Kenwood KA-2002

Name: Kenwood KA-2002
Brand: Kenwood

The Kenwood KA-2002 is a small solid-state integrated amplifier from the early 1970s. It sits at the budget end of Kenwood's separate-component lineup, and it was also sold under the Trio brand in Japan. Sources agree on what it is: a compact, no-frills unit rated at 12 watts per channel into 8 ohms, with a mono mode that doubles output to 25 watts. Frequency response is specified at 25Hz to 40kHz with 0.5% total harmonic distortion. It measures 360 x 120 x 238mm and weighs 5.6kg.

The design is minimalist. Inputs are phono and aux - no tape monitor, no tone controls. The phono stage accepts 2.5mV (MM) with a 65dB signal-to-noise ratio. The line input sits at 150mV with 75dB S/N. The amplifier uses 11 transistors and 4 diodes, and will drive speakers from 4 to 16 ohms. Kenwood's own advertising from the period paired the KA-2002 with the KT-2001 tuner for the listener who preferred separates to a receiver. HiFI-Stereo (February 1972, p.87) ran the two together in a full-page spread aimed at the audiophile "who likes to keep things separate."

Owner reports are consistent. The amp is praised for clean, neutral sound and solid build quality for its class, and several owners call it an ideal starter amp or a good match for small bookshelf speakers. The common complaints are the obvious ones: limited inputs, no tone controls, and modest power that won't drive inefficient speakers. A typical period price in good condition with original box ran around £60 as of 2020.

Common issues: the selector switch can get scratchy after decades, and contact cleaner fixes it. The power supply electrolytics are known to need replacement. The components are all through-hole and straightforward to work on, which makes it a popular first recap project. Donor units from Japan are plentiful on eBay, though the power transformer is harder to source.

Power output: 12W/ch into 8Ω (stereo); 25W into 8Ω (mono)
Frequency response: 25Hz–40kHz
THD: 0.5%
Inputs: phono (MM, 2.5mV), aux (line, 150mV)
Dimensions: 360 x 120 x 238mm; 5.6kg
Semiconductors: 11 transistors, 4 diodes