Kenwood KA-8100 integrated Amp

Yes,  this old Japanese gear from the 1970's was  built to last.  I also have a Marantz  2230 receiver that I received from my parents as a 16th Birthday gift in the mid 1970's.  Another time capsule that's been sitting in a cabinet for the past 45 years.  😊

 

Your ears are telling you. Some of the old stuff is amazing as my Sansui AU9500. is. Zu s need little power and vintage stuff is voiced differently. So if you like it better , it is better….. for you….. and probably most. 

Bought my Kenwood KA8100 new in 1978.  Used it for about 5 years of light use, then gave it to my folks to use in a living room system where it sat in an enclosed cabinet for the last 40 years.  I doubt that it has more than 100 hours on it since that time.  Just hooked it up with a pair of tube mono blocks and it actually sounds very nice as a preamp.  

Since you like the Kenwood better,  you should sell the other gear and enjoy it! It all boils down to what you like!

I owned a pair of the Wyred 4 sound Class D SX1000 mono-blocks and quite frankly other class A or Class AB amps breathed a lot more life into the music. I have not heard your preamp which others made mention of, but I know the preamp I was using sounded very good, but all music sounded much better with the amp changed out.

Thank you to all that responded to my inquiry.
I appreciate you all.

Rich, Thanks for your input.
I want to mention that I don't have a Yamaha...I have a Kenwood KA 8100 with dual power supplies .

So, what I think you may be hearing ... there are a number of youtube videos, with the head of Zu Audio, as well as the reviewer, Corey Greenberg, where they talk about amps that match up well with Zu speakers.  I believe that they were referencing the Omens and the Dirty Weekenders.  Both were saying that the older integrated amps and receivers do very well with the Zu speakers.  In fact the reference was to try an old receiver that you may have in the attic.  Corey was also talking about pairing them with the NAD 316 BEE.    

I took delivery on a pair of Zu Dirty Weekenders about a month ago and I am having a blast with them.  So far, they are sounding better with my tube amp (Prima Luna Prologue 5) fronted with a Musical Fidelity CD PRE 24 than with other solid state amps that I own.  Even my wife commented the other day how much she liked music played out of the Dirty Weekenders ... much more alive.  She rarely comments on anything other than speaker cabinet finishes and how much stuff I have around.  

I would stay put with the Yamaha, at least as long as I was holding on to the Omens.   

Rich 

I can’t speak for your amp but I have owned the LS7 and I would start with that first. I found the LS7 to be lifeless and really didn’t shine anywhere and I tried NOS tubes. ARC knew this pre wasn’t competitive  and probably has the shortest lifespan of any ARC preamp. I’ve read positive reviews on the Wyred amps so I’ll put my nickel on the LS7 is the weaker link. I have a hard time thinking a 70’s Kenwood integrated is going to outperform more modern separates. Try a different preamp; a lot of them out there that will outperform a LS7 in my opinion for the same money.

Back in the 70's I owned a Kenwood KA8100 and then the predecessor, the KA8300 integrated.  They were really nothing special, decent mid fi but not high end.  I would stick wityh the ARC preamp and maybe buy a different power