An observation - Please advice (really confused)

[admin_exported]

Hi

As mentioned in my earlier post, i am planning to buy the MS902i as i am getting it at half the price of the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1.

I was confused between the PM6002 & CA 540A V2 amplifiers. Most views at other forums have been that the CA will be too bright for 902i & that i should go with the PM6002.

So yesterday i went for a demo of the PM6002 & CD6002. I got the demo with the Diamond 9.1 as he wasn't a dealer for MS.

After taking the demo, both me & my friend felt that we found the Marantz combo a bit bright. But we didn't want to get to any conclusions yet as the review for the 6002 are quite good. Then we saw that the dealer had the 540C CD (not the v2) player kept over there which he said was for his personal use. We request him to the switch the CA with the CD6002. Immediately we observed that the CA 540C with the PM6002 produced a very soothing sound (quite a drastic difference in that) which was not as bright as the Marantz combo. Also we felt was that the vocals were more full bodied (just the way we like) than the Marantz combo (although the detailing was a touch better with the M).

He then said that the CD6002 he was demoing for the first time & the PM 6002 was being used only the third time. So they were not burned-in properly. Whereas the CA he was using for the past 4 years.

Is this true that the electronics also need to be burned-in. And does that make such a huge difference? If yes, then how much time does it normally takes for the electronics to get burned-in?

My first choice initially was the CA 540Av2 with the CA 540D DVD player ( as my budget is really tight & the system will also have to double up for movie viewing). I wanted a DVD player that could also play CDs very well.

So what if i use the CA 540D with the PM6002. Will this combo work well?

Or would you suggest to stick to a complete CA combo or Marantz combo?

Which combo do you think, out of the two brands, would work best with the 902i's.

Please advice as i am really confused now.

Thank you

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, all kit improves from burning in, and it is usual for music to sound closed in, bright, and lacking in its presence straight out of the box. 40 - 200 hrs use improves things.

For a DVD/CD player, rather than buy two items.buy a Sony 995RDR, with its 250g Hard Drive. Price for £220!

Its a great player, records TV, upscales to full HD, Re Writes, and if you burn CD's onto its HD lossless it sounds as good as a High end CD player providing you use good quality interconnects.

Cannot advise you on the amps / speakers but you are doing the right thing and making up your own mind by listening to them IMO.

 

[Anonymous]

I have the PM6002 and 540C combination. It is a good all-round listen - not stunning in any aspects to be honest, but not poor in any areas either. Easy to live with and you could do a lot worse. Richer sounds are currently discounting the 640C, making cheaper than the 540 at the moment. If it were my money, I'd spend it on the PM6002 + 640C.

 

[Anonymous]

trevor79:Hi, all kit improves from burning in, and it is usual for music to sound closed in, bright, and lacking in its presence straight out of the box. 40 - 200 hrs use improves things.

Thought there was some doubt about this - cf the "Running in" thread.

 

[matthewpiano]

trevor79:Hi, all kit improves from burning in, and it is usual for music to sound closed in, bright, and lacking in its presence straight out of the box. 40 - 200 hrs use improves things.

For a DVD/CD player, rather than buy two items.buy a Sony 995RDR, with its 250g Hard Drive. Price for £220!

Its a great player, records TV, upscales to full HD, Re Writes, and if you burn CD's onto its HD lossless it sounds as good as a High end CD player providing you use good quality interconnects.

Cannot advise you on the amps / speakers but you are doing the right thing and making up your own mind by listening to them IMO.

All due respect but I have an RDR-HXD995. Its a fabulous machine but, after doing comparisons, I would never use it to replace my Denon DCD1500AE, and this is coming from someone who sells Sony equipment for a living. It might be a challenge for CD players circa £250.00, and with that in mind a very good suggestion for the OP, but £500+ will buy you considerably better performance from a dedicated CD player.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd just add that yes, all equipment will benefit from 'burning in' (no fire involved) but speakers far and away benefit from it the most as they are actual electro-mechanical devices wheras a CD player or amplifier is not.

And to be honest, I think the gains from burning in CD players and AMPs will simply be down to the parts physically warming up with use and physically settling into where they are mounted. I think this will happen with the greatest majority in the power section of any equipment.

i.e. I wouldn't put too much stock in a CDP or amp 'burning in' much further after a few hours of a good ragging, wheras speakers might take many many days to burn in.. AND... you shouldn't burn in speakers just by ragging the hell out of them for hours straight. It's a precision instrument! start at low volumes and work your way up.

Last of all, don't be afraid of a burning smell emminating from brand new speakers, that's normal. Should be gone after a day or 2.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply guys but still have some questions unanswered?

1. Is the Marantz combo really bright?

2. Which combo will be better with the 902i - Marantz, CA or a Marantz/CA will also be fine?

 

[Anonymous]

Ankan:
Thanks for your reply guys but still have some questions unanswered?

1. Is the Marantz combo really bright?

2. Which combo will be better with the 902i - Marantz, CA or a Marantz/CA will also be fine?

1. No

2. This is down to personal preference. Nobody can give you any meaningful further advice on this.

 

[Anonymous]

Ankan:
Thanks for your reply guys but still have some questions unanswered?

1. Is the Marantz combo really bright?

2. Which combo will be better with the 902i - Marantz, CA or a Marantz/CA will also be fine?

1. No

2. This is down to personal preference. Nobody can give you any meaningful further advice on this.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Ankan:
Thanks for your reply guys but still have some questions unanswered?

1. Is the Marantz combo really bright?

2. Which combo will be better with the 902i - Marantz, CA or a Marantz/CA will also be fine?

If you are worried about the cd player being bright, try the Denon DCD700AE. It's a lovely warm cd player that is far better than it's price suggests. I've had one, so should know. I demo'd a Rotel RCD06 a while back and it was almost double the price to the Denon and the Denon was a lot better.

 

[plastic penguin]

Gerrardasnails:Ankan:

Thanks for your reply guys but still have some questions unanswered?

1. Is the Marantz combo really bright?

2. Which combo will be better with the 902i - Marantz, CA or a Marantz/CA will also be fine?

If you are worried about the cd player being bright, try the Denon DCD700AE. It's a lovely warm cd player that is far better than it's price suggests. I've had one, so should know. I demo'd a Rotel RCD06 a while back and it was almost double the price to the Denon and the Denon was a lot better.

Yes, he could try other brands - problem is: this will add more confusion. The best advice in his situation is to make a short-list i.e. Marantz & Cambridge and then decide which one appeals the most. Otherwise he could go on for the next few days and still be undecided.

The best judge (or critic) is your ears, and go with your gut feeling.

Good luck

PP