Beyond the list of standard restoration steps detailed on the main page, here are some added notes for this unit :

I bought the ka5500 from a Canadian site and picked up the kt5500 locally.  No solid background for either but cosmetics for both were very good.  The kt5500 came with the original box, packing pieces and user’s manual (all pristine).

These are rather compact units that deliver decent rated power (55 watts per channel) and typically excellent Kenwood FM stereo performance.  The ka5500 can accommodate 4 “line” level inputs (Aux, Tuner, Tape A and Tape B) along with 1 phono.  It lacks a Loudness switch, but I did not miss it given the boost ranges of the bass and treble controls.

personal aside

The Kenwood ka5500 was the integrated amplifier I dreamed of buying back in 1977, but I could not afford it.  Pacific Stereo then ran a closeout sale of “last year’s” Pioneer products, so I opted for bargain-priced sa8500 (no meters, but more power and EQ controls).  I love the sa8500, but always wondered how things might have been…

ka5500 restoration notes

Initial inspection showed this amplifier was exceptionally clean inside and out.  One issue was a very incorrect volume knob.  I searched in vain for a ka5500 volume knob and decided to modify a clean ka3500 volume knob which I think looks pretty good (see photos).

I decided to upgrade the rather wimpy original speaker terminals to new 5-way types which I feel are more appropriate for an amplifier of this quality (see photos).  This is $50 well spent, IMHO.

Functional testing showed typical effects of dirty switches and pots (all cleaned to restore correct operation).  Replacing the protection relay cleared up remaining issues.

The recap went smoothly.  Kenwood used a sleeve to cover the top of the 2 large main supply capacitors.  I installed 2 very nice Nichicon GoldTune capacitors matching the size of the originals so the sleeve could be reused – preserving the original look (see photos).

Functional testing complete/passed.  This is a very lively sounding amplifier.  

Cosmetics are excellent.  Very close inspection reveals some minor scratches on some of the knobs.  

kt5500 restoration notes

The kt5500 was fully functional on initial testing.  Kenwood used several analog integrated circuits to greatly simplify the required discrete circuitry.  

The recap was uneventful and the tuner alignment needed little adjusting.

The tuner performs very well with excellent sensitivity and FM stereo audio quality.

Cosmetics are again excellent.