Marantz CD-16D (1997)

The Marantz CD-16D came out in Japan in 1997 at ¥160,000. It was a CD player with full digital input and output, so it could work as an outboard D/A converter for other digital gear as well as a source component. The front panel carried both coaxial and optical digital inputs next to the usual outputs. Balanced analog output came from a newly developed Dual HDAM amplifier stage.

The build was serious. Marantz used a copper-plated die-cast chassis, a 3mm copper-plated steel base plate, and a 3mm aluminum top cover. That explains the 11.0kg weight. Inside, the D/A conversion relied on a bit-stream "Triple 7" converter, and the transport used a linear tracking mechanism. The included remote had an aluminum top and could also control output level.

Specs as published: frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz ±0.3 dB, dynamic range of 98 dB or better, signal-to-noise ratio of 110 dB, channel separation of 103 dB at 1 kHz, and total harmonic distortion of 0.0015% at 1 kHz. Output was 2.2 Vrms. Power consumption was a modest 16W. Dimensions were 458 × 110 × 369 mm.

Period sources disagree on which transport mechanism the CD-16D used. The primary Japanese specification sheet lists a linear tracking CDM 12.1. A Russian database entry cites a CDM-4/36 Metallic. Because of the conflict, the specific mechanism is left out here rather than guessed.

Little else is documented about the CD-16D's reception or its place in the Marantz lineup. Owner commentary is scarce. One buyer who moved from a Denon 1015G and Marantz 63Mk2 described the CD-16D as revelatory - "like a veil had been lifted from the music." The CD-16D also appears in DAC-evolution discussions as a successor to the highly regarded CD-7, which was the last Marantz player to use the TDA1541A S2 chip.