Kenwood... Bought TWO KA-907s! Nude pictures.

Hi,

After buying my first KA-907 couple of weeks ago, I've found another one just few days ago...

It seems that they are quite rare.
A friend of mine was trying to find a good sample for a very long time.

He is getting this one and he is very happy now.

I have them both now at my place.

When I received the first one, I was shocked by its build quality.

In my recent thread here, KA-907 vs. Model 600, there were statements that KA-907 is made after the "cost-cutting" era began.

One amp has a warranty sticker saying that it was bought on December 1979.
Is 1979. regarded as cost cutting era? I thought that it all started in the 80s.

I see no cost cutting here!
Pictures that I saw on the web are not doing justice to this amp.
Not a single trace of plastic.
It weighs 27 kilos, looks and feels like a battleship.

Those knobs are more aesthetically simpler compared to model 600, but that's it.

Serial numbers are 050020 and 050055...

Some more nude close ups...

Some more nude close ups...

They look really nice. I had a suspicion they would be some solid gear. You got the other one for your friend?

Yes, the other one is for my friend.

Are you interested in getting a KA-907?

I hear that they are much more rare in USA than in Europe.
If I stumble upon one on German eBay, I can inform you.
Actually, I got the first one from Belgium!

Both of the KA-907s have a 110-220V switch.

But I think that shipping to USA would be very expensive...

Congratulations Kuja!
And the KA-907 is beyond cost-cutting! Ilimzn would tell you about it better than I ever could but the 907 is part of what happened just before cost-cutting reached the higher ranks of the lineups.
You can tell by the s/ns: rare pieces, just like the previous Supreme units - and rare means expensive.

Do you mind if I add your 907s to the TVK database? (> http://www.thevintageknob.org/registers/registers-main.html) I'll need your eMail for that which you can send me with a PM.

kuja, those kenny's look like great! :thmbsp: but please polish the insides.

Those are gorgeous! I'm a little envious, but happy for you. Now get yourself a couple sets of the rack handles that mount up to them, those make em look even better :thmbsp:

Wow!

WoW!! those are awesome!! congratulations,

If I were you I would keep them both to myself than get a third one, use it as a preamplifier and the two you already have like dual "mono blocks" imagine how cool that would be :thmbsp:

Aaron, the one with sn 050055 actually came with handles!

Check the attached photo.

I'm a photographer, so I took the "real" photo of my KA-907, this time with handles.

After that, I played a little bit with Photoshop - I tried to quickly emulate the "brochure look"

I see that Axel has an empty slot for KA-907 on Vintageknob.
Is this because of lack of photos and information?

Axel, If you can't find a good quality scan from an original brochure you are welcome to use the attached photo.

If you need some other angles, I can do them too.

I also scanned specs and block diagram from the user manual.

Also, I have found this on some German Forum:

*****************************************

http://www.hifi-forum.net/index.php?action=browseT&forum_id=84&thread=159&z=last

Web translation:

Postings: 2085
Member since: Oct 2003

#5 created: June 05. 2004, 03:44
Hello, does wrong, I to me did not look no more into the forum. I had expected that ev. someone asks by PM for more exact information.

The company "Trio" was created 1946 by 3 engineers. 1960 ago the label name Trio Kenwood, but based only 1963 in the USA a marketing company with this name (Trio Kenwood) is used.
One built HF trafos for the Japanese broadcasting corporation, instrumentation devices and also radio decoder, of Japan of first transistor amplifiers? Kenwood!

One the founder of the Trio Kenwood left 1972 the company and created Accuphase (Jiro Kasuga).

But the other two went only to 1979/1980 into the retirement.

Before that they have built the KA 907.

The circuit technology is also today hardly exceeded.
Achievement range 5 cycles per second - 100kHz
IN and TIM under 0 ,.00 45%
A volume automatic controller (potentiometer) which from Superconductive plastics exists. Not carbon film and also not plastic-covered carbon film potentiometer. Extreme synchronisation (better than stage potentiometers) infinitely variably and also after 25 years laeuft's as butter. It does not know "scratches" - also not in 50 years. All switches and automatic controller are worked from the "full one". However aluminum volume control knob weighs 212 gram. Behind the window blind (front) Alps switch and lightning-clean cable run. Looks at you times pictures of the interior life, if you the opportunity in addition have. Then everyone knows, why a KA has 907 never problems with excessive aging duch heat development in critical construction units (condensers).

The amplifier is direct current coupled = minimum angular phase shifts
The differential amplifier works class "A".
The inverse feedback is extremely fast with 0.4 millionth seconds rise time, the whole amplifier has one "slew guesses/advises" from 230V/ySek. and/or rise time of 0.8 millionth seconds (High speed)
The Basisvorspannug of the output stages is electronically regulated (extremely stably)

All this is old over 25 years.
Everything functions as on the first day; once I removed and cleaned a switch at a KA 907 (into 25 years in a Coktailbar ran). I removed a rather thick nicotine layer. The prepared me concern and I wanted to have the nicotine and the dust of the plates. With the Ausloeten of the Alps of switch there was an unusual smell... all plates is covered with clear lacquer (the dust and lubricate on it causes no leaks)

The remainder of the "Trio" left this amplifier as it into the retirement went.

I recognize it to be a gift.

Because one 6 output stages needs to head for 3 ways loudspeakers actively around a pair has I 3 pieces of it in my rack one above the other. Trio Kenwood!
I (unnecessarily) have fourth in reserve.

*******************************************

That's it for now.

Should KA-907 remain under model 600's shadow?
To me, it seems like a great amplifier on its own...

That's a beautiful amp. Do I read correctly that its 150 w/ch? Even more powerful than the 600. I'd like to hear listening impressions and what speaker(s) you're using.

As sweet as it looks, I'd still take the 600, then again the latter would be my first choice of any integrated.

kuja,

I have what is necessary to bring the 907 online but will certainly link to this thread when I do because:
-you own two of them,
-you have posted nudies and,
-you unearthed yet another version of the Trio/Kenwood/Accuphase story

if ilimzn could chime in and spare us the specifics of 907 vs. S600, it would be a nice Kenwood florilège!

bordeno said:

That's a beautiful amp. Do I read correctly that its 150 w/ch? Even more powerful than the 600. I'd like to hear listening impressions and what speaker(s) you're using.

As sweet as it looks, I'd still take the 600, then again the latter would be my first choice of any integrated.

Click to expand...

Yup, 150W @ 8 Ohm, 180W @ 4 Ohm...

It draws 1000W of power!
Check out the small 1kW lettering on the back plate photo in my previous post - it looks kind of cool

4 X 18.000 µF/80V capacitors, a total of 72.000 µF!

Just right for my 12'' woofer, 4-way, power hungry (250W max @ 4Ohm) AR98LSI speakers.
You can check them here: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=898076&postcount=27

About 907 vs. 600 thing, I got an answer from a guy who has both - he actually prefers 907:
http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/vintage/messages/110821.html

Compared to my tiny Mission Cyrus III / PSX-R combo, 907 has much more weight and the music has some sort of "right-in-front-of-you" presence in my room.

Compared to Cyrus, it can really thunder with my big ARs, never breaking a sweat.
It gets only barely warm to the touch.

It has strong and well controlled bass, but it is also very transparent and highs are crystal clear.

It can also sound a bit harsh sometimes, but I guess that it will be cured with all new caps, internal wiring and some other stuff.

My ARs also sounded harsh whet they arrived, but after restoration, they are like completely new speakers - very sweet and musical. But if you put some Sepultura on, they can shatter your windows

The downside is that I will have to spend lots of money on restoration.

I got the ARs for 300 euros, but I have spent additional 1200 euros on their restoration!

Holy Cow, the back plate shows a power consumption of 1 Kilowatt!!!

clearly one of the big boys! :thmbsp:

Some great information here!
I had a Kenwood Basic M2A and it was also a bass monster very well controlled. Very powerful, underrated at 220 wpc. Couldn't fault the M2A in any respect, actually.
Now, here's a plan-- look for an M2 or an M2A, then control it with the KA-907 biamped to your AR's. Yipppeee!

Just a heads up: there's one on eBay right now. $779.00 BIN. No affiliation, etc, etc.

eBay KA-907

-Brian

Cichocki said:

Just a heads up: there's one on eBay right now. $779.00 BIN. No affiliation, etc, etc.

eBay KA-907

-Brian

Click to expand...

$779.00 BIN seems high!

But since they are not so common in USA, who knows!

I paid 400EUR ($480) for my KA-907 with rack handles and 364EUR ($436.8) for the one without them...

Couple of months ago I lost on some other KA-907 auction.
It went for 560EUR ($672) - I figured out that I can get it for less and I did

Also, I recently won a matching KT-917 tuner for 496EUR ($595).
It came with handles too. Yippee!

http://cgi.ebay.de/KENWOOD-KT-917-H...548118119QQcategoryZ75777QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

They will look soooo good together

WOW! A KT-917 is a great tuner. You've really got all the ingredients for a very fine stereo!
We will want your thoughts on your new gear when you've had time to really audition your stereo.
What cdplayer do you have (or have you mentioned it & I can't remember)?
Are you going to have a turntable, too? Kenwood put some very nice phono amps in their gear.

CDP is a Rotel RCD 1072. Not really a vintage unit - couple of months old

TT is a 1976 Thorens TD-126MkI with SME3009 S2imp

Carts are Shure V15VxMR and Ortofon OMsuper 40

Phono preamp (leftover from Cyrus III period) is a Graham Slee GramAmp 2 SE

I haven't yet compared it with 907's phono input - it sure looks very elaborate!

Speakers are AR98LSI

Speaker wire - Van den Hul Clearwater

Unfortunately I'm very busy these days and I don't have much time to play with my new toys...

My KT-917 has not arrived yet....

Can't wait

I've found some links today at http://www.niji.or.jp
This Trio KA-9900 looks like a dead ringer of my KA-907.
Are they the same amps with different names for different markets?
The story in this article sounds really impressive!

There is also a KT-9900 tuner which looks the same as my new KT-917.

The specs are the same for all models.

Translations from Japanese:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/babe...http://www.niji.or.jp/home/k-nisi/ka-9900.htm


http://babelfish.altavista.com/babe...http://www.niji.or.jp/home/k-nisi/kt-9900.htm

Doncha just love those babelfish translations?
Or should I say;

"Wanting translation comes babelfish does meaning exercise weather maps function through tungsten army"