Nakamichi DVD-15 (2000)

The Nakamichi DVD-15 came out in 2000 at ¥135,000. It was the company's first serious try at a DVD changer, a 5-disc unit built around Nakamichi's own "Music Bank" disc-handling system. There is no big tray and no removable magazine. The mechanism holds and moves discs only by their edges, so you can load DVDs and CDs freely and play all five in sequence. The loading is slotless, closer to a car-stereo changer than a typical home deck.

The internal specs point to a serious high-end video/audio hybrid. The DVD-15 has a 10-bit video D/A converter that upconverts 8-bit/13.5 MHz DVD data to 10-bit at 27 MHz. It also has component video output (Y, Cb, Cr) for direct D/A conversion of the color-difference data. On the audio side, the built-in D/A converter handles 96 kHz/24-bit linear PCM, the highest DVD standard of the era. Onboard Dolby Digital and DTS decoders feed a full 5.1-channel analog output, and center and surround delay times and channel levels are adjustable. A two-wavelength twin-focus laser pickup reads CD-Rs as well as commercial CDs, Video CDs, and single- or double-layer DVDs. The laser switches between 655 nm for DVD and 790 nm for CD. You also get two digital outputs (optical and coaxial), a headphone jack with adjustable volume, and S-video output.

The measured specs are respectable for the period. DVD-audio frequency response runs 4 Hz to 44 kHz at 96 kHz sampling. Signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range are both rated at 100 dB, and total harmonic distortion is 0.0025% (48 kHz, 24-bit PCM). CD playback is rated 4 Hz - 20 kHz, 100 dB S/N and dynamic range, and 0.003% THD (EIAJ). The unit draws a maximum of 45W, measures 430 × 100 × 320 mm, and weighs about 8 kg.

The record on the DVD-15 is thinner than its engineering suggests. One current owner reports the unit has been reliable for years and reads any format. He calls the sound "worthy - comparable to this famous firm's reputation." Another owner says the mechanics are unlike anything he'd seen elsewhere and calls the machine "very reliable." He notes it runs warm, though. The main transformer heats up noticeably, and the top cover above it has heat-dissipating holes. Two transformers are installed, one likely for standby power and the larger for main operation. Other reports are less glowing. One forum member had playback issues with a 5-disc changer needing laser cleaning. A seller noted a unit that read only 90% of CDs and couldn't read DVDs at all. A Craigslist listing offered one "as is" because it "does not read disk." Multi-region modification reportedly does not take on this model.

No major audio-press review of the DVD-15 has surfaced in the available documentation. The public record is mostly owner reports and forum discussion. A service manual exists and is held by some collectors. The DVD-15 appears to have been a Japanese-market product (100 VAC, 50/60 Hz). Its relationship to the related DVD-10 and a briefly-mentioned DVD-15S variant is undocumented.

Type: 5-disc Music Bank DVD changer
Release year: 2000 | Original price: ¥135,000
Laser: semiconductor, 655 nm (DVD) / 790 nm (CD), Class 2
Video: PAL (625/50) and NTSC (525/60); composite, S-video, component outputs
Audio: Dolby Digital and DTS decoders, 5.1 ch analog out, optical and coaxial digital out
Power: 100 VAC, 50/60 Hz, max approx. 45W
Dimensions: 430 × 100 × 320 mm | Weight: approx. 8 kg