Another gem from your collection. Thanks for sharing. I love your points system. In 1976 I bought a Kenwood KR 2600 and some speakers at the Navy Exchange. I shipped them to my future wife in Wisconsin for Christmas. Only 15 watts per channel but a wide frequency response and it really cranked. We used that for quite a while.
Kenwood also made a KR 9400 just below the 9600. I own the 6400 which has all the bells and whistles as the 6600. And at 45 watts per channel it is in the middle upper class also. Great video I as you love all vintage gear. You have allot more than I own.
@@joncarpenter984 Correct. They were just the model line before the x600 series which is typical of most manufacturers naming conventions. For example, the Sansui G-x000 series preceded the G-x700 series.
Vey nice video. My first receiver was a Kenwood KR 2400 back in 1974. I bought it at a stereo shop outside the front gate at Travis AFB when I was stationed there. I enjoyed that little receiver, it served me well for many years and I've been a Kenwood fan since then. A couple of years ago I purchased(Ebay) a mint condition KR 5600 for my vintage stereo setup. I'm once again enjoying that warm Kenwood sound and beautiful looks...just like old times!
That is a beauty!!!! They don't make them like that anymore!!!. I was lucky as I bought a Pioneer Sx-680 on Ebay abut 5 years ago and it works perfect and is in fantastic shape. I always wanted one and could never afford it back then. My main system is all Technics components, 35 years old and working perfectly and use it everyday. Take care!!! really enjoy your videos!!
It has a beautiful look to it. To me it reminded me slightly (but only slightly) of the Tandberg receivers. My first serious amp (unless you call Lloyds serious), was a Kenwood integrated amp. I eventually bought the matching tuner. The tuner wasn't so quiet. I was just a teenager. I got the money from starting to go out and doing painting jobs; interior painting. I remember the job that got me the total to afford the Kenwood. A full paint can was sitting at the top of my ladder. I bumped the ladder and the paint can toppled, spilling all the paint over the carpeting in their bedroom. I pondered for 20 minutes on how to gently break the news to them. I finally settled on "Watch where you step in the other room; the paint on your carpet isn't dry yet." What color? You guessed it; green. When there's that much spilled, you can't really do anything about it. From the back of the unit, I can see it has pre and main in and outs. I think that was usually reserved for integrated amps. There was a big controversy on one of the forums over whether it makes a difference in sound, replacing those metal U shaped things that they give you in those sockets. You wouldn't think it would, but it does. Replacing those with a good quality interconnect or jumpers is easily audible. Cardas and some other companies make short jumpers or interconnects. Kenwood was about as popular as any company back then; except for Pioneer who took out big magazine ads in non audio related magazines, with folks like The Allman Brothers endorsing their products. Pioneer also ran TV commercials. Technics might have become the second most popular brand back then. Marantz was harder to get highly discounted for some reason, compared to Pioneer, Sony, Sansui, Technics and Fisher. And discounts were very popular.
The Tandbergs have a very smooth sweet sound; not transistory or electronicy, and they're very clear. They offered the least amount of watts per dollar, were like pulling teeth to get any discount on, but the power they did give you was quality watts. Their cassette decks in retrospect are considered the best sounding ever; preferred to Nakamichi etc.
I have the Kenwood KR-6600 with wooden cabinet. Love this unit. First unit of my collection. I built around this receiver. I also have the Kenwood KW-8077 with remote, Kenwood turntable KD-2055, and Kenwood JL-850W speakers. It’s been one of my go to systems when playing Reel to Reel tapes.
I bought a new KR9600 in 1976 when I was 21. I still have it, and it is still in near perfect condition. A truly great piece of stereo equipment for its time. It worked great the last time I used it in 2009, but I have not used it since. When last used, it had a few burnt out bulbs and the controls needed to be cleaned. My plan is to do a complete recap and put it back in service with my other systems. It is a low hour set and want to enjoy it again.
I have a KR-6600 I bought new when I was very young. It's sitting on a self in the original box. Was paired with some EPI TE100's that need refoaming .
Great video, I own a Kenwood KR9600, I think it’s a beautiful looking receiver, Kenwood was my first receiver back in 1971, I think Kenwood has always made nice receivers, both sound and aesthetic’s Kenwood priced them accordingly they weren’t over built which made it possible to acquire one during high school , my KR9600 sits next to my pioneer SX1250, I have played them back to back and I honestly couldn’t choose one over the other for sound performance , Regards Russell
I bought one new back in the day and still have it. Had to have one of the output transistors replaced after 10 years and it went out again after a few years, then it just sat. I've since got a electronics degree and think it must have a bad bias resister on that channel, might dig into it and see what I find. Great sound for a reasonable price.
I have KR6600 it was working nicely and after I moved it around and now I don't hear anything but a hiss and buzz...where are the U connectors? Is it possible they got accidentally disconnected when I moved it around?
The U connectors are just to the right of the serial number. Very unlikely they were dislodged by just moving the receiver around. You may want to re-connect the speakers and set them up again just to make sure the connections are all good. Try another set of speakers as well, just to confirm. If still having issues, reconfirm your basic settings, like no monitor switch engaged, etc. and try a different source (like radio), for example.
Just for clarification ...are the U connectors visible from outside under "ADAPTER"? do I just push them in or are they screwed from inside that I have to disassemble the back panel to connect them?
They push in for each Left and Right channels on the outside. See the video at about 5:40 and there will be a close up of the back so you can see how they look.
Love the videos Scott, Just picked one of these up and it is a beauty. I have a 5600 which is nice but the 6600 is another level. Big difference. One thing is you might want to adjust your score because unfortunately the adapter on the back is not a Main-in or Pre-out connection it's for Dolby which will probably not be used. I first thought the same thing. Keep the videos coming.
Dang it! Who would put adapters back there that look like Pre-to-Amp connectors, but they are not! :-) Thanks for the heads up. I'll update my score spreadsheet accordingly and keep an eye out for new vids. With the adjustment, the score is now 195
@stereoniche I know it. Wish it was Pre-To- Amp but I'm loving this receiver anyway. I'd rate the FM tuner second to none at 1.7. I just can't believe the looks, feel and sound of the 6600 vs the 5600 with it just being the next step up. Maybe rating the FM tuners would be something you might consider in your score. It's hard to beat the price of these Kenny's for what you get.
I have an original sales brochure, user manual & tech spec brochure for the 6600 . Do you think they have any value? I sold the actual receiver a few years ago for about £100 but only just discovered all the manuals.
Most all brochures can be obtained via online download, however, there are those that prefer to have originals. Typically, the higher the model, the more rare, but you can take a look at online selling platforms, like eBay, to get an idea of value. There is surly someone out there that would like to have it.
BIINNNGGG GO!!! KR6600 is now working with the phono but with the crackling, static sound ...what I need to do to eliminate the crackling sound that appears once in while?
@@alexgranado9206 keep it on for a while 3-4 hours of listening and the crackling disappears whenit's really warmed up. I didn't do anything yet but after 4 or 5 sessions it has really come down to just a few crackles. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the dust that it has collected over the years. But I still turn it on and every session is around 4 hours of listening. I'll soon get a small hand vacuum cleaner supposedly strong to suck up all the dirt even from the vent outside the case. There are no technicians that I can go to yet. I'm afraid they'll retouch the electronics and change the original configurations which may affect the warm audio renderings. I usually listen to classical and instrumental Mantovani, 101 stringss oldies to get a gauge of the components handling of the range of tonalities. Although I also hooked up an Audio control OCTAVE equalizer. I have not sprayed the control knobs of the CRC electronic cleaner yet either.
Hello AlexJust changed the speaker wires to a gauge 8 wires and the crackling sound had been minimized . However, the electronics tech installing car radios said I also need to change the voice/spider coil on the cone of the speaker to eliminate the crackles. will update post when I get it done...Happy listening with Kenwood KR 6600....
i have come across one of these along with a pair of KL555D's.. any thoughts on the speakers? the amp is in good shape, though it needs a good cleaning and maybe a recap in the near future..
I had the sansui speakers before which had a better bass response. Now I'm using the JVC about the same size as the sansui 13' x 12" x 37" ... KR6600 static had disappeared after the receiver had been warmed up for 10minutes ... enjoying it !
It's been sitting collecting dust for 10 years, I guess, and it needed some warming up ...the crackling sound is not as much anymore but I'll CRC spray the terminals tomorrow. But definitely the U connectors solved the issue. I had to gently pull and push them in a couple of times...I usually listen to relaxing music when I do my artworks and the KR6600 does a lot of help.
I bought this model new back in the day ( more features than Pioneer, less cost. ) what I really wanted was the Sansui 6060, better lookin to me. but it worked good for years, I've never really had any electronics last more than 7 or 8 years before 'problems - be it NAD 60 w ch , CARVER 130 W /CH ETC. Now using an Outlaw , works /looks excel but only 1 yer old. KEF ls50 meta + sub. thorens 103 auto turntable, Sony blue ray /SACD. over the point of ' diminishing returns' to me. I'm over 70, bought myself a present.
The meters for tuning & signal are very good in FM mode but I'm only hearing crackling popping sounds with no music ...same is true with the phono hooked up...
Right now I'm using the KR4600 which is also nice but the bass is not as rich as the KR6600. With the KR6600 it's almost like the orchestra or musicians are playing right next to you ...like a ringside seat .
The 6600 and 7600 are great performing for a decent price, but the signal and tuning meters are a little on the cheap side and tend to get frozen as they get older. I've looked at two of these recently that both had frozen meters. Also the fake plastic heat sinks on the side are very tacky. I looked at these when new in 1977-78 and was put off by the fake heat sinks. Kenwood made a lot of great equipment but had a knack for doing things that took their receivers down a notch i eyes of the buyers. Sometimes in the marketing message, others in the odd design. One of their tabletop displays in the stereo stores said something to the effect of "we're not quite as good as Pioneer but we're cheaper". I remember seeing this and thinking WTF?
How come you skipped over my KR-9400 @ 130 wpç like it does t exist? Geesh...you hurt my feelings ...lol. I recently "unmothballed" it after 40 yrs and cleaning it up before putting power to it. 40 yrs ago it was kickin butt and blew several pairs of speakers. I will check DC offset before hooking it up.
Another gem from your collection. Thanks for sharing. I love your points system. In 1976 I bought a Kenwood KR 2600 and some speakers at the Navy Exchange. I shipped them to my future wife in Wisconsin for Christmas. Only 15 watts per channel but a wide frequency response and it really cranked. We used that for quite a while.
Thanks Mike!
Great video. Just picked up a refurbished KR600 which is the first piece in my vintage stereo collection.
Way to go, bought 2 as they are such a good receiver.
I had a KR 7600 and I would still have it had my girlfriend's son not stolen it from the house while I was at work. Loved that unit.
Well, not a good ending for that unit, but there are other great vintage units out there that can fill the void. :-)
Kenwood also made a KR 9400 just below the 9600. I own the 6400 which has all the bells and whistles as the 6600. And at 45 watts per channel it is in the middle upper class also. Great video I as you love all vintage gear. You have allot more than I own.
Hey Jon! The x400 series actually preceded the x600 series and were made around '74-'75.
My bad I thought it was in the same series, good to know. So kind of the same but a different year right?
@@joncarpenter984 Correct. They were just the model line before the x600 series which is typical of most manufacturers naming conventions. For example, the Sansui G-x000 series preceded the G-x700 series.
Vey nice video. My first receiver was a Kenwood KR 2400 back in 1974. I bought it at a stereo shop outside the front gate at Travis AFB when I was stationed there. I enjoyed that little receiver, it served me well for many years and I've been a Kenwood fan since then. A couple of years ago I purchased(Ebay) a mint condition KR 5600 for my vintage stereo setup. I'm once again enjoying that warm Kenwood sound and beautiful looks...just like old times!
Very cool!
Yup they are great, 6600 works my CV SL-15 plenty of power for me. And great tone controls.2 thumbs up.
That is a beauty!!!! They don't make them like that anymore!!!. I was lucky as I bought a Pioneer Sx-680 on Ebay abut 5 years ago and it works perfect and is in fantastic shape. I always wanted one and could never afford it back then. My main system is all Technics components, 35 years old and working perfectly and use it everyday. Take care!!! really enjoy your videos!!
Thanks Richard! The SX-x80 series are the definition of Silver Face era receivers.
It has a beautiful look to it. To me it reminded me slightly (but only slightly) of the Tandberg receivers. My first serious amp (unless you call Lloyds serious), was a Kenwood integrated amp. I eventually bought the matching tuner. The tuner wasn't so quiet. I was just a teenager. I got the money from starting to go out and doing painting jobs; interior painting. I remember the job that got me the total to afford the Kenwood. A full paint can was sitting at the top of my ladder. I bumped the ladder and the paint can toppled, spilling all the paint over the carpeting in their bedroom. I pondered for 20 minutes on how to gently break the news to them. I finally settled on "Watch where you step in the other room; the paint on your carpet isn't dry yet." What color? You guessed it; green. When there's that much spilled, you can't really do anything about it.
From the back of the unit, I can see it has pre and main in and outs. I think that was usually reserved for integrated amps. There was a big controversy on one of the forums over whether it makes a difference in sound, replacing those metal U shaped things that they give you in those sockets. You wouldn't think it would, but it does. Replacing those with a good quality interconnect or jumpers is easily audible. Cardas and some other companies make short jumpers or interconnects. Kenwood was about as popular as any company back then; except for Pioneer who took out big magazine ads in non audio related magazines, with folks like The Allman Brothers endorsing their products. Pioneer also ran TV commercials. Technics might have become the second most popular brand back then. Marantz was harder to get highly discounted for some reason, compared to Pioneer, Sony, Sansui, Technics and Fisher. And discounts were very popular.
I have yet to own a Tandberg receiver. Still looking. 🙂
The Tandbergs have a very smooth sweet sound; not transistory or electronicy, and they're very clear. They offered the least amount of watts per dollar, were like pulling teeth to get any discount on, but the power they did give you was quality watts. Their cassette decks in retrospect are considered the best sounding ever; preferred to Nakamichi etc.
I have the Kenwood KR-6600 with wooden cabinet. Love this unit. First unit of my collection. I built around this receiver. I also have the Kenwood KW-8077 with remote, Kenwood turntable KD-2055, and Kenwood JL-850W speakers. It’s been one of my go to systems when playing Reel to Reel tapes.
Really enjoying your channel!!!! BTW - that Kenwood is around my favorite era of gear, what a cool receiver you have there!!!
Thanks for watching. There are a LOT more vids to binge on and a lot more coming, so stay tuned and spread the word! 🙂
classic beauty
I bought a new KR9600 in 1976 when I was 21. I still have it, and it is still in near perfect condition. A truly great piece of stereo equipment for its time. It worked great the last time I used it in 2009, but I have not used it since. When last used, it had a few burnt out bulbs and the controls needed to be cleaned. My plan is to do a complete recap and put it back in service with my other systems. It is a low hour set and want to enjoy it again.
I have a KR-6600 I bought new when I was very young. It's sitting on a self in the original box. Was paired with some EPI TE100's that need refoaming .
Get that baby out, refoam those EPI's and get to playing some music! :-)
Great video, I own a Kenwood KR9600, I think it’s a beautiful looking receiver, Kenwood was my first receiver back in 1971, I think Kenwood has always made nice receivers, both sound and aesthetic’s Kenwood priced them accordingly they weren’t over built which made it possible to acquire one during high school , my KR9600 sits next to my pioneer SX1250, I have played them back to back and I honestly couldn’t choose one over the other for sound performance ,
Regards
Russell
I have a KR 4600. A very good solid receiver. I like this line of receivers. Also the tuner works well in getting in distant stations.
I have a KR-4600,I bought it in 1975 still going strong!
I bought one new back in the day and still have it. Had to have one of the output transistors replaced after 10 years and it went out again after a few years, then it just sat. I've since got a electronics degree and think it must have a bad bias resister on that channel, might dig into it and see what I find. Great sound for a reasonable price.
I have KR6600 it was working nicely and after I moved it around and now I don't hear anything but a hiss and buzz...where are the U connectors? Is it possible they got accidentally disconnected when I moved it around?
The U connectors are just to the right of the serial number. Very unlikely they were dislodged by just moving the receiver around. You may want to re-connect the speakers and set them up again just to make sure the connections are all good. Try another set of speakers as well, just to confirm. If still having issues, reconfirm your basic settings, like no monitor switch engaged, etc. and try a different source (like radio), for example.
Just for clarification ...are the U connectors visible from outside under "ADAPTER"? do I just push them in or are they screwed from inside that I have to disassemble the back panel to connect them?
They push in for each Left and Right channels on the outside. See the video at about 5:40 and there will be a close up of the back so you can see how they look.
Love the videos Scott, Just picked one of these up and it is a beauty. I have a 5600 which is nice but the 6600 is another level. Big difference. One thing is you might want to adjust your score because unfortunately the adapter on the back is not a Main-in or Pre-out connection it's for Dolby which will probably not be used. I first thought the same thing. Keep the videos coming.
Dang it! Who would put adapters back there that look like Pre-to-Amp connectors, but they are not! :-) Thanks for the heads up. I'll update my score spreadsheet accordingly and keep an eye out for new vids. With the adjustment, the score is now 195
@stereoniche
I know it. Wish it was Pre-To- Amp but I'm loving this receiver anyway. I'd rate the FM tuner second to none at 1.7. I just can't believe the looks, feel and sound of the 6600 vs the 5600 with it just being the next step up. Maybe rating the FM tuners would be something you might consider in your score. It's hard to beat the price of these Kenny's for what you get.
I have an original sales brochure, user manual & tech spec brochure for the 6600 . Do you think they have any value? I sold the actual receiver a few years ago for about £100 but only just discovered all the manuals.
Most all brochures can be obtained via online download, however, there are those that prefer to have originals. Typically, the higher the model, the more rare, but you can take a look at online selling platforms, like eBay, to get an idea of value. There is surly someone out there that would like to have it.
I boughtan SX 650 last year,I was so impressed I bought the SX 850 and SX950.
You suddenly became a Pioneer collector!
BIINNNGGG GO!!! KR6600 is now working with the phono but with the crackling, static sound ...what I need to do to eliminate the crackling sound that appears once in while?
I just got one and it is doing the same thing random crackling every once in a while as well, did you figure it out ?
@@alexgranado9206 keep it on for a while 3-4 hours of listening and the crackling disappears whenit's really warmed up. I didn't do anything yet but after 4 or 5 sessions it has really come down to just a few crackles. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the dust that it has collected over the years. But I still turn it on and every session is around 4 hours of listening. I'll soon get a small hand vacuum cleaner supposedly strong to suck up all the dirt even from the vent outside the case. There are no technicians that I can go to yet. I'm afraid they'll retouch the electronics and change the original configurations which may affect the warm audio renderings. I usually listen to classical and instrumental Mantovani, 101 stringss oldies to get a gauge of the components handling of the range of tonalities. Although I also hooked up an Audio control OCTAVE equalizer. I have not sprayed the control knobs of the CRC electronic cleaner yet either.
MERCI BIEN CABALLERO !!!! DO I need to spray CRC on anything to eliminate the static crackling sound?
If you are not moving any controls and you hear static, then doubtful any CRC or Deoxit will address it. Best to have a tech look at it.
Hello AlexJust changed the speaker wires to a gauge 8 wires and the crackling sound had been minimized . However, the electronics tech installing car radios said I also need to change the voice/spider coil on the cone of the speaker to eliminate the crackles. will update post when I get it done...Happy listening with Kenwood KR 6600....
Yes that's the one I'm referring to. Yours are painted green mine are bare plain. thanks again. I'll keep you posted if the issue is resolved.
i have come across one of these along with a pair of KL555D's.. any thoughts on the speakers? the amp is in good shape, though it needs a good cleaning and maybe a recap in the near future..
I am not a fan of Kenwood speakers, in general. They, like Sansui, were great at gear (amps, receivers, etc.).
Damn nice I have 2 of them puts out like fifty something a channel.I am keeping both. The KR6030 is quite nice as well.
I've got this and the 7600 and quite happy with both
Great looking receiver! I don’t see many locally and none with the wood case.
I had the sansui speakers before which had a better bass response. Now I'm using the JVC about the same size as the sansui 13' x 12" x 37" ... KR6600 static had disappeared after the receiver had been warmed up for 10minutes ... enjoying it !
The Fireball at the end of pointer is very nice.
Thanks for the tip. I'll work on it later.
It's been sitting collecting dust for 10 years, I guess, and it needed some warming up ...the crackling sound is not as much anymore but I'll CRC spray the terminals tomorrow. But definitely the U connectors solved the issue. I had to gently pull and push them in a couple of times...I usually listen to relaxing music when I do my artworks and the KR6600 does a lot of help.
What's the difference between a KR-6600 and a KR-6060?
I bought this model new back in the day ( more features than Pioneer, less cost. ) what I really wanted was the Sansui 6060, better lookin to me. but it worked good for years, I've never really had any electronics last more than 7 or 8 years before 'problems - be it NAD 60 w ch , CARVER 130 W /CH ETC. Now using an Outlaw , works /looks excel but only 1 yer old. KEF ls50 meta + sub. thorens 103 auto turntable, Sony blue ray /SACD. over the point of ' diminishing returns' to me. I'm over 70, bought myself a present.
The meters for tuning & signal are very good in FM mode but I'm only hearing crackling popping sounds with no music ...same is true with the phono hooked up...
Will check with a tech if the statics continue....thanks again!
Great! Enjoy!
Have you ever listened to a Tandberg receiver?!
I bought one as-is with the wood case from ebay. Needs work. I expect to pay about 275 dollars to get it up to specs.
Cost me twice that, but it was worth it. I'll have it forever now.
Right now I'm using the KR4600 which is also nice but the bass is not as rich as the KR6600. With the KR6600 it's almost like the orchestra or musicians are playing right next to you ...like a ringside seat .
Lower the tuning knob and resembles a Sansui 21-81 series.
The 6600 and 7600 are great performing for a decent price, but the signal and tuning meters are a little on the cheap side and tend to get frozen as they get older. I've looked at two of these recently that both had frozen meters. Also the fake plastic heat sinks on the side are very tacky. I looked at these when new in 1977-78 and was put off by the fake heat sinks. Kenwood made a lot of great equipment but had a knack for doing things that took their receivers down a notch i eyes of the buyers. Sometimes in the marketing message, others in the odd design. One of their tabletop displays in the stereo stores said something to the effect of "we're not quite as good as Pioneer but we're cheaper". I remember seeing this and thinking WTF?
They should have made a KR-8600 and rate it at 120 watts per channel.
How come you skipped over my KR-9400 @ 130 wpç like it does t exist? Geesh...you hurt my feelings ...lol. I recently "unmothballed" it after 40 yrs and cleaning it up before putting power to it. 40 yrs ago it was kickin butt and blew several pairs of speakers. I will check DC offset before hooking it up.
Sorry Tim! :-) Get that 9400 going and let us know how well it is singing great music again.