So I spent a bunch of time on Craigslist not long ago helping a friend pick out components for his first “real” stereo and when I started doing this I knew that certainly I would come across something for myself that would prove too good of a deal to resist. Predictably that expectation came true in the form of a Kenwood KM-209 power amp from the 80s that I got for just $50. It’s nothing special to look at but it’s got some significant power: rated at 150W RMS into 8Ω with 0.015% THD–from 5Hz to 200kHz (according to HiFiEngine). That’s more wattage than any sane or reasonable person would ever need. And yet here we are.
For a very long time now I’ve had an old Aiwa receiver that’s been the heart of my living room stereo setup. I bought that receiver at Best Buy in the 90s, back in the era when Aiwa minisystems were the bomb and everyone had to have one of those. I admit, the trademark green source buttons with the active one lit in red both looked cool and was quite functional from across the room as well. But an Aiwa is an Aiwa, even if this was their attempt to break out of the minisystem market and be seen as something more legit in the hi-fi world. The receiver is still working, although some of the EQ and DSP buttons seem to have a mind of their own these days.
Probably what won me over on this unit was the excellent experience I’ve had listening to the Kenwood KA-8300. And also the performance of the Marantz PM750DC Integrated Amp… The KA-8300 said ‘hey Kenwood was actually pretty serious, way back when’, and the PM750DC said ‘products built shortly after the peak of a manufacturer’s greatness can be a great deal’. 80’s Marantz gear worked out pretty good. Let’s give this Kenwood a go. For $50, I couldn’t pass her up.
The sound is neutral, as far as I can hear. It certainly goes plenty loud. As for the unit itself there’s a glowing red display in the center labeled “Power Indicator” which has LED indicators which light up on either side of it for left and right channels. There’s also a toggle switch which lets you switch between 1x and 0.1x for the meters, which is a key feature for power meters. Nothing exotic or amazing here, but some very solid numbers for a cheap price!
Tags: bargain hunting, gadgets, Music, vintage gear
