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More on my Kenwood KD-990 and a few words on the Kenwood hierarchy of tables

Posted by Curious (D) on January 18, 2014 at 18:07:10

Here's a shot with the Orsonic headshell I recently picked up on EBay.

So, I've still got this set up in the showroom and I'm still using the Ortofon 2M Blue. The original Kenwood headshell is a nice one, for sure, but the Orsonic is definitely better insofar as being more quiet in the groove. I chose to use the Clever Little Clamp. Lots of detail still, doesn't sound the least bit over damped. Adjusting VTA with this very impressive tonearm is a snap, and honestly, using my Geodisc, it takes 5 minutes to make all the right adjustments. I'm really enjoying the simplicity of this table and that simplicity is making me focus less on it and more on the music. It's a keeper. Frankly, I've never heard a 2M Blue sound better, and I have a new-found respect for the cartridge because of this experience.

Regarding the Kenwood hierarchy...in reading the comments from some inmates as far as being surprised that Kenwood made high end tables, I think it's important for anyone who appreciates or is interested in the great Japanese Direct Drives of the 70's and 80's to really give Kenwood/Trio your time and consideration. Simply put, they made some great gear. They had outstanding engineers on staff, and often produced flagship product as good as anything from any competitor of their era. Starting from the top, this is how I see the Kenwood hierarchy of notable turntables. These are my observations and my opinions, and I am willing to learn from those who know more.

This list in not in chronological order, but in order of relevance, and the tables on the list are very collectable. What I mean by that is, so long as Vinyl Playback remains relevant, these tables will also.

1) Kenwood L-07D. Writing about this table is like writing about the Beatles.

2) Kenwood KP-1100, Kenwood KP-9010, Kenwood KP-7010 and the Kenwood KD-990. These tables have some minor cosmetic differences between them, but essentially use the same diecast frame and tonearm. The closed-loop sub base works. These are not tables that sound like any others. They can compete with anything. The engineers didn't go for mass loading with these tables, so Rega fans, please take note that the usual complaints of stored energy and smearing do not apply here. With these Kenwoods, it is a solved issue. For fans, like myself, of mass loaded designs, these Kenwoods appear to be quite substantial and one can easily assume they ewigh quite a bit. While they aren't light, they're not heavy either. And if you investigate the aforementioned spider sub base, you'll see Japanese and German tweakers have installed up to four tonearms on these tables.

3) Kenwood KD-750 Potentially a controversial pic since the KD-770D has it's fan-base and there are those who find it superior to the KD-750. I simply don't. This is arguably the best table Kenwood sold in the USA, after the L-07D. The S arm is very good, and its mass and precision build quality help it to work quiet well with today's medium to higher mass cartridges. Removable and plentiful headhshell options can only help to improve the performance. All of this keeps the KD-750 relevant.

4) Kenwood KD-770D This is a great table, and I used to own it. It's a very smooth sounding table, but it has a great pulse to it. The stock plinth is not as substantial as the stock plinth of the KD-750, and the arm, while very good, isn't as good as the 750's arm. Additionally, the headhshell for the 770D's straight tonearm is hen's teeth, so if you want to swap carts quickly, this is going to be a PITA. However, if you only own a couple carts at the most, you'll have no problems.

5) Kenwood KD-650/600 These two tables are identical, but the 650 shipped with a very good Kenwood S arm. Put a Grace 714 arm, or a Signet XK-50 on the 600, and yer cookin' with gas. And in the case of the Grace 714, the KD-600 now moves from 5th place to 3rd. But it's not all about the arm, and the motor/plinth prevent this very, very good table from reaching 2nd Place.

6) Kenwood KD-550/500. This table is a lighter-weight and less costly version of the 650/600. These are still somewhat plentiful, but here is why you should always pay attention to the 500 when you see it for sale: the novice seller may have an outstanding arm and cartridge attached to this table, and have no idea as to their value, mistaking the arm/cart for stock and offering it at 550 prices. I've gotten Micro Seiki MA-505's and Grace 704's for chump change because they were attached to 500's and no one seemed to know. I've also seen the better ADC arm/cart combos go for a song with 500's, so again, pay attention because from a value standpoint, the KD-500 has the potential to be the best value Kenwood of all.

There are a number of Kenwood tables that deserve an honorable mention, but most of them are a bit indistinguishable from each other and to numerous for me to note here. Except one model.

Kenwood KD-3070. I mention this table for this reason; it's better than most of the servo-armed tables that sell for 3 to 4 times more. Denon Dp-52, 47, 37, 35 etc...these tables are no where near as good as a KD-3070. Their plinths aren't as substantial, the arms aren't as flexible and the platters on these tables are a joke in comparison. And you can't really tweak those other tables. And you can't do a damn thing to the arms. But you can tweak a KD-3070. You can put a modern cartridge on the arm and it'll work qute well. Now, if you want to talk about Sony PX-75's, 65's and Denon DP-59L's...that's a different story, and those table can sell for over $1G's. A KD-3070 should cost less than 200 bucks, and an Ortofon 2M Bronze would not be wasted on that table.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Next post will have pics of my 3 Japanese DD's together, and there's gonna be a shoot-out!
"Hope is a good thing. Maybe, the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."

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