Kenwood Corporation

Infobox Company
company_name = Kenwood Corporation
company_
company_type = Public Tyo|6765
foundation = 1946
location = Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan
key_people = Haruo Kawahara CEO
industry = Consumer electronics, electronics
products = Consumers electronics
revenue = $1.68 billion USD (2006) [ [http://finance.google.com/finance?q=TYO%3A6765 Google Finance] ]
operating_income = n/a
net_income = n/a
num_employees = 4,424 (2006)
parent = JVC Kenwood Holdings
subsid =
homepage = [http://www.kenwood.com http://www.kenwood.com]
footnotes =

Nihongo|Kenwood Corporation|株式会社ケンウッド|Kabushiki-kaisha Kenuddo (tyo|6765) is a Japanese manufacturer of amateur radio as well as Hi-Fi and portable audio equipment.

History

The company first started in 1946 as the Kasuga Radio Co. Ltd. In Komagane City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. In 1960 the firm was renamed "Trio Corporation". 1963 saw the foundation of Kenwood USA, the first overseas office of Trio, in Los Angeles, California, USA. [http://www.kenwood.co.jp/en/corporate/history/index.html Kenwood Corporation / Company History ] ]

In the early 1960s, The LaFayette Radio Company rebranded and sold Trio's products, unfortunately focusing on the doomed 23-channel CB radio.

Innovation at the company was very significant during this period. Trio built oscilloscopes, such as the popular 10 MHz CS-1562A. Kenwood introduced Japan's first FM tuner and solid state amplifier. The company introduced an amplifier with integrated audio and video signal switching in 1981. This product is seen as a precursor to today's home cinema systems.

In 1984, Kenwood designed and manufactured the first anti-theft car stereo receiver. In 1986, Trio-Kenwood became Kenwood Corporation.

Kenwood introduced its Sovereign line of components in 2001. This high-end line competes with prestige brands of other manufacturers such as Pioneer Elite, Sony ES, Onkyo Integra, and Matsushita Technics. In the car audio market, the "eXcelon" line similarly competes Pioneer Premier and Sony Mobile ES brands.

Agreed to merge with JVC after Matsushita spins the company off. The new company formed JVC Kenwood Holdings on October 1, 2008.

Notable products and inventions

Amateur radio transceivers

Kenwood has offered distinct lines of HF, VHF/UHF, and portable amateur radio models.

Among the product lines, the "TS" series of HF transceivers can be said to be among Kenwood's flagship products. These radios cover the HF ("high frequency") bands, from 1.8 to 30 MHz, and can easily let the user communicate around the world, via voice, CW (Morse), PSK31 or RTTY (digital modes of communication), with output power of around 50-100 Watts. These included:
* TS-800 series -- From the late 1970s, the TS-820 was one of the first Kenwood transceivers to gain widespread acceptance in the Amateur Radio community. The original model included a single VFO (variable frequency oscillator), although a second VFO could be purchased as a stand-alone option; a matching receiver, the R-820, was also available, which permitted split frequency operation. A digital display was another option, available to be retrofit to the original device. With the digital display installed, a TS-820 could be named a "TS-820S": all future Kenwood HF transceivers have used the "S" designation to signify presence of a digital display, though the feature has long since become standard equipment.
* TS-900 series -- From the mid-1980s, the TS-930S and, to a greater extent, the TS-940S represented a step-up in features, size, and cost from the 800-series models. Introduced around 1986, the "TS-940S" was considered a classic of its time which was later succeeded by the TS-950. It was Kenwood's first model to permit the HF transceiver to be fully controlled by a personal computer (via RS-232 cable and an aftermarket interface, the IF-232). In later years, this became standard equipment on almost all serious HF radios, and some radios would drop the human interface features entirely, being controlled entirely by a remote computer. The TS-950SDX was the last of this fine series, and it's receiver is still a strong performer even when compared with much newer and more expensive radios.
* TS-400 series -- with models including the TS-430S, TS-440S, TS-450 and TS-480, these units featured a smaller size, were operated on 12 Volts -- meaning batteries could be used -- and were suitable for use as a portable base station, such as during Amateur Radio Field Day. The TS-420 was one of the first compact HF rigs offering "full coverage" receive, literally from 1-30Mhz. The TS-440S added direct keyboard entry and an auto antenna tuner option. All at a very attractive price point not seen with the main competitors of the time.
* TS-600 series -- These models were mainly identical to their 400 series counterparts but offered the 6 Meters band as an addition. For example the TS-450S and the TS-690S have the same exterior and mostly the same specifications on the 1.8-30 MHz HF bands, but adding the 6 Meters band.

Other series include the 100, 500, and the new 2000 series. The TS-2000 is Kenwood's current top of the line model. It includes all-mode operation on HF, 6 meters, 2 meters, 70 centimeters (420 - 450 MHz), and in the "X" model the 23 centimeters band (1.24 - 1.30 GHz). Kenwood also offers a "B" model which is a transceiver without display or controls and is completely controlled by a remote computer or a separate control unit. This allows using it as a mobile transceiver where the main unit is placed in the trunk or an area that provides enough room to house it, possibly closer to the antenna, and have a control unit in the front of the car. A setup like this allows the control unit to be placed closer to the driver and the transceiver closer to the antenna which shortens the cable, reducing possible interference.

Kenwood has not entered the "big box" high end HF radio market that has become the high ground in the amateur radio market. While the TS-2000 offers solid performance in a very compact package, it is missing key features found in the high end offerings from Icom and Yaesu.

L-series product line

In the late 1970s Trio Kenwood put to use their experience in DC to high-frequency amplification used in oscilloscopes and embarked on what was to become their signature high-end audio gear, the L-series (or Lab-series). Starting with the L-05, 7 & 9 pre/power amplifiers, the L-07T tuner and the L-07D direct drive turntable.

In 1979 they started the New-Separate amplifier series with the L-01A integrated amplifier and matching L-01T tuner. In 1983/4 the L-03A and T where launched, but were aimed primarily on the Japanese market. The first L-series CD-player was the L-03DP which had a front loading mechanism much like a casettedeck. In 1989 the L-1000 series were launched. The L-1000 series consisted of a control amplifier, power amplifier, tuner and CD-player. The last line of the L-series came in 1994 with the L-A1 integrated amplifier and the L-D1 CD-player. After 1994 no new L-series were launched.

Most of the L-series were designed by Kenwood, but manufactured by Kensonic (known today as Accuphase).

D.R.I.V.E.

DRIVE stands for Dynamic Resolution Intensive Vector Enhancement. This IC invented in the early 1990s is intended to enhance soft signals in CD players by interpreting the signal and then relaying it through various filters in order to recreate as close as possible the signal as it was recorded. Many improvements were released with new versions of the DRIVE ICs.

T.R.A.I.T.

TRAIT stands for Thermally Reactive Advanced Instantaneous Transistor. This means that the thermocouple necessary to compensate for temperature effects in power transistors is housed inside the transistor instead of the traditional place on the heatsink. This minimizes the time difference between actual temperature of the transistor and measured temperature on the heatsink. This improves the sound quality of the amplified signal.

TRAIT transistors have 5 pins instead of the normal 3 (Base, Collector, Emitter or Gate, Source, Drain for MOSFET's) TRAIT transistors, manufactured by Sanken Electronics, were used in the mid 1990s for the first time in Kenwood amplifiers. TRAIT is called K-Stat in the USA.

TrueX Optical Drives

In 1998, Kenwood released the TrueX line of personal computer CD-ROM drives, first at the speed of 40x, then 52x and 72x. The TrueX CD-ROM drives use a low rotational speed (approximately 6x to 10x) with seven laser pickups functioning in parallel to read data at faster overall speeds.

HD30GD9 Media Keg MP3 Player (for sale in Japan only)

In 2006 Kenwood released its own high end digital HDD MP3 player. While lacking in features such as a video player the HD30GD9 makes up for it in the quality of its music playback.

HD60GD9 Media Keg MP3 Player (for sale in Japan only)

In 2007 Kenwood introduced the HD60GD9, unlike most of the MP3 players on the market that focus on forms and extra capabilities, Kenwood's new Media Keg focuses entirely on sound quality. It is one of the only MP3 players with superior digital amplifier equipped with a vibration-free plastic shell and gel mount for the hard drive, as well as a non-magnetic metal frame used inside the device, to help the system prevent interferences. Kenwood's new "Supreme EX" decoder for better compressed music file reproduction.

Lamborghini Murciélago

Kenwood Corporation Multimedia Car Audio Products are standard equipment on Lamborghini Murciélago models.

References

External links

* [http://www.kenwood.com/ Kenwood Global site]
* [http://www.kenwood.eu/home/ Kenwood Electronics Europe]
* [http://www.kenwood.eu Kenwood European websites]
* [http://www.hifi-museum.com/temp/KenwoodL-09m.htm Kenwood L-09M Exhibit] at "The High Fidelity Museum"