Kenwood LS-CX7 (c. 1992–1993)
The Kenwood LS-CX7 is a compact 2-way bookshelf speaker from the early 1990s. It sold for ¥120,000 per unit, which is a lot for a small speaker. Kenwood described it at the time as pursuing "point-source sound" and the localization and soundstage unique to compact speakers. The engineering is unusual.
The woofer is a 19 cm cone with a reinforced polypropylene diaphragm. The diaphragm is shaped as a paracurve cone to suppress resonance, and there is damping material on the rear periphery. It uses a large φ120 mm AFC damper for high reliability in large-amplitude operation. The tweeter is a 2.5 cm soft dome with a neodymium magnet, noted for having nine times the maximum energy product of ferrite. It also uses ferrofluid (a NASA-developed magnetic liquid) in the magnetic circuit gap for damping and distortion reduction. The tweeter is a horizontally long rectangle, and the woofer frame is minimized so the two drivers sit as close together as possible. That supports the point-source goal.
The cabinet is the exotic part. It uses "NF ceramics," a material formed by chemical bonding with water rather than conventional firing, composed mainly of lime and silica. Kenwood claimed it offers high damping, elastic modulus, and rigidity, narrowing the radiation time of non-direct sound. A round baffle suppresses diffraction, and a rear duct handles bass reflex porting. The network uses Ritz-pattern PCBs, German film capacitors, and thick OFC coils. The speaker is also magnetically shielded for CRT placement.
The matching SR-CX7 stand (¥60,000) uses the same NF ceramics for the top and bottom. Between them is a natural wood pillar, and the base has a ripple design to avoid transmitting floor resonance.
All of this documentation comes from manufacturer-oriented Japanese sources, and independent reviews are scarce. A 2014 Yahoo Auctions listing for the LS-CX7 closed at ¥35,000, and a 2015 listing for the SR-CX7 stands reached only ¥1,000. That suggests some collector interest but not a strong market. One caution: a 2025 listing under this name appears to be car audio equipment, so check listings carefully.
- Type: 2-way, 2-speaker, bass reflex, bookshelf, anti-magnetic (EIAJ)
- Woofer: 19 cm cone (reinforced polypropylene, paracurve)
- Tweeter: 2.5 cm soft dome, neodymium magnet, ferrofluid
- Frequency response: 45 Hz – 50 kHz
- Rated / max input: 50W / 100W
- Impedance: 6 Ω
- Sensitivity: 86 dB/W/m
- Crossover: 1.6 kHz
- Dimensions: 250 × 394 × 336 mm (W×H×D) [conflicting source: 25 × 39 × 32 cm]
- Weight: 21 kg
- Original price: ¥120,000 per unit (c. 1992–93); SR-CX7 stand ¥60,000
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Similar items on eBay
No exact Kenwood LS-CX7 listings are live right now — these searches show current Kenwood and similar vintage audio gear on eBay:
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.
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