Yamaha CDX-1000 (1985–1987)

Name: Yamaha CDX-1000
Brand: Yamaha

The Yamaha CDX-1000 was the flagship of Yamaha's first generation of CD players, and it took an unusual technical path. Most competitors were using multi-bit DACs. Yamaha built the CDX-1000 around a 1-bit pulse-width-modulation (PWM) converter - two Yamaha YM-2600B chips handling digital filtering and conversion, with 4x oversampling. hifi-wiki.de credits the approach with making this a "very good CD player from the pioneer days of digital audio."

The front panel has a fluorescent multi-information display showing track number, time, and index via subcode reading. Control features were generous for the period: direct track access, music search, repeat (single track or all), random play, memory programming for up to 20 tracks, a fader, and timer play. A wireless remote control was included. The transport uses a 3-beam laser pickup with auto-slide and auto-focus mechanisms. As with virtually all first-generation CD players, that laser is the part most likely to have degraded with age. Hifi Classic Archive notes generally that several first-gen units fail due to deteriorating laser optics, and this model is no exception.

Specifications from period sources are slightly inconsistent, depending on which directory you consult. Frequency response is given as either 2 Hz or 5 Hz at the low end, THD as 0.002% or under 0.003%, and S/N ratio as either 100 dB or 106 dB. Dynamic range is listed at 96-100 dB, with channel separation of 100 dB at 1 kHz. The unit draws 20W and was sold in Germany at around 1,600 Deutsche Mark. Dimensions vary by source as well: 435 × 86 × 257 mm at 5.2 kg per Hifi Classic Archive, versus 435 × 94 × 275 mm at 6.2 kg per hifi-wiki.de. Analog outputs are dual RCA, with a coaxial digital output also present.

German period sources were complimentary. Classic-HiFi.de called it an "excellent CD player from the first CD generation with excellent sound quality." The used market currently values a working example at roughly €150, though that figure is undated. Yamaha was among the brands advertised by audio dealers in HiFI-Stereo's July 1987 issue, which also listed Carver, Nakamichi, Bang & Olufsen, A.D.S., Crown, Tandberg, Revox, Hafler, Adcom, Mission, Meridian, N.A.D., Harman/Kardon, Kyocera, and Luxman dealer inventory (HiFI-Stereo, July 1987, p.112). No original US list price, service manual, or detailed repair documentation has surfaced in the archive's research. A related model, the CDX-1000E, was a distinct first-edition variant with a pre-out. Its specs should not be assumed identical to this model.