Kenwood KA-3700 - No Respect

[riverrat373]

Last year I scored a Kenwood KA-3700 for almost nothing. Without listening to it I took it to a local vintage stereo shop to see if he would like to do some trading. His answer? " Naw, I'm not interested. Not enough power, and it was one of Kenwood's low end models." Ok. I took it home and stuck it in the closet and did not think much about it. Recently I decided to pull it out of the closet and hook it up, in my den, to an extra pair of Radio Shack Minimus 7 speakers.

Wow, what a great sounding amp! I think the sound is as good as my Marantz 2238b, if not better! Now, I would not try to drive a huge set of speakers in a large living room with this amp, but for a small listening area, people that pass these amps up are missing out on a great buy!

 

[danj]

It may be one of their lower-end models but it's a damn fine sounding and operating amp. Yeah, it's has little monetary value but, as a keeper it's a very fine choice.

 

[Mysteryed]

Had a Kenny KA-3500 (even lower-end) that kept me going in a few lean years. No complaints. Pretty darn quiet through a pair of headphones, and lovely through the pair of Klipsch Heresy speakers I had picked up for a song. If I had turned them all the way up I would have been driven from the house.
40 watts per into 8Ω --.2% THD fully driven -- and around -90db SN ratio at the aux inputs... pretty sweet for the time period and cost and it took about 8 seconds for the voltage in those big caps to run out once you cut the power!

 

[jancumps]

It is essential for my hobby that this kind of gear exists. I don't have a lot of money to spend on my system. And I don't want to spend a lot.
All the under-the-radar goodies alow me to have fun. I don't have to argue with the WAV. And the family budget does not break.

 

[planckzoo]

I have a KA 3500, I used it for a couple of years and really liked it. I lent it to a friend who needed an amp, he also loves the sound.IT is now my back up unit, the only reason it was but into the bullpen is because I was able to get a Kenwood KR 6030. I may be bringin down the KA 3500, the 6030 needs a good cleaning, I am having problems with the channels cutting out.

 

[legal eagle]

It gets as much respect as Rodney Dangerfield.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrl-q9bhWVI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CLUVO04rgo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FPv2toi5og&feature=related

I have a 3500 amp I got once for its rack handles, and never even hooked it up. Good looking little buggers too - all metal, sturdy, love the feel of the knobs. Its good news hearing these are keepers, 'cause they go for dirt cheap - not worth the money you get unloading it, great for giving away to a friend. Actually, these amps are smallish, making them cool candidates for the office, don't they?

 

[mhardy6647]

The KA-3700 replaced the KA-3500 as the entry level integrated. Nothing at all wrong with it, but as the economy in general and the welfare of the hifi business in particular were going by that time, it's a little less of everything than its predecessor.

http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/oldp9-37-57amps.gif

 

[madlatvian]

Incredible

I had the Trio version of this amp when I was a student in the mid seventies. Absolutely superb sound, and drove a pair of Ditton 25s excellently - no trouble at all. Still miss it if I am really honest - had something that modern 'better' amps don't have.
All best, J :thmbsp:

 

[luvvinvinyl]

I always thought the KA-3500 had a great phono stage for budget integrated.

 

[kermit z]

I agree with all on these. I have a KA-3500 and was so impressed by it performance. Its out of rotation right now, but will be going in very soon again. And it does have a great phono stage for sure

 

[mhardy6647]

The KA-3700 is not the KA-3500. The latter was really an amazing entry level product. The former is OK, but not in the same league (IMNSHO).

 

[epifanatic]

I bought my KA-3500 brand new (78?), it's now running my T.V. audio in the man-cave. This amp sounds great and has NEVER been in a shop for anything.:thmbsp:

 

[dahlman]

I have a 3700 and it is the worst sounding stereo amp I own (Scott 299A, Toshiba SA-304, Marantz 4230 and 2285B). IMHO. ALTHOUGH...it is original apart from a cleaning and could probably use new caps, at the very least. On the other hand, my 4230 is also original with no cleaning and slays it.

 

[afogl]

I find the 3700 as more of a decoration. It's a very pretty amp. No speaker selection switch, tiny transistors, way underpowered even at its rated 20WPC. Mine surges at start up, not knowing how to fix it, I have to plug in a headphone adapter so it doesn't destroy my bookshelves.

 

[afogl]

Looks good on the shelf.



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[YoPacific]

I agree, the 3700 is a nice clean looking decorative little amp. I don't call on mine to do much except boost the television sound to a pair of Minimus 7's on my TV stand. For the living room I let his big brother 9100 do the heavy lifting. KR-7050 in the bedroom, I love Kennies!

 

[Mihnea]

Kenwood Ka 3500

aw. i am waiting for my new Kenny ka- 3500 to arrive, tomorrow at noon. my father has the ka 6100, 7100, 701 and 7300 . his best amp being the 7300 . i have an onkyo a-8015, and i am satisfied with it , although it has limitations. it mixes up mid-ranges, and it does not have the lowest of bass. it is more kick-based amplifier. but it has decent, warm, short and analogic( with a good outline, despite the simple sound ) mid-ranges, and sweet trebles . we also had a kenwood ka - 1500 , and despite it being small, he handled remarkably well a pair of large speakers, of 150 W , with Tonsil speakers, in 4 ohms. and since many people, and reviews said that 3500 i a great amplifier, i acquired one for 75 $ . it is said to be in very good optical and technical condition, although it is missing a button. some people said that it distorsed at high volumes, other said that it has a deranging frequency, especially on the low guitar from metallica - one . i do not know the word for it , but it is a resonance frequency, i guess that racks your nerves, making the song unbearable.i also heard that despite it's power, it has another limitation, the lack in thick,powerful bass. i do not wish for it to exagerated. like my father, i take care of my babies, as i am from father to son, an audiophile. but this is one of the reasons i am buying another amp. i cannot find the onkyo integra a-8017 or better still his bigger brother a-8019. very rare. so i am trying others .