Onkyo Integra T-420CS (c. 1994)
The Onkyo Integra T-420CS is a CS-PCM digital audio tuner built for receiving satellite broadcasts. The "CS" in the name means communication satellites, not the coaxial digital cable standard people think of now. It was priced at ¥89,000 around 1994.
The interesting part is what it does with the satellite signal. It doesn't just decode and output analog audio. The tuner was designed around the CS-PCM digital broadcast format, and Onkyo used what it called "Integra technology" in its development. The unit has a newly developed IC for MSK demodulation and a high-precision Viterbi decoder LSI. The D/A stage uses an 8-times oversampling digital filter feeding independent linear-phase converters for the left and right channels. That twin configuration is meant to prevent inter-channel interference. A relay-based muting circuit was used to avoid degrading sound quality. The unit also has an audio-only capacitor, a thick power cord with polarity marking, and gold-plated audio outputs.
The T-420CS received JCSAT satellite channels J1 through J15, plus an AUX range of 1300 to 1770 MHz with 2 MHz step tuning. It had 24 preset memory slots, a 75Ω unbalanced input, and an input signal range of -31dBm to -63dBm. The output specs are respectable: 250mVrms analog output, signal-to-noise ratio of 96 dB or more, total harmonic distortion of 0.019%, and crosstalk of 96 dB or more. It also has a built-in CORETEC scramble decoder with a bit stream output of 0.5Vp-p/75Ω. Connections are one CS-IF input, one analog audio output, one optical Toslink digital output, and a standard-jack headphone output.
The unit is a low-profile component: 455mm wide, just 75mm high, and 315mm deep, weighing 4.4kg. Power consumption is modest at 13W on and 2W in standby. A remote control was included. A CS converter power supply (+15V) is provided at the CS-IF input terminal, which suggests the T-420CS was meant to pair with a specific external converter unit.
Documentation on this model is thin. No production years are firmly established beyond the "around 1994" price reference, and no period reviews or owner commentary have surfaced. The unit does appear in used audio dealer inventory listings in Japan, so examples exist in circulation, but no current market pricing data is available.
Known Specifications
- Type: CS-PCM digital audio tuner
- Price: ¥89,000 (c. 1994)
- Receiving channels: JCSAT J1–J15; AUX 1300–1770 MHz (2 MHz steps)
- Presets: 24 stations
- Output: 250mVrms analog; optical Toslink digital
- S/N ratio: 96 dB or more
- THD: 0.019%
- Crosstalk: 96 dB or more
- Inputs/outputs: 1 CS-IF input, 1 analog out, 1 optical digital out, 1 headphone jack
- Dimensions: 455 × 75 × 315 mm (W×H×D)
- Weight: 4.4 kg
- Power consumption: 13W on / 2W off
- Accessories: Remote control
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