Well, it's five stars alright. And it's a very good (but not GREAT) DX tuner. Most certainly NOT better than an (analog era TOTL) Pioneer TX-9500 II, 9800, F-93 or F-91. It's nowhere near the quality of my McIntosh MR78. What it is that isn't the case for the foregoing is it's a no fuss, no maintenance BPC era TOTL design. If you want the best of the format you should stick close to tuners designed to function the way Edwin Howard Armstrong meant for them to function. (I.E., with an analog RF front-end variable capacitor.) It's a very fine tuner, just DON'T overspend for it.

Digital front end. Clunky ergonomics and no ability to de-tune in 10kHz increments like the Pioneer F-93 does.

This tuner Kenwood kt-5020 is one of the best tuner i have owned..i have mcintosh mr-78 and a lot of vintage reciever from 70s and this tuner is a kick ass tuner ..very clean signal and sound like a cd.

Sounds clean.Light weight compact size.Pulls in strong signal.At least in my area. Smooth dial.

Not enough watts in the amp.Needs more bells and whistles.

I purchased a Kenwood KT-5500 tuner and a Kenwood KA-5700 amplifier at a yard sale on Saturday for $20 for both of them.I hooked them up to a pair of Bose 301 series 3 speakers that I bought at the same sale for $20 also and they sound exellent.Both are in perfect physical condition and work fine.

Similar Products Used:

Sansui 771,Marantz 2240.

Sound Features Natural reproduction

Selectivity Sensitivity

Indeed of the the top 10 tuners all time. I really don't know why someone will pay more then $1000 for a tuner when something like a Kenwood KT-5020 is available. Is bettering ANY CD-player that I listened in my system.

Similar Products Used:

Sanyo T-55 Akai AT-V04 Kenwood KT-917 Yamaha T-80 Kenwood L-02T Sansui TU-919 Pioneer F-91, TX-9500II, TX-9800 and many many others that I am just too lazy to mention here.

Quiet, good capture ability. Good Ergonomics. Excellent FM.

None

This review is for a modified Kenwood KT-5500 tuner. This model came with the optional walnut veneer wood case. The mods are 2 PCB adder filter boards. The mods were added by Bill Ammons of Phoenix, Arizona. This tuner is a gem. My pre-disposition towards most Kenwood products is that they are solid,fairly well built but unspectacular sonically. Not so with Kenwoods really fine KT tuner line. This tuner has excellent capturing ability, very quiet while changing stations and exceptional FM. The ergonomics are simple and straight forward- far superior to the digital dreck that followed this excellent line. I highly recommend.

Similar Products Used:

Tuners from various receivers that I have owned- Sansui 771, Pioneer SX-205(awful), Marantz 2245, Marantz 2325, Marantz 2385. Marantz 120 Tuner.

excellent interference rejection specs

few bells and whisles

This tuner is a great value. Kenwood makes high-end ham radio equipment, and they know how to design tuners for real world listening conditions. This tuner has interference rejection specs better or equal then tuners costing hundreds of dollars more. Great sound quality.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha t-1000

reception
quality
everything

none

Mine is from the '70s and is the KT-5300, which is similar. GREAT QUALITY!!! NICE!!!

I have been happy with this product. It has given me good AM reception which is important to me. The unit is very light. For the money- it has stood up very well.