Kenwood DMF-7002S (c. 1997)
The Kenwood DMF-7002S is a MiniDisc recorder from Kenwood's K's series, introduced around 1997 with a Japanese list price of ¥75,000. It shared its basic structure with the K'sEsule series DMF-7002SG. Documentation on this model is thin - most of what's known comes from a single Japanese database entry - but what survives points to a serious machine.
The DMF-7002S used Kenwood's D.R.I.V.E. digital processing on both sides of the recording chain. On input, a 20-bit Rec D.R.I.V.E. stage converted data to 20-bit before ATRAC encoding, intended to preserve low-level signals that would otherwise be lost in quantization noise. On playback, a 24-bit D/A converter handled the output. It ran the then-current ATRAC ver. 4.5 with 24-bit arithmetic, and included a sampling rate converter to handle 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, and 48 kHz sources. The deck offered a Digital Rec Volume, fade in/out adjustable from 1 to 10 seconds, full track editing (move, erase, split, combine), title input up to 1,792 characters per disc and 80 per track, and monaural recording for long sessions. A Cyber Tightler CT-G90 (sold separately, ¥32,000) sped up title entry and label printing.
Measured performance was strong on paper: frequency response 8 Hz–20 kHz, S/N ratio of 110 dB or better, dynamic range 98 dB or more, and total harmonic distortion no higher than 0.004% (1 kHz, EIAJ). The deck weighed 4.4 kg and measured 270 × 104 × 328 mm (W×H×D).
Enthusiast discussion indicates the DMF-7002S found a second life as a standalone DAC. One Russian forum user notes that with the transport controls idle, the deck functions purely as a converter, and that the closely related DMF-7003 differs mainly in its DAC section. The deck appears occasionally on the used market, often bundled with the CT-G90 controller;
- Type: MD recorder (magnetic field modulation overwrite)
- Compression: ATRAC ver. 4.5
- D/A conversion: 1-bit (24-bit Fine D.R.I.V.E.)
- Sampling frequency: 44.1 kHz
- Inputs/outputs: line, coaxial, optical, headphone
- Power consumption: 16W (100 VAC)
- Accessories: remote control
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