I used the KCD-40 for six weeks of regular listening as well as carrying out rigorous comparisons with other players. The system used for critical auditioning consisted of Celestion SL700 loudspeakers on their own stands, driven by Mark Levinson No.20.5 power amplifiers and biwired with 5' lengths of the latest—½"-diameter—AudioQuest Clear Hyperlitz speaker cable. Though it shares the "Hyperlitz" construction, this is considerably less bulky/stiff than the previous Clear cable and uses "6-nines"–purity copper. There is no doubt in my mind that it is the…
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Sidebar 2: 1990 Measurements
On the test bench, the Kinergetics KCD-40 exhibited a flat frequency response with a slight (–0.5dB) rolloff at 20kHz (fig.1). The 0.4dB level difference between channels is due to the two channels not being set to quite the same level when the coupled volume controls are visually equivalent. (This can be corrected, of course, by adjusting one friction-locked control only.) As suspected during the auditioning, however, the player's deemphasis circuitry did introduce a small degree of response error, –0.22dB at 4kHz, +0.25dB at 10kHz, and +0.4dB at 16kHz. This…
Thomas J. Norton wrote about the KCD-40 Platinum in March 1993 (Vol.16 No.3):
CD players are all over the place these days. The CD-player section of Audio's annual directory is starting to compete with loudspeakers for pulp content. The major Japanese manufacturers, it seems, hardly get their newest models established before yet newer models take their places.
But try as they might, complete CD players just can't get any respect in the High End. Digital/analog processors are where the action is, and our coverage recently has reflected that fact. Maybe it has something to do with…
Sidebar 3: 1993 Associated Equipment
To determine how these one-piece players might stack up against a recognized excellent-value D/A processor and separate transport, I teamed up the PS Audio Ultralink with the Pioneer PD-65 discussed by Sam Tellig in the January issue. The latter was used as a transport only. A Kimber KCAG digital interconnect linked the PD-65 and the Ultralink (footnote 1). This combination was not arrived at through any exhaustive process, but did turn out to be an attractive match.
I did note one problem with this pairing of the Pioneer PD-65 with the…
Sidebar 4: 1993 Measurements
From its fixed outputs, the KCD-40 produced 6.97V/6.96V (left/right) when decoding a 1kHz, 0dB (full-scale) sinewave. As noted earlier, there should be no difficulty in using the KCD-40 to drive virtually any amplifier directly from either pair of outputs if desired (using an external attenuator with the fixed-gain outputs). The output impedance was the highest in the group at 250 ohms (right channel, just slightly less in the left), though still low enough that there should be no loading problems encountered. Its DC offset was 19.1mV in the left channel,…
J. Gordon Holt wrote about the KCD-40 Platinum in June 1993 (Vol.16 No.6):
To get a handle on how the Sony CDP-X799ES CD player ranked with the competition, I borrowed from Santa Fe two higher-priced players that garnered enthusiastic reviews from TJN in February: a Kinergetics KCD-40 Platinum ($2295) and a Proceed PCD 3 ($2995)...I had auditioned the Kinergetics at an earlier date but, because of my "reference" system at the time, had judged it intolerably cold and analytical. (Subsequently, a more neutral system changed my perspective on that judgment.)
I started with the pink-…
Sidebar 5: Specifications
Description: CD player with remote control, FTS (Favorite Track Selection), twin volume controls, 8x-oversampling digital filter, and two 18-bit DACS per channel in a push-pull configuration. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz ±0.1dB. Phase linearity: 10Hz–20kHz ±0.01º. Dynamic range: greater than 96dB. S/N ratio: greater than 100dB. Channel separation: greater than 96dB. Maximum audio output level: 7V RMS. Output impedance: 2–2000 ohms depending on volume-control position.
Dimensions: 19" W by 4" H by 12.5" D. Weight: 22 lbs (10kg), KCD-40 Platinum; 17.25" W by…
The penultimate stop on Bob Reina's British Invasion Tour of Affordable Loudspeakers (footnote 1) brings us to the doors of KEF. Although KEF is a large and well-established British firm, I've noticed that their product lines have not been as visible in the US as those of, say, B&W, Wharfedale, or Mission. In fact, the last time I heard a KEF speaker, it was the company's then-flagship design, at a Consumer Electronics Show nearly 20 years ago! Before that, when I lived in London, KEFs were ubiquitous, down to the older, entry-level designs tacked to the walls of the ethnic restaurants I…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way front-ported floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: Uni-Q driver comprising 0.75" aluminum-dome tweeter and 6.5" titanium-coated polypropylene copolymer-cone midrange unit; two 6.5" pulp-cone woofers. Crossover frequencies: 250Hz, 2.8kHz. Frequency range: 38Hz–40kHz. Sensitivity: 91dB. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Recommended amplification: 15–200W.
Dimensions: 37" (942mm) H by 8.7" (220mm) W by 12.9" (327mm) D. Weight: 36.6 lbs (16.6kg) each.
Finishes: apple, maple, walnut, black.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 3048859G &…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: VPI TNT IV turntable, Immedia RPM tonearm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge; Rega Planar 3 turntable, Syrinx PU-3 tonearm, Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood, Aurum Beta S cartridges.
Digital Sources: Lector CDP-7T, California Audio Labs Icon Mk.II Power Boss, Creek CD53 Mk.II CD players; Pioneer DV-333 DVD player.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D phono stage, Audio Valve Eklipse line stage.
Power Amplifier: Audio Research VT100 Mk.II.
Integrated Amplifier: Creek 5350SE.
Loudspeakers: Amphion Helium2, Epos M5, NHT SB-3.
Cables:…