Marantz CD-99DR (1988)
The Marantz CD-99DR was a high-end CD transport released in Japan in 1988 at ¥228,000. It was designed to be paired with the PM-95 pre-main amplifier, which carried its own D/A converter. The CD-99DR itself had no digital-to-analog section built in. It was the most expensive and heaviest model in its series, and it lacked the "silver crowns" cosmetic feature found on some siblings.
Mechanically, the CD-99DR was built around the CDM-1 drive mechanism, the same unit used in the LHH2000 and other flagship models. The swing-arm pickup support used a dynamic balance design with rear weights instead of a conventional linear tracking system. The drive section used a linear motor. A single-beam pickup was chosen for low aberration and stable temperature behavior. The servo circuit had an automatic switching system that sensed 12 cm versus 8 cm disc size and adjusted to match.
The chassis work was serious. It had a high-rigidity die-cast frame, a 3-mm steel bottom plate, die-cast side panels, and a three-piece "ARC" (Aluminum Raft Ceiling) top cover with a cut raft that diffused vibration modes. A toroidal transformer fed the servo and digital circuits. A CD file bank (FTS) feature let you store favorite track selections semi-permanently.
Known specifications:
- Outputs: coaxial 0.5Vp-p/75 Ω; optical -19dBm (rectangular connector)
- Laser: AlGaAs semiconductor, 780nm wavelength
- Sampling: 44.1kHz; 16-bit linear quantization per channel
- Power: 100 VAC, 50/60Hz; 13W consumption
- Dimensions: 454 × 106 × 345 mm (W×H×D); weight 14.0kg
Independent reviews of the CD-99DR are scarce in the Archive's files, and no frequency response, THD, or S/N measurements have surfaced. Period sources confirm the 1988 introduction and the transport-only design, but detailed reception history remains undocumented. Enthusiast listings over the years have praised its laser tracking and silent tray operation. Used prices ran from roughly RM2,555 to RM2,600 in Malaysia and about $737 on a Russian forum, though those figures are anecdotal and not a reliable market guide.
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