Yes, a Kenwood KR-6170 Bluetooth connection needs no soldering. Best path: a Bluetooth receiver with RCA output into the AUX input (180 mV, with the DIN tape connection at the same figure, per the manual transcription). If AUX is taken, use a Tape loop. Rated 33 W/ch into 8 ohms, it is the second Kenwood in this archive, beside the 120 W KR-9400 flagship.
Figures on this page were checked September 2026. Every table row carries its source.
The KR-6170 in numbers
| Item | Value | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production run | 1971 | Dated 1971 by both the transcription and the period listing | HE, CR |
| Power output | 33 W/ch @ 8 Ω | FR 20 Hz-40 kHz at 0.5% THD; damping factor 50; speakers 4-16 ohms | HE, CR |
| Phono input | 2.5 mV (MM) | Microphone input at 2 mV; S/N 75 dB (line/DIN), 65 dB (MM), 58 dB (mic) | HE |
| Line inputs | AUX · Tape · DIN | AUX, line and DIN all at 180 mV per the transcription | HE |
| Weight | 29 lbs | Dimensions 21-3/4 × 6-3/4 × 16-1/4 inches | HE |
Source codes: HE HiFi Engine manual transcription (Wayback snapshot) · CR classicreceivers.com. Data as of September 2026.
Hookup points on the KR-6170
AUX input
RecommendedAUX, line and DIN all read 180 mV on the transcription. A line-level Bluetooth receiver with RCA output connects at AUX without level concerns.
Tape monitor loop
Good alternativeThe tape input is the loop through the monitor switch, and its DIN connection runs at the play-side 180 mV rather than the 30 mV record convention this archive documents elsewhere. Wire the Bluetooth unit to the play jacks, choose the tape position on the monitor, and bring the monitor back to off when other sources return.
Phono or microphone input
Not for line-levelThe MM phono stage is set for 2.5 mV and the microphone jack for 2 mV. Line-level Bluetooth would overload both, and the turntables would lose their inputs.
Getting the KR-6170 connected
- Start on AUX
The tape loop stays free for a recorder; AUX is the Bluetooth position.
- Make the hookup
RCA output of the Bluetooth receiver into AUX, USB power for it, and one pairing with your phone.
- Bring up the sound
Begin with the volume down, choose AUX, and raise. Fixed/line output on the adapter is the right mode where it is offered.
What to watch on the KR-6170
- Kenwood's second shelf entry (verified): with this profile the archive documents two Kenwoods, and the contrast is the story: the KR-9400 flagship at 120 W/ch versus the 6170's honest 33 W. Both carry the same AUX-plus-tape-plus-microphone input convention.
- DIN at play level (verified): the transcription rates the KR-6170's DIN tape connection at the same 180 mV as its line input, a play-side figure; DIN record sockets across this archive run at the lower 30 mV convention.
- The microphone gets its own S/N line (verified): 58 dB against 65 dB (MM) and 75 dB (line/DIN) shows the transcription counting every input separately, the same per-input style the 9400's sheet uses.
Before you start with the KR-6170
- Bluetooth receiver with RCA output, LDAC or aptX HD the first pick
- 0.5–1 m of RCA cable, single
- USB power for the receiver's supply
FAQ
Plug a Bluetooth receiver with RCA output into the AUX input and select AUX. If AUX is occupied, use a Tape input through the tape monitor. No internal modification is needed.
Per the manual transcription: AUX, line and DIN all 180 mV, and MM phono 2.5 mV, with a microphone input at 2 mV. Signal-to-noise runs 75 dB on line and DIN, 65 dB on phono and 58 dB on the microphone.
The manual transcription rates 33 W per channel into 8 ohms at 0.5% distortion, with a damping factor of 50, and the period listing agrees on 33 W and the 1971 year.
The KR-9400 profile documents Kenwood's 120 W flagship; the 6170 is the modest sibling at 33 W with the same house layout of AUX plus twin tape paths. Both share the brand's counting of microphone and phono inputs separately on the spec sheets.
blafili B3 Bluetooth Music Receiver
RCA + XLR + optical out, LDAC and aptX HD, OLED status display. Matches the KR-6170 line-level inputs without adapters.
- Specifications (33 W/ch into 8 ohms; FR 20 Hz-40 kHz; THD 0.5%; damping factor 50; Mic 2 mV, MM 2.5 mV, DIN 180 mV, line 180 mV; S/N 58/65/75/75 dB; speakers 4-16 ohms; dimensions 21-3/4 × 6-3/4 × 16-1/4 inches; weight 29 lbs; year 1971; downloads brochure, instruction/owners manual, service manual): HiFi Engine, Kenwood KR-6170 manual page (hifiengine.com, bot-gated to direct fetches; verified via Wayback snapshot 20191119103024), accessed 2026-09-25
- Year 1971, 33 watts per channel: classicreceivers.com/kenwood-kr-6170, accessed 2026-09-25