CD Player Expectations (Marantz CD273 1989 vs CD6004 2012)

[admin_exported]

Hi sages of the hifi world. would you mind sharing your opinions on the following dilemma?

I have Monitor Audio BX2s and a Marantz PM6004 amp. I have an old Marantz CD273 from 1989 which has nothing wrong with it and plays away quite happily.

However, I have convinced myself pairing the PM6004 with the CD6004 is going to improve the sound quality of my CDs.

My rational is based on:

1) listening to a demo CD in a CD/PM6004 set-up with BX2 in the noisy surrounds of RS London Bridge
2) What Hifi review
3) the notion that technology must have moved such that the DAC etc is going to be much better at delivering the dynamics and clarity of the music

I am currently listening to:

Talk Talk Colour of Spring, Spirit of Eden, Laughing Stock
Peter Gabriel, So, Us, Up, New Blood
Kate Bush, 50 words of snow

I intend to take my old CD and compare but before going to the effort and putting myself in temptations way, I thought I'd ask. Should I expect a CD play built 22 years ago to compete on sound quality with today's products? Is that possible?

Cheers

David

 

[Anonymous]

Bumped only as I posted at a bad time when everyones at the pub!

 

[Anonymous]

Your good old Marantz is a killer! It has the famous TDA 1541 chip on board. Do a re-cap and install a superclock and last but not least put it in NOS ( No oversampling ) Trust me on this!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Oean37, thanks mate that's cracking feedback. Not knowing where to start, is there anyone who does this kind of modification or are there any details on the web? What's a re-cap? The rest I'll google. Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[the record spot]

Yes, it's possible, whether you think it is better only you can tell. That said, Marantz have always been strong players in the CD budget market (and further up the range too). I did a direct compare with my SA7001-KI against a Philips CD-850 machine (from the same stable once upon a time) and the KI machine was the better, the 850 albeit good, had a presentation that didn't quite give me everything the KI machine did. Very minor though.

If it were my money, I'd go with the new player; or Harman's HD990 which is a fine performer too.

 

[Anonymous]

Lately it is no secret anymore that the chips used in the older Marantz and Philips machine are fabulous.

When you get rid of the oversampling, it is like there is a curtain opening in your stereo image.

I have the luck to own a TDA1541 S1 ( Silver Crown ) chip, that sounds a bit smoother than the normal chip.

Recap means, replacing (bad) capicitors for good quality ( like the good old black gates for example. )

Look on the internet for the stories and get yourself convinced. The person who modified my cd player, sold his expensive

TEAC. And he was not amused Find someone who is a technician and knows about audio.

 

[paradiziac]

I've got that chip in my 20 yr old Suggie DAC and can vouch for the quality

Makes me wonder how it would sound in NOS mode, might be tempted one day but love it as it is just now...

 

[Anonymous]

It's actually the CD273se which appears to have the TDA1541a S1 chip so i guess that makes it better. Strange I would have thought things had moved on but no so reading some of the stuff on the net. Still i am curious about the modification route but don't know where to start. Any advice would be welcome.