Marantz CD-19a (circa 1999)
The Marantz CD-19a is a single-disc CD player from the late 1990s. It sold in Japan for ¥65,000 around 1999. Marantz positioned it as a refined CD-19 and claimed extensive sound-quality improvements over the base model. The mechanism borrowed from the higher-end CD-17Da: a Philips VAM1201 three-beam linear tracking transport with the CD7 servo/decoder IC. It also played CD-R and CD-RW, which was still a notable feature at the time.
For D/A conversion, the CD-19a uses a pair of Burr-Brown PCM1716 chips in a differential configuration, one per channel. Marantz's MD-19 uses the same converter. The analog stage uses Marantz's proprietary HDAM high-speed voltage amplification modules instead of stock op-amps. The power supply has an EI-type transformer with oxygen-free copper winding. The chassis is stiffened with a 1.6mm steel bottom plate.
Specifications from the period record:
- Frequency response: 20 Hz–20 kHz ±0.3 dB
- Dynamic range: 98 dB or more (1 kHz)
- S/N ratio: 105 dB or more (1 kHz)
- Channel separation: 104 dB (1 kHz)
- THD: 0.002% (1 kHz)
- Output: 2.2 Vrms (analog); coaxial 0.5 Vp-p/75Ω; optical -19 dBm
- Power consumption: 13W
- Dimensions: 458 × 82 × 313 mm (W×H×D); 6.3 kg
A front-panel switch selects the digital filter, Sharp or Slow roll-off. The player shows CD-TEXT, and it has both coaxial and optical digital outputs plus a headphone jack. A wireless remote came with it.
Beyond the Japanese-market listing, the documentation is thin. The Archive's files hold no production years, formal reviews or detailed reception history. Owner reports from the used market are generally positive. One forum listing described it as reading discs quickly with no skipping. A common repair is replacing the pickup lens.
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