Kenwood DP-1100 CD Player

Name: Kenwood DP-1100
Brand: Kenwood

The Kenwood DP-1100 is a second-generation Compact Disc player, and one of the more fully-featured machines of its era. It came with a battery-operated infrared remote control, still something of a novelty in the mid-1980s. The remote duplicated the front-panel controls, including track selection and an M-SCAN feature for stepping through a disc. The front panel used vacuum-fluorescent displays, which was typical of the period but well-executed here.

Inside, Kenwood put real effort into the conversion stage. The DP-1100 uses a dual 16-bit D/A converter with left/right discrete two-piece construction, paired with a second-generation YM-2201 digital filter. The transport is a 3-Spot Direct Focus Linear Motor design. The measured performance was strong. Audio (January 1985, p.86) listed frequency response of 2 Hz to 20 kHz ±0.5 dB, dynamic range greater than 95 dB, and THD below 0.0015% at 1 kHz. HiFI-Stereo (July 1984, p.26) also ran a full Hirsch-Houck lab test of the DP-1100B, noting its low-profile package and the extensive remote control. A later issue of HiFI-Stereo (July 1985, p.49) observed that Kenwood was one of only three brands at the time - alongside Mission and Sanyo - whose players could program up to ninety-nine tracks.

The other published specs are solid. Frequency response is rated at 5 Hz - 20 kHz ±0.5 dB. Signal-to-noise and dynamic range are both better than 95 dB, THD is 0.003% (1 kHz), and wow and flutter are below measurable limits. It has an analog line output at 2 V and a coaxial digital output. The unit draws 15W and weighs 9.9 lbs (4.5 kg). Dimensions are 17-1/4"W x 4-3/16"H x 11-7/16"D (440 x 110 x 290 mm).

Some things are not documented: production years, original price, and the remote's model number. There's also no information on common failure modes or parts availability. That is a real gap for a player this old, since the laser pickup and loading mechanism are the usual suspects when one of these shows up today. A used example has been seen listed at $145, which seems a fair price for a working second-generation player from a major brand with this level of build and feature content.