Kenwood KX-3080
A mid-tier cassette deck from Kenwood's 1990s component line. It has a 3-head transport for off-tape monitoring, Dolby B/C noise reduction, and the standard rack-format component look of the era.
Overview
The KX-3080 is part of Kenwood's 1990s cassette deck lineup. It has a 3-head design, with separate erase, record, and play heads. That was a step up from 2-head decks because it allowed off-tape monitoring during recording. You could hear what was actually being recorded as it happened, which made bias and level adjustments much more practical.
The deck is built to the typical 1990s Japanese mid-tier standard: stamped-steel chassis, plastic tape door, mechanical transport with belt drive. It supports Type I, II, and IV (metal) tapes and the standard Dolby B and C noise reduction systems.
Specifications
| Type | 3-head cassette deck |
| Tape compatibility | Type I, II (CrO2), IV (Metal) |
| Noise reduction | Dolby B, Dolby C |
| Frequency response (Type IV) | 20 Hz – 19 kHz |
| Wow & flutter | 0.06% WRMS |
| S/N ratio (Dolby C, Type IV) | 74 dB |
Applications and Legacy
It was made for 1990s rack-format component systems. Working examples trade for $60-150. Like most cassette decks of the era, it needs fresh belts and idler tires before it will run reliably.
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