Sony CDP-701ES

1 9 8 3 1983
1 9 8 5 1985

The first and very well built ES unit and THE high-end best-seller in Japan in 1983/1984.

One of the very few 1980s component that, although adorned with many a button, manages to remain elegant.

The all-metal quality is in it for something :
felt-covered 3 to 4mm anodized aluminium plates, steel chassis, copper everywhere and massive copper-plated heatsinking.

The finish is in it for something, too :
a work on textures and colors à la Sony (still unmatched by anyone, anywhere, anytime) and a feel of use which Sony carried on so well until the last of the X7 CD players and the original 1999 SACD bestsellers : SCD-1 and SCD-777ES.

However, the multi-display programming is a bit nightmarish and the sound now isn't on par with said X7 players.

Long-term-wise, problems may come from the encased LPF which are previsibly not available anymore.
ICs are all Sony, like on the CDP-101 or Yamaha CD-1 ; the d/a IC was at first the CX890, then the CX20017.

The optical block itself, however, despite its Sony name (KSC-100A) is a Toshiba OPH-32. Strange. And the ailing STK6922 are also present :(

Although Sony never made a dedicated ESPRIT CD player (or tuner, or turntable...), the CDP-701ES was the one accompanying the last of the ESPRIT series : APM-4, TA-N902 and TA-E901.

But the idea of a CDP-901 or CDP-902 still is very tantalizing...


Much more about the CDP-701ES at the indispensable vintage-audio-laser.com.

Sony CDP-701ES, image 1 Sony CDP-701ES, image 2 Sony CDP-701ES, image 3
Sony CDP-701ES specifications
Title Value
Frequency response : 5Hz...20Khz (± 0,5dB)
THD : 0,003% (1Khz)
S/N ratio : 95dB
Line output : 2V RMS (MSB)
Headphones' output : 28mW / 32 Ohm (MSB)
PC : 32W
Dimensions : 43 x x10,5 x 38,5cm
Weight : 11,5kg.
Listprice : 260,000¥ (1983...1984)
page online since : 2005
page updated : september 2009
page type : LGT / KNB
page weight : 194.66 Kb / 0 b
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