Marantz CD-15 (circa 1992)
The Marantz CD-15 was the company's flagship single-disc player of the early 1990s. It is a full-width, heavy-duty machine built to compete with the true high-end separates of its day. It weighs 10.3 kg and measures 460mm × 125mm × 384mm. The front plate is thick brushed aluminum, and the inner chassis is copper-plated.
Inside, the CD-15 uses two Philips TDA1541A DACs, the single-crown S2 versions, run in dual differential configuration. The digital filter is a Nippon Precision Circuits SM5840AP providing 8x oversampling. The analog stage does current-to-voltage conversion with discrete op-amps built on Marantz's proprietary HDAM (Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module) technology, and these surround the DAC chips. The power supply uses two separate transformers - one for the digital circuits and one for the analog. Marantz made a point of this in its marketing.
The record disagrees about the transport mechanism. Most sources identify it as the Philips CDM-1 Pro swing-arm design. At least one Japanese auction listing for the CD-15 claims a CDM-4 Pro. Both are respected Philips professional-grade mechanisms. The discrepancy likely reflects a running change during production, but the Archive has not confirmed this.
Reviewers who have lived with the CD-15 describe its sound in consistently warm terms. TNT-Audio praised its "liquid top-end" and "smooth midrange," noting that digital harshness was "completely gone" and that bass was well-controlled and deep. Analog Planet described a "big, open, three-dimensional sound stage." The same reviewers also acknowledged the CD-15 is not particularly dynamic compared to modern high-end players. It leans toward the laid-back and musical rather than the overtly aggressive.
Measured performance from the spec sheet: frequency response 3 Hz–20 kHz ±0.5 dB, dynamic range 92 dB, channel separation 92 dB, THD + noise 0.0025%, and 2V output. Digital outputs include both coaxial (RCA) and optical (TOSLINK).
The CD-15's used-market value has held reasonably well. Typical asking prices land around $650, with the very scarce CD-15LE (a limited variant) commanding $1,000 or more. Buyers should know that the CDM-1 Pro transport mechanisms are getting hard to find as new-old-stock, and the drawer belt is known to wear out and need periodic replacement. No original MSRP has surfaced in the Archive's research.
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