Marantz CD-63B

Extra-rare Japan-only version of the Marantz CD-63 in black fashion - otherwise identical to the Philips CD100 or Grundig CD30 or Magnavox FD1000.

As Philips didn't distribute the CD100 in Japan (or CD300 or CD200 or CD303 etc - the LHH series wasn't yet launched), the CD-63B was Marantz Japan's attempt toward first generation & small-size.

However, the images shown here are of the very good looking pre-production item : dark grey - much more becoming. That pre-prod' item was used in several JP publications shortly after the CD launch... while Marantz JP was (briefly) advertising for the regular (champagne) CD-63 !
Closeups from these publications show that scripting wasn't complete and very easily erasable while the top roundy was dark anodized, too.

As produced, in the end, a response graph was added atop the enclosure, the silver roundy of which was dropped, and the prog/track scripting altered to reflect... the CD101.

As often with that Marantz vintage, if the drawing board intention was quite often excellent, the actual realisation rarely optimal... or faithful to the original intention. (But if anybody still has the dark grey pre-production sample... please contact me !)


All about the CD-63B at the indispensable vintage-audio-laser.com and a real, used, one here ; a thread covering the restoration of a 63B here.