Eight CD Player Launches Meet a Shrinking Optical-Drive Supply

By Grace Kim

Eight new CD-player models span four brands, but PS Audio and Naim have halted production of their high-end players as the optical-drive supplier base contracts. According to Headphonesty, Musical Fidelity accounts for four models, Marantz for two, and Arcam and NAD for one each.

The launch activity runs against a shrinking manufacturing base. Optical media has seen a resurgence, and new CD players have reached the market. Yet some optical-drive and component manufacturers have ended production. The shortage now threatens maintenance and repairability for devices sold as new.

Where do the new players’ mechanisms come from?

Musical Fidelity reportedly sources its key components from SUOS-HiFi. Three of its four models use SUOS disc mechanisms. The fourth uses a SUOS-sourced servo with a tray-loading mechanism from an unnamed manufacturer.

Marantz reportedly develops its drives in-house. It remains unclear whether Marantz also outsources production to a third party. Arcam and NAD did not disclose who makes their optical drives.

The eight-model count does not mean eight independent drive sources. All four Musical Fidelity models use SUOS-sourced components, concentrating reliance on one supplier within one brand’s range. SUOS-HiFi therefore carries the same concentration risk that D&M created for PS Audio’s PMG transport.

Does the launch wave widen the supplier base?

Marantz’s reported in-house development points in the opposite direction. Arcam and NAD provide no supplier detail, leaving their production arrangements unconfirmed. The new products are reaching the market, but the supplier disclosures do not show a broader manufacturing base.

The report identifies dependence on one manufacturer for a critical component as the central problem. Only a few companies appear capable of producing such a niche drive, even after demand grew substantially. That concentration leaves each brand exposed when one supplier stops accepting orders or making parts.

The parts shortage reaches beyond PS Audio and Naim. It also raises repair and maintenance questions for the eight new models. Retail availability does not guarantee replacement mechanisms or a lasting service supply. That gap separates a product launch from a stable production base.

Why did PS Audio stop production?

PS Audio ended production of the PMG Super Audio CD Transport because D&M, Marantz’s parent company, ceased accepting external orders for optical drives. PS Audio bought D&M’s entire remaining stock. That inventory was not enough to keep production going.

Buying the remaining stock did not remove PS Audio’s dependence on D&M. The transport required more mechanisms than that inventory could support. The purchase covered what D&M had left, but it did not secure enough parts for continued production.

PS Audio CEO Paul McGowan said building the company’s own optical disc reader is “beyond the company’s capabilities.” Designing such a mechanism in-house would require capabilities the company does not have. That leaves PS Audio dependent on an outside manufacturer for renewed production.

Why did Naim stop the Uniti Star?

Naim faced the same problem with the Uniti Star, although it did not name its optical-drive supplier. The original manufacturer stopped production, forcing Naim to find an alternative. Naim was evaluating a replacement manufacturer when that company also stopped making the components needed for the Uniti Star.

Naim was still evaluating the replacement when that company stopped making the required components. The prospective supplier therefore could not support the Uniti Star. Naim had already lost its original producer and found no continuing replacement. Neither retained stock nor a prospective supplier could support further builds.

PS Audio and Naim each kept some optical drives in inventory. Those remaining units are reserved only for repairs and replacements. They do not extend the supply available for new production.

Can the new players remain repairable?

The report presents in-house design as the best option. Marantz is already pursuing that route. A company that controls the design could transfer production to another manufacturer or build the drives itself if its current supplier exits.

That approach could offer greater continuity than relying on a shrinking external supplier base. It does not guarantee an alternative producer. The source describes the transfer to another manufacturer as plausible, not confirmed, for any named product.

PS Audio does not regard that route as feasible. McGowan’s assessment places optical-reader design beyond the company’s capabilities. Marantz retains more control over its mechanism supply, while PS Audio must depend on outside manufacturers for any renewed production.

Demand growth alone does not resolve the shortage. The niche remains limited enough that only a few companies appear able to supply its drives. Going forward, that narrow supplier base will determine whether new CD players can sustain production and obtain replacement mechanisms; Marantz’s in-house approach may offer the more resilient path.