Kenwood L-07M Listening Impressions...

Connor G

Connor G

Ear conditioned
Subscriber
Hey all!
So... I recently acquired a pretty much mint pair of Kenwood L-07M's.
When I got them, they were dusty and needed a good cleaning.
I went through them with a fine-tooth comb and got every shred of dust and dirt out of them.
I put them back together, and WOW! These monoblocks have a sound like no other I've heard before!

Before I go into detail about what I think they sound like, I'd like to go through what I am using as a source, Preamp, and speakers...

When I had them upstairs in my room, I was using a Yamaha CDC-775 Pro-Bit CD player as a source, a Carver C-4000 as a preamp, and a pair of Boston Acoustics Lynnfield VR965 speakers. No, Nothing spectacular, but more than good enough for me...

When I brought them downstairs, I was using a Philips 212 Turntable with a Shure M97XE Cartridge/Needle,
A Sansui AU-11000 as a pre, and a pair of fully restored EPI model 100 speakers.

In all tests, I was using Tara Labs Prism 11 Interconnects.

The amplifiers sung. They sung better than any other amplifier I've owned. The Highs are crisp, and super clear. No fatigue or harshness about them... The detail is out of this world. I heard nuances in every song I played; Details that I've never heard before in songs I listen to regularly popped out with flying colors. The mids were silky smooth... Lifelike. They sound great with vocals, both male, and female. The bass was tight, deep, and plentiful. No "boomyness". They are no slouch when it comes to speed and low end clarity.

The soundstage is great, almost creeps me out how good it is.

Every time I hook up a different amplifier to my speakers, I always go back to these... They outperform everything I own (I don't know if that's good or bad :p)


These Amplifiers are definitely next up for a full electronic tune-up.

I'll include some pictures, and a video of them playing (not that it does them any justice)

Thanks for reading along. Let me know what you think of them if you have a pair!

Video:


IMG_1928.JPG
 
HackWhite said:
He(y)ll yeah!!


They outperform everything I own (I don't know if that's good or bad :p)
Click to expand...


OK fixed that first part for you.

As to the amps being better than the rest of your gear...well now you know how much better things can be and getting L-07M sound quality from replacement components for your system will do similar things to the sound quality of your systems. You have opened a massive can of worms/black hole as you now strive to acquire gear that would have been selected to use with the amps back in the day (if you want vintage) or some of that expensive newer stuff at the same quality level. The L-07M is a first class amp.

Glad you are enjoying them.

For example, you could swap the NJM5532D LPF chip in the CDC for something like an OPA2134. I did this to a Sony CDP-C705 changer and it sounds much better. As good at my Rega Planet single play. I had to start with some less expensive upgrades because with those amps you can go way up if you want to.
 
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HackWhite said:
The soundstage is great, almost creeps me out how good it is.
Click to expand...

Yes sometime I think I'm on the stage with the singers singing. Like I want to ask "What are you all drinking?, the next round is on me"
I can't really quantify what makes amp fast but L07 are definitely up their.
Did you get yours upgraded? I hear stories of black flag caps. The amp is so good that I think it is irreplaceable.

Michael
 
Blue Shadow said:
OK fixed that first part for you.

As to the amps being better than the rest of your gear...well now you know how much better things can be and getting L-07M sound quality from replacement components for your system will do similar things to the sound quality of your systems. You have opened a massive can of worms/black hole as you now strive to acquire gear that would have been selected to use with the amps back in the day (if you want vintage) or some of that expensive newer stuff at the same quality level. The L-07M is a first class amp.

Glad you are enjoying them.

For example, you could swap the NJM5532D LPF chip in the CDC for something like an OPA2134. I did this to a Sony CDP-C705 changer and it sounds much better. As good at my Rega Planet single play. I had to start with some less expensive upgrades because with those amps you can go way up if you want to.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the good information!
Yeah, I'm always searching for new (to me) gear...
Do you think the AU-11000 is a good candidate for use as a preamp with these monoblocks?
It sounds a hell of a lot better than the C-4000!
Thanks again for commenting!
 
MudSlideSlim said:
Yes sometime I think I'm on the stage with the singers singing. Like I want to ask "What are you all drinking?, the next round is on me"
I can't really quantify what makes amp fast but L07 are definitely up their.
Did you get yours upgraded? I hear stories of black flag caps. The amp is so good that I think it is irreplaceable.

Michael
Click to expand...
Do you have a pair of these?
I haven't "upgraded" or even recapped these amps yet... That is next to come!
I can't wait to hear these at their best!
Thanks for commenting
 
I actually have a pair of both L07M and the L07MII. I had used the L07M for about 2 years with my Yamaha NS1000Ms. After reading so much about 'Black Flags' I temporarily retired them until I could get them upgraded. These amps do push the proverbial envelope and they seem to need lots of TLC.

I was using the NS1000's in a horizontal position at that time which seems to create an even bigger sound stage.

Unlike my Yamaha M4 which is build like a Russian tank (can we use the word Russian?) and which seems to need little TLC.

Michael
 
I believe you can get by with the AU as the pre. You have already determined it sounds better than the 4000. Not being a Bob Carver fan, good gear ideas maybe not the best gear, Crown for me not Phase Linear, I can see that a very nice integrated amp from a major manufacturer would be better than one of Bob's creations.

I would keep an eye out for options to upgrade. The Kenwoods can support the likes of Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, certain Luxman units, Accuphase and a number of other high end preamps. Things like the Spec series, many of the Kenwoods (I don't know the L-07c at all) and many of the other preamps made by the major manufacturers to fill in the line won't be a big upgrade like a true high end preamp can be. No hurry, let one fall in your lap at a great price and then you can move something out to pay for it and break even as you upgrade.
 
roger2 said:
What are the differences between the L07M and L07MII ?
Click to expand...

The big difference is the high speed of the II. Frequency response, single digit Hz to 50kHz for the early amp and single digit Hz to 600kHz for the II. (info from HFE where you can download brochures, manuals and such to compare). The slew rate will be much higher with the II. This lead to some issues that have been discovered over the years, oscillation and such. The II appears to need service now more than the I, just based on the AK info I have read over the last decade.
 
roger2 said:
@HackWhite Have you looked for L-07C? Is that pre-amp on par with the amps?
Click to expand...
I have looked into the L-07C. I might try to pick one up, depending on the price. I think there could be better alternatives out there but it won't hurt to try it. Hell, maybe I'll be glad if I pick one up. I might try to find one for cheap.
 
Believe it or not the old NAD 1020 preamp is a great match to those amps. Just make sure that the electrolytic caps are replaced on that preamp or it will sound a bit dead. This advice is from experience with these.
 
Regarding "high speed" amps: were some of the earliest attempts by various manufacturers prone to issues with oscillation?
 
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I've owned a my much too modified ST70 amp (tube amp) that was prone to oscillation. So it's like I'm always waiting for my L07s to oscillate too, just to say 'I told you so' but they haven't much to my disappointment (this is a joke of course). It's something to be concerned about and another reason to have them up graded with modern caps to avoid any of those issues. They just feel like one of those 'push the envelope" amps that you want to respect and to give them some TLC. They are Divas in the truest sense of the work.

Michael
 
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