+ Reply to Thread
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 11 to 18 of 18

Thread: Kenwood KD-990

  1. #11
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Norwich

    Posts: 2,814
    I'm Hugo.

    Default

    On and off, but it is the SL-1200GR that sits permanently in my system. My feeling is that the KD-990 is possibly a very tiny bit better in terms of musical insight, even if I use the same tonearm to compare both (my Phonomac serviced FR-64S fits both decks). The GR is such a handly little thing that does not demand much space, and it’s quite attractive too - the KD-990 is not exactly ugly, but it’s much bigger.

    If we are talking about unmodified decks, the KD-990 would be miles ahead of the new SL-1200G and GR, but only because those decks have pretty indifferent tonearms and the stock Kenwood arm is way better than it looks; however I would point out that the KD-990’s plinth is largely cosmetic and is poorly decoupled from the alloy chassis, and that’s probably why I feel the deck is better run ‘naked’. I think the new Technics decks’ direct drive motors are pretty much on par with the KD-990’s but the KD-990’s exotic cast alloy chassis does make it very stiff and quite special. The Kenwood was an expensive turntable in its day and would cost a small fortune to make now.

  2. #12
    Join Date: Nov 2018

    Location: Grimsby

    Posts: 398
    I'm David.

    Default

    Thank you very much for your appraisal.

  3. #13
    Join Date: Sep 2018

    Location: amsterdam The Netherlands

    Posts: 66
    I'm Paul.

    Default

    Thanks for the comparison. What would be an sonical upgrade over the KD990 if looking for an vintage table?

    Sent from my COL-L29 using Tapatalk

  4. #14
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Norwich

    Posts: 2,814
    I'm Hugo.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Paulie72 View Post
    Thanks for the comparison. What would be an sonical upgrade over the KD990 if looking for an vintage table?

    Sent from my COL-L29 using Tapatalk
    Maybe a Sony TTS-8000 or a Technics SP-10 but for a complete vintage turntable that is genuinely better I think you’d have to look towards the Trio/Kenwood L-07D but they are rare as hen’s teeth and potentially troublesome to maintain. One vintage deck that is no match technically for the KD-990 but in spite of that plays music beautifully is the old Pioneer PL-71 (an early direct drive design that pre-dates aggressive and musically intrusive quartz servo controls etc).

  5. #15
    Join Date: Sep 2018

    Location: amsterdam The Netherlands

    Posts: 66
    I'm Paul.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ammonite Acoustics View Post
    Maybe a Sony TTS-8000 or a Technics SP-10 but for a complete vintage turntable that is genuinely better I think you’d have to look towards the Trio/Kenwood L-07D but they are rare as hen’s teeth and potentially troublesome to maintain. One vintage deck that is no match technically for the KD-990 but in spite of that plays music beautifully is the old Pioneer PL-71 (an early direct drive design that pre-dates aggressive and musically intrusive quartz servo controls etc).
    Ok good to know that an upgrade is costly. The more reason to modify the KD990.

    Sent from my COL-L29 using Tapatalk

  6. #16
    Join Date: Sep 2018

    Location: amsterdam The Netherlands

    Posts: 66
    I'm Paul.

    Default

    Is it an idea to use sound deadening material inside the plinth to make it less resonance?

    I still have some ALU ANTI-DRUMMING SHEETS which can be used inside the pinth (https://www.easy-noisecontrol.com/pr...umming-sheets/).

    I ordered some Van-Damme-XKE-Microphone-Balanced-Pro-Patch-Cable and some RCA plugs for an new interlink.

  7. #17
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Norwich

    Posts: 2,814
    I'm Hugo.

    Default

    Absolutely not. I had a KD-770D and thought that its cheap chipboard plinth needed to go, so I got Russ Collinson to make up a heavy layered ply replacement. Looked lovely, sounded awful. The cheap chipboard may look crummy but acoustically it’s actually a rather benign material (unlike MDF) so my advice is to leave the similarly cheap looking chipboard plinth of the KD-990 well alone.

    The only thing that I would recommend with the KD-990 plinth is to release the mains transformer, which is hung on rubber mounts from the underside of the plinth, and then suspend it in the same place but much more loosely using rubber bands. Quite a lot of mechanical hum does get passed into the plinth from the transformer, and since the plinth is quite poorly decoupled from the chassis much of that hum goes into the chassis and therefore the platter and tonearm.

    Quote Originally Posted by Paulie72 View Post
    Is it an idea to use sound deadening material inside the plinth to make it less resonance?

    I still have some ALU ANTI-DRUMMING SHEETS which can be used inside the pinth (https://www.easy-noisecontrol.com/pr...umming-sheets/).

    I ordered some Van-Damme-XKE-Microphone-Balanced-Pro-Patch-Cable and some RCA plugs for an new interlink.

  8. #18
    Join Date: Feb 2018

    Location: Somerset

    Posts: 35
    I'm Ian.

    Talking Transformer Isolation

    Why not take the transformer out and put it in a separate box?
    I have read that people have done this before.

    Looking at the deck I wondered how it would sound if a thick smoked perspex plinth was made.
    I have seen the pictures of the deck 'naked' and think that seeing it through tinted perspex may look a lot better, as long as the sound is not messed up.

    I have seen one for sale and may be interested myself, especially with reference to it possibly being better than a TD124.

    Regarding chipboard, I have heard that it can sound much better than MDF, but I am surprised that it was better than plywood.
    Perhaps the ply was over damped, when light damping and bracing may have worked better.

    Ian

+ Reply to Thread
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •