Kenwood M-1 Amp

[PowerHungry]

Hi Everybody,

I'm familiar with the later Kenwood solid state gear, but don't know much about the M-1. I have located one for sale but need any info you have to share. Looks like a good buy if this is good gear.

I'm learning as I go...Thanks!

 

[Nakdoc]

It is big and black. While it aspired to be something special. I always felt it was average. There was a certain period where Kenwood had a true dynamic sound....note I own L-07M amps. The M1 doesn't quite have this extra bit.

 

[theophile]

I have to agree with Nakdoc here.
By way of explaination;I used to use a Kenwood Basic M1 as the treble amp(800Hz upwards) in my DIY active speaker set-up.The other amp is the Kenwood Basic M2 for bass(800Hz downwards).The M2 still does the job for bass,but the M1 has been put aside.
I replaced the M1 with the Yamaha B-2,which really was a huge improvement soundwise.:yes:
The effect of replacing the M1 with the B-2 was like watching a fog blowing away to reveal a hitherto unseen panorama.BIG difference.
Both have approximately the same power output(105 watts per channel),so it wasn't a power-thing.Anyway,the treble section of my Altecs isn't a difficult load to drive.The Yamaha is simply a better sounding amplifier.
I'm sure Nakdoc would concur.(G'day Nakdoc :thmbsp: )

 

[gonzothegreat]

I used to have an M1D in my bedroom system and it did a pretty good job with a pair of Polk 2.5 way bookshelf speakers. Nice deep & tight bass. Everything else was unremarkable but I eventually replaced it with a Carver TFM-25 that was lacking in bass but balanced better (ie not so bass heavy)

The M2 fetched around $200 last I looked on ebay. The M1 sells for less than half. I paid $40 for mine and it was a nice starter amp. Decent power supply but I think it uses special Kenwood parts for the driver and output stages.

Proprietary parts always make me nervous. Unobtainium + smoke = doorstop.

 

[PowerHungry]

Sounds like the M-1 doesn't have the full audio range that I want. Thanks to everyone for the insight. I'll look for one of the amps ya'll suggested instead. My current Kenwood sounds good but I'd like to step up the power
(60 WPC currently) while maintaining (or improving) my sound quality. I will continue to check the AK Classifieds regularly. Also, any other suggestions on what to look for as I start cruising the local thrift stores (and dare I say it - auction sites) would be appreciated.