Kenwood 700T (1974–1975)
The Kenwood 700T is a solid-state, 2-channel AM/FM analog tuner, made between 1974 and 1975 with a suggested retail price of $365. It was the tuner in Kenwood's flagship 700 Series, alongside the 700C preamplifier and 700M power amplifier.
The headline feature is a quartz four-digital-figure PLL synthesizer. In the mid-1970s most tuners still used analog variable capacitors, so this was an advanced approach. The 700T also uses an IC and FET front-end, and the service manual says all important sections are mounted on separate chassis for complete isolation from mechanical vibration. Usable FM sensitivity is 1.8µV (IHF) and selectivity is better than 80 dB. It was built for listeners who wanted precise, drift-free reception, not a pretty dial.
Audio (July 1976, p.49) also ran the 700 Series campaign, again emphasizing the tuner's frequency-synthesizing design. Period reviews of the 700T itself are scarce — the record is largely built from Kenwood's own promotional material and the surviving service documentation. What's clear is that this was not a mass-market model; it was pitched squarely at "sophisticated audiophiles," as the ads put it.
Known specifications:
- FM frequency range: 88-108 MHz; AM: 530-1,600 kHz
- Usable sensitivity: 1.8µV (FM mono, IHF); 25µV (AM)
- FM distortion: 0.5% mono, 0.9% stereo
- S/N ratio: 70 dB mono, 65 dB stereo
- Stereo separation: 35 dB at 1 kHz
- Frequency response: 30 Hz–15 kHz (+0.5, −1.0 dB)
- Antenna inputs: 300Ω balanced / 75Ω unbalanced (FM); outdoor type (AM)
- Dimensions: 420 × 150 × 320 mm; weight: 7.8 kg
Power consumption is documented inconsistently. The service manual says 17 watts and the owner's manual says 20W, so treat that figure as approximate. A single Reverb listing in excellent condition was asking $1,195, though no broader market data exists. No owner reviews or documented maintenance issues have surfaced, which is typical for a model that was never high-volume.
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