Technics SL-150 vs Trio/Kenwood KD-500

Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Technics SL-150 · Trio/Kenwood KD-500.

Comparison of Technics SL-150 and Trio/Kenwood KD-500
Specification Technics
SL-150
Trio/Kenwood
KD-500
Price$375 (used)$375 (used)
CategoryVintageVintage
Statusdiscontinueddiscontinued
Years1975–?1976–?
Drivedirect drivedirect drive
Speeds33/45 rpm33/45 rpm
Operationmanualmanual
Cartridge suppliedNoneNone
Phono stageNoNo
USB outputNoNo
BluetoothNoNo
Platterdie-cast aluminiumaluminium
Tonearmnone (armless version of the SL-1500)none (armless, cut for arm of choice)
Wow & flutter

Practical differences

Highlighted cells show a lower reference price, support for more listed speeds, or the presence of a convenience feature. They are not an overall score.

Both are direct-drive, so that part of the experience should feel similar on either deck: instant start-up, rock-steady speed under load, and enough torque to nudge or backspin the record — the reason DJs and scratch decks are built this way.

Beyond that, these two are close in the recorded fields. Build quality, condition, setup and dealer support are not captured by this table.

Bottom line: $0 separates these reference prices. That difference is factual; this specification comparison does not assign an overall winner.

Retailer searches

4 US retailers handle used or discontinued decks like this — each outbound link searches the deck on that retailer’s site.

Retailers selling Technics SL-150
RetailerTypeShippingProduct search
Guitar Center music retail Free standard shipping on most orders $25+. View at Guitar Center ↗
Reverb used marketplace Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. View at Reverb ↗
Upscale Audio hifi independent Free USA shipping on orders over $99 (exclusions for oversized items). View at Upscale Audio ↗
eBay marketplace Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. View at eBay ↗

Retailer searches

4 US retailers handle used or discontinued decks like this — each outbound link searches the deck on that retailer’s site.

Retailers selling Trio/Kenwood KD-500
RetailerTypeShippingProduct search
Guitar Center music retail Free standard shipping on most orders $25+. View at Guitar Center ↗
Reverb used marketplace Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. View at Reverb ↗
Upscale Audio hifi independent Free USA shipping on orders over $99 (exclusions for oversized items). View at Upscale Audio ↗
eBay marketplace Shipping set per seller; many listings ship free within the US. View at eBay ↗

Compare two different decks →