The Official Kenwood KD 500/550 and 600/650 Owner's Thread

[Nat]

You can move the arm rest post - the faux marble is easy to drill and plane old sheet rock joint compount will fill the old hole almost invisibly. After it dries, rub the surface with your finger and the oils will tint the joint compound just a bit so it matches the rest of the surface.

 

[Blue Shadow]

fill the old hole almost invisibly.

Ah the advantages of those tonearm with the rest built into the platform supported by the tonearm post, no need to drill a hole in the ARCB.

 

[Nat]

Of course, but not all arms have such a platform. There might be some theoretical advantage to not stressing the arm mounting every time you take the arm out of the rest.

 

[Blue Shadow]

might be some theoretical advantage to not stressing the arm mounting every time you take the arm out of the rest.

I sure hope so because I don’t park the Magnepan arm all the time. But if I sling it to the side it finds the arm holder which is left with the lock up/open lands in the holder and the lock closes, parked.

 

[bradford523]

Can I bring my Trio (Kenwood) KP-7070 (KD-650) to this party?

 

[Blue Shadow]

Can I bring my Trio (Kenwood) KP-7070 (KD-650) to this party

The 650 in a tuxedo? Seems to fit right in.

 

[adschreib]

I was recently in a thrift/antique store shopping for vinyl when a turntable caught my eye. I wasn't really looking for a new tt, but I was intrigued by this unique-looking beauty. The store was using it to play music, so I was able to hear it and it sounded good. They were asking $150. I did some quick online searching and saw that it could be a decent deal but I didn't pull the trigger and left empty-handed. I couldn't get it out of my head that night so I did more research, then went back and bought it! I brought home my new baby - a KD-500 with a Grace 707 tonearm, Grace head shell and an old AT cartridge (TK7SU) with Shibata stylus. It also had an AT tonearm raiser, which I had to fiddle with a bunch but I got it working properly. Unfortunately the hinges on the cover were toast and the cover itself had some sagging and cracks in the rear. But most importantly, it sounds great and I have really been enjoying it! I'm running it through a Yamaha CR220 receiver and some mid-level Sony bookshelf speakers.

 

[Blue Shadow]

I did some quick online searching and saw that it could be a decent deal but I didn't pull the trigger and left empty-handed

Well something went wrong, coming back with ‘decent deal’ instead of “ Buy it now” during your google search. That is a top level vintage record deck that can let you build around it a very nice system.

I paid as much for just the table, a phono cable and a couple arm boards but the cover is intact. I have extra tonearms. Heck the AT Safety Raiser is a third of what you paid. Well bought. Good luck with the build out of your better rig as you upgrade other components to the level of the table.

 

[adschreib]

Well something went wrong, coming back with ‘decent deal’ instead of “ Buy it now” during your google search. That is a top level vintage record deck that can let you build around it a very nice system.

I paid as much for just the table, a phono cable and a couple arm boards but the cover is intact. I have extra tonearms. Heck the AT Safety Raiser is a third of what you paid. Well bought. Good luck with the build out of your better rig as you upgrade other components to the level of the table.

Yeah, I was mostly searching for info about the table itself and the components, but yeah, I am stoked on it. The tonearm raiser is a first gen one, so not even made anymore, but it works perfectly fine and it is a nice little accessory. Next up is better speakers...

 

[Blue Shadow]

The tonearm raiser is a first gen one, so not even made anymore, but it works perfectly fine and it is a nice little accessory.

I have one in the box. Can’t decide which table to stick it to.

The owners manual is on vinyl engine.

Keep looking and maybe another nice deal will drop. Lots of folks seem to avoid large or odd shaped speakers so they could be an opportunity. Keep us posted. Enjoy the hunt.

 

[bradford523]

I was recently in a thrift/antique store shopping for vinyl when a turntable caught my eye. I wasn't really looking for a new tt, but I was intrigued by this unique-looking beauty. The store was using it to play music, so I was able to hear it and it sounded good. They were asking $150. I did some quick online searching and saw that it could be a decent deal but I didn't pull the trigger and left empty-handed. I couldn't get it out of my head that night so I did more research, then went back and bought it! I brought home my new baby - a KD-500 with a Grace 707 tonearm, Grace head shell and an old AT cartridge (TK7SU) with Shibata stylus. It also had an AT tonearm raiser, which I had to fiddle with a bunch but I got it working properly. Unfortunately the hinges on the cover were toast and the cover itself had some sagging and cracks in the rear. But most importantly, it sounds great and I have really been enjoying it! I'm running it through a Yamaha CR220 receiver and some mid-level Sony bookshelf speakers.

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Damn fine TT. Maybe look at 3D printed hinges. My 7070 hinges have very minor cracks and so we printed PLA+ hinges. I'm just in the process of rebuilding but they turned out great (so far)

 

[JPE321]

Has anyone who owns a KD650 ever added or changed fluid in the arm lift? If so how?
Thanks

 

[bradford523]

Has anyone who owns a KD650 ever added or changed fluid in the arm lift? If so how?
Thanks

A few posts up and you'll see my "Tuxedo" 650.
For the fluid change, it was simple - https://www.turntableneedles.com/Cue-Damping-Fluid
There's a very small Allen key head on the back (top) of the cylinder. Loosen it and remove. I added a couple "drops" onto the base of the brass pin/shaft and then put the top back on, re-adjuated the height and then let it sit overnight.
The damping oil is incredibly thick and so it takes a long time to settle in but mine works like a charm now.

 

[JPE321]

Thanks

 

[JPE321]

My KD550 with Micro Seiki MA202 tonearm

 

[Isaac C.]

Hi all,

Long time no post! Just wanted to leave a word of advice about KD 500/550 maintenance. If you are cleaning the bearing well and adding new oil, be sure to properly align the FG disc sensor correctly when putting it back together. I had done this before when I first bought the table five years ago with no problem, but decided to freshen it up recently. This time around I really thought I screwed the table up. 45 was working correctly but 33 was all over the place and it would hit 60 rpms every few rotations. After thinking it was either the speed selector not making good contact or something on the motorboard, it turned out the sensor just needed the absolutely tiniest adjustment for both speeds to work.

In the process I also discovered that other Matsushita motors could be used as a drop in replacement if the motor were to ever go out completely. Notably, the Technics SL-2000 has a similar motor with the exact same wiring (18v from the PSU, 33 and 45 speed, and com), metal housing and bolt pattern, and spindle diameter at the base where the platter sits. Other tables that use similar variations of these motors are Rotel, Yamaha, and Marantz from what I can tell looking at pictures.

 

[Slamjack]

Hi. I have a compete kd650 tonearm for sale. Works great and can send to us or Europe or Australia. I have a speed control issue and am sadly parting the deck out. It’s listed on reverb also for verification.

Hello - Is your KD-650 tonearm still available ?