Kenwood KA-5700 - First Vintage Purchase!

bandwagoner

New Member
Hello all, I'm new here, and I was recommended to join from a friend!

I just bought my first piece of vintage stereo equipment, a KA-5700 and a KT-5300 tuner from an antique shop in Toronto.

I'm having some problems: the amp lights up, both meters light up, but I just can't seem to get any sound to come out of the thing! I have a verifiable good source and speakers (verified from another amp), but any input I plug it into (I've tried all inputs and I've tried speakers A and B) the meters don't dance and I don't have any sound. Could it be something that I'm missing with regards to flipping some switches? If not, where should I go take this thing in Toronto??? Thanks!!!
 
Congrats on your Kenny purchase. I am sure you will get them straightened out and sounding good. Mind if I ask the purchase price as I have the same setup. TY Jim
 
Make sure your tape switch is set to "source". If running a CD player/etc., inputs to AUX on back of amp. Turntable to turntable inputs. Tuner to tuner. If you could post an image of the back of your amp with everything attached, someone could diagnose the issue also.
 
IMG_8073.JPG IMG_8074.JPG I paid 150 Canadian for both, they looked like they were in good shape (inside and out!) and seller said they were working, I just want to make sure I'm not being dense before I go back there!

I'm using a pair of Pioneer SP-BS22 bookshelf and while I don't have the tuner hooked up yet, I have an airport express hooked up to aux that was tested 30 mins before I hooked it up and the turntable that I've been using for the last couple of years!

Bringing it back is that last thing I want to do, as I've read so many nice things about this combo from you guys, and I love the looks! Hopefully I'm just doing something wrong or I can easily/cheaply fix this!
 
Not sure, (worth a look), but take the cover off, see if any internal fuses are blown. Another thing, when you turn it on, do you here a "click", this would be a relay engaging.
 
Not sure, (worth a look), but take the cover off, see if any internal fuses are blown. Another thing, when you turn it on, do you here a "click", this would be a relay engaging.

Okay, thanks for the advice: there is no click after I flip the switch, the lights turn on and that's it.

I've opened it up and it looks like two of the three fuses are blown. At least I think they are, I've attached a picture of where I removed them from (green outline fuse socket was okay, and red outline fuse sockets were blown). Could this explain the reason I still get light but no power? Also, if I replace them does it matter which way I put them in, for example is there a positive and negative side of a fuse? (Noob question, I know, I'm just new to this and I want to be safe!)

You guys are awesome, thanks for the help!
 
You could replace the fuses and give it a whirl, but the odds are very good that one or both will blow immediately on power-up. Fuses rarely blow "just because." Better would be to build a Dim Bulb Tester (do a google search or search this site - easy and cheap to build) and power it up through that so as to not fry the thing further.

If they do blow, the odds are good that it has one or more blown output transistors. The bad news is that those transistors are out of production and any replacements you might find will likely be Chinese fakes. It could be be something other than an output transistor which would make for a much simpler repair - I hope so, as that is a nice amp.
 
You could replace the fuses and give it a whirl, but the odds are very good that one or both will blow immediately on power-up. Fuses rarely blow "just because." Better would be to build a Dim Bulb Tester (do a google search or search this site - easy and cheap to build) and power it up through that so as to not fry the thing further.

If they do blow, the odds are good that it has one or more blown output transistors. The bad news is that those transistors are out of production and any replacements you might find will likely be Chinese fakes. It could be be something other than an output transistor which would make for a much simpler repair - I hope so, as that is a nice amp.
Even if a no-longer produced transistor is blown, just replace it with a modern day replacement
 
It's not quite as simple on this amp - it uses "batwing" outputs, so any modern replacement would need a different mounting method. It's certainly doable but a lot more labor.and a repair would likely cost more than the purchase price. At this point a blown output is just a guess though.
 
Those are the power supply fuses. They supply around 25 v (roughly) one left channel and one right channel to the amplifier section of your amp. There is another winding on the transformer that supplies 6 to 28 volts for the lights and indicators. Replace those fuses with regular fuses type 3ag 5 amp@250 volt. Should be easily available. If they blow when you turn it on, you have other problems
 
View attachment 939117 View attachment 939118 I paid 150 Canadian for both, they looked like they were in good shape (inside and out!) and seller said they were working, I just want to make sure I'm not being dense before I go back there!

I'm using a pair of Pioneer SP-BS22 bookshelf and while I don't have the tuner hooked up yet, I have an airport express hooked up to aux that was tested 30 mins before I hooked it up and the turntable that I've been using for the last couple of years!

Bringing it back is that last thing I want to do, as I've read so many nice things about this combo from you guys, and I love the looks! Hopefully I'm just doing something wrong or I can easily/cheaply fix this!
Download the manual , Get yourself a decent DMM {digital multi meter} Check some paramiters , look for things that do not look right like leaking capacitors. DO NOT PUT LARGER LOAD FUSES BACK IN
 
Those are the power supply fuses. They supply around 25 v (roughly) one left channel and one right channel to the amplifier section of your amp. There is another winding on the transformer that supplies 6 to 28 volts for the lights and indicators. Replace those fuses with regular fuses type 3ag 5 amp@250 volt. Should be easily available. If they blow when you turn it on, you have other problems

Thanks for the help guys, as it turns out, the two fuses in there that supply power to the amplifier part of the amp are supposed to be 5A fuses, like you said, but for some reason, when I looked at the blown fuses again I found that they put 0.5A fuses in those spots.

I'm assuming that's why it kicked the can. I'm going to buy some 5A fuses tomorrow and update you guys, thanks for the help!
 
Thanks for the help guys, as it turns out, the two fuses in there that supply power to the amplifier part of the amp are supposed to be 5A fuses, like you said, but for some reason, when I looked at the blown fuses again I found that they put 0.5A fuses in those spots.

I'm assuming that's why it kicked the can. I'm going to buy some 5A fuses tomorrow and update you guys, thanks for the help!
That is a possability but double check rating, why i found out hard way years ago to big of fuse thinking bigger is better and fried a very nice kenwood AMP.
 
I'm very happy to say the fuses were the problem all along. Threw some 5A fuses in there, heard the wonderful click 1 second after I flipped the switch!

The sound of this amp is amazing! So warm and detailed!

Thanks for the help everybody, I think I'm addicted to AudioKarma now.

Now I have to figure out how to take off the front plate of my KT-5300 to clean the dust off the inside of the glass, but that is a much better problem to have :banana:
 
I'm very happy to say the fuses were the problem all along. Threw some 5A fuses in there, heard the wonderful click 1 second after I flipped the switch!

The sound of this amp is amazing! So warm and detailed!

Thanks for the help everybody, I think I'm addicted to AudioKarma now.

Now I have to figure out how to take off the front plate of my KT-5300 to clean the dust off the inside of the glass, but that is a much better problem to have :banana:
Very Happy for you , Good job. Yep little patients and you can do it. Glad your here , we must keep these pcs of art up and running:thumbsup::beerchug::rockon::music::music::music::music:
 
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