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The Equipment:
Kenwood KP-5022, a two-speed (33 and 45 rpm) single-play turntable-and-arm ensemble with automatic options; supplied with integral base and hinged dust cover. Dimensions: 19 by 13 3/8 inches (base); 6 1/2 inches high with dust cover closed, approximately 16 inches with cover fully open. Price: $319.95. Warranty: one year parts and labor. Manufacturer: Trio Electronics, Japan; U.S. distributor: Kenwood Electronics, Inc., 15777 S. Broadway, Gardena, Calif. 90248.
Comment: Kenwood, known up to now mainly for electronic components, recently introduced its own line of turntables, of which the KP-5022 is the top model. In keeping with a recent design trend, it is a direct-drive type (no gears, belts, or idlers) powered by a DC motor that is servo-controlled to assure true and constant speed. An additional performance gain associated with this type of design is of course reduced operating noise; in CBS Laboratories' tests, the KP-5022 proved to be among the quietest-running turntables, with an ARLL rumble figure well down at-63 dB. This figure, by the way, is better than published specification for the unit.
The wow and flutter claim of "less than 0.05%" also was verified in tests that showed this measurement as 0.04% average and 0.07% peak (ANSI. IEEE weighting method).
Speed proved to be absolutely accurate at both 33 and 45 rpm settings regardless of line-voltage changes.
The built-in fine-speed adjustment permits variations at 33 rpm from-4.4% to + 2.6%, and at 45 rpm from-4.2% to + 3.4%. This adjustment may be used in conjunction with the engraved strobe markings around the outer edge of the platter. (No strobe lamp is supplied, though room lights normally are adequate.) There are markings for each speed at both 50 and 60-Hz line frequencies.
The nonferrous platter is covered with a rubber mat and weighs 3 lbs., 5 oz. A voltage selector beneath it enables use of the KP-5022 on 110-120 volts or 220-240 volts.
Integral with the turntable is Kenwood's new arm, a metal tubular type with an elliptical cross section and an offset pickup head. The head is removable; the cartridge is secured in place merely by tightening the mounting screws (no need for locking nuts). The pickup rests on a sliding platform that you align (with respect to the pilot lamp atop the chassis) for correct stylus over hang. With the pickup installed, you then balance the arm via its rear counterweight. An additional adjustment sets the vertical tracking force, while yet another knob sets the antiskating compensation. CBS Labs found the built-in stylus force gauge to read 0.5 gram lower than the actual VTF measured (i.e., when the gauge showed 1, 2, 3, or 4 grams, VTF applied was 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 grams).
The KP-5022 may be used manually or fully automatically to play a single record. A "select lever" has positions for automatic cueing of different record diameters plus a manual-cue position. In conjunction with the former mode, there's an auxiliary adjustment for exact set-down point of the stylus. If you elect to cue manually, you still can stop play automatically via the "play/cut" control. The action then is similar to that at the end of the record: The arm lifts off the disc and returns to its rest and the platter stops turning. There's also a "repeat," button that you can activate at any time, regard less of what operation mode you started in; until you disengage it this button will cause the same record to be played over and over.-he cueing device, by the way, is damped only in automatic mode, and it does have some side drift.
The chassis top surface, in addition to the controls layout, also provides convenient storage spots for the 45-rpm large-hole adapter and an extra pickup shell.
Signal wiring is of the low-capacitance type (rated for less than 10 pF per foot), which makes the unit suitable for CD-4 disc playback. The wooden base is supported by 'our shock-mounting feet that are adjustable as an aid in leveling the KP-5022 during Installation. The dust cover, is made of sturdy heavy-gauge plastic.
Fitted with a Shure V-15 Type II pickup, the arm exhibits an unusually low resonance, with a rise of a mere 1.5 dB at a frequency of 8.5 Hz, which would make the unit especially good at tracking "difficult" (i.e., warped or very heavily modulated) discs. Arm friction, laterally and vertically, is negligible.
The KP-5022 "listens" as excellently as its measurements would suggest. Clearly, here is another finely crafted turntable arm combination to attract the serious record owner.
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(High Fidelity, Apr. 1975)
Also see:
Kenwood KP-5022 -- two-speed record cleaning brush (review, High Fidelity mag, Apr. 1975)
Understanding Tonearms (Audio, June 1980)--part 1
Understanding Tonearms (Audio, June 1980)--part 2
Tone Arm Damping--The Overlooked Feature (High Fidelity, Jul. 1975)