Kenwood LS-990: This dodo bird can fly! (psst... it beats JBL, Pioneer HPM's)

Now that I have your attention, I have a confession to make. I've never heard a pair of HPM's but I know they have been compared to the famous JBL sound, of which I am a fan. Now for the biggest score of mine to date...

So here I am telling my wife, "Just five minutes, let me check a few things." I do my quick "internet auction site" search for speakers in my area. I don't like paying for shipping, or getting stuff all busted. So I look for stuff local. There's someone selling a pair of Kenwood LS-990's for cheap an no one is biting. So I come to my favorite site (AK, of course) and see a couple of threads about the speaker that say it's a JBL clone from the late 70's (I'm interested) and it's their TOTL (I'm more interested) and someone else goes on to say that a previous seller wants no less than $500 for a pair of these (I'm really interested, but thinking the guy is a little greedy or emotionally attached). And there is a link to a canadian "internet auction site"
http://cgi.ebay.ca/RARE-KENWOOD-LS-...QcmdZView Item
Thanks OMI! So now I know this is the real deal. And I get them for the minimum bid!

I'm thinking, "Yeah they're solid but will the SOUND be as good as the JBL L36's that I love? Probably not, but a good acquisition none the less." Well, I'm listening to them, and they really sound good. I'll post again in a few days and give a better review on the sound, but already I'm seeing a lot of good characteristics that are as good or better than my L36's.

I'll add to this post as I listen more, but here are a few passing comments:

• 
  The woofer weighs like 10 lbs, maybe more
  The mid has it's own sealed chamber, just like the JBL
  The tweet magnet is bigger than the tweet
  There is more insulation inside than in my house
  The crossover board is massive!

It's been a long day, but at least I got to listen to new speakers! So what do you think? Kenwood speakers deserve a little respect, or what? Does anyone have any information on these gems?

I'll add more later. A better analysis on how they sound. Check back in the days to come!

What I find interesting is the inside of the woofer hole as it looks like the baffle board is solid wood construction.

Kenwood made some sleeper stuff (as well as real snoozers) over the years. Those look like a fine pair of speakers, and I image they sound great. Would love to see how they like my L-07M's :scratch2: .

I saw a pair of those on that auction site and the seller was boasting them up pretty good.

The auction ended before the end date because "the item is no longer for sale".

I've always wanted to hear a pair of these after seeing that auction.

How much did you give for these (if you don't mind my asking)?

Scott

Is that woofer braced to the back?

kfa888 said:

What I find interesting is the inside of the woofer hole as it looks like the baffle board is solid wood construction.

Click to expand...

That material is called 'lumber-core veneer plywood', distinct from veneer-core (the regular, layered stuff) or particle-core (we all know what that stuff is)

kfa888,

Yes, they are braced to the back. And it has the same thing for the mid driver. I didn't upload that pic yet. Here are some close-ups of the drivers, as well. See the ring around the tweet? Solid rubber. Ever see anything like that? BTW, these things weigh in at almost 60 lbs. each.

Some extra info I forgot on the original post. I called these "dodo birds" because I don't think they were even sold in the states. The gentleman that sold them said he bought them at the PX in 1977 when he was stationed in Spain. They replaced his Bose 901's and he said they did a terrific job. Apparently Kenwood manufactured and marketed a line of speakers specificaly for overseas servicemen. They were buying high end stuff, but realized the best speakers were built right here in the good ol' USA - and this was Kenwood's competition to that market. I'll bet not many survived the 30 year journey... I'm guessing these are as rare as, you guessed it, a dodo bird.

BTW, they were $24.

I agree that the construction values seem pretty serious... thus it seems quite odd to me that they've used iron core inductors in the crossover.

Looks like you connected with some very sweet speakers. Did you ask this fellow what else he had?

ashnut said:

BTW, they were $24.

Click to expand...

:jawdrop: :thmbsp:

Update on the LS-990's...

First, let me tell you what I like about my JBL's, as I'll use those as a reference. What I like about my L36's is the dynamics of the drivers. They're so fast and with almost no decay. And that is what I think makes them such good reproducers of the original recordings. With that said, my JBL's are a little bass shy, so I dial in a little bass (+1) on the receiver to give a little more emphasis. I also lower the presence and brilliance settings on the speakers to get a more neutral sound. I get what eventually is a neutral sound, but I still think it's a bit uneven in the tone somewhere. I'm not sure where, though.

Others will say that the speaker isn't "musical". That's what I think makes this hobby so interesting and personal - everyone's diverse sense of what's good. That explains the large nubmer of manufacturers and loyal followings of brands. If we all liked the same speaker, wouldn't this be boring? "I like brand x. Me too! ......... now what?"

Okay, the Kenwoods are really wonderful speakers. The achilles heel? I'm not fond of the "leather-like vinyl on the speakers. Everything is so overengineered, with spare-no-expense construction, and they put cheap vinyl on the sides :screwy: . They even put birch veneer on the front (covered by grilles) and the back (against the wall). (See pic.) I dunno, I guess they were going for a modern look. So they rate 4 out of 10 in the looks department. That's okay, I'll close my eyes.

Now, here's the good stuff.... The Kenwoods have the fast dynamics that I like with the JBL's but are much less colored; much more neutral sounding. And they have a great soundstage, as I tend to hunt for it with the JBL's. In comparison, I felt like I had to wrestle with the JBL's to get the sound I wanted. I had to push the speakers (JBLs) to moderate levels before they would open up, but the Kenwood doesn't exhibit this characteristic at all. It's also a great low-level speaker.

If I had to pick one word to describe them it would be "effortless". They seem like they're not even trying and getting everything right. It's almost like the speaker disappears when it's playing - now I get it...

That said, I still think my JBLs are great, but the LS-990's are likely becoming my main system transducers! And they are sweet!!

These look amazing! congratulations! And thanks for the info on the JBLs. I'm second-in-line for a well-cared-for pair of 1982 L-46s. After reading your review here, I hope I get them. Though I'll never overlook a pair of Kenwoods like yours if I ever come across them! Once again, Congrats, and many moons of listening!

Yes, that's a JBL 2-way, I believe. I've always wanted to hear one of those. Some people prefer the sound of the 2-way design over the 3-way. If you get them let us know your first impressions!

Wheres the pix of the "leather" sides?

K

Update: I've been listening to them a lot, and I have to say that I'm growing more critical of them than when I was first listening. It first happened when I was listening to NPR on the radio. And I was doing the a/b test, don't know why, but I noticed a considerable difference in the sound of voices. On the JBL's, it sounded like there was a person talking in the room. With the Kenwood, it sounded like it was routed through a very good PA system. The more I listened, the more I noticed the JBL's simply had a more natural, even sound. The Kenwood does well with rock and some classical pieces, and anything recorded live.

I have to say that there is a coloration that I'm finding difficult to tame. Even after hooking up an eq, which I don't generally use, I was unable to really get the sound to a flat tone. The more I read here, the more I think this speaker sounds like a Pioneer HPM. I'm going against the grain here and betting I'm not a fan of the HPM sound. Anyone in the DC area care to hear these next to their HPM's? I'm really curious how they match up.

I'm a little dissapointed because I really wanted to like these, but these just aren't doing it for me. Being an engineer, I was floored by the build quality and guess I just wanted them to be something they weren't.

Everything said, they are still a fine speaker, better than most I've got, but they didn't quite live up to my high expectations.

Final conclusion: Terrific speakers - for the right set of ears.

*edited by moderator* I still think they're the finest built speakers I've got. Eventually I'll come to grips with the fact that my ears make the final decision...

And I'm still trying to find the right combo of equipment, room config, music that will really make them what I think they should be. ...still trying to give 'em a chance.

ashnut said:

Anyone in the DC area care to hear these next to their HPM's? I'm really curious how they match up.

Click to expand...

I'm wondering if robobxman would be interested in this. He's in Reston, has HPM-100's, and is, IMNSHO, a pretty righteous dude. He hasn't posted much lately, so may not be available, but it might be worth a PM. - Mark

Riving an old thread simply because I was searching for the Kenwood LS-990's and this popped up.

OMG, my father had a pair of these in 1978 coupled with a Sansui AU / TU 317 combo and they literally rocked our house to the point my friends would ask what the heck was going on.

I have a photo at home from 1978 that I'll post if anyone is remotely interested. BTW, I no longer have the speakers as they were damaged in a move when I was a kid, but I still have the original boxes!!!!! One day I'll find another minty pair.

BTW, your assetation about these being sold in the PX is 100% accurate. My father was an Army officer and got these out of the PX catalog while in Korea and had them sent to us (my mother and I) in the States. They were replaced by a pair of Sansui SP-X7's when the Kennies got crunched in our move

I still have the entire Sansui set-up.

I picked up a pair of l-770 and really digging these..........someone on a site said they a pro speaker.......not sure about that but great little well built speaker to say the least........enjoy your l-990.....

What is that tweeter, a cone with a phase plug or a horn of some kind?