Marantz ST-700BS (c. 1990)
The Marantz ST-700BS is a multiband tuner from around 1990, sold in Japan for ¥100,000. It was a black-model component designed to sit alongside the PM700AV integrated amplifier. The two could interlock over a BUS line for linked power on/off and function switching. It was a full-spectrum source unit for the Japanese domestic market of the late bubble era. It handled BS satellite TV, terrestrial TV, FM, and AM, all in one chassis.
The BS tuner section used a PLL synthesizer. Its PCM audio processing employed the 1-bit D/A converter of the bitstream method developed by Philips, which Marantz touted for high sound quality. The TV tuner used a U/V all-band sound-multiplex PLL synthesizer with a split-carrier system. The FM section borrowed the front end also used in the ST-50 tuner. There were 12 preset memories for BS/TV and 12 for FM/AM, and presets could store BS audio mode settings and manual TV fine-tuning. A weekly timer allowed up to five programs, plus a sleep timer adjustable in 10-minute increments up to 60 minutes.
Around the back, there are two video and two audio outputs, plus both coaxial and optical digital audio outputs. Digital and analog audio outputs could be set separately for TV/independent audio and main/sub modes. It also carried input/output terminals for HDTV. The included wireless remote was the RC700BS. The remote control terminals let it work together with a Marantz cassette deck or CD player.
A used unit has appeared on the Japanese classifieds site Jimoty in the Hiroshima area, but the excerpt of the listing doesn't state a price. There are no owner reviews, market prices, or maintenance notes in the record. What's documented is mostly the spec sheet and the design intentions.
Known specs, from the archival record:
- BS receiving channels: BS1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15
- Video output: 1Vp-p/75Ω; Sound output: 240mV
- Digital audio output: coaxial 0.5Vp-p/75Ω, optical 660nm
- Dynamic range: 96dB; frequency response 5Hz–20kHz ±0.5dB
- FM practical sensitivity: 12.1dBf/1.1µV; THD 0.2%; S/N 73dB
- AM practical sensitivity: 500µV/m; THD 0.3%; S/N 52dB
- Dimensions: 454 × 104 × 353mm (W×H×D); weight 6.0kg
- Power consumption: 25W (AC100V, 50/60Hz)
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