This is one of the nicest vintage receivers you will ever hear. I have been collecting and restoring vintage audio gear for over 20 years, and this has one of the best sounding amps I know of. It easily competes with the top of the line offerings from Sansui, Pioneer, Technics, and even Luxman. Kenwood engineers designed a direct coupled amp for their xx50 series of receivers and same era integrated amps that really broke new ground. It is an incredibly fast amp that brings a new level of presence and realism to music, especially acoustic and percussive instruments.
The KR-8050 is one step away from the top-of-the-line KR-9050 that has a legendary reputation. I have never heard the 9050 but have to believe that the 8050 is very close in performance. The KR-7050--which I also own--is likewise only a half step behind its bigger brother.
In addition to its fantastic amp section, the KR-8050 boasts a stellar FM tuner better than ANY other receiver of the dozens I have owned and worked on. It also has an excellent MM phono section.
Now for some details about this particular unit. It came to me in non-working condition but cosmetically almost perfect. Its total restoration took over 6 months. I painstakingly sourced 4 brand new exact replacement power transistors and installed them. The FM tuner board was replaced with a good working board from a donor unit. The AC power switch known to fail on these receivers was rewired in a robust and safe manner. Other components were replaced as necessary, including semiconductors and burnt out lamps. A new pushbutton was hand made for the missing loudness control pushbutton. DC offset and bias were set to factory specs. All switches were de-oxidized. Every function was tested and found to be working properly. Now this is a highly-desirable collector's piece, which I am reluctant to part with. However, it is now for sale, so buy it and make it the focal point of your vintage audio set-up.
Asking $579.Payment can be made via Paypal, money order, or major credit cards over the phone or in person. Buyer to pay the Paypal fee plus actual shipping charges via Fedex Ground or Home Delivery. I know how to pack audio gear and will do it properly so the unit arrives in the same great condition. Of course, local pick-up is preferred.
