Marantz CD-94 Limited (circa 1987–1988)
The Marantz CD-94 Limited is a gold-finished variant of the CD-94, introduced around February 1987 and produced only for the Asian market. A Japanese source describes it plainly: a limited model aiming for top quality as the gold version of the CD-94. The "Limited" designation appears to have marked the gold finish and a heavier build. One owner notes the Limited shipped with a 3mm steel bottom plate rather than the flimsier plate that came with the other CD-94 versions.
The player underneath was serious hardware. The D/A conversion used the Philips TDA1541, an L-R independent dual DAC with a converter exclusively for each channel, running 4× oversampling. Marantz claimed this eliminated phase shift between channels up to ultra-high frequencies and gave wide-band characteristics and dynamic range out to 30 kHz. The transport was a tuned-up Philips CDM-1 mechanism. Marantz improved its rigidity by adding reinforcing ribs and a separately mounted pre-amplifier for the laser signal. Vibration and resonance countermeasures included a heavy die-cast chassis, a 3mm steel bottom plate, and Portland cement filling the space inside the large insulators. A digital output (both optical and 75-ohm coaxial, standardized to the Digital Audio Interface format) allowed connection to outboard D/A converters like the CDA-94.
The CD-94 Limited also had the CD Filing Bank FTS, which could permanently store 150 discs, plus shuffle play via remote control. The Japanese-market unit ran on 100 volts.
Documentation is thin beyond this. The specs that circulate for the CD-94 (2 Hz - 20 kHz ±0.1 dB, S/N of 104 dB, THD of 0.0015%, 462 × 107 × 355 mm, 12 kg) appear to belong to the base model. No formal professional review of the Limited has surfaced. The original retail price is likewise undocumented. One Japanese source lists ¥160,000, but whether that figure applies to the Limited specifically is unverified.
Russian classifieds listings describe it as one of the most famous and revered CD players of audio's "golden era," known for exceptional build reliability. One seller, asking 95,000 ₽, wrote that the player "needs no advertising or persuasion to buy." Another, selling after recent service in Japan, offered the simple endorsement: "The sound is simply a smile from ear to ear." A Canadian listing in spring 2026 asked CA$2,000.
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