Marantz CD-17

First mid-end Marantz CD player to abandon the indestructible CDM-4 and its many versions for the flimsy, plasticky and -let's face it- cheap CDM12. The drawer operation really is a full-tilt deception compared to the rest of the player.

Inside, the CD-17 is also quite industrial and undistinguished - the days of the CD-12, CD-94 or CD-16 really were gone : one simple trafo, lots of SMD caps (beware of those - they leak !), a single board for the power-supply and d/a conversion, pressed metal and no copper-plating....
If the CD-17 was meant as a first price in audiophile CD replay, it still was a bit meager, weight-wise.

Sound-wise, of course, the CD-17 (and its many upgraded versions) sold like hotcakes worldwide, Marantz taking the lead which Sony had kept for almost 15 years.

A fair player in stock form with its Taiwan-made TDA1547, said many upgraded versions allowed to get a bit closer to the 17's pretenses : better trafo (shielded & OFC), better versions of the CDM12, remodeled main board with New HDAMs instead of the original HDAMs etc - there are many web pages around which describe all of those differences.

Basically, and if I make no mistakes :
CD-17Ki = Ken Ishiwata tweaked version of the original CD-17

CD-17D = has a digital input to use as d/a converter

CD-17Da = same as 17D but with a VAM1201 mechanism which reads CD-RW

CD-19 = with digital input, double-differential DAC7 circuit but the normal the CDM-12.

The cheaper CD-19 closed the series in 1998 at a time SACD and DVD-A were (sort of ) about to happen.
Philips & Marantz were however so happy with their successful series that Philips' original stereo SACD prototype was housed in a barely modified CD-17 enclosure :)

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Disc format: CD
Digital converter: PCM1716E
CD Mechanism: VAM1201
Frequency response: 5Hz to 20kHz
Dynamic range: 98dB
Signal to Noise Ratio: 103dB
Channel separation: 100dB
Total harmonic distortion: 0.002%
Line output: 2.2V
Digital connections: coaxial, optical
Dimensions: 458 x 83 x 315mm
Weight: 8kg
Accessories: RC-DA17CD remote control