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Systemdek IIX VS Kenwood KD550??

Gtyler

Gtyler

Active Member
So here's the deal: I have a KD550 witch has served me well but I am always looking to upgrade if possible. Right now I have a chance to get a Systemdek IIX for a very reasonable price. I would like to know if this TT will be an improvement form the current one. I definitely don't want to sidestep, or downgrade. If you have experience with either of these TTs i would love to hear about it. And especially if you have experience with both i would love to hear about it! Don't be afraid to include some of the nitty gritty details if you like.
 
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What's the arm on the Systemdek? They had different arms.

While I'd personally go for a KD550 and mod it, the Systemdek is an excellent deck and I would strongly recommend if you have it lined up for a nice price to at least give it a try.

This is a different beast than your KD-550, so take that into consideration. It will require a firm base as it's sprung and not fond of bouncy floors. Operation details will be a bit different too.

But it's a very nice table.
 
What mods are suitable for a KD-500/550?
I owned one with both Black Widows before the DP-55K replaced it.
 
BTW, still have the 55K with a mod'ed Souther SLA-3 replacing the Magnapan arm that replaced the Graphite Widow.
 
Pio1980 said:
What mods are suitable for a KD-500/550?
I owned one with both Black Widows before the DP-55K replaced it.
Click to expand...

I'd consider the basics- a rewire of arm/cabling, if the bearing can be polished, to polish it, added weight to the platter (4lb platter mat), any deadening you could do.
:thmbsp:
 
I had a Systemdek IIX and it is a great turntable. Different in so many ways than the Kenwood (I've seen but not heard them) that it would be a totally subjective call. I would guess them to sound different but not a case of one really out-doing the other. I wouldn't call it a sideways move, as my DD tables sound different enough from the Systemdek to have made owning both worthwhile. I sold the Systemdek awhile ago, however as it was having motor bearing issues and I didn't want to deal with it with better turntables around.

It will sound best with a rigid platform, some care taken in adjusting the suspension, and a fairly high compliance cart, though it was pretty versatile as far as cartridge choice. Mine had the Profile arm.
 
I have both. The KD has a Micro Seiki MA-707 arm, the IIX, I don't know (no name written on it, but looks a lot like a Profile).

Like previously said, totally different machines, hence the reason I'm keeping both. Soundwise, I can't tell you the differences since they're in two separate rigs, but I love 'em both and they sure look pretty.
 
JohnVF said:
Crap, I have over 10.



And hold on, let me count my turntables.

:)
Click to expand...


Bah ha ha! Very clever.

I do also have to agree that turntables are indeed like testicles, but my wife will only allow a combination of three in the house, so either I live with one tunable or she'll relieve me of one of my testicles. I'm sure you understand.
 
:lmao: Droll. Understood completely. I don't know if I can add anything to ease your quandary here. I guess you couldn't demo or just buy the other and then sell the one you don't choose? I mean, they're both desirable machines and selling one or the other shouldn't be too taxing. This is an 'ear' call so to speak.
 
I think 4dryhme is right...at least ask for 'permission' (you married guys crack me up, in a very sad way) to have two at once to audition them, with the idea to sell the one that doesn't win. You could also, alternately, say that the extra one is a shoe-display platform, where she can place a pair of shoes on it and admire them from all sides. Better yet, tell her she's only allowed one pair of shoes...
 
The audition will tell you a bit, but IMO it's "what's possible" with these decks that hold the most appeal. I think with an arm upgrade, the Systemdek will unlock the emotion and musicality of your vinyl better than the Kenwood. The Kenwood is no slouch, I think Grace arms mate nicley with these older units.

Anyhow, just another voice in the crowd here. I am partial to belt drive, so take from that what you will.
 
Ok, so you convinced me, and I convinced my wife. My left testicle is officially living on borrowed time. I figured I could get it, do a comparison, and then just sell the one that I like the least.
I know a fair amount about turntables, but I still have a lot to learn, so I thought I'd post some of the major things that I notice about each table and hear your comments.

First the systemdek:

The sound is superb! The AT-160ML nude micro linear cartridge that came with it could be a very big contributing factor to this. I am running an older ADC XLM MK III which of course is a fantastic cart but not quite to the level of the AT-160ML.

I can hear the motor running. This is one of the first things that I noticed. It is not loud, in fact I have to place my ear close to or on the plinth to hear it, but it is audible. This table is also a very low use table so this is not a question of bering wear. I have also noticed this in several new turntables that I looked at this weekend while at an electronics store. Especially the new Project turntables. I can hear them the instant they are turned on without even trying to listen for it. Maybe this is normal for belt drive turntables and I am just unaware, but it doesn't seem like a good thing to me.
For those of you who have belt drives, place your ear near or on your plinth and switch your turntable on, and see if you can hear it. Again, it's not loud at all but if you can hear the difference between on and off then it's there.

The suspended subchassis is difficult to get used to, and I'm not totally convinced of it's usefulness. This is not because i don't believe in suspended chassis turntables, it is because i don't think that using a steel spring is the right way to do it. although I'm sure that there are frequencies that will be cancelled out on the steel spring i feel like they are also some that would be just as happy to travel right up that spring to the subchassis. If your know more about this that I do, please enlighten me.


Now the KD-550:

The stock arm tracks better than the Profile arm.

The table is completely silent, and I mean silent. I can't for the life of me hear a thing when I turn it on.

It gets up to speed much faster.

It also sounds superb!



All in all they are both fantastic tables and I am having a hard time deciding, but I am leaning more toward the KD-550. Maybe I need to know a little more about belt drives and suspended subchassis before I can make my decision.

I would love to hear more of your comments.
 
Put a nice high performance arm on the Kenwood that will work well with the 160ML and you would have something that seems to have all the positives of your experience so far.

It is EASY to swap the arm on the 550, just acquire a mounting base, attach the tonearm and install. I know where a few of these bases are. A friend still has a KD-500/Black Widow combination.

My KD-500 had a Mayware Formula IV arm. I now have a KD-600 and a KD-650 (soon to be Tom's turntable) so I like the solid direct drive and its ability to not be affected by the poor flooring in this house.
 
I've offered up my thoughts on this on Vinyl Engine, so won't go on at length here, but I think that turntables are so system/location dependent, and so ergonomics intensive that one person's experience isn't necessarily relevant to someone else's experience. What I thought was that the OP doesn't like suspended subchasis tables, that the sound on both tables pleased him, but he didn't like the motor noise of the Systemdek, and the arm/cartridge on the Kenwood tracked better.
So why would one think that the Systemdek was better for the OP?
I suggested that a moderate compliance cartridge would do better than his XLM in the not so low mass Kenwood arm, so my guess was that if he wanted to change something, a cartridge like the Denon 103 (and step up if needed) might be a happier use of dough than the Systemdek. And clearly there are people who like the Systemdek, so he could sell it to fund the 103 or whatever.
By the way -- I bought the KD 500 -- the armless version when it came out since I had a Mayware Formula IV, but for the extra 50 bucks, I sure wish I'd bought the excellent Kenwood medium high mass arm that came with the 550. I think the seller would be nuts to dump it. But if he insists, he can pm me.
 
Gtyler said:
Ok, so you convinced me, and I convinced my wife. My left testicle is officially living on borrowed time. I figured I could get it, do a comparison, and then just sell the one that I like the least.
I know a fair amount about turntables, but I still have a lot to learn, so I thought I'd post some of the major things that I notice about each table and hear your comments.

First the systemdek:

The sound is superb! The AT-160ML nude micro linear cartridge that came with it could be a very big contributing factor to this. I am running an older ADC XLM MK III which of course is a fantastic cart but not quite to the level of the AT-160ML.

I can hear the motor running. This is one of the first things that I noticed. It is not loud, in fact I have to place my ear close to or on the plinth to hear it, but it is audible. This table is also a very low use table so this is not a question of bering wear. I have also noticed this in several new turntables that I looked at this weekend while at an electronics store. Especially the new Project turntables. I can hear them the instant they are turned on without even trying to listen for it. Maybe this is normal for belt drive turntables and I am just unaware, but it doesn't seem like a good thing to me.
For those of you who have belt drives, place your ear near or on your plinth and switch your turntable on, and see if you can hear it. Again, it's not loud at all but if you can hear the difference between on and off then it's there.

The suspended subchassis is difficult to get used to, and I'm not totally convinced of it's usefulness. This is not because i don't believe in suspended chassis turntables, it is because i don't think that using a steel spring is the right way to do it. although I'm sure that there are frequencies that will be cancelled out on the steel spring i feel like they are also some that would be just as happy to travel right up that spring to the subchassis. If your know more about this that I do, please enlighten me.


Now the KD-550:

The stock arm tracks better than the Profile arm.

The table is completely silent, and I mean silent. I can't for the life of me hear a thing when I turn it on.

It gets up to speed much faster.

It also sounds superb!



All in all they are both fantastic tables and I am having a hard time deciding, but I am leaning more toward the KD-550. Maybe I need to know a little more about belt drives and suspended subchassis before I can make my decision.

I would love to hear more of your comments.
Click to expand...



You should swap carts and report back. :thmbsp:
 
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