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Kenwood KA-3500 vs. Harman Kardon 330c

tlann

tlann

Member
Hello! So this is probably a hard question to answer, and I know there's some subjectivity at play here. But my old Kenwood KA-3500 recently went out of commission (seems to be a blown channel), and it looks like it will be around $150 to repair, with at least month turnaround—which feels like a long time to wait!

I have the chance to pick up a Harman Kardon 330c that I think I might be able to get for $150. So the question is: should I put money into the Kenwood and wait, or try something new? Seems like people tend to like the Harman Kardon 330c, but there are also quite a few Kenwood fans out there, too!

Some background: I like the Kenwood, but am borrowing a much cheaper amp right now (Realistic STA-460) and have been surprised that the sound is...if not better and more balanced, at least on par. Maybe the Kenwood was really in need of some fine-tuning, though—I got it from a friend who'd had it for a while. The Kenwood is, I think, 40wpc, whereas the Realistic is 23wpc...but for my listening room, I don't mind the decreased wattage, so I think the Harman Kardon (which is maybe 20wpc?) would be fine.

Other equipment: JBL Decade L-26s, Audiotechnica AT-LP120 with a Nagaoka MP-110 cart.

So, what do you think? Kenwood KA-3500 vs. Harman Kardon 330c? I should add that I don't have the knowledge to fix the Kenwood myself, nor the time to learn—I work full-time, so it's unfortunately not an option. I'm also not that interested in modern equipment, mainly due to aesthetic considerations in my living room!
 
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The 330C is a nice sounding receiver, but it probably needs some work as well. If you put out the money for the HK and it needs work, you will be putting more money into it.

IMO, have the Kenwood repaired. Maybe you could find someone that would repair it for less.

Where are you located?

Rob
 
Robisme said:
The 330C is a nice sounding receiver, but it probably needs some work as well. If you put out the money for the HK and it needs work, you will be putting more money into it.

IMO, have the Kenwood repaired. Maybe you could find someone that would repair it for less.

Where are you located?

Rob
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Thanks for your input, Rob. I’m located in Portland, Oregon. I think you’re wise to suggest repairing the Kenwood, since the HK might be a little low in terms of watts per channel for my JBLs.

That said, I’m still tempted by the HK...maybe I could offer more like $120 and see what they say...
 
@tlann , there are a few resto threads on the kenwood sub forum if you want to fix it. I'd have you drop it off and I'd fix it for you if you were closer.

Good luck with your decision.

Both are great for a small amp/receiver.
 
Not sure what the decision was here, but I own both the Kenwood and H/K. Love both dearly. That's a tough call for sure. But if both were in pristine condition, I think I might go with the H/K...I find it warmer, I don't need a lot of power, plus I listen to the radio so I use the tuner a lot, too. To reiterate Robisme's point, it kind of comes down to whether or not the H/K is in working order. If it is, I'd jump on it and keep the Kenwood as a fixer for a later date...and to be honest, $150 to repair is tough to swallow, since it's not worth much more than that.

Cheers, I'm in PDX too!
 
Hoytis said:
Not sure what the decision was here, but I own both the Kenwood and H/K. Love both dearly. That's a tough call for sure. But if both were in pristine condition, I think I might go with the H/K...I find it warmer, I don't need a lot of power, plus I listen to the radio so I use the tuner a lot, too. To reiterate Robisme's point, it kind of comes down to whether or not the H/K is in working order. If it is, I'd jump on it and keep the Kenwood as a fixer for a later date...and to be honest, $150 to repair is tough to swallow, since it's not worth much more than that.

Cheers, I'm in PDX too!
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Oh hey, cheers to a fellow Portlander! I actually haven’t made a decision yet. I’m borrowing an amp for the time being, but haven’t figured out what I want to do. I’m tempted by the HK—which is still available—but worry that the ~20wpc won’t be enough for my JBLs. What speakers did you use with it?
 
Right now I'm using Source Technologies 1.8s. They're rated 90db, so pretty high sensitivity and easy to power. I think your JBLs are 89db? Right there with mine. Plus you'd be matching the 8 ohm ratings between speaker/amp. If you're just listening at normal levels in a living room, the H/K's 20 watts should be more than enough. I'm only using about 1/3 the volume and it's plenty loud. However, if you were planning to rock hard in a really big room for long periods of time, I'd probably forgo the H/K. Honestly, I think they would be a brilliant match for normal listening pleasure.
 
Hoytis said:
Right now I'm using Source Technologies 1.8s. They're rated 90db, so pretty high sensitivity and easy to power. I think your JBLs are 89db? Right there with mine. Plus you'd be matching the 8 ohm ratings between speaker/amp. If you're just listening at normal levels in a living room, the H/K's 20 watts should be more than enough. I'm only using about 1/3 the volume and it's plenty loud. However, if you were planning to rock hard in a really big room for long periods of time, I'd probably forgo the H/K. Honestly, I think they would be a brilliant match for normal listening pleasure.
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Thanks, that’s good to know! I’m listening in a small front room, so it’s helpful to know the HK would probably be enough. With the Kenwood I never even took it to half volume, and the times that I got close to that, the whole room was roaring.
 
first, how do you know one channel on the Kenny is blown? A dirty contact like the input selector, speaker selector, etc will act the same way.

So my recommendation is, exercise all the controls on the Kenny, by this I mean rapidly rotate "all the knobs" back and forth 20 times or more, same with "all the switches". Then install the Kenny back into the system, very likely you'll be back in business.

If so this indicates the unit needs a good cleaning, but you can use this as a stop gap until then, it will get worse but who knows it might be yrs lol.

That Kenny is a sweet little amp, my brother purchased one new in 1978 at the same time I purchased a KA7100.

If excersizing the controls doesn't work then my recommendation would be look for a used KA7100, it will be your new amp, get the KA3500 repaired, you'll have a back up amp, and or a bedroom amp. Just need another set of speakers, turntable, etc, it's a win win.

Also, while the Kenny is getting repaired look for a set of D5 handles, really dresses these amps up. If you do opt for the 7100 it uses the D7 handles same as my 7300.

kenKA7300.jpg


bedroom system
20210428_215224.jpg

This setup has 65watts into Klipsch Heresys, a bit more sensitive than your JBL's, and while 7:00 on the volume knob will crank with the CD player, it needs considerably more with the turntable. So if you decide at some time to get a deck you might find 20watts a bit inadequate.
 
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tlann said:
Thanks, that’s good to know! I’m listening in a small front room, so it’s helpful to know the HK would probably be enough. With the Kenwood I never even took it to half volume, and the times that I got close to that, the whole room was roaring.
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Exactly! I would totally go for it. I think both speakers and amp came out in 1974. If that ain't a sign... :) I really don't think you'd be disappointed. If you do go through with it, I would to hear your thoughts.
 
Hoytis said:
Exactly! I would totally go for it. I think both speakers and amp came out in 1974. If that ain't a sign... :) I really don't think you'd be disappointed. If you do go through with it, I would to hear your thoughts.
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Actually the 330 "C" might be like 1976 or something. Still! Do it.
 
Just updating this, for anyone who was curious. I actually ended up going a completely different direction, just because that's what worked out. I tried to go for the Harman Kardon 330c, but it was listed at $200 and had some cosmetic scratches on the face plate, so I felt the price was a bit high...but I guess I offered too low, because the seller (who was pretty responsive at first) never got back to me. The listing has now been up for more than a month with no price change—I guess she decided to stick it out and see if anyone will pay the full $200. Meanwhile, I was borrowing a NAD 7155 from a local guy, and I really liked the way it sounded with my setup, so I bought it. It's a different sound than the Kenwood, but I love its depth. Still, I might pay to have the Kenwood fixed up someday, just so I can switch between the two. The Kenwood obviously looks a lot better, and though it doesn't sound quite as full, it definitely has some nice warmth to it. Or maybe I'll keep an eye out for something else in the coming years, but at least now I'm in no rush. For some reason, though, I can't stop thinking about that Harman Kardon! Very curious to hear what it sounds like. I hope I come across one someday.
 
i have a 330c that i did a lot of @dlucy updates. sounds great. I have had a few broken ka-3500 amps that i fixed and flipped to fund my mono blocks but they too can sound great.

ironically my ka-5700 is in the living room and the 330c is on the shelf.

i'd suggest you keep searching for a 330c, update per dlucy and compare it to your 3500.
 
I've been collecting info on the vintage solid state harman kardon units, including the 330c, and you may find some of this useful:

Harman Kardon 330C info within dlucy's guide to 330abc minimal era of hk solid state stereo receivers
 
tlann said:
Just updating this, for anyone who was curious. I actually ended up going a completely different direction, just because that's what worked out. I tried to go for the Harman Kardon 330c, but it was listed at $200 and had some cosmetic scratches on the face plate, so I felt the price was a bit high...but I guess I offered too low, because the seller (who was pretty responsive at first) never got back to me. The listing has now been up for more than a month with no price change—I guess she decided to stick it out and see if anyone will pay the full $200. Meanwhile, I was borrowing a NAD 7155 from a local guy, and I really liked the way it sounded with my setup, so I bought it. It's a different sound than the Kenwood, but I love its depth. Still, I might pay to have the Kenwood fixed up someday, just so I can switch between the two. The Kenwood obviously looks a lot better, and though it doesn't sound quite as full, it definitely has some nice warmth to it. Or maybe I'll keep an eye out for something else in the coming years, but at least now I'm in no rush. For some reason, though, I can't stop thinking about that Harman Kardon! Very curious to hear what it sounds like. I hope I come across one someday.
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Glad it worked out. Love the NADs. You should be very happy with that.
 
Still loving the NAD, but I now want to keep an eye out for a Harman Kardon 330c, based on all the positive things people have to say about them. With that in mind, what's considered a reasonable price for a 330c in good shape? Of course, it's a gamble to buy any vintage amp that hasn't been recapped/rebuilt, but those cost quite a bit! So, what's a good price for a functioning but un-restored 330c?
 
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