Kenwood KA-1100D (1986)
The Kenwood KA-1100D is a heavyweight integrated amplifier released in June 1986, by which point the company was firmly using the Kenwood name internationally. It was the flagship of its series. It weighs 18 kg and is built around Kenwood's proprietary New VIG-DLD (Dynamic Linear Drive) topology - a design tuned for digital sources, which makes sense given the CD era it arrived in.
The DLD circuit is the heart of the thing. It pairs a low-power amplifier (rated up to about 50W) with a high-power output stage, and drives them with a dedicated supply capable of over 300W. The idea was to get the finesse of a small amp and the grip of a big one simultaneously. The power supply uses a large-core transformer with increased lamination, and four 15,000 µF Chemicon capacitors feed the DLD section. The output stage is discrete, and a Σ drive circuit suppresses distortion when driving speakers. The whole thing is built as a multi-frame structure, with each block getting its own frame, sitting on soft/hard two-layer insulators to control vibration. It's also dual-mono in construction, and all ground lines converge at a single point on the speaker terminals.
The specs are impressive even by today's standards. Rated output is 180W + 180W into 6Ω and 150W + 150W into 8Ω (20Hz - 20kHz), with THD rated at 0.006% and 0.004% respectively. At 1kHz it pushes 220W + 220W into 4Ω. Damping factor is 1000 at 50Hz. The phono stage is well developed, with a dual EQ system and separate amplifiers for MM and MC. The MM side uses an FET input with Hi-Gm = 40ms ultra-low noise, and the MC side uses a transistor input with γ'bb = 4π. RIAA deviation is ±0.2dB. Frequency response runs DC to 200kHz (+0, - 3dB). Signal-to-noise on line inputs is 110dB (input shorted). Input sensitivity is 2.5mV/47kΩ for MM and 0.1mV/100Ω for MC. It also has a pre-out (2V/600Ω), tone controls, loudness, a subsonic filter, and a "winking" power indicator that doubles as a protection display.
Owners rate it highly. One Russian forum user reported choosing the KA-1100D over the Kenwood KA-660, Pioneer A-616 MK2, Pioneer A-717, and Yamaha A-1000, specifically citing its accuracy. Another owner called it "one of the best Kenwoods ever made." A seller noted it "drives any speakers regardless of their sensitivity," and the bass is repeatedly described as "luxurious." A separate forum user chose the KA-2200 over the KA-1100D for the same reason of accuracy, so preference between the two seems to come down to taste.
Documentation is thin in English, but a service manual does circulate (20 pages, available via archive.org and easymanua.ls), and an owner's manual exists in PDF form. The original price was ¥129,000. The "1984" date and the "400,000 rubles" figure sometimes attached to this model actually belong to the related KA-1100SD listing. The KA-1100D itself is a 1986 release.
Known specifications, in brief:
- Output: 150W + 150W (8Ω, 20Hz–20kHz, THD 0.004%); 180W + 180W (6Ω, THD 0.006%); 220W + 220W (4Ω, 1kHz, THD 0.004%)
- Damping factor: 1000 (50Hz)
- Frequency response: DC–200kHz (+0, –3dB)
- Phono MM: 2.5mV/47kΩ; Phono MC: 0.1mV/100Ω
- S/N (line, input shorted): 110dB
- Dimensions: 440 × 170 × 420 mm; weight 18 kg
- Power: 100V AC, 50/60Hz; consumption 410W
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