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My new to me vintage turntable - Kenwood KD-550

Table looks mint, non hinged new covers go for $179, if it's the correct hinged cover then pretty rare if still working. These tables in today's dollars would sell for $1750, only you can decide if it's what you want. Personally I think you could do a lot worse, these are fantastic tables, identical to the 500 only with a Kenwood supplied arm. Makes anything in its price range on the new market look like a toy.
 
hi*ball said:
Nice! You bought an AT440mla cart and got a free turntable with it!
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I hesitate to think along these lines, seems even if the cart or stylus is actually "new" it's the one thing that almost never makes it through shipping. Over the past 2 yrs I've purchased 3 tables and had them shipped, the tables made it fine but only one stylus survived.

That said, the one stylus that did survive, the purchase of my KD770D with a Denon DL301 was the same kind of deal. But as Murphy's law would have it the Denon cart was destroyed by the Maidinator when dusting before I ever had the chance to try it, LOL

As this is a CL deal shipping damage isn't an issue.
 
I checked out the CL listing you referenced and without deeply getting into D&S territory I'd say it's an excellent buy and well worth the price with the ADC cartridge and a new dustcover. Owning a KD-500 which is the same table minus the tonearm I have found it a highly reliable manual table that hits well above its present price point. As noted no motor noise from the KD-500/550, it runs smooth and silent. When evaluating vintage tables and prices I use as a standard what I could buy new for the same price, if it's something like a new entry level "HUMMING" Project the easy choice would be that Kenwood KD-550 that would cost a small fortune to build today.
 
Great, I am going to meet with him and I will post back and let you guys know how it works out. TC.
 
Check to see if the dustcover he is willing to include is the original hinged one. Given that working ones are rareish, that's a hell of a deal if its actually the right one. If its just a dustcover salvaged from some other table, it will have to be taken off and placed on the table by hand each time, and unless its a bigger than usual cover, it will bump and bang the arm or platter or controls, and may be more of a hassle than added value.
 
Nat said:
Check to see if the dustcover he is willing to include is the original hinged one. Given that working ones are rareish, that's a hell of a deal if its actually the right one. If its just a dustcover salvaged from some other table, it will have to be taken off and placed on the table by hand each time, and unless its a bigger than usual cover, it will bump and bang the arm or platter or controls, and may be more of a hassle than added value.
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Well he told me it was new but didn't specify if it was hinged or not. If it is new and has no hinges whether original or not I could still install a set of hinges on it and have a new cover. I am meeting him at 8pm tonight at his home so I will post what happened tomorrow.
 
The original cover uses a proprietary hinge design. You could certainly make another cover work.
I'm listening to my KD 500 right now. Love, love, love it.
 
I did notice that in a YouTube video. The hinges look like they insert into the back edges of the table. If he doesn't have the original hinges I will get some standard ones and I think I can make them work.
 
The cool thing about the original hinged cover, it doesn't need any additional depth to hinge open, the reason the hinges are placed on the sides. Problem, the hinges are somewhat complicated, and being made of plastic become brittle and fragile with time. Mine are still in working order although not in use at the moment, it won't open under the shelf above.

If he's supplying a "new" cover it won't be hinged, there are none available at the moment. There are suppliers selling set on covers on eBay, as I said earlier about $179. For the additional I would opt for the cover and adapt some hinges as you said.

Great table worth every penny, you won't be disappointed, maybe even your last table.
 
Enjoy. 5 or so year ago I git a beaming KD550 for $100 including original dustcover and headshell.

Only problem was cuing lever dropped tonearm like a rock. Never could get it working, but a Jelco J45 cue mechanism is a drop in replacement.

Owned a vintage Sony DD and NAD belt drive since the 70s, the Kenwood blows them away.

I also found sorbothane pads under the feet help. Almost zero vibration or feedback gets to tonearm.
 
The KD-500/550 dust cover is unique in that the back side if fixed in place with the hinges at the top of this piece and the cover rotates around the back cover the 50° or so that it moves to allow access. I really liked it, but without the back support across the rear of the top, the top will droop and with extra weight on it, will crack. Cool grey smoked cover made of a softer plastic than those hard plastic pieces we all know. The follow up TT the KD-600/650 had conventional hinges that allow the spring to break out the back making them not work but the cover was also a softer plastic, clear and thick. Good stuff for a dustcover.
 
I use these under a lot of equipment, work especially well under the KD500. If you look close you can see them in my sig pic under my table, the KD770D didn't need them.

vibrapodtop.jpg
 
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