Kenwood KD-50F (1978–1981)
The Kenwood KD-50F is a fully-automatic, two-speed turntable built between 1978 and 1981. It shows up in period system ads. Audio (July 1982, p.40) featured it in Kenwood's "Spectrum 70" one-brand rack system, paired with the company's own receiver, cassette deck, and speakers. The write-up called the turntable's light-touch controls smooth and easy to use, and said they were "not overdone."
The KD-50F has a static-balanced tonearm and a PLL DC servo motor. That's Kenwood's phase-locked loop approach to keeping platter speed honest. The platter is a 330 mm aluminum diecast. Specs are respectable for the era: wow and flutter of 0.03% WRMS, and rumble of -70 dB DIN B. Some sources list it as "more than 50 dB," which appears to be a different measurement convention. The tonearm has an effective length of 220 mm with a 15 mm overhang, and tracking force is adjustable from 0 to 3 grams. It accepts cartridges weighing between 4.5 and 9.5 g, and the supplied headshell weighs 6.5 g.
The deck measures 440 × 113 × 360 mm and weighs 6.2 kg. Beyond that, the record is thin. There's no original price, no cartridge included, and no review coverage beyond the system mention above. It appears to have been a mid-line automatic deck aimed at the system buyer rather than the serious audiophile, but that's inference from its appearance in the Spectrum 70 rack, not something any source states outright.
Known specs
- Fully-automatic, two-speed (33/45 rpm)
- PLL DC servo motor, AC servo type
- 330 mm aluminium diecast platter
- Wow & flutter: 0.03% WRMS
- Rumble: -70 dB DIN B
- Static-balanced tonearm, 220 mm effective length
- Tracking force: 0–3 g
- Cartridge weight range: 4.5–9.5 g
- Dimensions: 440 × 113 × 360 mm; 6.2 kg
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