Kenwood KA-1100SD (1979–1980)

Despite the "KA" prefix that Kenwood used on its amplifiers, the KA-1100SD is a stereo cassette deck — a 4-track, 2-channel front-loader produced from 1979 to 1980. It was sold in the UK at an approximate original price of £150, and it supported all four tape types of the era: Type I (Normal), Type II (CrO2), Type III (FeCr), and Type IV (Metal). That last point is worth noting — metal tape was just arriving in the late 1970s, and a deck that could handle it was ahead of the curve.

The deck uses a two-head configuration (combined record/playback plus erase) driven by a single DC motor, with Dolby B noise reduction. Playback frequency response is rated at 40 Hz to 14 kHz on Normal tape. Wow and flutter is a modest 0.08%. Input sensitivity is 50 mV, output level 0.5 V, and power consumption 30 W. It measures 420 × 143 × 271 mm and weighs 6.6 kg.

One oddity in the record: the signal-to-noise figures are listed as 58 dB with Dolby B engaged and 62 dB with it off. That's backwards from how Dolby B normally behaves — the noise reduction should improve (raise) the S/N ratio, not worsen it. The values are preserved here exactly as the source states them, but they look like they may have been transposed somewhere along the way.

Kenwood also offered a companion model, the KA-3300SD, in the same product line and with similar construction. Beyond that, the record is thin — a contemporary review noted the KA-1100SD could deliver 150 watts per side (High-Fidelity, April 1985, p.38), though no owner commentary or market pricing have surfaced. Service and user manuals are available as PDF downloads, which is more than many decks of this vintage can claim.

Known specs, such as they are:

- Stereo cassette deck, 4-track, 2-channel

- Tape speed: 4.76 cm/s

- Heads: 2 (record/playback + erase); DC motor

- Tape types: I, II, III, IV (Normal, CrO2, FeCr, Metal)

- Noise reduction: Dolby B

- Frequency response (playback, Normal tape): 40 Hz – 14 kHz

- Wow and flutter: 0.08%

- Input sensitivity: 50 mV; output: 0.5 V

- Dimensions: 420 × 143 × 271 mm; weight: 6.6 kg

- Power consumption: 30 W

- Original price (UK): ~£150