Kyocera DA-910

Part of the Kyocera 900 Series and first generation (and a half) CD player that was fully built by Kyocera (ie. by its newly acquired Cybernet subsidiary), except the Hitachi laser, the two Philips TDA1540D digital-to-analogue converters and the LC-OFC wiring.

If Kyocera OEM'ed its smaller DA-01 CD player to Akai and Micro and Phase Linear and Rotel and Tensai, the DA-910 was only duplicated by two brands : Universum (AD-2000) and Nakamichi (OMS-7E & OMS-5E).

Hidden inside is a huge FCL module placed below the large signal/servo board. FCL modules were Kyocera's discrete modules, a bit like Marantz's HDAM, pre-Sony's ESPRIT blue boxes or "1" aluminium stacks.
Said modules weren't epoxy-potted but the glue used inside didn't age well ; more precisely the glue needs to remain warm all the time - if you have a Ky, do not leave it un-powered !

Kyocera produced two versions : the original (shown here) and a later one, export-only, which had an added IR remote control.
To make room for the added IR receptor, the etched/embossed metal logo was put below the tray ; an output level switch (0,77 / 2 / 5V) was added at the back. Mechanically and digitally, the two versions are nevertheless identical.

Built like all first generation Kyocera on a composite ceramic base (CCR that efficiently suppresses most of the vibrations. It is, however, like all such compounds (Sony's SBMC, Technics' BMC and others) rather fragile when it comes to sudden precise shocks and easily breaks in pieces. It is nevertheless very efficient and quite immune to little scratches.

Costing 250,000¥, Kyocera sold quite a few of them - by far the one strong selling Ky component with the cheaper DA-01 and its many OEM versions.

Sadly, the vast majority of the 910s went bump throughout the 1980s and early 1990s - lasers die, they do, don't they.