Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! There is just something about a lot of the vintage gear that makes them attractive compared to a lot of the new gear, IMHO, even the budget models...
I sold these back in the day. They were mediocre then and they're mediocre today -- the average sub-$100 "chip amp" and power brick combination blows it away in terms of power, distortion, and noise. The input/output versatility and tone controls are its only edge over otherwise much better modern budget gear.
@@editorjuno Thanks for commenting and you are correct some of the modern $100 chip amps may perform better. But that is not point with people who like vintage gear like myself 😄
@@vintageaudioreview -- Understood, and there was no intention to rain on your parade. As a "vintage" guy who's been around home and pro audio gear for well over 50 years, I understand that vintage gear nostalgia is rarely about performance -- it's a hobby interest in and of itself that's not about getting the best "bang for the buck" in terms of performance, which has been my personal audio m.o. for many years Moreover, there are certainly a few somewhat elderly pieces that have no modern equivalent, at least not at a reasonable price -- e.g. the two 1980s Yamaha processors that remain at the heart of my own system, which has no fewer than twelve channels of modern Class D amplification, ten of them residing in three active three-way speakers and a subwoofer. Anyway, I was an audio showroom sales drone circa 1970 and ran a high-volume audio repair shop later in that decade, so I'm just sharing whatever first-hand experiences I've had with the vintage stuff back when it was relatively new.
@@editorjuno Thanks much for the clarification and sharing your experiences. My vintage parade was not rained on 😄 It is a hobby for sure, though for some of my friends it is a nice obsession- not about trying to get the ultimate best sound, but getting that piece of gear that just looks good too. I was just discovering "audio" in the late 70's in college, but loved going to the local audio chain stores.
My brother had one of these. He and I drove down to Tech HiFi near MIT in Cambridge and while there he picked up this Kenwood, in house TDC speakers, and a Sony tapedeck (well before Dolby noise reduction). It seems he just had to have a system similar to mine. I had purchased a system from Tech HiFi two years earlier: AR turntable, Shure ME93E cartridge (soon upgraded to M91E), AR 4ax speakers, and a Kenwood KA-2500 amp. It was a nice tiny DartColl dorm room system. All three I still own btw. As for my late brother's set up? Long gone. Soon after he got out of college I assume. I wish he could have offered the 4002 to me. :( PS These early Kenwood amps, while rather low on the totem pole back then, bring relatively big bucks nowadays. S
Thanks so much for sharing- that makes doing this extra fun. It is amazing how we can remember the early set-ups we had in our younger days. I could not tell you the cartridge in my turntables, though 🙃. Glad you still have the 3 pieces of gear! It is nice that a lot of vintage gear is getting good prices, but that also makes it harder to get good deals on them.
it was a budget amp back then and most likely will outperform most the budget amps nowadays
I like these older audio equipment
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! There is just something about a lot of the vintage gear that makes them attractive compared to a lot of the new gear, IMHO, even the budget models...
I sold these back in the day. They were mediocre then and they're mediocre today -- the average sub-$100 "chip amp" and power brick combination blows it away in terms of power, distortion, and noise. The input/output versatility and tone controls are its only edge over otherwise much better modern budget gear.
@@editorjuno Thanks for commenting and you are correct some of the modern $100 chip amps may perform better. But that is not point with people who like vintage gear like myself 😄
@@vintageaudioreview -- Understood, and there was no intention to rain on your parade. As a "vintage" guy who's been around home and pro audio gear for well over 50 years, I understand that vintage gear nostalgia is rarely about performance -- it's a hobby interest in and of itself that's not about getting the best "bang for the buck" in terms of performance, which has been my personal audio m.o. for many years Moreover, there are certainly a few somewhat elderly pieces that have no modern equivalent, at least not at a reasonable price -- e.g. the two 1980s Yamaha processors that remain at the heart of my own system, which has no fewer than twelve channels of modern Class D amplification, ten of them residing in three active three-way speakers and a subwoofer.
Anyway, I was an audio showroom sales drone circa 1970 and ran a high-volume audio repair shop later in that decade, so I'm just sharing whatever first-hand experiences I've had with the vintage stuff back when it was relatively new.
@@editorjuno Thanks much for the clarification and sharing your experiences. My vintage parade was not rained on 😄 It is a hobby for sure, though for some of my friends it is a nice obsession- not about trying to get the ultimate best sound, but getting that piece of gear that just looks good too. I was just discovering "audio" in the late 70's in college, but loved going to the local audio chain stores.
My brother had one of these. He and I drove down to Tech HiFi near MIT in Cambridge and while there he picked up this Kenwood, in house TDC speakers, and a Sony tapedeck (well before Dolby noise reduction). It seems he just had to have a system similar to mine. I had purchased a system from Tech HiFi two years earlier: AR turntable, Shure ME93E cartridge (soon upgraded to M91E), AR 4ax speakers, and a Kenwood KA-2500 amp. It was a nice tiny DartColl dorm room system. All three I still own btw. As for my late brother's set up? Long gone. Soon after he got out of college I assume. I wish he could have offered the 4002 to me. :(
PS These early Kenwood amps, while rather low on the totem pole back then, bring relatively big bucks nowadays.
S
Thanks so much for sharing- that makes doing this extra fun. It is amazing how we can remember the early set-ups we had in our younger days. I could not tell you the cartridge in my turntables, though 🙃. Glad you still have the 3 pieces of gear! It is nice that a lot of vintage gear is getting good prices, but that also makes it harder to get good deals on them.
Cool nice little AMP....