Who manufactured Kenwood and Marantz TTs?

biscuithead

Me likes the eargasm retroplasm...
I remember 20-30 years ago knowing this... but I was in a conversation and couldn't come up with it...

I think that both Marantz (post 1973) and Kenwood (1970s) used other manufacturers to build there TTs.... ( licensed there name) I don't think that it was the same one for both...

Anyone know this?
 
Marantz, as far as I know, never made a turntable. During the '70s and '80s Marantz tables were made by Chuo Denki (C.E.C.). I don't know about Trio/Kenwood. I always sorta thought they made their own but the two "big players" in the OEM turntable market back then were C.E.C. and Micro Seiki. If Kenwood used an outside manufacturer, it would likely have been one of those two.

John
 
the two "big players" in the OEM turntable market back then were C.E.C. and Micro Seiki.

I will add that JVC/Victor supplied many manufacturers their motors and in house engineering capabilities though
usually only the top tier models.

If you lost a couple of fingers on 1 hand you would be left with the number of actual design/builders of tables in the heyday of sales.
 
Marantz, as far as I know, never made a turntable. During the '70s and '80s Marantz tables were made by Chuo Denki (C.E.C.). I don't know about Trio/Kenwood. I always sorta thought they made their own but the two "big players" in the OEM turntable market back then were C.E.C. and Micro Seiki. If Kenwood used an outside manufacturer, it would likely have been one of those two.

John

CEC definitely made some of the Kenwood turntables.
 
Micro Seiki was heavily involved in the stratospheric-end "statement" turntables from several manufacturers, including the Marantz TT-1000, and, I think, the Kenwood L-07D. Sony was the oddball that did everything in-house, outside of trading some technology with Denon.
 
Sony was the oddball that did everything in-house, outside of trading some technology with Denon.

Sony did use Duals in some of their earliest "all-in-ones" but, later on, they did indeed do it all.

John
 
Sony/JVC/Denon do use similar motor technology in their DD tables. Their motors are very similar in design. Marantz turntables were manufactured by CEC. Some Kenwood turntables were also made by CEC.
 
Sony did use Duals in some of their earliest "all-in-ones" but, later on, they did indeed do it all.

John

Even at that time, their better turntables were in-house designs. I suspect they used that Dual because they didn't feel like spending the time to design a lower-line changer for those bookshelf units.
 
Even at that time, their better turntables were in-house designs. I suspect they used that Dual because they didn't feel like spending the time to design a lower-line changer for those bookshelf units.

My sister in law had a 70's all in one Sony that had a mid-line BSR changer in it.
Can't recall which cartridge, but it was a magnetic.
 
Top end model Sony all in ones used Dual, BSR for the other models. Some very early Sony All in ones did also use Garrard AutoSlim changers, the AT6 one model used. Re: OP question. Marantz did actually manufacture one turntable bearing their name, the SLT-12 which was US built. All else mainly CEC and as correctly posted high end models being Micro Seiki made.
 
Having few manufacturers may have lead to confusion to how they were rebadged,rehashed or engineered,but it sure has led to some fine sleepers to be found....and overrated for the money. Still, decent abounds for smart pick.
 
That's true, because I've pulled a nice dual from an ailing sony all-in-one.

I was given a free Sony all-in-one that had previously lost it's Dual TT. It's hooked up in my dad's workshop with four cheap speakers. Sounds pretty decent for a noisy workshop.
 
I wish that I could link to the information that I've seen about this:

Supposedly the motors used on the top of the line Micro Seiki belt drives, the units that are housed in a separate pod to the platter body, were the same motor as in the Technics SP 10Mk 3. Again those motors were supposed to be manufactured for Technics by JVC.

Lest that all sounds a bit far fetched remember that both Technincs and JVC were subsidiary companies of the parent company Matsushita. " From 1953 to 2008, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. was the majority stockholder in JVC. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JVC

The Yamaha GT 2000 series was supposedly designed by Yamaha manufactured by Micro Seiki and the motor was supposedly made by JVC.

How's that for everyone in bed together...
 
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