Any Kenwood KR-6400 Owners Here?

[MFF]

I found a KR6400 At a Salvation Army today. Sitting on the floor. Dirty small chips on the wood sides and someone etched numbers and lines on the face plate. It looked dead. I removed the equally terrible looking Pioneer SX300T that was stacked on top of the KW. Plugged it in, turned it on. No lights. Grabbed a jvc speaker that was on a shelf with wires and connected it to the A speaker connections and the thing startled the he'll out if me. The volumn was turned up half way and it was loud. And very clear. Now I'm in the back of a huge store no antenna and its pulling FM channels with ease. I connected the speaker to the other channel moved the balance control and same thing. Clear and loud. Took it home for $30. Ill need to check the outlets give it a good bath Deoxit (except I use CRC) and hope for the best. I already found and ordered a mint faceplate. Very happy with this find. I tested the SX300T and got lights and some sound but decided to leave it because parts would be hard to find. I also left behind. Curtis Mathew model 3025 tube stereo console with TT in pretty good shape for $180. This store had, and still has a few treasures. A tube TV console too. I have pics of the consol if anyone is interested. See below.

 

[MFF]

I know its the wrong thread ( I'm such a non conformist) but here's the Curtis Mathes

 

[Bugetnirvana]

I have a KR7400 in good, original condition. It cant quite keep up with mu Sansui AU517 in regards to sound quality, but it has burned down several "modern" receivers supposedly rated at much higher power with ease. They are very well made, sound great and the tuner sections are excellent. I often wonder how good it could sound with a full recap.

 

[MFF]

So my KR 6400 has become my main receiver replacing a not to shabby Hitachi SR-804 Class G. I have the Kenwood hooked to a pair of KLH Model 17s and the sound is very very nice. I don't have a negative thing to say about it!

 

[MFF]

I am going to post this question here in hopes some knowledgeable individuals will find it and answer or show me where to find an answer. This site is in no way easy to navigate if one is a newbie. Here goes. Question. Can I connect an equalizer (technics SH-8017) to my KR 6400 receiver? If so how? Thanks Mark

 

[Watthour]

You MIGHT be able to connect an equalizer in a TAPE in/out loop using the A Record outputs through the EQ to the B Play inputs. Insted of connecting an EQ, this can be simulated using a pair of RCA cables to test the possibility.

 

[CUlater]

<deleted duplicate post, sorry!>

 

[CUlater]

You can insert the EQ either using one of the tape monitor circuits (A or B in/out, no need to cross between A and B), or the KR-6400 has a 4 channel in/out set of jacks that you can connect the EQ to and slide the switch to 'separate'. Just picked up one myself, solid unit with a great tuner.

 

[MFF]

Hi. CU later. You are so right about the tuner. I found mine deep in the back of a Salvation Army store for $35. It was in rough shape visually. This store has speakers to test receivers b4 you buy. I got every station, in the store with NO antenna. Its another totally under the radar great receiver. Thank you for the reply. I was waiting for a KR6400 owner to reply. Its the best scenario for solving problems. I was wondering what that "4-channel" area was for. I will try that and if I have problems/more questions ill contact you. I already sold the EQ. I bought it for that reason, to profit from the sale. I panned to experiment with a EQ and the Kenwood before it sold. Unfortunately it sold in one day. Now I'm curious enough to buy another. And like I told others. I'm ok with it not working out and not having a EQ because the 6400 sounds wonderful with no help. Thanks again!

 

[JCGO]

New member and KR 6400 owner here. Can't get over the incredible sound out of these 40+ year old machines.

 

[Watthour]

Wait until you get hooked up with a later "High Speed DC" Kenny unit.

 

[JCGO]

How much later would that be?

 

[Watthour]

Within the same "series" of Kenwood receivers, this is ~ 1975:




This is ~ 1979:

 

[JCGO]

Wow, I'm guessing it sounds as good as it looks?
KR 6400 is low speed? What's the difference?

 

[ExSailorDude]

I went to Navy boot camp in November 1974. Afterwards, during my first duty station overseas, I did what other military did: hit the Exchange catolgue and ordered my Kenwood 6400 plus 100 watt speakers and a Gaarad turntable. It also did an 8-track player, which didn't last long. Since then, it's serviced another turntable, another pair of 100 watters, and two cd players. It now does a pair of Sony bookshelf speakers and a third cd player. Good technology NEVER goes out of style.

 

[P.O.]

I had a KR-6400 since around 1978, that my dad got me. It's been replaced with a QUAD II for a while as my main sound system, but now it's been my daily driver for some 25 years.
I just love it: plenty of power, mighty bass, great sound, lots of mojo. It took the time it was out to test this Yamaha CR-800 to do some work on it, and it's going right back. The yamaha has been a big deception.
And I'm eager to hear the 6400 with the new mod I made: hacked the preamp and EQ board to try other ICs. Stock it uses rather primitive 4558, I installed TL072 and that seems to have improved the sound some. I expected to see some sick electrolytic capacitors, but I was really surprised to find nothing suspect. The hack was not easy: although the IC position appear to be standard 0.1" grid layout, it is not. You can't fit a standard IC socket there! Also, the powering scheme is a little twisted: there is zener regulated bipolar supply of 14V, and this is resistively reduced to 9V bipolar for the ICs. therefore you have to stick to the current consumption of the old ICs. that precludes the use of higher consumption IC like the 5532.

 

[JJCalvillo]

I found a KR6400 At a Salvation Army today. Sitting on the floor. Dirty small chips on the wood sides and someone etched numbers and lines on the face plate. It looked dead. I removed the equally terrible looking Pioneer SX300T that was stacked on top of the KW. Plugged it in, turned it on. No lights. Grabbed a jvc speaker that was on a shelf with wires and connected it to the A speaker connections and the thing startled the he'll out if me. The volumn was turned up half way and it was loud. And very clear. Now I'm in the back of a huge store no antenna and its pulling FM channels with ease. I connected the speaker to the other channel moved the balance control and same thing. Clear and loud. Took it home for $30. Ill need to check the outlets give it a good bath Deoxit (except I use CRC) and hope for the best. I already found and ordered a mint faceplate. Very happy with this find. I tested the SX300T and got lights and some sound but decided to leave it because parts would be hard to find. I also left behind. Curtis Mathew model 3025 tube stereo console with TT in pretty good shape for $180. This store had, and still has a few treasures. A tube TV console too. I have pics of the consol if anyone is interested. See below.

Pretty sure Kenwood was into ham radio gear, and that's why the tuners in their stereo receivers are so good.

 

[carls06]

I know this is A OLD thread,,, but i just picked up one of these but mine is the KR-6020... Did a major clean and currently playing it and all seems good.. Except for when i play the tuner, as left channel is half the vol of the left... all other modes work at correct speaker levels... Cleaned it multiple times including the switch on the back of unit...
So since im not up much on electronics im assuming its something on the tuner board ??? or could there still be a issue elsewhere.... Problem is only with Tuner.

 

[JJCalvillo]

I'd clean the switch some more.

Do you have a scope?

 

[carls06]

I'd clean the switch some more.

Do you have a scope?

No scope .. Im a newb to electronics so thats why i thought it be something on the tuner board...
Only have a MULTIMETER