Kenwood KD-550 (1978)

The Kenwood KD-550 is a direct-drive turntable from 1978, confirmed by two independent sources. It sat in Kenwood's higher tier for the period. High Fidelity (May 1977, p.42) called it a "rock-solid turntable" from Kenwood. The model was also grouped in the company's "Audio Purist" lineup, which Kenwood's own advertising described as the result of exhaustive R&D and sold only through select dealers.

The deck uses a DC servo motor with an aluminum diecast 30cm platter. It offers all three speeds - 33, 45, and 78rpm - which was unusual for the era. The tonearm is a static balanced S-shaped design with a 232mm effective length and 14mm overhang. Tracking force is adjustable from 0 to 3g, and the arm takes cartridges weighing 4 to 13g. Wow and flutter is rated at 0.025% WRMS. The whole thing weighs 9.5kg and measures 440 x 155 x 360mm.

A High Fidelity follow-up report (January 1979, p.42) said the speed stayed stable even at worst-case line voltages. Fine speed control extends over roughly one and a half semitones. The cue lever is required for setting the arm down, and it is well damped and easy to handle. The same report said the deck tracks record warps well and is relatively insensitive to shock.

What's not documented: the original price, the rumble/S/N figures (sources conflict between −70dB rumble and 70dB S/N), and any collector-market value today. No common failure modes or maintenance notes have surfaced either. If you own one and have the manual or service notes, the archive would welcome them.

Type: Direct drive, DC servo motor
Platter: Aluminium diecast, 30cm
Speeds: 33, 45, 78 rpm
Wow & flutter: 0.025% WRMS
Tonearm: Static balanced S-shaped, 232mm effective length, 14mm overhang
Tracking force: 0–3g; cartridge weight 4–13g
Dimensions: 440 × 155 × 360mm; 9.5kg