Marantz CD-17

First mid-end Marantz CD player to abandon the indestructible CDM-4 and its many versions for the flimsy, plasticky and -let's face it- cheap CDM12. The drawer operation really is a full-tilt deception compared to the rest of the player. Inside, the CD-17 is also quite industrial and undistinguished - the days of the CD-12, CD-94 or CD-16 really were gone : one simple trafo, lots of SMD caps (beware of those - they leak !), a single board for the power-supply and d/a conversion, pressed metal and no copper-plating.... If the CD-17 was meant as a first price in audiophile CD replay, it still was a bit meager, weight-wise. Sound-wise, of course, the CD-17 (and its many upgraded versions) sold like hotcakes worldwide, Marantz taking the lead which Sony had kept for almost 15 years. A fair player in stock form with its Taiwan-made TDA1547, said many upgraded versions allowed to get a bit closer to the 17's pretenses : better trafo (shielded & OFC), better versions of the CDM12, remodeled main board with New HDAMs instead of the original HDAMs etc - there are many web pages around which describe all of those differences. Basically, and if I make no mistakes : CD-17Ki = Ken Ishiwata tweaked version of the original CD-17 CD-17D = has a digital input to use as d/a converter CD-17Da = same as 17D but with a VAM1201 mechanism which reads CD-RW CD-19 = with digital input, double-differential DAC7 circuit but the normal the CDM-12. The cheaper CD-19 closed the series in 1998 at a time SACD and DVD-A were (sort of ) about to happen. Philips & Marantz were however so happy with their successful series that Philips' original stereo SACD prototype was housed in a barely modified CD-17 enclosure :)

Disc format: CD Digital converter: PCM1716E CD Mechanism: VAM1201 Frequency response: 5Hz to 20kHz Dynamic range: 98dB Signal to Noise Ratio: 103dB Channel separation: 100dB Total harmonic distortion: 0.002% Line output: 2.2V Digital connections: coaxial, optical Dimensions: 458 x 83 x 315mm Weight: 8kg Accessories: RC-DA17CD remote control