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How do you guys feel about Matching components...

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Posted on May 9, 2012 at 08:17:43
Raymond Leggs
Audiophile

Posts: 429
Joined: November 25, 2007
 for sentimental reasons....

I always wanted a BIG black kenwood system.... I used to see them at furnature stores when I was like 6 or 7 I got a Black kenwood receiver from around the same time period, and I plan on adding some more kenwood components. They seem to be pretty common..

Pawn shoppes especially this one I go to by the railroad tracks near where my cousin used to live has a TON of old stereo gear in there

they have mostly kenwood and technics stuff.. and a several pairs of speakers so big that you can bury me in them!

I once cane a cross a pair of used kenwood towers that were taller than i am the woofer surround and cone was so thick that if you touched it while it was moving it would probably break your finger.. LOL

 

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I'm against it!, posted on May 9, 2012 at 09:10:55
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 9028
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 Just kidding!

Kenwood had some well built Kabuki speakers that have some nice drivers in them. I see them in the thrift stores occasionally. They usually go for cheap. Refresh the capacitors and I think you get surprisingly good sound.

If you into vinyl, Kenwood had some very good turntables. There fax-marble plinth one are the best and the most sought after, but there are others that are also very nice. The arms can also be very good. Some are made by Lustre The receivers are good, but you can do even better with their integrated amps and separates. Kenwood made some of the best tuners out there.

Happy hunting!

Dave

 

RE: How do you guys feel about Matching components..., posted on May 9, 2012 at 10:34:18
Jeffrey88
Audiophile

Posts: 21
Joined: May 8, 2012
 Personally I like the idea of matching components. You would think that because they all come from the same company they would all work better together. Of course I think the compromise however is one company trying to do everything well, and ends up only doing each thing somewhat well.

But, with Kenwood I believe there is an exception to be made because they designed many different types of audio components and did it well. I agree about the looks too, I love the look of a system that is "synchronized". Luckily though a lot of vintage equipment was designed with that in mind, as I find most of the equipment has similar accents and styling. For example my current system (which is posted in my profile) all have nice wooden accents and cabinets, and even look similar together. The turntable is mostly silver with wooden edges and then my receiver has a nice silver face with wooden sides. The speakers are made with nice wooden teak cabinets and match with everything else I have.

The next step is to make the stand they are on match in terms of color, but that's easy!

So in short, I think it's a good idea but you have to be picky about which components you decide to go with since it's easy to get something that looks great but doesn't sound so great.

 

RE:I'm pretty good at matching wood stains...., posted on May 9, 2012 at 10:45:57
BigguyinATL
Manufacturer

Posts: 2232
Joined: April 10, 2002
 So my Thorens 125 plinth matches the wooden box I made for my Advent 300 receiver.
Three most important things in Audio reproduction: Keep the noise levels low, the power high and the room diffuse.

 

RE:I'm pretty good at matching wood stains...., posted on May 9, 2012 at 11:01:18
Raymond Leggs
Audiophile

Posts: 429
Joined: November 25, 2007
 I was 6 or 7 in the 90's so the Kenwood equipment I will add with the receiver will be from the same period. I was thinking a CD player and a cassette deck.

I dont care what brand the TT is....

 

RE: How do you guys feel about Matching components..., posted on May 9, 2012 at 13:22:36
Bold Eagle
Audiophile

Posts: 6514
Location: America's Heartland
Joined: May 27, 2001
Contributor
  Since: July 17, 2003
 I'm not into components that necessarily match in terms of brand, style, cosmetics, etc. I'm far more into getting things to match functionally. At one point, I had an all-Onkyo system of electronics; but not the speakers. I have to admit it all looked pretty cool stacked up in a cabinet; but I later found components of other brands that sounded better with my speakers.

Jerry

 

90's Kenwood? , posted on May 9, 2012 at 17:29:25
Tromatic
Audiophile

Posts: 2427
Location: Portland
Joined: July 27, 2000
 BPC? Go for late 70's, early 80's Kenwood.

 

not into matching...., posted on May 9, 2012 at 21:02:10
dadbar
Audiophile

Posts: 1375
Location: 02453
Joined: June 29, 2003
Contributor
  Since: March 25, 2006
 The fun about older vintage stuff is that it all looked so cool and different.

Nowadays everything looks the same.....unexciting knobless boring black and silver blech.

 

I match faceplate color, posted on May 10, 2012 at 12:55:55
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 17636
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 Black works fine.

 

RE: How do you guys feel about Matching components..., posted on May 10, 2012 at 15:00:26
Brian Levy
Audiophile

Posts: 1703
Location: Toronto
Joined: June 5, 2000
 I many times will pick up individual pieces that over time become matched but, generally not a particulr criteria unless for other reasons such as colletor status or looking to test or juat having a hankering. Black vs silver or mixing the colors virtually do not weigh in unless closely matched perfomeance wise and hence a toss up. I have no problem mating a Sony to a Yamaha or a Philips to a McIntosh provided there is synergy or the mismatch ends up better than other mating.

I do have matching Sherwood early SS, Fisher early SS, Yamaha, and, a set of later Sony pairing besides the Philips Lab Series and over the years a number of other mated pairings.
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada

 

I used to despise matching components...., posted on May 12, 2012 at 13:25:34
woodyjeff
Audiophile

Posts: 668
Location: S,East US
Joined: December 22, 2003
 That is until I found a complete component rack at a local Salvation Army thrift shop. Sansui BA-3000 --Sansui CA-3000 -- Tu-717 -- SR-929 -- RA-500 -- SP4500 speakers. All for $59. Gave the reverb amp and speakers to my son and I am still using the rest. Love matching components.

 

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