Kenwood KT-3300 (1979)
The Kenwood KT-3300 is a digital synthesized tuner with quartz lock tuning, introduced in 1979. It's a stand-alone tuner with no amplifier sections. It covers FM and MW bands, with a 5-digit digital readout display and direct tuning with presets. The faceplate is black with brushed aluminum accents, which fit Kenwood's late-'70s look.
Owners consistently report that the thing just works. One long-term owner on a classic audio site said they'd had theirs since the early 1980s and it "never let me down." They praised the quartz-controlled tuning for its accuracy across a wide variety of FM stations, and called the AM reception "surprisingly good." Another described it as very sensitive with a "musical" sound quality. FM sensitivity is rated at 1.8µV, with a 70dB signal-to-noise ratio and 70dB selectivity. Those are respectable figures for the period.
The KT-3300 has both fixed and variable audio outputs across two sets of output jacks, which gave some flexibility in how it fed a preamp or integrated amplifier. It draws 15 watts from a standard AC 120V, 60Hz supply. Dimensions are 440 x 117 x 310 mm (17.3 x 4.6 x 12.2 inches) and it weighs 7 kg (15.4 lbs).
On the tuning range, most sources list FM and MW, but one listing also includes SW. With that discrepancy, the shortwave capability stays unconfirmed. No THD, stereo separation or frequency response figures have surfaced in the documentation found so far, and no original price has been recorded. HiFI-Stereo (June 1987, p.37) mentioned the KT-3300 in the context of Kenwood's D Series components, though the OCR of that piece is fragmentary and makes it hard to pull out specific claims about this model's performance.
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.
Related Models
- Kenwood KR 3200 (1973-1975)
- Kenwood KR 3400 (1977-1979)
- Kenwood KR 4070 (1977-1979)
- Kenwood KR 4200 (1975-1977)
- Kenwood KR 4130 (1977-1979)
- Marantz 1515 (1976-1978)
- Marantz 4220 (1974-1976)
- Marantz 4230 (1974-1976)
- Marantz HD 440 (1976-1977)
- Pioneer SX 300 (1971-1972)