Kenwood DM-3090 (c. 1997)
The Kenwood DM-3090 is a single-disc MiniDisc recorder from the late 1990s. It was originally priced at ¥39,800 (around 1997). Kenwood aimed it straight at the Sony MDS-JE510. A March 1998 review by Richard J Anderson on minidisc.org gives a UK price of about £199 at launch, and says Kenwood priced it to go head-to-head with that Sony deck, so buyers could haggle below the £199 figure.
The deck uses ATRAC compression and a magnetic field modulation overwrite recording system. One of its more interesting features for the time is a high-precision sampling rate converter. It automatically converts 48kHz, 44.1kHz, or 32kHz digital sources down to 44.1kHz for recording, and it works with the SCMS copy-protection scheme. That means it can record digitally straight from a CS/BS tuner or DAT deck. Inputs are one coaxial and one optical digital input, plus a single optical output. Playback goes through a 20-bit D/A converter with 8fs (352.8kHz) oversampling.
Titles are entered with a multi-jog dial on the front panel, in alphabet, numbers, symbols, and katakana. The built-in editing functions are move, program move, divide, combine, erase, and all-erase. There is also a sound-synchronized recording function that starts recording when the source device begins playback. The deck supports monaural long-time recording too, which is useful for radio programs or language study.
On paper, the unit claims a frequency response of 8 Hz to 20 kHz, a signal-to-noise ratio of 100 dB or better, dynamic range of 90 dB or more, and total harmonic distortion of 0.01% or less (all EIAJ). Wow and flutter is below the measurement limit of ±0.001% W Peak. The deck measures 440 x 94 x 300 mm and weighs 3.6 kg. A remote control is included.
- ATRAC compression, magnetic field modulation overwrite recording
- Sampling rate converter (48/44.1/32 kHz → 44.1 kHz) for digital recording
- 1 coaxial + 1 optical digital input, 1 optical output
- 20-bit D/A converter, 8fs oversampling
- Multi-jog dial title entry (alphabet/numbers/symbols/katakana)
- Sound-synchronized recording; monaural long-time recording mode
- 440 × 94 × 300 mm, 3.6 kg
Documentation is decent. A 48-page service manual exists, and a Japanese owner's manual (52 pages) is available. The historical record is thin. There is no production date range beyond the approximate 1997 figure, no clear info on what sat above or below it in Kenwood's lineup, and no documented common failures or maintenance issues. The service manual is there for anyone who needs repair guidance.
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