Trio / Kenwood Supreme 1
(1967 - 1969)

The original SUPREME !
Epoch-making as this was Kenwood's first transistorized unit. Epoch-making also because its planned successor would indirectly lead to the formation of Kensonic Labs, also known as... Accuphase.

The Supreme 1 is an integrated amplifier with a twist : it is a three-way integrated amplifier. Said differently, it holds a frequency divider for each channel and three speaker outputs: low, medium and high. The crossover frequencies are selectable, can be bypassed for "normal" use or even used in part for a two-way system. Surprising, isn't it ?
As the image below shows, the Supreme 1 was built even better than the earlier and contemporary Sonys : plug-in boards which are fastened just like any RAM board in a computer ! The solid steel chromed chassis supports comfortably sized caps and a huge transformer. And if Kenwood's staple dual-transformer layout was for later years, the Supreme 1 still offered a semi-parametric bass control and a normal/reverse phase selector !

Costing the astronomical sum of 184,300¥ in 1967, the Supreme 1 represented absolute ultra-high-end audio reproduction : it was Supreme. After a small hiatus, Kenwood unveiled in 1973 the successors of the Supreme 1 : Supreme 500, Supreme 600, Supreme 600T, Supreme 700T, Supreme 700C and Supreme 700M. The Supreme badge vanished along the way and even the tag that was planned to be carved on the front plates finally was demmed too... something. But the 700C remains as one of the supreme audio separate in the all-time audio pantheon.