CD Player Yamaha CD-S303RK Black

Yamaha CD-S303RK rack-mount CD player with Pure Direct mode and USB playback

The CD-S303RK is a professional rack-mount CD player designed for installations, retail spaces and event venues. It supports playback of audio CDs and CD-R/RW discs, while the front-panel USB port allows playback of MP3, WMA, LPCM, AAC and FLAC files from storage media. Operation in installations is simplified by the Play mode memory and Ready Mode functions, which retain the selected playback mode and shorten the time needed to bring the unit to standby readiness.

The internal layout of the boards and components is arranged symmetrically with an emphasis on the shortest possible signal paths. The power supply for the drive mechanism, display and USB section is separated from the digital and analogue sections, suppressing mutual electromagnetic interference. The transport is positioned in the centre of the chassis for weight balance, and the floating mount of the laser pickup unit isolates the pickup from vibrations. The component selection includes a higher-grade audio capacitor, a low-noise operational amplifier with a wide gain bandwidth, and damping material beneath the transformer as well as around the signal wiring.

Conversion is handled by a 192 kHz/24-bit D/A converter, which together with the carefully designed power supply contributes to a signal-to-noise ratio of 105 dB, a dynamic range of 96 dB and harmonic distortion of 0.003 %. The Intelligent Digital Servo system uses a DSP dedicated to CD playback: it continuously monitors the signal and corrects tracking, pickup focus and spindle motor speed, reducing read errors caused by warped or dirty discs. The Pure Direct function switches off the digital outputs and the display, so the analogue output operates with minimal interference — the result is more legible micro-detail and more stable localisation of instruments within the stereo image.

The player offers optical, coaxial and analogue RCA outputs, so it can be connected to an amplifier as well as to an external DAC or an installation matrix. Controls include 10-key direct track selection, random and repeat playback, programmed playback of audio CDs, three-mode display of CD Text and time, four display brightness levels and last-track resume. Dimensions of 480 × 87 × 260 mm and a weight of 4.1 kg correspond to standard 2U rack mounting.

Key features

• Pure Direct: Switches off digital outputs and display for pure analogue
• D/A converter: 192 kHz/24-bit conversion with a 105 dB S/N ratio
• Intelligent Digital Servo: DSP correction of tracking, focus and rotation speed
• USB and formats: MP3, WMA, LPCM, AAC and FLAC from USB
• Rack design: 480 × 87 × 260 mm, weight 4.1 kg