Kenwood AX-801 (1980–1981)
The AX-801 was Kenwood's flagship integrated amplifier around 1980-81. It sat above the AX-701 and below the AX-901. At introduction it was priced at $529 in the US and £199.95 in the UK. Exact production dates are a little fuzzy, since sources disagree on whether it launched in 1979 or 1981. The consensus puts it in the late-1970s/early-1980s Japanese high-end integrated amp competition.
The design is a "straight/DC" topology with twin power supplies feeding a toroidal transformer — the kind of serious power delivery you'd expect from a flagship of this era. It's rated at 80W RMS per channel into 8 ohms (20Hz–20kHz) and 120W into 4 ohms, with THD stated at a very low 0.004%. Frequency response is claimed at 5Hz–100kHz. Inputs include phono (switchable MC/MM), tuner, two aux, and two tape loops, plus pre-out for biamping or external processors. Tone controls are limited to bass and treble, and there's an "electronic loudness" circuit that routes audio through the tone and loudness stages.
Hi-Fi Stereo magazine (July 1989, p.105) listed the AX-801 among the high-end Japanese separates still worth seeking out years after its debut — a testament to its staying power.
The sound is described as detailed and open, with tight, punchy bass, and it's said to be forgiving with a wide range of speakers. Owners give the phono stage particular praise. Common age-related issues are scratchy volume and tone controls, intermittent rear-panel input switches, and output relays that may need replacing after 30+ years. Cleaning the switches and pots often fixes dropouts. Recapping is recommended for optimal performance.
- Power: 80W RMS/ch into 8Ω (20Hz–20kHz); 120W into 4Ω
- THD: 0.004%
- Frequency response: 5Hz–100kHz
- Damping factor: 60
- Inputs: Phono (MC/MM), Tuner, Aux 1, Aux 2, Tape 1, Tape 2
- Outputs: Pre-out
- Dimensions: ~440–474mm × 170mm × 355mm (sources conflict on width)
- Weight: ~12.2–14.4kg (sources conflict)
Note: The conflicting dimensions and weight figures come from different period sources, so both ranges are listed rather than a guess. The S/N ratio spec also conflicts between sources (94dB vs 110dB) and is omitted here pending a definitive manual.
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