Tonearm for a Kenwood KD 500

[doomsick]

Anyone have suggestion for a tonearm for my arm-less Kenwood KD 500?

[alternativeroute]

Anyone have suggestion for a tonearm for my arm-less Kenwood KD 500?

Two have come up for sale recently in ZA. Both had SME 3009 arms.



and



The SME arms seem to be period correct. I am sure though that you can fit any modern 9" arm on there. Depends on your budget?

[Coffee Phil]

Here is a shot of my highly "hacked" KD 500 with SME 3009 playing a 78 RPM record. A more recent picture would show the Q-up arm lifter.

[img][/img]

Phil

[Blue Shadow]

You can put just about any 9" tonearm on the KD-500.

I had a Mayware Formula IV
Many had the Infinity Black Widow
Some had Grace
Some had Magnepan
My KD-600 had a Fidelity Research and a Magnepan.

Tom Clone is dragging his KD-500 over today for a Magnepan install. Great tonearm for the money.

The tonearm you bolt to your KD-500 should be one that will handle the cartridges you intend to use unless you just want a museum piece. The Mayware and Infinity are such low mass tonearms that finding a high compliance cartridge to use with them may require going vintage with that as well.

Getting a tonearm that is medium mass to handle a very wide variety of currently available cartridges is what I would do. Determine a budget because one on-line retailer has new tonearms priced from $600-10000. Used is less but still leaves a wide variety price-wise. Then, if you have an idea about the cartridge(s), let us know that, too.

Or just buy one you think is great looking and enjoy.

[Balifly]

Anyone have suggestion for a tonearm for my arm-less Kenwood KD 500?

I was fortunate to find an original tone arm and board from a Kenwood KD-550 turn table.

"static-balance type, s-shaped pipe arm, eia plug-in connector"

[Alec124c41]

A Jelco arm should do well on there, too.

Cheers,
Alec

[Tedrick]

A Jelco arm should do well on there, too.

Cheers,
Alec

That's what I would suggest. Jelco's are affordable, well made, sound good, and work with a wide array of cartridges. The Audioquest arms are re-badged Jelco's, so they are worth considering, too.

[Bob in STL]

When the time comes for me to upgrade my KD-550 I will be looking at a Jelco as well.

Bob

[doomsick]

Sounds like a lot good information. I was thing of using a Denon 103 or 103R cartridge. A Jelco tonearm sounds good and affordable. Does anyone know where I can find mounting boards for a KD 500? I see a lot of talk about low / high mass tonearms, can someone school me on what does this mean? Thank you all.

[Blue Shadow]

Armboard:

Make one. Easy circle of some thickness with three mounting holes drilled in it then fit it and mark the location of the tonearm mounting hole. If you have one a board, copy it, if not, then make the circle just a bit smaller than the hole in the table where it mounts. The board sitting here on the desk is 110mm in diameter and 7/8" thick (which includes the top silver lip).

Additional info on an armboard: http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=461298

[Coffee Phil]

Here are a couple of photos of the standard armboard for the KD 500:

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I used that armboard with my Grace 940 arm. I am now using the board cut for the SME. Both came with the turntable.

Sorry I can't part with the standard armboard as someday I could take a notion to use a different arm on the machine.

I measured this part a while back and posted the numbers. The part is stored in the attic now. If necessary and if I can't find the old post I can go up and get it and repeat the measurments.

Phil

[Coffee Phil]

I found the string with the dimensions:

http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=46304&p=360727&hilit=Kenwood#p360727

I didn't measure the bolt circle, but you can get that off the machine.

Phil

[Wire Nut]

I just purchased a KD-500. I got an SAEC WE-308 arm for it (they look just too sexy). I will let you guys know how that combo goes. I am going to make an ebony armboard for it.
The cartridge will be a Dynavector 20-2.
The arm is coming from Europe so it will be a while until I have pix.
Later, Nut