D&M will end production M3 optical transport at the end of July 2024

jeromelang

jeromelang

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Dec 26, 2011
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D&M will end production of their M3 optical transport at the end of July 2024

The impact on hi-end SACD player offerings could be huge

Affected companies:

dCS
CH Precision
WADAX
METRONOME TECHNOLOGIE
GOLDMUND
Soulnote
McIntosh
Playback Designs

How will this affect long term reliability of products currently using D&M's optical transports?
 
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For those who don’t know, D&M must be Denon & Marantz.

Surely they’ve not decided to abandon CD or SACD players, so perhaps they’re going to introduce a new one. If they’re abandoning disk formats, perhaps that says something about how they perceive the future. Nevertheless, in the past these crises of transport retirement have always been met by another manufacturer. If there’s a market, someone will step up. McIntosh has probably stockpiled a bunch for warranty and repairs.

FWIW, dCS supposedly uses the Marantz transport in the Rossini, but a unit from Esoteric in the Vivaldi.
 
D&Mは外販用SACD/CDメカニズムの最終オーダーを7月末に行うと各社に通達。
D&M releases to manufacturers that the last orders for SACD/CD mechanisms will be taken at the end of July.


2024年6月12日


現在世界でほほ唯一メカとして外部販売され、多くのメーカーに採用されているD&M SACD/CDメカニズム
D&Mから2024年7月末時点の受注をもって生産終了する旨の通達が各社に行われたとのことです。
なお、外販しているメーカーに対して通達が行われており、D&Mの自社製品向けメカニズムについては不明です。

オーディオ界への影響は大きく
dCS
CH Precision
WADAX
METRONOME TECHNOLOGIE
GOLDMUND
Soulnote
McIntosh
など
現在D&Mのメカを使用しているモデルに影響すると思われます。
各社、最終オーダーで将来の生産分と保守分を確保するのではないかと思います。


Currently, the D&M SACD/CD mechanism is the only mechanism sold to external parties in the world and is used by many manufacturers.
D&M has notified all manufacturers that production will end with orders received by the end of July 2024.
This will have a major impact on the audio industry, and is likely to affect models that currently use D&M mechanisms, such as

dCS
CH Precision
WADAX
METRONOME TECHNOLOGIE
GOLDMUND
Soulnote
McIntosh

Each company would purchase a mechanism for future production and a mechanism for future maintenance in the final order.
D&M has notified outside manufacturers, and it is not known whether D&M manufactures mechanisms for its own products.
 
Can someone post a link to this news?
 
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Seems odd the Wadax would have just released a new CD Player with no future availability of drives? I hope this turns out not to be the case or that a new model is coming.

George
 
I was hoping the source was an actual Marantz press release but it seems like the news was forwarded to that website from a party that saw it. I found it odd that this was in the quoted story,: "it is not known whether D&M manufactures mechanisms for its own products."

Looking at the Marantz website, it appears that only the SA-10 distinctly advertises use of the M3 transport. Understandably, that player is long in the tooth and will probably be distontinued soon given it's been around the better part of 8 years.

Denon uses what they call the "Advanced S.V.H. Mechanism" in 3 of 6 sacd/cd players and a lower quality variation still labeled an "S.V.H. Mechanism" on another player they make so 4 out of 6 Denon sacd/cd players use a custom transport.

Perhaps cheaper 3rd party transports used on their less expensive players are what they will rely on for their own products going forward.
 
RnRmf said:
I was hoping the source was an actual Marantz press release but it seems like the news was forwarded to that website from a party that saw it. I found it odd that this was in the quoted story,: "it is not known whether D&M manufactures mechanisms for its own products."

Looking at the Marantz website, it appears that only the SA-10 distinctly advertises use of the M3 transport. Understandably, that player is long in the tooth and will probably be distontinued soon given it's been around the better part of 8 years.

Denon uses what they call the "Advanced S.V.H. Mechanism" in 3 of 6 sacd/cd players and a lower quality variation still labeled an "S.V.H. Mechanism" on another player they make so 4 out of 6 Denon sacd/cd players use a custom transport.

Perhaps cheaper 3rd party transports used on their less expensive players are what they will rely on for their own products going forward.
Click to expand...
I seem to remember that they were bought by a medical devices oriented company not long ago. The old decision makers are gone.
 
Another Johnson said:
I seem to remember that they were bought by a medical devices oriented company not long ago. The old decision makers are gone.
Click to expand...
Who knows who makes the decisions now. D&M sold to Sound United who sold to the medical devices company, Masimo, and who are already investigating separating from the audio business it acquired in 2022. That said, it appears D&M operates as a company in Japan and Sound United is still listed at the bottom of the Denon Japan website with a 2024 date. Denon USA conversely lists Masimo at the bottom of their page.
 
dCS' James Cook recently posted elsewhere: "We plan to continue manufacturing the Rossini Transport and Vivaldi Transport II using the D&M mechanism. This announcement does not impact the production of new Transports utilising this mech, nor does it impact our ongoing service support for the models. We have suitable stock levels to continue producing them, as well as to offer ongoing service support for them."

Best to all

Bob
 
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Another Johnson said:
FWIW, dCS supposedly uses the Marantz transport in the Rossini, but a unit from Esoteric in the Vivaldi.
Click to expand...

Esoteric & their VRDS mechanism ended dCS' relationship years ago --- Esoteric furnished 250-500 mechanisms for repairs to dCS legacy Vivaldi players & that was that.

dCS R&D'd the D&M mechanism for the Rossini Transport and Vivaldi II Transport.

Best Sirs,

Bob
 
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Old news but another twist. Esoteric ceased selling their transports to OEM's a year or so ago.
 
Clearly D&M are not selling enough outside of the ever diminishing sales of ripoff audiophile brands.

CD whither and die.

Vinyl or streaming for digital are the options.
 
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@Cutlr7,

You may want to consider directly reaching out to Bricasti on how they are managing this currently and for the future. I would guess they are purchasing the drives in quantity for sales and for backup warranty units, but with the M19 not having a long track record, it could be difficult to estimate what quantities they should order. I considered purchasing the M19 and M21, but the D&M discontinuation troubled me as well. I considered the idea of a Jay's Audio CDT3-Mk3, but even the drives there are not available but for the stock they have accumulated. However, Jay's has a history of utilizing discontinued drives but with success on doing so long term. I have a limited number of SACDs, and I am confident I could have been pleased with Jay's Audio and CD drive only, but did instead pursue Esoteric.

​

 
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I spoke to them yesterday and they confirmed they are fine for stock and the future. They noted that the sales rep they spoke to for D&M Holdings said they weren't ceasing production (but my guess is they still are). I will keep an eye on it and will continue to save for the M19, Bricasti is a solid company and the little use it will get will be good for years to come....
 
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