• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Anybody using a Kenwood KR-6030 receiver?

musichal

musichal

poet emeritus
I bought one new circa 1978. I believe it had a four-gang tuner with a capture ratio of 1.2 and good sensitivity. I know it had an 80wpc MOSFET amplifier. Signal strength and center tune meters. An excellent MM phono stage. I think it was one of those really beautiful models, and wish I had hung on to mine after it started having problems, years later. I keep watching for one, and I remember about 3-to-4 years back when somone on AK found one curbside! My dream. Anyway, it is one of the best-sounding receivers of the era, IMO. If you have one, tell us about it. Did you realize it was a MOSFET design? How is yours holding up, and what speakers are you driving with it? Can you show us pics? I'd dearly love to see them.
 
Register to hide this ad
4070 here, along with a 3090 and a pair of 6050s, but they are all discrete outputs.

Despite that, the tuners are great in all of them. One of the 6050s reaches out through the antenna lead and scoops up electrons right out of the air, or so it would seem. It's one sensitive little sunnamich. I had another 4070 and it was the same way. Trio/Kenny seemed to have their tuner sections built just about right.
 
musichal said:
...I know it had an 80wpc MOSFET amplifier. ... Did you realize it was a MOSFET design? ...
Click to expand...
musichal, just curious-- what gave you the impression this had a MOSFET amplifier in it?
 
I just picked up a KR6030 off of the auction site and I'm really enjoying it. I got it for cheap since it had the bad power switch syndrome. Sure enough, the switch was fried but I lucked out as after fixing the switch (and deoxing all of the controls), everything else seems to work great. The switch was actually very easy to get to on this model (from the bottom). There's plenty of space around the switch to work.

I now have three vintage Kenwood receivers (KR6600, KR6050, KR6030) and I think this is my favorite so far. I'm playing it through BA A70's. The tuner on my 6050 does seem to be the best though.

P1020777.jpg


P1020781.JPG
 
Last edited:
I had one. Purchased from my cousin, the original owner. I sold it. It was the worst sounding reciever I ever owned besides bpc.
 
About a month ago I paired my KR6030 receiver with a rather muddy sounding pair of Kenwood KL-777a speakers and gave them to my best friend for use at his pool throughout each Summer. It's shielded far away from the water and under roof so that isn't an issue. I had about $100 in the entire setup. The receiver had been sitting gathering dust at my house for the last four years. Part of me knows I will miss it dearly, but it hasn't been in use and I decided that it would serve a far better purpose being enjoyed with friends, beers and fun. It is performing wonderfully. I can honestly say I've listened to it more since giving it to him than I did when I owned it, and I know he appreciates it as we grew up in the era when it was new.
 
I still have two KR-6030, one with a wooden cabinet.

Both have a warm and clear sound. With KEF, with Kenwood, with Focal, Tannoy and various german speakers.
 
I didn't replace the switch but just cleaned it thoroughly and gently filed the contacts clean. The "fix" lasted about a month but the receiver started exhibiting signs of a failing switch again (flickering lights on power up).

I just went in and added a relay which will hopefully solve the problem for good. Also added some walnut side panels so it's looking and sounding great again.


P1020788.JPG P1020787.JPG P1020791.JPG
 
Last edited:
Have had one since about 1987

Got it cheaply when everyone else was going to the digital/display pll controlled tuners. Has always been my old reliable. Besides the power switch problem and the FM only in mono. Went to remove the tuner string reel to start testing for the FM problem and lost the Eclip. So had just been using it for the amp/pre section. Never had any other problems.
Had to look at the PDF manual to make sure, but the power and pre amp section don't show any fets or MOSFETS. The power section uses 2Sc1116/2SA747 pairs for outputs and standard BJCs.
Sounded the best mated to a pair of Cerwin Vega HED 3 with 12"woofers.
I mostly use Mosfet PA amps now, But the Kr-6030, Sanui G-8700 and SCS MOSFETS will most likely be willed to my daughter when I die. The only one that really understands.
 
I have a KR-750. A bit earlier vintage, with a strange looking auto-tune system, that works despite looking like something that would break down. I had to replace the volume pot, really just because the shaft was broken off so short I couldn't get the knob to stay on. Sounds great!
 
jwhvt said:
I didn't replace the switch but just cleaned it thoroughly and gently filed the contacts clean. The "fix" lasted about a month but the receiver started exhibiting signs of a failing switch again (flickering lights on power up).

I just went in and added a relay which will hopefully solve the problem for good. Also added some walnut side panels so it's looking and sounding great again.

P1020788.jpg


thank you for your response. so I'm a total electrical novice, what does the relay do exactly, does it keep it on then you just use a power strip to turn it off? it looks like something i could do though. everyone's a novice at something until they learn right?
thanks for your time, Brian
Click to expand...
 
Could you please explain/describe how you put in the relay? Which type, the exact place you integrated it, which type of resistor you add etc. I might modify my 6030 also. Thanks in advance.:thmbsp:
 
I got the idea of adding a relay from searching the forums. The flickering lights/arcing power switch is apparently a common problem on many makes of receivers (not just Kenwood) that use this type of power switch. Here's a post by Audiojones showing one of his relay installations: http://audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=5448354&postcount=11

The idea of the relay is to divert the high current power-on load off of the underengineered original power switch contacts to a more robust set of relay contacts. That way, every time you switch the receiver on, the original power switch only has to carry the relatively low current required by the relay coil.

I ended up finding this inexpensive SPDT relay at a local Grainger outlet (http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/OMRON-General-Purpose-Relay-4FE15?Pid=search). The specs looked similar to the RIBU1C that Audiojones shows so I thought I'd be ok using it. I was concerned about there still being an arc across the relay contacts so I added this MOV surge suppressor from RadioShack (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062574).

It took me awhile to trace the switch wiring and figure out exactly where to insert the relay. I sketched out how the existing power switch was wired relative to the power transformer and the back panel outlets and then I sketched out how the relay should be inserted. Once I did, the installation was pretty straight forward. I did have to lengthen one of the transformer leads a few inches but otherwise, I just had to add a couple of lengths of wiring to complete the installation. I found an empty spot on a small circuit board near the back panel to mechanically zip-tie down the relay. The relay is not electrically connected to that circuit board in any way.

Now when I switch on the power, I can hear the new relay clicking on firmly and the lights all come on cleanly and quickly. A few seconds later, the protection relay kicks in and all is well. I am no electronics guru so hopefully one of the real gurus on this forum will comment if they see anything stupid I did.
 
I have a Kenwood 4070 with the same problem. A couple days ago I pulled the switch out, cleaned the contacts, and soldered a couple cables in to jump the the unused contacts to the used ones. That fix lasted right up until about 20 minutes ago. It's a shame, because it sounds head and shoulders better than the Sansui 331 I have running right now as a back up. Not that the Sansui sounds bad, the Kenny just sounds so sweet! I'll have to try throwing a relay in 'er.
 
My 6030 only had one set of contacts so I couldn't even try the redundant contact trick. I'm hoping the separate relay is a more permanent fix.

I also have a Kenwood KR6050 with an original switch that is working perfectly so I guess some of them do last. Maybe it means it doesn't have a lot of hours on it (at least I'd like to think that's what it means!).
 
Just an addendum here to what I previously posted in regards to the KR-6030. As I mentioned, I really liked the one I had in spite of the corner being dinged up marring the face pretty badly. I like receivers and amps in this wattage range in general - very powerful but not top of the line powerful, where you usually see flagship amps and receivers go for high dollar amounts on the bay. While watching this thread I've been lurking watching an auction for a 6030 for the past several days and am happy to say that I now have another coming! :)

I don't really need it but I think it's a great receiver to build a good system around, and since getting the opportunity to listen to my old one for the last month or so I have a renewed respect for this model.
 
how to get power switch out?

do any of you have any instructions for someone trying to take the power switch out of kr-5010? i don't see how you get it off of the "spindle" (for lack of a better word, i don't know what it's called).
thanks for your time, Brian
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom