Kenwood DP-520
Documentation on the Kenwood DP-520 is thin. No manual scans, no editorial reviews and no owner forums have surfaced in the research. The record does show a solidly specified late-1980s CD player, which the hifiwiki.com spec sheet groups into a 1989-1991 era. What survives is a good technical picture: a "Double D/A converter" arrangement running 20-bit, 8-times oversampling with a high-performance digital filter, in a rigid chassis.
The measured specs all come from that single hifiwiki listing, and they hold up well even by today's standards. Frequency response is 4Hz - 20kHz, THD is 0.004%, signal-to-noise ratio is 98dB, dynamic range is 96dB, and channel separation is 95dB. Analog output level is 2.0V RMS. The rear panel carries two analog outputs and one optical digital output. The unit measures 440 × 112 × 320 mm and weighs 6.5 kg.
One asking price of $145 was noted on vintagehp.com, with no date attached. That site did not have a service manual available for download. No production years, original retail price or subjective sound-quality commentary have been found. A 1986 dealer advertisement in HiFI-Stereo (February 1986, p.202) promoted the availability of compact disc players for audition and comparison.
If you own a DP-520 or have seen its manual, the Archive would welcome the details.
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