Kenwood KA-3500 Integrated Amplifier. Restored, Repaired And Tested. One Of The All Around Best!

[@Music-Tech-Life]

I have had this amp since 1975. That's 48 years. I bought it at a place called Uncle Steve's on Canal St. in NYC. I have never had any problem with it. It still powers my Latge Advent Speakers. It survived a move from New York to Florida and even sat in a garage for a year. It sounds fantastic! A good example of the saying "They don't make things like they use to". Great review. Thanks.

[@iamtheuse6321]

Bought this unit new in 1979 with the matching tuner just had it serviced, sounds warm and as good as it did forty three years ago, plan to pair it up with a new set of KEF small towers and start enjoying it again. Thanks for the video it helps me know it wasn't just a bias of mine.

[@patrickdekok4083]

I bought this amp in 1977 new. By seeing your video, I'm going to start doing it too. I haven't used it for years, but stored well packaged, it still looks like new. Nice video that encouraged me to start this job.

[@chefbink61]

Oh a amp from the best time of Kenwood audio!! Any Kenwood from this age are all sweet sounding.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Couldn't agree more!

[@edysurya1036]

@@vintageaudioaddict s

[@joeycan6801]

Wow ! That was my first integrated amp, bought it in 1977 and just loved it !! Thank you Sir !! I just subscribed…….Keep them coming

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for the sub! I've had this KA-3500 sense the late 70's. Kenwood made some really good audio gear back in the day.

[@jked7463]

I recently bought a KA 7100. I was amazed at the level of clean detail, soundstage, depth, attack and sustain it produced. Better than some modern amps.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Kenwood made some great audio equipment. Congrats on owning your KA-7100!

[@jked7463]

@@vintageaudioaddict I was originally looking for a KA 7300 because of the pre outs and amp ins. But since they are difficult to repair because of the amp module they used and someone else said he added pre out/amp in jacks, I got the 7100. My local repair shop won't alter the amp. I am looking for someone who will. Any ideas?

[@paulschumacher1263]

I have had--actually, still have--two of these. One I bought new for my sister in 1976. When she died in 2004I inherited it. The second I bought refurbished about 10 years ago. Both have been played incessantly, and still sound great!

[@vintageaudioaddict]

I'm sorry about your loss but thank you for sharing your story. I always try to find out as much history as possible of the equipment that I obtain.

[@mattsmith2992]

I have a Ka 6600 receiver that was found at a hope chest. Mint. Had it refreshed and is a daily driver in my garage. Absolutely love it !

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing.

[@AudioElectronicsChicago]

another good looking vintage amplifier brought back to life

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Sure is!

[@Harkhoruschannel]

Great video, I have the KA3500 since 1977 and it is still fully functional! The only problem I ever had was in the potentiometers, which they had oddized, for the rest 44 years of quality.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for the kind words. I always liked Kenwood equipment. Kenwood made some great gear but sometimes they are forgotten when talking about the history of vintage audio.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

Thanks so much for all the Videos , I been an audphile for 33 years !!! I have owned more amps than any other gear to me the amp is the foundation of a system ! Would love to restore my Yamaha C.A. 810 a lil 28 pounder but having to work 7 days a week , hate that i work so much want to re-service the C.A. 810 for Zero fidelity as a gift for all Sean has done for me thanks VAA !

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks so much man. I appreciate you watching.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

@@vintageaudioaddict Thank you i have learned alot from your channel Looks like your from Fla 😃 Most of my family lives in Saint Petersburg

[@user-mk8lw1bh4e]

Excellent all your videos, for those who like vintage hifi. Even if you're a layman in electronics, it's a pleasure to watch them and enjoy their expert knowledge. After watching your Kenwood KA 5002 and 3500 videos, because I have a Kenwood KA 2500, which I love for its sweet, true analogue sound, so I would love to see a video about it you made! Who knows one day??? Thanks

[@juliocubias9600]

Great video, nice to see some hands on replacing parts footage, this series of Kenwoods from the mid 70's are built like a tank, hefty face plates and engravings and superb machined knobs, that level of craftsmanship these days would cost a fortune. I have the big brother, KA 9100, dual mono topology, has been completely restored, all parts, only the outputs are the originals TA-U100WA, it has been powder coated, looks beautiful and sounds great, rated at 90 wpc but bench tested ver 120 wpc without clipping.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for watching and also for sharing. Your KA-9100 is a really nice piece of equipment.

[@arloucantela5978]

The amp was built like rail train with steam engine knobs.

[@albertogamiz]

I used to own this masterpiece, it was pure beauty….loved it so much, traded it for a Pioneer receiver, in order to get FM radio, i miss it …

[@Music-Tech-Life]

Trading it in for a receiver was a mistake. Hope they had great FM Radio where you live. These days I never even listen to radio at all.

[@chrisvassos9929]

My ka3500 makes a loud cracking noise when turned on. I’m about to try diagnose and restore it. This video was very helpful. Thank you

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Glad it helped. Good luck getting her going.

[@YUHJKT]

Good video. Yes, 40 watts per channel is more than enough for 90% of listeners.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Absolutely!

[@jefffedele5002]

Growing up Ithe family had KA9100....I am looking for another one...was a great sounding unit

[@27mondo]

Found one at a thrift shop in Rupert, Idaho about six years ago. For $7.50! Still going strong.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Nice Find!

[@danashay]

Wow. That was very interesting. Literate, concise, very fine edit. Gonna do this again!

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks! I have a new appreciation for video editing sense I've been on KZbin. Man, a few minutes of finished video can take several hours of work. I do have several different video's on my channel. Check it out when you can.

[@wissamvision]

I own one, love its sound and the accessible maintenance. Sharing my latest servicing experience: I've had volume drops on input (it would react and drop to loud parts or drum hits). Turned out the 2x large black capacitors were dying and they got swapped. They're input caps if I remember correctly. The technician told me caps of this dimension and rating a little less common to find than before

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks so much for sharing and for watching.

[@petedazer3381]

I just bought that same desoldering gun. What a time saver

[@vintageaudioaddict]

That's great! You will love it.

[@Ogsonofgroo]

One of the first amps I ever had, great little units, have a KA 5500 and a KA-9100 that one day I'd like to get rebuilt, love the old Kenwood gear!

[@311kam]

I have this amp. It sort of works but it needs to be worked on. Wish I could find someone to do it!

[@vintageaudioaddict]

She's pretty basic but does the job and sounds good. I hope that you can get yours fixed up.

[@sailguy2010]

Great video. Thank you for show casing an amp I have! Cool!

[@vintageaudioaddict]

You bet! Thank you for watching!

[@drums5434]

How do these sound and compare to a Marantz 1060. I have been very happy with my 1060 but I have a chance to purchase one of these Kenwood KA3500’s locally. Thanks,

[@stevemasonwilder9]

Nice to see how easy it is to get to each of the boards. It would have been much more helpful to see how you tested the bias and how you found the bad transistor rather than just showing capacitor replacement.

[@sirtainlee8725]

Agreed. I would prefer to see more details. To see the how as well as the what.

[@YT32-16branch]

I want I want I want. Memememe

[@maxpower78-15]

Buddy, i found this unit along with a KT5300 Tuner for a fair price. It has been gone through and functions as it should. It really is a great performer and sounds better than I anticipated even after this video

[@wiebl5266]

Love the work you do, wish I had your skills and retire with these skills! Thank you for doing these videos.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

You are very welcome. Thank you so much for your kind words.

[@wiebl5266]

@@vintageaudioaddict it's a pity that you do not sell the items that you repair

[@aussie8114]

Another great video 👍🏼 I had a Kenwood system some years ago. Pre amp and seperate 200 watt power amp. Sadly I blew it up while annoying the neighbours with some Metallica cranked up to 11 💥

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for watching! Oh no! Go find those Kenwood's and get them going again. I know that's probably not possible.

[@briang530]

Just picked one of these up and love it. It's nowhere near the old Yammy CA-810 overall or on the spec sheet, and probably loses some points to the A-450 in a few fields. That said it's an absolute bargain, and does exactly what you need but nothing you don't. I got rid of a basket case A-450 for the KA, and couldn't be happier. 10 extra watts per channel is useful for my setup and I don't especially need 10 to 60k kHz. Or the additional outputs or inputs or lighted buttons. DACs, and pre-amps are a thing afterall. Also I can't really hear anything over 16k Hz and the system it's on can't produce anything lower than 37hz. It actually sounds way better running DAC/streamer to KA to speakers than my previous AV integrated set-ups running through the matantz 5004 reciever or a Denon 587

[@richsmith9063]

I had one of these from the late 1970's thru the mid 80's. The rest of the system was the large Advents speakers (utility cabinets), a Pioneer tuner & a BIC turntable. It was a good 1st system but I wish it had 60 or 80 Watts per Channel.

[@Bunno1177]

Thank you. I have recently built a First Watt F6 clone from DIY audio store and now bought a Kenwood KA 4004 which I am trying to fix. There is a little noise in the left channel which I believe is a transistor. This model uses 2 types of transistors that are known to be noisy. I will also recap like in your vids too. Thank you

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Your welcome and thank you for watching. Good luck with your KA-4004!

[@dawsonian2000]

As with you and others, this was also my first amp! I purchased it in 1977. I still have it, but it is now in need of service. Though I am not an electrician, I do enjoy working on my own devices. I also have the service manual, but it would be great if I had the list of the electrolytic capacitors for this amp, it would be helpful. I see that Mouser and DigiKey are a couple of places that sell the capacitors, but you need to know quite a bit of detail outside the microfarad and voltage values to select the correct ones on their websites. So it would be great if you could provide a list.

[@tomhamilton6377]

The timing for this is intriguing as I was just replying to a craigslist posting for the ka3500 (upgraded) plus the matching tuner and tape deck for $300. Seemed like a pretty good deal. He told me the names of the shops that did the upgrade work but I haven't asked if he has the receipts.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

If you pick up the KA-3500 I think you will enjoy it.

[@Survivalgearlists]

Can you do a video to explain how to use the service manual to order all the parts to recap this KA-3500? I have one that I need to repair and just not sure what to order. Thanks.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for watching and for the suggestion. That's a good idea. To help you now, the best way to order parts for a restoration is to see what's in your unit. Many times there were different production runs over the years and sometimes part values would change.

[@ItsaRomethingeveryday]

Love these style amplifiers, my 8500 series 2 works perfectly, and it's never been servicd or restored,

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for sharing. There are so many vintage audio brands/models that are still operating well today. Electronics equipment was made to last when your 8500 was manufactured.

[@ejk58]

I have one and just love the piece. Perfect for my vinyl collection. I do want to clean up the pots with some D5. Do I need to remove the faceplate for access or can I just take off the cover and get to them? And you are spot on. If anyone is thinking about getting into/back into vintage audio, this is a fantastic amp to get you started.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for sharing. I'm not sure if you can access the pots/switches well without the faceplate off. I always remove the faceplates as I replace the ageing electrolytic capacitors so with me the faceplate always comes off.. Maybe someone else here that has cleaned their KA-3500 pots/switches with the faceplate on could chime in.

[@raykotterer2977]

Hello, l have a the same amp but needs to be rebuilt can you do it ?

[@cvb6089]

🤔 I still use my Kenwood kr v8020 receiver from 1990 in my study. Still works flawless...

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for sharing.

[@alacpe]

I got the LS-P9300 with this amp . It sounds nice

[@mysteryjesus]

My Uncle had one of these when I was a kid. It sounded beautiful when playing any kind of music and we played it loud back then. I would have liked to see how you fixed the transistor.

[@seb250cr]

I have a Kenwood KA 4004 . Is it as good as yours ? I'm asking because it doesn't work anymore. It lights up but there's no sound coming to my speakers. Any help ?

[@vintageaudioaddict]

The KA-4004 is a fine unit. Your problem could be a number of issues. You may need to find a technician in your area to take a look at it.

[@whiznot3028]

I own a lightning-damaged Kenwood KA9100 that I've stored for the last 28 years. I have no idea whether that unit could be restored. I used to value that amp highly.

[@TheAudioAndroid]

Great video.!! The hands on documentation and the guidance through the work is just excellent. Love your videos, wonderful to watch.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thank you so much for your kind words.

[@hugobloemers4425]

I like Kenwood for vintage audio. They are much underrated so prices are good. Compare that with Marantz, arguably better but just to prove that the law of diminishing return definitely applies as well to vintage audio.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Yes, Kenwood made some great gear as did many others.

[@micheltremblay4774]

I just bought a Marantz MR1130 and I am sure that any Kenwood and Marantz amp would be pretty even on test results, both being amps built to deliver high amp output even in their lowest models. I use Basics M1 and M2 in my system and the Sygma Drive makes fun of the competition by being able to output more amps in a cleaner signal. Mines drive Celestion Ditton 66 Seriess II on Speaker A and Altec Lansing Model 14 on Speaker B. The 220 W/ch is a joke, it easily output 300+ W/ch in 8 Ohms and 400+ W/ch into 4 Ohms. They even can drive as low as 2 Ohms without a sweat.

[@maxpower78-15]

Love the look of thee kenwood units. I have an opportunity to get a nice KA 5700. Not sure if im gonna pull the trigger

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Kenwood made some great audio products back in the day. I'm sure if you end up getting the KA-5700 you would be happy with it.

[@maxpower78-15]

@@vintageaudioaddict as always, i always appreciate these videos.

[@mikeeygauthier2959]

The FUSE …. I suggest upgrading to the Synergistic Orange. You won’t believe the difference in performance. Actually upgrading the fuses in all your vintage collection! Or at least use a contact enhancer like deoxit gold. Love your videos, thank you.

[@solitaire5142]

Expectational bias..

[@Tonytheman214]

I pick up one of these units a year ago for 50$ and it powers my Polk audio SDA 2 just fine and my Polk's require a minimum of 125 watts just to get them going and my carver receiver can't even push these polks even though it's rated at 140watts per channel

[@vivianvaldi7871]

I'm going a bit out of vintage here. Do you have any knowledge about transformer normal running temps ? I switched power cables with a 3150 NAD. This one has 2 transformers. Long run short, with set 1, bi cable for each AC polarity, they went up like 60°Celsius at idle. Couldn't touch them for more than a sec. Set 2 : mono cable, but twice the length of set 1, temp went down, they were almost cold. The set 1 sounded pretty dense and energetic, with an unbelievable rich sound, like opposite of gray, so colorful. The set 2 had a very big soundstage effect, but colors almost gone. I was not that confident with having both transformers at 60, but damn the sound was so good, I'm curious about it. Btw any clue what's happening here ?

[@vintageaudioaddict]

I really don't other then transformers of all types do get warm but I can't say I've ever had one I couldn't rest my hand on for a period of time. I've never worked on a NAD 3150 but obviously from what you wrote it certainly has something to do with the two different wiring schemes that you used. Maybe someone here smarter then I am can give you an answer.

[@vivianvaldi7871]

@@vintageaudioaddict Thx a lot VAA. Yep so strange. Such strange effect, but so cool for the 3150 sound. I should ask some electro guy for that.

[@davecarr5892]

Great video. What is your opinion of the KA3700 vs the 3500?

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks! The 3700 is every bit as good as the 3500. Kenwood made some really good audio gear in the 60's and 70's.

[@scottwhite2757]

Beautiful Amp love it..

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thank you kindly!

[@Roger-eh7ez]

I had one in the 70's. Great amp. Does anyone know what the comparable tuner was that went with this amp?

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Maybe the KT-5300?

[@devins1195]

I picked up some Pioneer CS A700 speakers for their Beauty and one of these amps because I figured I might as well make them work. Nothing is working using a Bluetooth input device. I’m new to this, and now I have equipment that doesn’t work, can’t sell, and I’m not sure is worth fixing.

[@micheltremblay4774]

I always loved the Kenwood products. I owned a few models during the 70's to the 90's. I still have A Kenwood Basic M2 and M1 and a KT-89 tuner. Yesterday I bought a Marantz MR1130 that will be my first project recapping a unit. Where would be the place to get the schematics?

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for sharing. You have some really nice Kenwood gear. hifiengine.com is the place to look for service manuals, schematics, etc.

[@micheltremblay4774]

@@vintageaudioaddict Thanks, will check there first. I was selling high end system in the 80's spare time for a friend's electronics store and I had some great deals. I used a T1-C1-M1 and M2 to demo along expensive gears and the M2 with Sygma Drive hooked up was clean and with tight bass not always found in much more expensive amps and power amps. I bought the system I was demoing with because then the M2A had replaced the M2. I also bought a TEAC X-1000RBL and a Nakamichi Dragon more because the price was lower by 40% to 50% than from a need.

[@tomaszstal]

what about the KA 5500?

[@EmilioGarcia-fr5po]

Hey buddy nice job. I found one at pawnshop years ago, didn't use it then set it up put a speaker on it and it sizzles the speaker. What would cause that? New at this ,is it fixable? Help thanks

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks, well your issue sounds like a high DC voltage was going directly to the speaker and damaged it. If you have a multimeter set it to DC volts and measure at the speaker outputs. You shouldn't have more then a few millivolts. You probably have several volts. DO NOT HOOK UP ANOTHER PAIR OF SPEAKERS until you figure out the issue. Yes, it is most likely fixable.

[@EmilioGarcia-fr5po]

@@vintageaudioaddict thanks for answering back, what would you say is the problem though cause you worked on the same audio just a educated guess maybe

[@steveoszman8746]

Have the later KA 55 had a bad output transistor when I bought it. Repaired it has not been in the least troublesome. The biggest difference the earlier units have better switches.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for sharing.

[@RanTausi]

I enjoyed your video ,good job. have you restored ADCOM amp ?

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks, Yes I have. I have a couple 5802's. Both were broken. One now powers up fine. The other one I'm still not sure what the issue is.

[@RanTausi]

@@vintageaudioaddict wow they are a beast , I have the GFA545 mk2 which I have put back to thd box it is still original but sounds sweet. The reason for I pack it to the box is that I aquired new never been used in its original box GFA 555mk2 , the seller from Philadelphia had two of them brand new kept in his closet for more then 20 years. It is an awesom amp , right now it sound sweet and i am not going to touch or replace any of the electrolitic caps. Sure i have checked the bias according to the service manual. keep up your good job!

[@GVernon]

Your videos are awesome!!! Do you accept shipped components for restoration? I have a 1972 Sherwood receiver that needs work. Thanks.

[@waltkosch]

Great job!

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@VortekShow]

Can you recommend me a couple of vintage amplifiers to look for below 250-300$?

[@vintageaudioaddict]

There are so many good vintage brands and models it's hard to tell you which to look for. Pioneer, Marantz, Sansui and others will serve you well. This Kenwood KA-3500 is a great choice. One thing is if you are in the USA craigslist will get you more for your money then eBay but eBay has more choices. Craigslist you just have to keep digging day after day to find what you want at the price you want to pay. Good Luck!

[@MrDoneboy]

Just curious, but why would you ever need a balance control, on a two channel audio system??

[@vintageaudioaddict]

If you are not sitting exactly centered between the speakers you could use the balance control to compensate.

[@reprieve53]

I had one. Great amp for sure. Wish i hadn't sold it

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for sharing.

[@sorinpopescu2755]

Thank you for another great video! Did you service the output transistors as you usually do by replacing the thermal gasket?

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Your welcome. No, I didn't reseat the output transistors. I had to order new filter capacitors for the KA-3500 and when I receive them I'll do the output transistor service. Thanks for your question and for watching.

[@ssks1979]

Just wondering -- did you test any of those capacitors you changed to get a feel as to how they aged ? Also wondering if you changed or upgraded the power supply filter caps since I don't recall you mentioning them?

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for your questions. I don't test the old capacitors. Being 45 years it's time to replace all of the electrolytic capacitors. Yes, I'm replacing the filter capacitors, I have them on order. If you get the chance take a look at this video that I did. It talks about what the manufactures of the capacitors and what they say about their own products. No opinions, just what the experts say. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJK6o4yAa8agmaM

[@ssks1979]

@@vintageaudioaddict Hi, I just watched your linked video and I do agree that calendar time and probable usage over the years warrants the effort to doing the restoration properly. Thanks, carry on, and stay safe!

[@Redmonsterracing]

My first real amp back in 1976! One question...the biggest issues with these amps seemed to be the source selector switches. They would lose their interlock ability so that it would become tough to get them to engage and release the prior. I had this issue on my original and then decades later bought another one and sure enough it had the issue. I tried in vain to take them apart and clean but had no luck. Have you had any success repairing these interlocked selectors?

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for the question but I've never had an issue with this particular KA-3500 so I have never tried to work on the switches. I'm assuming you have tried to clean the switches with Deoxit. Maybe someone else here can give you some info.

[@wakjob961]

Ever replace an electrolytic with a film cap where polarization isn't necessary and the uF value wasn't too large?

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Yes, I do it often.

[@billd9667]

0.2 THD was pretty high in that era. My 1972 Sansui 200 was 1%, but it was 6w RMS and older

[@vintageaudioaddict]

It's interesting my modern Peachtree Nova300 integrated amplifier is rated at 1% THD.

[@billd9667]

@@vintageaudioaddict yes, and probably at 1kHz only. They don’t rate THD at full bandwidth anymore. Also, no one specifies IMD. It’s hard to know what you’re getting these days unless you buy McIntosh. They have stuck to the old ratings

[@subramaniamchandrasekar1397]

Which this guy and that guy you want to take out and which guy you want to put aside?

[@idiamin6311]

Hello my frind , you must resoldering and recap all parts of the receiver......or amp i have this make on a sony TA-F-530 ES and he works brilliant.....also by preamp transistor change....also wish the best from zürich switzerland ........sorry for bad language.....we spoke GERMAN...und tschüss

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for sharing. Your English was good and cheers from the USA.

[@jeffwalther]

My first good amp was the Kenwood KA-305. No idea what I did with it.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

My first thought is that you probably lost it during a late night session of "Dark Side Of The Moon" LOL

[@jeffwalther]

@@vintageaudioaddict Led Zeppelin through BIC Venture Formula 4 speakers. Friends coming over said they could hear it from down the street.

[@chrissmith2009]

I have an old kenwood 89 I picked up for free from what I've seen its 125 per channel. Whatever the power it drives the shit outta my cerwin vega sl28s I mean will rattle my house just over 1/4 volume clean crisp and bass you can feel

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing.

[@robertdavis5714]

Very good point with the screws, you run into a obstacle and remove something else, and before you know it and if not paying attention, this screw goes where..................Wish you would have spent a little more time in your deduction of that bad resistor. Really..............only $160 retail back in the day.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks a lot for watching and commenting.

[@MrScaramoosh]

Audiolab 8000a, nothing gets close.

[@mrmctiller3132]

Hey there! I was wondering if you would be interested in restoring my old Heathkit AA-21 Stereo amplifier. I wasn't sure if I should email you directly to ask this, so if you are interested, please let me know and I'll email you for more information.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for asking but I only work on the equipment in my personal collection. I'm just a hobbyist not a professional.

[@mrmctiller3132]

@@vintageaudioaddict no worries!

[@suhananaaz6335]

Wath rs

[@Daniel-gm3ip]

amp don`t work help

[@suhananaaz6335]

Indian Rs