Pilot The KT-9900 usually sells for slightly more than KT-8300s on eBay, $160-300 or higher, with a high of $449 in 2/13. I've corresponded with a few 815 owners and the lower mid-range appears to be what varies most. The FM-only KT-3300D tunes in increments of .05 MHz and has 16 presets, multipath output jacks and a recording calibration switch. Marketing materials referenced an "advanced active reception circuit" to react to adjacent-channel interference, a defeatable circuit that we assume automatically chooses the optimal settings for all of the above functions. If I owned this work of art, I would replace all the steel screws with brass screws and change out the resistors with steel end caps in the audio stage, put in new audio caps, sit down and listen to music. The only problem with the GAXX series is the high insertion loss (~12 dB). If you track one down you are rewarded with an ergonomically pleasing layout. Appears to be a very nice design, at least from a distance. Sony One of the L-02T's nice features is a signal strength meter that reads from 0 to 100 dB. Its tuning range goes down to an unusually low 87.4, allowing one to tune in the audio portion of TV channel 6 (at 87.75) or pirate stations transmitting below the normal FM band. And I don't know if all 5020s are like this one, but in it I can hear absolutely no difference in audio quality between the Wide and Narrow modes. I live in a not very difficult area, but neither it's a feast of reception. Our panelist Bob provides a further technical analysis: "The Metric has LC 'can' filters. Denon It's within shouting distance of the T-85 and TX-1000, although the reception is not totally consistent. As usual, several capacitors and op-amps in the audio path should be replaced and the path simplified or shortened. It is a very nice tuner and I suspect that it has significant potential for improvement." Our contributor Stephan reports that two "MX" ceramic filters (250 kHz GDT) are used in Wide mode and two "J" filters (150 kHz) are added for Narrow. The board of discrete MPX stuff in the KT-8005 has a much higher drift rate over a long time, whereas the chip in the KT-8007 basically never needs alignment." Kenwood KT-7550 (1978, photo, service manual, schematic, PC board) search eBay E #00800001 through E #00800071, had a substantially better second oscillator/mixer that performed significantly better than the one in the other version of the tuner. Don's List Lab Bear in mind that the 8007's little brother, the KT-6007 (see above), is a bargain at lower prices. The only problem with the GAXX series is the high insertion loss (~12 dB). search eBay The wide IF filter is a 230 kHz MM followed by a 280 kHz ML, with a pair of 150 kHz MZ2s added in Narrow mode. Kenwood L-02T (1982, $3,000/orig $1,800, photo1, photo2, inside, front AGC, Hi-Fi News review, detailed specs, detector/MPX scheme: active IF, PLL detector, first order sample and hold, MPX PLL generated 38k with TR7040 chip) The button is there on all of the units, but I do not know what it does if you did not purchase/install the Dolby option. Please note that I have never seen this thing in the flesh. In our FMtuners group, our contributor Ryan C. tells how audiophile mods transformed his KT-8300. The fixed output uses two 4.7 K ohm series resistors to reduce the audio level. Both tuners fall just a touch (ever so slightly) short of the original CD's HF extension, but both tuners impart an open, free soundstage - not at all veiled nor rolled-off. Variable Output adjustment, Muting/Lock, Mode switch and Wide/Narrow IF complete the front panel. The NAT 05 is the best tuner I have ever heard, still, but one must have a good signal. Our contributor Mark R. provides this review: "The NAD 4300 FM/AM tuner was part of NAD's top-end Monitor Series line in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Marketing materials referenced an "advanced active reception circuit" to react to adjacent-channel interference, a defeatable circuit that we assume automatically chooses the optimal settings for all of the above functions. Good luck. "1. Here's a photo of the inside of the L-07T. Nor do I like these attributes on any of the Kenwoods (I believe that these characteristics combined with AF design and pulse count detector problems account for why the Kenwoods are not better than they are stock). It has 4 FM gangs, one IF bandwidth, 2 ceramic filters (though one is a double), and the darndest 'tour de force' audio stages I've yet seen. I cannot decide which is more true/correct, whether the KT-6040 is exaggerating or the T-85 is 'shy.'" It uses a PLL detector like the KT-990D, KT-5020, and L-02T, and the HA11223 MPX chip. The attack control uses envelope-followers to reduce or boost the detuning when an attack is detected. Our panelist Jim took a peek inside: "Inside the box, we find a toroidal power transformer, no less than 22 Black Gates, and two large Nichicon power supply caps marked Great Supply. Having said all that, once either finds another station, the other will tune right into to it, and usually not much difference, other than the quality of the 'soundstage,' imaging, or whatever that depth quality is called. The MPX stage uses an unidentified chip, which directly drives a block identified as the 'MPX' filter, followed by an op-amp stage. search eBay Suffice it to say that stunned hardly describes my reaction. For a non-modified unit, the audio is smooth and 3-dimensional with promising low-level resolution, but compared to my modified KT-917, there is some treble smearing, most likely due to the less than optimum capacitors in the audio path and phase shift from the low-pass filters. Our DIY Mods page has more of Peter's suggested mods. This thing sounds great. Our contributor George T. says, "The DA-F30's chassis is about as flimsy as I have ever seen, but it received real well with a folded dipole. It's useful to be able to detune slightly when a desired weak station is adjacent to a strong local. KT-3050 - 2nd -48 dB, 3rd KT-5020 - 2nd -64 dB, 3rd Stereo Separation Kenwood KT-800 (1981, $275, open, closed) There are a ton of NAD tuners on eBay and many of them sell for under $100, so those who want one need not overpay. Not great 'for a digital' but just plain great. I modified the tuning-meter driver so that minimum distortion occurs in narrow when center tuned and in wide when tuned to the leftmost edge of the center tuning segment." Tuning and Stereo/Mono Modes Nothing helped with these simple attempts. A note on the power supply: Only the European 'E' and the UK 'T' models appear to have used a primary-side fuse in the power supply (for 220V: T63mA). The FM RF stage is enclosed in a walnut-sized box and though the spec sheet claims 0.95 V sensitivity, the actual performance does what the contents would suggest. 1 ADSR for each Generator and one global. The KT-917's front-panel controls are identical to those of the 600T, which led some bygone internet commentators to assume erroneously that the differences between the tuners are merely cosmetic, but the KT-917 is somewhat larger and has very different circuitry inside. RF signal level - numeric, 1-7/5 LED bars to indicate level The unit is big and heavy, and its footprint is a bit larger than the 600T's. so as to be close in both 50 S and 75 S markets. Our contributor Jeff R. did a shootout: "After a few months, we have decided that our KT-9900 is a better-sounding tuner, by a slim margin, than our Sansui TU-717 in our system. I don't like the L-02T's construction, layout or shielding practices at all! search eBay To eliminate any chance of supply-related troubles, both 'true' and 'not' outputs of the 96S02 were OR'd in a buffer to give a differential output into a linear phase differential 76 kHz filter. (1987, front, back, with amp and rack handles) search eBay Revox B260-S (1989, $2,500) search eBay See detailed specs and measurements for the L-10001T compared to those of 17 other top tuners in David "A"'s tuner comparison spreadsheet. Our contributors Tim and Ann add: "We've listened to the Quad FM3, FM4 and FM5 (not side-by-side in any kind of shootout, it was casual listening) and would summarize our impression as nice sound {but not the absolute best}, poor sensitivity, and below-average to average selectivity. The KT-5500 usually sells for $20-40 on eBay, but more is possible for mint ones and in bizarre bidding wars (like when two guys ran one up to $162 in 2/16). 's website.The KT-8300 usually sells for $150-250 on eBay, but around $120 and over $300 are both possible. I can't recommend it to any of our readers." "The tuner has a cute graphical IF bandwidth display. Restek All of those other tuners were produced after the venerable ST-9038. Suffice it to say that stunned hardly describes my reaction. On the back panel, the KT-7001 has one set of RCA jacks for an oscilloscope and another pair to connect a tape deck (we haven't checked the back panel of a KT-7000). and Windows (Vista, 7, 8.1 and 10) or Mac OS X. VST3 compatible DAW hosting software in Windows. If this is too confusing or doesn't make sense, check back with questions." Tuning and Stereo/Mono Modes The variable output comes from a 10 K ohm potentiometer." The sound is pretty good, stock, with better-than-average bass and a good midrange, but more than necessary sibilance in the highs." Our contributor doug s. says, "I own one of the MKIIs. The KT-917's Stereo MPX circuit is a zero-order sample-and-hold. The KT-8007 has a 5-gang front end, 2 4-stage ceramic filters (equivalent to 4 modern 3-pin filters), and a discrete output stage that combine to make one of the best-sounding tuners around. But overall, Mike agrees that the 5000 "is one big tuner, with surprisingly little inside - not one to go out of your way to pick up." It has the classic Kenwood silver-faced styling (the "gun metal" gray-faced version of the KT-8300 is the KT-9900), a powerful front end with a 6-gang tuning capacitor, and the potential for top-quality sound after an alignment. It hasn't one thing to do with measuring anything objectively. Our panelist Jim shares lots more technical info and describes the KT-3300D's controls on our Shootouts page, where you can also see how one KT-3300D sounded in comparison to other top tuners. This tuner has one of the best soundstages I've heard. See our Kenwood brochures page for more about the KT-615. The KT-6040 is one of a very few tuners that use GaAs FETs, as do the Burmester 915 and Hitachi FT-5500MKII. It is VERY quiet, dynamic, with great bass and imaging - not to mention beautiful sound. search eBay Our contributor Joe did an alignment and some mods on his unit and reports, "After tuning across the entire FM band, I can now see why everyone says these can be excellent DX tuners. The center frequency of the surface acoustic wave filters used in wide is somewhat below 10.7 MHz. The DA-C20 has two IF bandwidths, using linear-phase LC filters in the wide IF bandwidth mode and ceramic filters in narrow mode, like the DA-F20. "The T-85 surprised me with clearly better reception ability than the KT-6040, mainly detectable as a better signal-to-noise on weak signals (both with and without blending). Our contributor Bill Ammons reports that the KT-7300 is a great tuner for weak-signal areas but not as good a performer where there are a number of strong signals. The IF IC is an LA1231 feeding an HA11223 MPX IC. A no-signal reading then was somewhere below 20 dB. Optonica ST-4406 (1981, $260) search eBay I can see why a number of people like it, but for audio I'll stick with the TU-X1 or F-26. The face is black with gold buttons and tuning knob, and all display information is in red. I don't like the L-02T's construction, layout or shielding practices at all! search eBay See the 600T vs. KT-917 page for Bob's quick comparison between the 600T and the KT-8300, and see our Kenwood brochures page for more about the KT-8300. So I guess this arrangement gives one the best of both worlds. Finally, two gangs are used in the local oscillator, which is buffered and also includes a touch switch-controlled varactor-tuned feedback stage from an IF IC, looking very similar to the KT-917's distortion reduction circuit. A description and great interior photos of extensive mods to a KT-8300 can be seen on our contributor Mike B. "One problem with all of the Kenwoods (and most tuners in general) is the shielding! The L-02T's midrange is more harmonically rich than the other Kenwoods', but is not as harmonically rich, vibrant or alive as the best tuners in this regard (TU-X1, F-26, etc.). They ultimately would both get to a similar quietness level." This creates one additional step for each new tuned station for those wanting to surf stereo stations via the Manual tuned mode. Much can be done to clean up the audio, like a better filter for the varicap control voltage, eliminating the "distortion canceling" circuit, and using better op-amps (including the feedback loop of the detector) and capacitors in the audio signal path. Our panelist Bob reports: "Wow, very different for a 1977 tuner. These could easily be upgraded to my fave OPA2604s, but I doubt it would help much. Bear in mind that the 8007's little brother, the KT-6007 (see above), is a bargain at lower prices. On the back panel, there are fixed and variable RCA outputs, scope outputs, a 75 S/25 S FM de-emphasis switch and a dimmer on/off switch. The narrow IF filter is needed for HD Radio stations to eliminate very audible HD Radio self-noise. Since we outed the KT-5020 as a top tuner, eBay sale prices have usually ranged from $225-375, give or take, but one sold for $710 in 4/06 when two lunatics ran the price up from $421. Appears to be a very nice design, at least from a distance. For looks alone I prefer the RHT10; it is one of the best-looking tuners ever made, in my opinion. The tuning encoder seems a bit wobbly, so I need to open it up and tighten things up before I throw it on eBay. I could easily discern individual instruments and their placement in the soundstage. Here's a photo of the inside of the L-07T. I finally can see why it's such a nice candidate for some mods." It is easy to rip out of the unit if this is desired. Our contributor Ed Hanlon remembers hearing about the L-1000T in 1991: "It ran very hot, and was basically a computer. That drives the fixed out jacks through 8.2K--12K dividers. Our contributor Greg reports: "My KT-3050 is the North American version -- it doesn't have selectable AC mains voltage nor de-emphasis. A small pulse generated by an analog circuit turns on the MOSFET switch for a very short period of time. Each TA7136P is followed by a decoupling cap, a reed relay muting switch and resistors to ground to provide the variable and fixed audio outputs. Especially impressive is the lack of grain in the mids and highs. search eBay (The silver version in our photo, taken from k-nisi's website, was sold only in Japan.) It has 4 gangs and wide and narrow IF bandwidths, and our panelist Bob likes it for reception capability and sound. Our contributor Thrassyvoulos praises the B260's "truly fabulous DX potential" but adds, "I have heard three B260s in different high-end systems. I attribute this in large part to the superbly linear IF strip that seems to pay good attention to group delay characteristics, and good ratio detector coupled with the HA11223W multiplex. With a simple audio and stereo signal chain, only a few audio modifications are possible: C132-133, change 1 F stock to 10 F, and C164-165, change 0.47 F stock to 10 F. The KT-8007 usually sells for $120-200 on eBay. Audio low-pass filters are Sallen-Key filters using op-amps, and not any LC filters. On the back panel, the KT-7001 has one set of RCA jacks for an oscilloscope and another pair to connect a tape deck (we haven't checked the back panel of a KT-7000). Instead of a chip, the MPX section consumes an entire board of discrete components. The unit is big and heavy, and its footprint is a bit larger than the 600T's. RHT10/RT-990BX That was made very clear in their operating manual linked above (highly recommended reading). The KT-5020 is an unassuming black digital tuner that, amazingly enough, has sound quality that many believe challenges that of the all-time best tuners. Here's a wider shot of the inside of the L-07TII. Some ICs include an LA3433, two LA1235s and three 5532s. The ST-7 was a pricey black digital tuner with Schotz noise reduction circuitry. Kenwood L-07T (1978, $625, photo1, photo2, detector/MPX scheme: quadrature detector, charge injection cancellation discrete MPX switches, MPX PLL generated 38k with HA1156 chip)