiophile mods transformed his KT-8300. [BF][EF][JR]
Kenwood KT-9900 (1977 or 1978, photo) search eBay
Believed to have been sold only in Europe, the KT-9900 is identical to the KT-8300 in every way except for the 9900's worldwide voltage capability and the color of its front panel, which can be either bronze or "gun-metal" (a metallic medium gray). The KT-9900 and KT-8300 share the same owner's and service manuals and the circuit boards appear to be as identical as the front panel controls are. The KT-9900 usually sells for $300-400 on eBay, with a recent low of $204 in 3/05 and an all-time high of $510 in 5/04. To add to the confusion, there's a silver-faced KT-9900 that was sold under the Trio brand name (see the Trio listing).
Kenwood L-01T (1980, photo) search eBay
The L-01T is a very rare tuner that is seldom offered for sale in the U.S. Our panelist Jim was lucky to have a chance to play with one: "The inside of the L-01T is amazing, with two potted transformers and 3 full wave bridge rectifiers for 3 totally separate regulated supplies. The first, +12V, feeds the first oscillator circuit (assumed to be the local oscillator feeding the mixer), a dedicated supply back to the transformer for the ultimate in LO stability. The second and third, fed by the other transformer, has separate windings for the MPX/audio section (+/- 16 volts) and the +14 volts for the front-end IF section. This very healthy power supply sits on its own board. There is a pivoting arm for the dial pointer wires to move freely. There are 7 gangs in the front end, as follows: antenna in, switch, single tuned gang, double diffused MOSFET gain stage, single tuned gang, JFET buffer/follower, switch, triple tuned 3-gang section, transformer coupled into a balanced mixer. The switch, not seen before in any high-end Kenwood tuner, allows bypassing the first 2 gangs and the MOSFET gain stage for less front-end intermodulation (IM) distortion with high input signal levels. Finally, two gangs are used in the local oscillator, which is buffered and also includes a touch switch controlled varactor-tuned feedback stage from an IF IC, looking very similar to the KT-917's distortion reduction circuit. I only see 4 filters but the block diagram shows them as 'either/or' in filter selection. The detector is the Kenwood pulse count detector, and the MPX decoder is the sample-and-hold switching type, again, very similar, if not identical, to the one in the KT-917. The top and sides are well done plywood and plastic. The bottom is fiberboard with plastic or aluminum sides. The framework supporting the circuit boards and FM front end is either copper or copper-coated aluminum. The only steel I found was the potted transformer cans, screws and the tuning dial balance wheel. Kenwood was VERY serious about non-magnetic influences inside this baby. If I owned this work of art, I would replace all the steel screws with brass screws and change out the resistors with steel end caps in the audio stage, put in new audio caps, sit down and listen to music. The sound is pretty good, stock, with better-than-average bass and a good midrange, but more than necessary sibilance in the highs." Our panelist David "A" adds, "I learned that the L-01T was actually made in two distinctly different versions. The early European tuners, serial nos. E #00800001 through E #00800071, had a substantially better second oscillator/mixer that performed significantly better than the one in the other version of the tuner. I think that this may account for some of the disagreement between owners of this tuner. European units in this range can be expected to sound better because the better dual conversion circuitry (2.4 MHz vs. 400 kHz) allows the pulse count detector to do a better job. I suspect that the tuner in Jim's Shootout is not from this range of units or it would have likely placed higher. I would expect the sonic difference to affect the imaging, frequency extremes and depth perspective." Here is an interesting review of the L-01T, and read our panelist David "A"'s Ricochet. Three L-01Ts sold on eBay for $1,200-1,625 in 3-7/03, and three others went for $861 (eBay-Germany) in 10/04, $1,000 in 11/04 and $895 in 2/05. An early European one with a low serial number went for a breathtaking $1,800 in 7/05. [DA][JR]
Kenwood L-02T (1982, $3,000/orig $1,800, photo1, photo2, inside, detector/MPX scheme: active IF, PLL detector, first order sample and hold, MPX PLL generated 38k with TR7040 chip) search eBay
The solidly built L-02T has a 7-gang front end and is a phenomenal tuner. Based on a review of the schematic, David Rich had said that he would avoid the L-02T because it's "as far as you can get from the KISS ["keep it simple, stupid" -Editor] principle." However, our panelist Jim calls it "a masterpiece" that he found comparable to the McIntosh MR 78 for DXing, with better sound than the Mac. Our panelist Eric, a long-time FM DXer, agrees that the L-02T is a dream machine in all respects. Here's Jim's full review: "The L-02T is big, heavy and industrial-looking, a cut below analog beauties like the KT-917 or Sansui TU-717, cosmetically. Ergonomically, the knobs are a touch too shallow for ease of control. The tuning dial is only 5/8 of an inch deep and the other two round controls are only about 1/4 inch deep, compared to 1-1/4 inches deep on a KT-917, 1 inch deep on a TU-717 or 7/8 inch deep on a Kenwood KT-7500. Now for the good news: The L-02T is sonically the best stock transistor tuner I've listened to in my system. It has very good bass and a rich, full midrange, not rich or full like a tubed Mac MR 67 but a more neutral sound as you would expect from a transistor tuner. The treble isn't hot or irritating but does have some extra sibilance due to all those old electrolytics in the signal path (if I hadn't heard the difference after putting in new caps in other tuners, I wouldn't see it as a problem). The audio stage uses four 8-legged op-amps (4564 DA) supported by four 16-legged op-amps (MB84066B). I am going to guess that more care was taken aligning this tuner before market, which may partially account for the great sonics. In an A/B test, in narrow mode, the L-02T (with stock filters) matched my KT-7500 (with hand-picked narrow filters) in its ability to grab weak signals without splatter from surrounding stronger stations." One of the L-02T's nice features is a signal strength meter that reads from 0 to 100 dB. Only three L-02Ts have been seen on eBay-U.S. in the last four years, with two of them (both in 2/06) selling for $2,551 and $3,000. The L-02A (photo1, photo2) is the amplifier that matches the L-02T. See how one L-02T sounded compared to many other top tuners on our Shootouts page, and read our panelist David "A"'s Ricochet. [DA][EF][JR]
Kenwood L-03T (1982, photo) - The 7-gang L-03T is a rare tuner that we believe was sold only in Japan. It tunes only the Japanese FM band, 76 to 90 mHz, and modifying it to tune the North American FM band would be difficult and expensive, at best. An L-03T sold for $556 on eBay-U.S. in 4/05, the first one we ever saw offered. If you have any information on the L-03T, please post it in our FMtuners group.
Kenwood L-07T (1978, $625, photo1, photo2, detector/MPX scheme: quadrature detector, charge injection cancellation discrete MPX switches, MPX PLL generated 38k with HA1156 chip) search eBay
The L-07T looks identical to the L-07TII described below, except that it's gun-metal gray in color rather than black, and its rack-mount holes are open on the outsides. Those two differences make the L-07T more "industrial-looking" than the L-07TII. We believe that the circuitry of the two tuners is mostly identical, but the L-07T uses a quadrature detector rather than the L-07TII's pulse count detector and also lacks the two extra ceramic filters that apparently run the L-07TII's meters. Here's a photo of the inside of the L-07T. Like the L-07TII, the L-07T has a 7-gang tuning capacitor and is also very sensitive and quite selective even in stock form (spec'd at 100 dB alternate channel selectivity in Narrow). Any filter modification should probably be done by a pro because the L-07T contains two Murata "Surface Acoustic Filters," specially designed by Kenwood, for the wide IF bandwidth setting and 3 older-style 4-pin ceramic filters which have 4 stages each for narrow mode. The L-07T is rare and can sell for $280-400 on eBay. The matching amp is the L-07C. [EF]
Kenwood L-07TII (1979, $625, photo, brochure cover, brochure page1, brochure page2, with L-07CII amp, detector/MPX scheme: pulse count detector, IC based MPX HA11223) search eBay
The L-07TII is a sleek, narrow, black, rack-mount style analog tuner that looks very different from the classic silver-faced Kenwood components. It has a 7-gang tuning capacitor and two independent IF filter systems for the wide and narrow IF bandwidth settings, and is very sensitive and selective unmodified with alternate channel selectivity that exceeds 100 dB out of the box. Any filter modification should probably be done by a pro because the L-07TII contains two Murata "Surface Acoustic Filters," specially designed by Kenwood (top row in photo), for the wide IF bandwidth setting and 3 older-style 4-pin 280 kHz ceramic filters which have 4 stages each (the center one in this photo was replaced as part of a mod) for narrow mode. Our contributor Brian B. points out that "narrow filter replacement is easy in the L-07TII despite the stock 4-pin filters. The PCB has six holes for each filter, each set correctly spaced and wired for a pair of 3-pin filters. So you can install a total of 6 filters in narrow if you want." The two normal 3-pin, 2-stage ceramic filters (lower right in the photo) are apparently used only to run the meters and are not in the IF signal path. Here's a wider shot of the inside of the L-07TII. The L-07TII uses Kenwood's pulse count detector circuitry, like the 600T and KT-615/815/917, and sounds extremely quiet. Post-mod, it is comparable to a modified KT-8300 for DX performance, but maybe not quite as sensitive as the 600T. See how one L-07TII sounded compared to other top tuners on our Shootouts page. The L-07TII is rare and usually sells for $400-475 on eBay, with highs of $620 and $661 in 7-8/03 for mint ones and a low of $291 in 3/04. [EF][JR]
Our contributor Brian B. reports: "The L-07TII is the most sensitive tuner I've yet measured (50 dB quieting at 15 dBf in mono and 36.5 dBf in stereo). With its three stock 4-pin ceramic filters replaced by two new 3-pin 110s and one 150 (and 3 jumpers) in narrow, it is also the most selective (50.5 dB adjacent-channel selectivity). But on an outside antenna, the tuner had a fatal flaw: background noise on strong signals and no hint of weak signals that other tuners received clearly. This was due to front-end mixer overload. Adding AGC to the two RF amplifier stages dramatically improved performance in my high-RF location - no hint of mixer overload remained. This tuner is one of the few with a postdetection filter good enough to suppress HD Radio self-noise. You won't be annoyed by background noise due to the stereo decoder responding to HD Radio sidebands as stereo subcarrier signals. With its pulse-count detector, 1 kHz THD measured 0.03% in wide and 0.5% with the modified narrow filter. I cannot hear any difference in audio quality between the two filters. The center frequency of the surface acoustic wave filters used in wide is somewhat below 10.7 MHz. But since the detector linearity does not vary with the IF, you can tune to a slightly different frequency to center the signal in the wide IF filter. I modified the tuning-meter driver so that
minimum distortion occurs in narrow when center tuned and in wide when tuned to the leftmost edge of the center tuning segment." Finally, Brian points out, "The poor intermod performance I found in actual use for the stock
7-gang L-07TII should caution against relying on a simple capacitor-gang count to estimate tuner susceptibility to signal overload."
Kenwood L-1000T (1991, $1,100, photo, detector/MPX scheme: see David Rich's comments below) search eBay
The L-1000T is a solidly built digital tuner that was Kenwood's attempt to recapture its '70s-early '80s glory. It has a 6-gang front end, 3 IF bandwidths, and other features comparable to the Onkyo T-9090/T-9090II and Denon TU-800, but without their extreme selectivity. Our contributor Miklos gives us a tour of his L-1000T: Beautifully built, special braced chassis and a minimum of controls on the tuner itself. In the inside photo to the right is the front end, at the top are the two antenna inputs, and along the front end to the left is the IF section. On the left side is the massive PS, at the top left corner is the standby PS transformer and beside it to the right is the motor-driven output level control. The unit is big and heavy, and its footprint is a bit larger than the 600T's. All of its controls (except the standby/off, tuning and tuning mode selector) are built into the remote control. It tunes in 25 kHz steps and is very selective, in comparison to my other (unmodified) tuners." Our panelist Ed remembers hearing about the L-1000T in 1991: "It ran very hot, and was basically a computer. I recall that you HAD to have the remote, or you couldn't use all the functions." Our contributor Jeff, who prefers the sound of his L-1000T to that of his L-07TII, confirms that the L-1000T would be almost impossible to use without the remote. Another contributor says he owned one around 1995: "One of the most unique tuners I have ever seen or used. Very selective, but the sound was not among the best I have heard. It was about as quiet as I think a tuner can be." The L-1000T was indeed one of the quietest tuners around, and might be a world-beater for DXing with narrow filters installed. David Rich adds: "The L-1000T looks like it might be the best Kenwood ever, maybe the best tuner ever, once past the front end (the best front end is the KT-917). The L-1000T has an RF amp bypass (like the Onkyo T-9090) to reduce front end IP3 but at the cost of sensitivity. Everything in the KT-3300D but the 38kHz MPX now has dual PLLs to generate a very, very low jitter pure sine wave source to drive the analog multiplier. The L-1000T has better construction than the KT-3300D. Please note that I have never seen this thing in the flesh. I am just presenting info based on the manufacturer's specs and the schematics. If you pay a fortune for one on eBay and it turns out to be a bomb, do not blame me." See how one L-1000T sounded compared to other top tuners on our Shootouts page, and read our panelist David "A"'s Ricochet. The L-1000T is seldom seen on eBay and can sell for anywhere from $400-600, with a low of $350 in 7/03 for one without a remote. Kenwood is supposedly still selling the remote, for about $70. The matching L-1000M amp sold for $355 in 8/02. [JR]
Kenwood Basic T1 (1982, $200) search eBay
You have to wonder about eBay sellers who say the Kenwood Basic T1 tuner is "top of the line," because one look at a photo of the T1 will make it obvious that it's not exactly feature-packed. Our panelist Bob says that the Basic series "was a retro line of components in response to the all-electronic pushbutton volume and tone controls offered by many Japanese companies in the '80s and later. The Basic line had all knob-driven analog controls, like the old '70s components." We need to research this further, though, because the Basic T2 tuner (listed below) has buttons and not knobs. The Basic T1 usually sells for under $30 on eBay (as little as $9 in 4/05), with a high of $75 in 2/04.
Kenwood Basic T2search eBay
Unlisted in the Orion Bluebook, the quartz-synthesized Basic T2 is a mystery to us, except that it's clearly a far better tuner than the Basic T1. We've just learned that it has Wide and Narrow IF bandwidth settings for FM, as well as an unusual adjustable slider control for variable IF bandwidth on the AM band. It uses Kenwood's "DLLD" (Direct Linear Loop Detector) technology, their name for a PLL detector, that can also be found in the KT-3300D and KT-5020, among others. Our panelist Bob says, "The Basic T2 came after the KT-9XG, which has a very similar, if not exact same, signal meter display. Then came the KT-880, the KT-880D, then the KT-5020. The T2 appears to be the first one with the DLLD. This was a big change point for Kenwood, as the KT-9XG still had the Pulse Count Detector." The T2 turns up on eBay occasionally and can sell for anywhere from $19-80.
