REVIEW SHOP SHARE LEARN
Kenwood AR-30
Kenwood AR-30
MSRP: $

More Receivers from Kenwood >>
Search AudioReview forums for the Kenwood AR-30 >>
   
Popular Receivers
more...
Top Ranked Products from Kenwood.
BASIC M1-D
Rated:
DV402
Rated:
1070ke
Rated:
more...
 |  Sorted by Latest Review |  Sort by Best Rating >> |  Sort by Worst Rating >> | 
Rating
Reviewed by:
Clive
(Audiophile)

Review Date
January 21, 2000

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Rate this review?

Review 1 of 2

Summary:
I wanted something for a second system to play in the background mostly.
Unfortunately, as soon as I turned on this unit, I could hear how thin its sound was. In short, the 100 Watts per channel must be a misleading spec. It probably only pushes out 100 Watts at one frequency, perhaps 1KHz.
I ran it though a pair of old Bose 901's (yeah, yeah, I've heard all the rabid arguments, thanks), which require lots of power to drive them. The 304 just could make them do anything.
If you're absolutely stuck for money, the unit might suffice in some situations. But don't expect to blast the walls down, or get any bass out of this thing.
I would recommend looking for something that's spec'd at 50 Watts per channel honestly, rather than these "100 Watts".
I didn't open the thing up, but I suspect that the output stage is spec'd for 100 Watts, but the power supply isn't. But that's irrelevant.
In this case, you get you pay for.

Strengths:
Price

Weaknesses:
No bass, false power rating


Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Rating
Reviewed by:
Markson Spencer
(Audio Enthusiast)

Review Date
December 10, 1999

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Rate this review?

Review 2 of 2

Summary:
This appears to be a good, no nonsense, basic stereo receiver for those wanting clean reproduction of music and are not too interested in searching for holy grails of audio equipment.

The rotary source dial is something of a throwback to yesteryear, except that it is entirely electronic. The multi control takes a little getting used to because it requires preselection of what you wish to adjust; eg you have to push the balance button and then use the multi control to actually adjust L and R channels via an illuminated schematic which appears on the display. The volume control too appears to be microprocessor controlled - it's a bit disconcerting at first to have no mechanical stops for zero and maximum volume. The controls are duplicated on a remote unit which is rather cluttered because it can be used with a multitude of other Kenwood units. This receiver takes a little time to learn unlike prior models.

Otherwise, it appears to work well. I should add that I have had it less than a fortnight so I can say nothing about the reliability of the unit.

Strengths:
well performing stereo only receiver

Weaknesses:
microprocessor based controls take a little getting used to.

Similar Products Used:
Kenwood KRA something-or-other


Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Company Pages

Audio & Video company review pages. Browse product user reviews, compare prices, top ranked products, and compare specs by manufacturer.

Bowers Wilkins Reviews
Bowers & Wilkins
NAD Reviews
NAD
Marantz Reviews Marantz
Denon Reviews
Denon
Klipsch Reviews
Klipsch
Sony Reviews
Sony
Yamaha Reviews
Yamaha
Rotel Reviews
ROTEL
McIntosh Reviews
McIntosh
Bose Reviews
Bose
Polk Reviews
Polk Audio
Paradigm Reviews
Paradigm
Onkyo Reviews
Onkyo
JBL Reviews
JBL
KEF Reviews
KEF
Pioneer Lens Reviews
Pioneer
Harman Kardon Lens Reviews
Harman-Kardon
Panasonic Reviews
Panasonic
Press and News
Submit News & Press...
Audio and Video News & Press Releases.

Latest and Greatest

Best Floorstanding Speakers Under $1000

So many to choose from! Lets us boil it down. How to Choose a Floorstanding Speaker that fits you:

AudioREVIEW's Budget Audiophile Holiday Guide

Give someone the gift of hi-fi. Or make the step yourself. Let us point the way...

Moscode 402Au OLT stereo power amplifier Review

George is adamant about the fact that the Moscode 402Au is not just a tube gain stage slapped onto a solid-state power amplifier; rather, it is a tube amplifier with a MOSFET output stage.

Lowther’s DX-65 driver in the Teresonic Magus XR Review

A new driver from Lowther is real news. A new five inch driver is even rarer news, so it was with great anticipation that I waited on this pair of speakers to arrive.

Aune Mini Headphone DAC User Review

The unit arrived from China well packed and everything seem to be in place. No external abuse by the carriers. The only problem was the power supply it came with. The box came with a cheap step-down converter.

Reviews and Featured Articles
Expert hi-fi audio reviews, blogs, and audio articles.