Questions about Kenwood KA-8006 and KT-8007

poorman

Well-Known Member
I have an opportunity to acquire this integrated amp and tuner combo. Does anyone have any experience with them? Do they have any common failures or unobtanium parts?

I own and very much like the Pioneer SA-9100 and TX-9100 amp/tuner combo. Am I correct in assuming that the Kenwood pair would have a similar (if perhaps slightly less colored) early 70s sound?

Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks.

poorman
 
Hello, I own 2 Kenwood 8006's, one since new purchased back in 1974. Both are still working great. The most solid and reliable amps I have owned. As for the 8007 tuner, I cannot comment as I own 2 KT 6007's. Nice tuners but not as good as the 8007's. The only drawback I have noted is finding lights for the tuners if they go out.
 
Can't comment on the amps, but my 8005 tuner is slightly better than my 9100 tuner. The 8007 tuner is slightly better than the 8005. Hope this helps.
 
The KT-8007 is a wonderful tuner. Tubelike sound. I have had two and preferred them to the one TX-9100 I had.
 
Could be just the TX-9100 I had, but the 8007 as well as 8005 are very well regarded by folks who have tried lots of tuners.
 
They are both terrible. Send them directly to me for proper storage :banana:.


But seriously, the Kenwood integrateds and tuners of that era are very well regarded. I have the next-down the line KT-6007 tuner, and it looks and sounds great. You could do far worse.
 
From fmtunerinfo.com
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 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 $175-280 on eBay, with a low of $80 in 11/04, a recent high of $313 in 2/08, and a nutty all-time high of $461 in 1/06 as two guys ran the price up from $222. Bear in mind that the 8007's little brother, the KT-6007 (see above), sells for well under $100. [BF]
 
Ditto for the Kenwood KT 8007. I have 7 tuners and this is my favorite simply for the quality of its sound.

Also have an 8006 integrated amplifier. If you want something rich and Marantz like this ain't it. Somewhat lean and fast, the 8006 is definitely not a tubey sounding amp. I like the 8006, but it's definitely not in the same class as my Kenwood KA 8300 or the Pioneer 9100. (both amps have been recapped and spec'd out)

Marty
 
I was given the opportunity to audition the two units for a day or so. The amp sounds very clean, seems to have plenty of headroom, but is somewhat brighter than I had anticipated. Much different from my SA-9100.

The tuner sounds pretty good, but from opening it up I can tell it's a project.

Not sure yet if I'll pull the trigger on this deal.
 
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