Kenwood L-08C Pre-amplifier Review (Vintage Audio, QuirkAudio restored)

[375HP2482]

I use tape outs for testing as they are prior to the the volume, balance, filter, tone and line stages. Otherwise the results would be worse.

I have an old Kenwood KR-6030 100-watt/pc receiver from the early 80s. I was using it for my desktop system, but the Tape Out/In switches are too far gone despite repeated attempts to clean/recondition them. I was going to just short them out but took the lazy man's route and swapped out the Kenwood for an Aiyima A07. No difference in sound.

 

[AndreaT]

Yes they were. Maybe it's possible to hear a tone in the tape hiss I missed in hindsight, but I guarantee you I didn't miss any of the music they intended me to hear.

The music recorded in those days was recorded to sound best in small transistor radios, so they pumped the bass and treble. Inaccurate equipment gets you closer to the "intent" of the music producer.

Don't they do the same thing today? Record music so it sounds best with non neutral playback? Pretty sure they do.

It depends on what Music you buy

 

[restorer-john]

I had an original Technics 270 something dbx, it might have been the acid, but I could swear I heard it pumping the music. Freaked me the f out.

Didn't need acid to hear pumping in the quietest bits. dbx was amazing, but sometimes, on particular music it was quite unsettling. I imagine it would have much worse on acid...