Kenwood KA-5002 (1982)

The Kenwood KA-5002 is an integrated amplifier from 1982, sold in Japan at ¥79,800. It was part of Kenwood's early-1980s separates lineup, frequently paired in period advertising with the KT-5000 tuner. The ads leaned into the "separates" pitch — HiFI-Stereo (February 1972, p.87) framed the KA-5002 as part of a range "for the audiophile who likes to keep things separate," touting its 150-watt (IHF) direct-coupling design alongside the KT-5000 tuner.

The direct-coupling circuitry was a genuine selling point for Kenwood in this era — the same claim appears in their own advertising copy, which urged buyers to team the KA-5002 with the KT-5000 tuner and KL-5060 speakers for a full system. It's a sign of where this amp sat in the lineup: a serious, mid-to-upper tier integrated, not a budget receiver.

Power output is where the record gets slightly murky. One source lists 100W per channel, another says 80W into 8Ω and 110W into 4Ω. The conflicting figures are hard to reconcile without an original service manual. What's more consistent: total harmonic distortion rated at 0.005%, signal-to-noise ratio of 110dB, and a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz. The Japanese domestic version ran on AC 100V/50Hz/60Hz and drew 240W.

Inputs were standard for the period — phono, tuner, aux, and tape — with the phono stage described as "high sensitivity." Speaker impedance is rated for 4Ω to 8Ω. The chassis is 440mm wide, 176mm tall, and 381mm deep, weighing 10.6kg — a solid, substantial piece of late-1970s/early-1980s Japanese engineering.

Beyond that, the record is thin. No detailed circuit analysis, no user reviews, no collector market data, and no confirmed production end date have survived in the usual places. If you own one and have the manual or measured specs, the Archive would love to know more.

Known specs at a glance:

- Integrated amplifier, 1982, Japanese domestic market

- Original price: ¥79,800

- Output: 80W (8Ω) / 110W (4Ω); one source lists 100W

- THD: 0.005% · SNR: 110dB · Freq. response: 20Hz–20kHz

- Inputs: Phono, Tuner, Aux, Tape · Outputs: Tape out

- Speaker impedance: 4Ω–8Ω

- Dimensions: 440 × 176 × 381mm · Weight: 10.6kg