Kenwood Supreme (500/600/650/700) informal user's group?

bjarmson

Well-Known Member
Since Supremes are rare (and getting rarer), and only share parts with other Supremes, it seems to me this might be a good time to start an AK Kenwood Supremes informal (perhaps later formal) owner's group. The only qualification would be ownership of a Supreme unit (working or not).

What we would be about (in addition to sharing information and manuals/printed materials among ourselves) would be trying to conserve as many working Supremes (might include L series units too, eventually) as possible. We would offer any Supreme units and parts we had for sale to members of the group, as a first option. If there is enough interest and longevity (a formal group), we might even collectively buy nonworking/cosmetically-challenged units when they appear, using a trusted member (best if a tech guy, who has worked on them—thinly disguised pitch/bribe for EchoWars, or someone similar, to get involved) as a parts repository/tech info source (details to be worked out).

What say. Any interest among Kenwood Supreme owners out there in something like this? If we don't work towards saving as many as possible, who will? Since it's my suggestion, I agree to function as facilitator until such time (if/when) some sort of critical mass of members gets together and decides upon any organizational matters (or lack thereof) that may be needed. I will compile a list of those who agree to join (names and emails) and send it to all interested. Details can be decided upon consensually, when enough members join to make such an undertaking worthwhile (10 or so, or when needed/requested).
 
How about adding the L series

At about the same time Kenwood developped the Supreme serie, they worked on their (according to them) top of the top separate components :the Lab serie : L-07M and L-07 MII and the preamp L-O7C and L-07 CII and their famous tuner L-07T.
 
Hi, all,

I owned a model 500, and I just disassemble it and prepare for refurbish (if I have enough spare time).

The quality of this Supreme series is, like other said, quality engineering masterpiece. Soundwise, it's second to none.

I fully understand how much it would worth if using today's raw material / technology to manufacture this kind of high quality amplifier.

Definitely worth to keep & share info for those who own, and it stand for it's value forever.

Proud Kenwood Supreme owner, :music::yes:
Ming.
 
Claude,
Where'd you get your info?
I'd love to read-up on the Kenwood History.
So where would this Informal Supreme Group meet?
On the Vintage Solid State Forum?Don't we already meet there?

Also if anyone has to be given credit for the resurgence of interest in the Supreme components it has to be EchoWars.I say it's his call.If EW gives it the thumbs-up I'll say it's worth while.
Otherwise,I don't want it to be some elitist type thing.
GOD knows how fortunate we are to own this stuff(EXTREMELY).
I'm open-minded though.Let's hear from a few of the other Supreme owners.
 
That's right Bully.
I'm a member,and it's about as boring a place as you could ever imagine.
 
Please don't misunderstand. I don't want to set up a special forum or form a club (no cabals, no secret codewords or handshakes, no dues), no prearranged meeting times (unless there is interest in this, personally I prefer to listen to mine rather than talk about it). All I'm proposing is for Supreme owners (and maybe L series too) to informally band together as a resource in order to share info and parts for these rare units. I don't want to leave AK, I don't want to form some sort of elitist grouping (though by sheer number of units made, it will always be a small group). We would use AK for normal messages, like we always have. However, knowing who else owns one of these units (the rationale for an owners list) simply makes it easier to communicate among ourselves, if need be. Also any and all suggestions and/or ideas put forth in my original post are open to discussion, modification, abandonment, whatever. They are just there to stimulate discussion, not lay out groundrules.

We belong to a small, lucky group of people who own one (or more) of among the greatest audio series ever built. A Stutz Bearcat owners group without the pretensions, money, and caviar and expensive champagne get togethers. But like them dedicated to preserving these great old units.
 
Sounds like a cool idea to me. You should start gathering serial numbers like the Sansui group does. If it flies, count me in. BTW I'm still in the process of having a machinist friend copy the knobs. It's a done deal, he just has'nt had time to do it yet. He's also had to deal with the passing of his Dad who was the owner of the company where my friend works to so.....
It'll get done sooner or later.
 
Please don't misunderstand. I don't want to set up a special forum or form a club (no cabals, no secret codewords or handshakes, no dues), no prearranged meeting times (unless there is interest in this, personally I prefer to listen to mine rather than talk about it). All I'm proposing is for Supreme owners (and maybe L series too) to informally band together as a resource in order to share info and parts for these rare units. I don't want to leave AK, I don't want to form some sort of elitist grouping (though by sheer number of units made, it will always be a small group). We would use AK for normal messages, like we always have. However, knowing who else owns one of these units (the rationale for an owners list) simply makes it easier to communicate among ourselves, if need be. Also any and all suggestions and/or ideas put forth in my original post are open to discussion, modification, abandonment, whatever. They are just there to stimulate discussion, not lay out groundrules.

We belong to a small, lucky group of people who own one (or more) of among the greatest audio series ever built. A Stutz Bearcat owners group without the pretensions, money, and caviar and expensive champagne get togethers. But like them dedicated to preserving these great old units.



It seems to me AK already serves what you are trying to achieve. People have questions so they search the great archive then if they need more info they post. One of the great AK techs usually gives an answer. By having a group I think you would limit the number of people that would respond that could have great input. This is one of the reasons why I do not like subforums because very specific questions could go unanswered because the one person on AK that knows the answer may only travel General, VSS, Tube or whatever.
 
True that, Eric. But he did say that he was'nt thinking of any kind of sub forum or anything like that. It would be interesting to see how many of the Supreme series units are actually owned by fellow AK'ers IMO at the very least.
 
Still seems to be some confusion/misapprehension about what I'm suggesting. So instead of Kenwood Supremes informal owner's group, how about instead we call it the Kenwood Supremes owner's mailing list (provisional) till those (loosely) affiliated decide what to make of it. I'll collate what info I'm sent via this forum (thanks to those already doing this), and email a list of names and units to those on that list (as soon as ten or so owner's get involved). Later, if enough people are on the mailing list, other information may be added, as desired (serial #, literature, etc).

The main problem I perceive with the "search the forum threads" approach, is the ambiguiousness of it, and the quickness with which threads can get buried. Making a mailing list of Supreme owners and sending it to them will allow the owners to recognize each other (and what units they own) and communicate questions, problems, literature, maybe even parts and whole units to their fellow owners more easily. It seems more sensible to me to ask within a group of fellow owner's for a user's manual than make a thread that most owners may never see. When I first got my 600 several years ago, I inquired if anyone had a user's manual and got no response. How many owners of 500/600/650s even saw my thread, buried within days in the dead zone (archives). An owner's mailing list will make the sharing of such materials easier, since you'll know who has what you're looking for and is willing to send/email you a copy. Same goes for parts, etc.

I'll bump this thread to the top every month or so to start, so those who might have missed it will get a chance to view it too.
 
700M, 700C, 600T, 650, KA-907 here!

Bigstereo: I was wondering how the knob job was progressing! Keep me in mind!! THX.
 
Back
Top Bottom