Kenwood KA-800
Documentation on the Kenwood KA-800 is thin. No production years, original price or period reviews have surfaced in the archive. What the record does show is a solid-state integrated amplifier that appears to have been a serious, capable piece in its day. One source calls it a "Solid State Netural amplifier," which looks like a transcription slip for "Neutral." That would fit an amp whose specs emphasize clean, uncolored performance.
The numbers that are corroborated across sources agree with each other. Rated output is 50 watts per channel into 8 ohms, with 80 watts per channel into 4 ohms also listed. Frequency response runs 20 Hz to 50 kHz (±1 dB), and total harmonic distortion is stated at 0.1% at rated output. The phono stage had both MC and MM inputs, with sensitivities of 0.2 mV and 2.5 mV respectively (both into 47 kΩ). Signal-to-noise figures from HiFi Engine list 98 dB for phono MC, 100 dB for phono MM, and 105 dB for CD/AUX/Tuner inputs. Those are respectable numbers.
The KA-800 is a big unit: 440 x 147 x 393 mm and 10.3 kg. It ran on AC 110-120V/220V, 50/60 Hz. Beyond that, the record goes quiet. Nothing is known about its place in the Kenwood lineup, its market context, or how reviewers or owners received it. The service manual confirms the core specs above.
High Fidelity (June 1973, p.142) ran Kenwood advertising for the related KA-8004 that emphasized its "RMS Continuous Power" and low distortion figures. That shows the engineering priorities Kenwood was promoting around this era, though it is not a review of the KA-800 itself.
Known specifications
- Power output: 2 x 50W into 8Ω; 2 x 80W into 4Ω
- Frequency response: 20 Hz – 50 kHz (±1 dB)
- THD: 0.1% at rated output
- S/N ratio: 98 dB (Phono MC), 100 dB (Phono MM), 105 dB (CD/AUX/Tuner)
- Input sensitivity: Phono MC 0.2 mV / 47 kΩ; Phono MM 2.5 mV / 47 kΩ
- Dimensions: 440 x 147 x 393 mm; weight 10.3 kg
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