Yamaha CDR-HD1300 (2002–2005)
The Yamaha CDR-HD1300 is an odd hybrid from the early 2000s. It is a full CD recorder with an 80 GB hard drive bolted on, so you can rip CDs, edit tracks, and burn new discs without touching a computer. It came out in September 2002 at ¥75,000 in Japan. The recorder section handles CD, CD-R, and CD-RW, with coaxial and optical digital I/O. The music server holds tracks from roughly 120 CDs. The big limitation is that the hard drive records only uncompressed WAV files, not MP3 or WMA. PCMag UK noted that this put it behind the 1,000-CD capacity of many rivals in its price class, even as it praised the audio quality as living up to the Yamaha pedigree.
This unit was built for making discs by hand. The manual documents a deep editing suite with album, track, and disc-level functions, including Track Divide, Track Combine, Fade In/Out, and Disc Pack. It also has copy-speed selection for ripping, high-quality duplication modes, and CD-RW erasure. A front-panel DIGITAL REC LEVEL control and a MULTI JOG dial suggest a machine aimed at serious recordists rather than casual listeners. Connections include analog line in/out, digital record and play jacks in both coaxial and optical formats, video in/out for what appears to be an on-screen display function, and an RS-232C port. A headphone output sits on the front panel alongside the transport controls.
Period press was largely favorable. New Atlas described it as offering the best of both worlds - a CD recorder of the highest quality and a large-capacity music server. An owner comment collected by theafterword.co.uk simply called it "fantastic recordings," and an Audio Asylum forum post praised its "transparent Yamaha sound." The complaints centered almost entirely on the WAV-only limitation. The review unit's accessories included a wireless remote, stereo pin cables, an optical fiber cable, and a video pin cable.
The sources conflict slightly on dates. audio-database.com lists a September 2002 release, while hifi-wiki.com gives years of manufacture as 2003-2005. The earlier date appears in the more detailed Japanese source and is likely correct for the home market. A dedicated replacement hard disk (YHD-401S) was sold separately at ¥20,000. The unit weighs 8.4 kg and measures 435 × 115.5 × 414.5 mm. Frequency response is rated at 5-20,000 Hz ±0.5 dB, playback dynamic range at 99 dB, and S/N ratio at 105 dB. The CDR-HD1300 appears to have been the follow-up to the CDR-HD1000, which one forum poster noted Yamaha imported for a few years before stopping.
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