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  1. #1
    superdougiefreshness
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    Cool 40 watt receiver's; NAD vs. KENWOOD

    Hey everyone,
    I have the following receivers; NAD 7140 and the KENWOOD KR-4070. As I mentioned before both are 40 watts and I would say somewhat vintage. I think they both have there fine points although I have only used the Kenwood for the last several years and have not used the NAD at all. What I want to find out here is which one should I keep if I only can have one of the mentioned receiver's. I would like to hear from people who may have experience with one or both units to give me some good adivice pros and cons type of stuff.

    Thanks in advance.

    Doug - San Diego - Heaven On Earth - Espechilly in March

  2. #2
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    I am curious to know why you have been using the kenwood over the nad for the past few years. Was it a sound quality issue?

    The 7140 was made a year before the 7240. IMHO the 7240 was a receiver I would not have bought due to its audio quality which left a lot to be desired. I do own the 3240 nad amplifier and it too does not do what a nad should do in sound quality. Now the 7140 could be great. Nad's quality control and consistency of sound quality is erratic IMHO. I had a 7220 PE receiver that was dynamite, But their next model, the 7225 felt like it had the power of a corpse. The 3240 int amp just did not have the balance and finesse of sound quality of the 7220 receiver.

    What little kenwood pieces that I have owned over the years showed me consitent quality control maninly in their tuners. I never really played with their receivers. On their integrated amplifiers years back, I thought they produced squeaky and exaggerated high frequencies yet their overall sound was very well phased between the two channels, a kind of sound I only heard on some Fisher tube equipment.

    I would keep the one that sounds the best.

  3. #3
    superdougiefreshness
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    Had the Kenwood for a few years and the NAD just arrived.

    Thanks for your comments,
    I'll take your advice and listen to the NAD 7140, if she sounds better; which is highly likely, then I will keep her. NAD will be a good option if I need the preamp outs for adding a subwoofer or amping the Celestion SL6si classics I own. I have been using the Kenwood not knowing that I could improve my sound quality by switching brands. I have since learned that watts do not mean quality. So 40 watts with one unit will sound aweful and another receiver running 40 watts could sound beautiful. I have had the NAD here for about a month and have not hooked her up yet and will do that tonight for a listen. I wounder if my vintage Pioneer HPM60's willsound better using the NAD. This should be an intersting listen for sure.
    Later and Thanks
    Doug

  4. #4
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    I am familiar with the HPM-100s. I may or may have not heard the 60s in my lifetime. You are absolutely right in what you say about two receivers rated the same power, in this case 40 watts, but is the sound quality pleasing. The pre-outs or amp-in may possibly be utilized by you someday. The power amp of the 7140 could power a vintage passive subwoofer in conjunction with one of todays surround sound receivers having a sub output.
    I did that with the 3240 int. amp. It is possible that the Kenwood might sound better on the 60s, then the Nad too. I was glad to have helped. Kelsci...

  5. #5
    Crackhead Extraordinaire Dusty Chalk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by superdougiefreshness
    What I want to find out here is which one should I keep if I only can have one of the mentioned receiver's.
    You should keep the Kenwood, based on the fact that you only listen to the Kenwood.
    Eschew fascism.
    Truth Will Out.
    Quote Originally Posted by stevef22
    you guys are crackheads.
    I remain,
    Peter aka Dusty Chalk

  6. #6
    superdougiefreshness
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    Cool Part of being an audio buff is trying new equipment ! "Out with the old".

    Quote Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk
    You should keep the Kenwood, based on the fact that you only listen to the Kenwood.
    Thanks for your comment's and fast no doubt,
    I have felt very nostalgic letting my Kenwood Silver Front with the huge long tuner dial go. And yes I did give the kenwood away only after making sure the NAD was working. The NAD does not have the openess "yet" that the Kenwood seems to express, with the NAD having more current moving with the same 40 rated watts. Also NAD sounds more powerful using my classic "SL6si Celestion" speakers, not sure how the Pioneer HPM-60's will sound, I will post my comments at a later time for the Pioneers. I have read the comments in other forums about american receivers being more bright and that indeed balanced out my British speakers polite sound very nicely, but the NAD will need a good break-in time since it has not been used the entire time I have lived here; 9 years this September. Not really sure how long to hear a more open soundstage but will continue to let her run in. Also I am not used to the digital Tuner since the Kenwood was what I would call "Analog Tuning". I'm noticing NAD is upon first impressions a more sophisticated yet compressed sound. I think with the break-in time more shall be revealed. My final decision was made because of the huge flexability the NAD has in comparison. I can change speaker ohm's to 4 or 8 via a switch, pre-amp and bi-amp capability NAD units have over most of the smaller vintage american receivers that were less expensive. My Kenwood was certainly old reliable and a good runner "as they say of Toyota's".
    I feel as a true audio lover that to move on to better grade components is a good thing once I have adjusted, and I know I will yet that Kenwood was a large part of a chunk of my life. I am very glad I did not let any of my speakers go because I would of been making a mistake I would have very much regretted, and I can be very generous without giving forethought to my giving.
    I really like the comments from everyone and will continue to check back to read more on my thread topic.
    Thanks again and keep em coming.
    Doug

    Last edited by superdougiefreshness; 04-14-2007 at 04:50 PM.

  7. #7
    superdougiefreshness
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    Thread Author Feedback -NAD-7140 & Pioneer HPM-60's

    Quote Originally Posted by kelsci
    I am familiar with the HPM-100s. I may or may have not heard the 60s in my lifetime. You are absolutely right in what you say about two receivers rated the same power, in this case 40 watts, but is the sound quality pleasing. The pre-outs or amp-in may possibly be utilized by you someday. The power amp of the 7140 could power a vintage passive subwoofer in conjunction with one of todays surround sound receivers having a sub output.
    I did that with the 3240 int. amp. It is possible that the Kenwood might sound better on the 60s, then the Nad too. I was glad to have helped. Kelsci...
    I was just wanting to share with everyone my large amount of ramblling feedback using this particular setup of mine. I am greatly pleased with my NAD 7140 pushing my vintage Pioneer HPM-60's.
    Once I let my NAD warm up "which took under a week" she can really sing guys. I haven't played my Pioneers in about 3-4 months since I got my classic Celestion's and they are very different types of speakers. The celestions are very refined and good for jazz and most light pop and chamber styles of music, and they really don't kick the bass out that much. I really love the Celestion's for there detailed sound stage. Now that the Kenwood receiver is gone I can only use the NAD. I find the NAD receiver to be louder and a more forward sound stage then the Kenwood I giveaway. Now i have noticed that the Pioneer speakers are brighter sounding on the NAD and the bass is much more controlled then using the Kenwood. When I used the Kenwood to play the Pioneers in the past the bass was far more boomy and the speakers had more enclosure resonance. What is nice with the Pioneer speakers is that I can just put them slightly toed in and flat on the floor and the sound is great. With the British speakers I have to pay special attention to placement to have them really sound good. Like I said both sets of speakers are vastly different. The last thing I wanted to say here is the huge attachment I noticed I have to the old Kenwood receiver I gave to my neighbor. I think being that attached to something from the past is so unhealthy, It was a gift from my father who handled his cousins estate. Until the NAD it was the best receiver I had ever had "sad affair that is" anyhow to move forward can be a great thing and the neighbor really likes the old thing after all I have something better for the future.

    Thanks for letting me ramble thoughts of a serious audio junkie here - LOL

    SuperDougieFreshNess - San Diego,Ca - My Piece of Heaven on Earth - For Real,,,,,,


  8. #8
    Class of the clown GMichael's Avatar
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    Go NAD...
    WARNING! - The Surgeon General has determined that, time spent listening to music is not deducted from one's lifespan.

  9. #9
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    Hi Super; the kenwood may have been more "boomy" in the bass because of a possible higher damping factor in the Nad. This not to say that Kenwoods did not have a high damping factor. Two control amplifiers that I played with years back did in fact have very controlled tight non-bassy bass response. I would say that the "signature sound" of a Kenwood versus a Nad product are two different "apples". That is what you are hearing.
    Although my friend is not really using his HPM-100s that much today, a 100 watt per channel Nad poweramp with one of their pre-amps would certainly make those 100s hum.

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