TRIO 1200G - what do we all think as a first AMP? Paired with some second hand SC-M41’s
Sober & 24 - looking for a new hobby
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For a small system, should be fine. Don’t overdo the volume! Remember, small speakers with small woofers are less efficient at converting amplifier power to sound, so 13W will only go so far. Trio is the name used by the same maker as Kenwood in some markets.
First off welcome to the hobby! I repair vintage stuff like this all the time my self, so I’d definitely scoop something “like” this. For me I’d be a pass as 13 watts from a solid state amp won’t help me out with the speakers I have. Lots of great 70s vintage stuff out there that needs some love, has great power/performance AND cheap. Be patient and you’ll find something you love. 100 percent behind you on your sobriety!! Thanks for your post!
Bang on. I’ll hopefully upgrade in the future but for now we take each day as it comes and love the music
13 watts nor goona cut it
13 watts may not shake a house, but 13 watts with some moderately efficient speakers is fine. I used a 3½ watt per channel mini tube amp on some 86db speakers and it was fine.
Agree, 13w is enough for anything over than shaking the foundations!
I never would have thought I’d be happy with an amp optimistically rated at 9w/ch, but in actuality it’s not too much different than a very conservatively rated 90w/ch solid state, in fact the solid state hasn’t gotten much use in almost 4 years and this is in a 20’x30’ room. Using *96db* speakers.
This thing does have numbers that look more like a vacuum tube amplifier. I don’t know if Kenwood was truly one of the Godzilla amplifiers of the day. My first system was all Kenwood separates with a Kenwood integrated from '88 or '89 and I still have the integrated and tuner and I think the CD player and dual cassette are in storage in need of repair. My dad gave me grief for purchasing it on credit, but all-in-all it turned out to be a sound transaction. I don’t have many other items from so long ago, certainly not electronics that still work and aren’t outdated. Hell, I’ve bought speakers from the same era recently and I’ve just started thinking that it’s time to take a look inside and spec the electrolytic capacitors at 35 years old.
Trio electronics were sold as Kenwood electronics in the USA. Good stuff.
With amps this old it largely comes down to their condition internally. Even if the exterior looks great, ~50 years is old enough for there to be a decent chance that the capacitors inside will be significantly degraded, and you might end up with distortion or a channel imbalance or some other issue. So don’t buy it unless you can test it first. Getting an amp restored/recapped can be done, but it can be costly if you aren’t able to do it yourself.
Assuming it’s in full working order, be aware that with an original rating of only 13 watts and some speakers that are quite small, your volume will be limited. This combo would not rock the house in a medium to large room. For a smaller space or lower listening levels it would be fine, but whenever you start to push higher volumes, pay close attention to the sound. If you hear anything sounding wrong, like any artifacts that sound like fuzz or popping or tearing during the loud parts of music, you need to back off on the volume ASAP to avoid damaging your speakers.
Maybe keep your eyes out for a pair of Heresy’s on CL, something easy to drive could sing with even low power. I’ve got some Forte II and a choice of 90w or 9w per channel amps and it’s been the 9w almost exclusively since I got it
It was the company that became Kenwood. They were high quality items.
I had a massive trio amp. Yes it was very good.
Any purchase of kit from this era must involve through testing of the internals.
Unless its very cheap. And it’s it’s very cheap there’s a good reason for that.
It depends to a fair extent on what you want it for. For a fuss-free first main hi-fi system in the lounge it is hard to recommend unless it is free or close to free. To reinforce what has been said by others, it is a budget design from the early 70s with a bit too low power for current hi-fi speakers, specs that are modest to the extent of possibly not being audibly neutral in use in some situations, components may be failing or are about to start failing due to the 50 year age (all of my amplifiers from the 70s developed problems and were passed on or scrapped). On the other hand if you want to mess about learning to maintain old hardware as part of a hobby interest then it may be worthwhile depending on condition.
I’ve thrown all the budget at a turntable with the intention of upgrading the AMP and speakers over time. Grabbed a Project Carbon EVO, this AMP and SC M41’s on the basis it will all change over time
It will probably sound better than modern class d amps that measure better. Enjoy
Kenwood were famous for food mixers in the UK so they used trio for their hifi brand. They made some great gear but this isn’t one of them. It’s looks like the bottom of the line.
Isn’t that a different Kenwood?
No, same company.
Due to age most likely needs a lot of restoration work