Kenwood SH-3 (1982)

Name: Kenwood SH-3
Brand: Kenwood

The Kenwood SH-3 is a 10-band graphic equalizer introduced in 1982 as part of Kenwood's Basic series. It is slightly unusual because it also works as a normal preamplifier, with separate mode and effect selection. That dual role suggests Kenwood meant it as a hub for a Basic-series system. You could run sources through it with full tone shaping, or bypass the EQ entirely.

The specs on record are respectable for the era. Harmonic distortion is rated at 0.005%, signal-to-noise ratio at 101 dB, and frequency response covers 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The equalizer gives ±12 dB of boost/cut per band, with 6 dB of headroom at line level. It has two inputs and two outputs, with volume, balance, bass, and treble controls on board. A moving magnet/moving coil phono stage was available as an optional fitting, which fits the preamplifier role.

Beyond that, the record is thin. No original price, dimensions, or weight are documented, and no period reviews or user reception have survived in the sources available. One reference lists tuner bands (FM, MW), which is odd for an equalizer. It may reflect the specifications of a sibling Basic-series component, so treat it skeptically. Studio facilities of the era were typically equipped with multi-track tape recorders and noise reduction systems, as documented in The Mix (1979, p.64).

What is clear is that the SH-3 was a flexible component from a series Kenwood built to compete at the higher end of its domestic lineup.