Marantz 6003 - speakers?

[Anonymous]

Matthew... if you want to step up a notch or 2 on the CDP, I have heard that the Musical Fidelity A3.5 Unsampling CD Player is pretty good, but expect to pay approx £400 for a used one in good condition ...

I have never heard one

I am not sure how it would sound on your new system, but am sure that some people with more experience will comment

Here is one on ebay in good condition with a buy it now of £399.99 (ebay item 250518374663 ... you may find one cheaper

if you are interested in spending this amount on a used CDP, first get some more comments/info from people who are familiar with this item ...

here are some specs as found on the net (weighs a lot ... nearly 11kg ):

DAC architecture - 24 bit Delta-Sigma (Bitstream) Dual differential 8x oversampling
Disc mechanism - Philips
Upsampling - 96kHz
Frequency response 10Hz to 20kHz +0 / -0.2dB
Signal / noise ratio > 115dB "A" weighted
Total harmonic distortion < 0.006% 10Hz to 20kHz
Total correlated jitter < 170 pS
Channel separation > 100dB 20Hz to 20kHz
Linearity < 0.2dB down to -90dB
Audio output at digital 0dB level - 2.14VRMS at 1kHz nominal
Analog output 1 pair RCA connectors
Analog output impedance - 50 Ohms
Digital outputs - 1 optical (Toslink), 1 S/PDIF (RCA connector)
Power requirements 100 / 115 / 230V AC 50 / 60Hz (factory preset at 220V)
15 Watts
Dimensions (approximate)
440mm, 17.3 inches wide
100mm, 3.9 inches high including feet
395mm, 15.6 inches deep including terminals
Weight - 10.8 kg, 22.8 lbs unit only, un-boxed
15.5 kg, 34.2 lbs in shipping carton

 

[the record spot]

Funny you should mention that as we used them in two very different rooms before and after a house move.

I had them set-up in a standard semi-detached living room at first, they were about six feet apart, reasonably close to the wall and standmounted. We moved to a new place which had a huge lounge; a good 24x12 or so. However, they didn't fire down the room, but across the way, much as they had previously.

In short, no issues either way - great detail and room filling sound (driven by an Arcam Alpha 5 at the time; I'll never buy all that stuff about Arcam kit sounding relaxed. Admittedly, I was into the Stone Temple Pilots and the Black Crowes at the time though).

In short, they're very flexible, easy to position (I went for straight as opposed to toed in, but go with whatever suits) very detailed, and fluid. It's a good sized box too; pretty substantial and enough of a cabinet to give a good bass. They don't distort in a hurry and can be driven well. I read a lot around people's reservations re: mesh domed tweeters being metallic sounding, etc., but I've never had that problem with the Missions, either the 751 or the '52.

IMO you landed a fine speaker there and not as off the pace as the intervening years might otherwise suggest. If they're in good/near mint nick, they'll do you fine for a while yet.

Another CDP - current option - Harman Kardon HD990: £500, but widely available for less than £300. Not sure if that's over the planned budget, but it gets a good write-up and partners the HK990 amp...no WHF review, but it has a lot of the techy stuff found in the CA840C, balanced outputs (irrelevant for the A400 I know)...bit of a dark horse I think!

 

[Anonymous]

if you are looking for an 'older' cdp a very good one was the Magnavox CDB-502 ... they are rare now, as people hold onto them

 

[drummerman]

matthewpiano:The Manchester Show was a revelation for me, and has solved my restless pursuit of the unobtainable. Hearing the Marantz 6003 electronics alongside all the high end esoterica made it clearly obvious how dramatically the law of diminishing returns sets in, and I am absolutely convinced that the best thing I can do now is buy a good quality budget set-up and just settle on enjoying the music. Even after hearing thousands of pounds worth of valve system in the UKD room, I went back to the Marantz and found it completely satisfying. I love its musicality and the even-handed approach across the frequency range.

Now I'm wondering which speakers to go with. The Aviano 2s sounded superb on the end of the 6003s and I wasn't taken with the Diamond 10.1s in the Quad/Wharfedale room, but I am very conscious of the recommendations throughout WHFS&V for pairing the Marantz electronics with the Wharfedales. I wonder how much my perception of the Diamonds was affected by the Quad electronics.

So, (bearing in mind that I'll have to audition as well) I'd be grateful for any thoughts from the WHFS&V team or other forum users on this. Do the Diamonds sound nice and open and even handed with the Marantz electronics, and would this combination work with my electic musical tastes?

Any comments/thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I've been going round and round in cirlces for too long. I don't want to carry on messing around with 30+ year old electronics that need re-capping etc. and having a collection of different combinations taking up space. I also know, thanks to a brilliantly organised and presented show, that you have to spend vast amounts of money to make even quite small improvements over a budget system and that, as someone with limited finances, this just can't be justified. Its time to get a grip.

Hi

Unfortunately, due to my cafe launch, I had no time to spend on forums and have'nt followed your system changes for a while. - All I can say is, abstinence can be a good thing. When I get home knackered I switch on my cheap s/h system, the one I got when I sold my previous 'proper' system and just relax listening to music. Hifi is the furthest thing on my mind at the moment but of course I will, time provided, get back into it. - Constantly listening to new products can be both confusing and enlightening, depending on why you do it in the first place. Hope you find a sound you're happy with for a while mate.

regards

 

[matthewpiano]

Good to hear from again Drummerman and glad you are enjoying your music. Its what it is all about.

Thanks to everyone for all the CD player thoughts and suggestions. I've made a decision that has surprised even me, but I think its going to pay off in the right way.

I'm not going to buy another CD player. I'm going to retain the Cambridge 340C and use it as a transport through the MF V-DAC when I want to listen to CDs.

For most of my listening however I am going to use the Squeezebox, with a plan to invest in the new Squeezebox Touch when it comes out shortly. It sounds great through the Pioneer and I find that with lossless files playing through it I completely forget about the hi-fi and just enjoy rummaging through and listen to a wider range of music. I've already got a huge amount stored on an external HD in ALAC, and over the next few weeks I'm going to add to that and also buy a second drive as a back-up.

I'm also going to cut down on hi-fi mags and take out a premium subscription to Spotify.

 

[the record spot]

Sounds like a man with a plan! Let us know how you get on with the 751s when they arrive. I'll be interested to hear what you think.

 

[matthewpiano]

the record spot:Sounds like a man with a plan! Let us know how you get on with the 751s when they arrive. I'll be interested to hear what you think.

I certainly will. Thanks for the help and advice RS.

 

[plastic penguin]

matthewpiano:the record spot:Sounds like a man with a plan! Let us know how you get on with the 751s when they arrive. I'll be interested to hear what you think. I certainly will. Thanks for the help and advice RS.

Hi mat - read some of your replies. I love your enthusiasm for upgrading (also read an earlier post in you mentioned diminishing returns on higher end stuff.) But doesn't all hi-fi suffer from that? Most of the big brands upgrade their models so often.

I remember recently you mentioned to me that the Pioneer A-400 is as good as any sub-£1,000 integrated, so going to a Marantz, however good, and I'm a huge Marantz fan, isn't it a like-for-like thing? Unless to spend big amounts, you'll be endlessly upgrading.

LOL. . . . . where's Voodoodoctor?

 

[matthewpiano]

Hi PP.

Yes I do love the Pioneer, which is why I've gone back to one instead of buying the Marantz. A few hours after receiving it, and before I even get my Mission 751s, I know I've made the right decision. The music floods out of that little amp like nothing else.

I think the diminishing returns thing has really hit home hard in the last couple of weeks and going to the Manchester Show was great evidence of that. Yes, the system in the UKD room (Unison Research with Opera speakers) was the best I have ever heard and my the hairs on my neck stand on end, but it was way out of my league financially. The more reachable stuff like the Sugden kit, Focal speakers, and Naim stuff was superb but I didn't feel it was streets ahead of stuff like the Pioneer and I couldn't justify the increased expenditure at this stage.

There has been a lot of superb advice in this thread for which I am very grateful. dim_span convinced me to stick with the used kit (hence the return of the A400), RS has extolled the virtues of the Mission 75* series for a long time, and input from both idc and igglebert has prompted me to think about things differently. A real team effort, and I feel it might just work this time. (one off has also given some excellent advice but, on this occasion, my budget just doesn't stretch to the Opera 'speakers).

 

[the record spot]

matthewpiano:the record spot:Sounds like a man with a plan! Let us know how you get on with the 751s when they arrive. I'll be interested to hear what you think.

I certainly will. Thanks for the help and advice RS.

Pleasure Matt, though it'll count for a whole lot of nothing if you're unimpressed (I suddenly feel responsible). Hope you like them as a result!

 

[Anonymous]

surely your better off sticking with what youve got until you can afford the operas

all the buying and selling of kit just moves them further away

 

[Anonymous]

matthewpiano:A real team effort, and I feel it might just work this time.
...imagine if we all turned up at a dealer with you

It'd be like Benny Hill en mass...

 

[the record spot]

"Have you got any Quad power amps mate?"

"And Mission speakers, circa 1990s, ideally 75 series..."

"He's got an A400 as well!"

"And while yer there, mains blocks..."

"Don't forget the donkey!"

 

[Anonymous]

He wouldn't get a look-in making twenty cups of coffee whilst we ransack the joint...sorry, these things amuse me

 

[the record spot]

Heh, we should organise a "visit" to WHF towers...get the kettle on down there!!!

 

[Anonymous]

must admit id prefer the kefs of the eighties and the tannoy 600 series of the nineties to the missions any day but for some reason they never get a mention now

the mission sound never quite jelled for me

 

[Anonymous]

I think Matthew will be well pleased with his new setup ... The A400 is a really good amp for the money

I have been buying used gear for my son's college mates and setting up budget systems for them .... mainly between £120-£200

One of his mates has a rich daddy, had a bigger budget, (£1000)

his dad said we should go for a really good set of speakers which will be 'keepers' and a cheaper amp/cdp which will be upgraded shortly if the son looks after the system properly

we managed to get a Pioneer A400, a set of Dynaudio contour 1.8 MKII speakers and a Marantz CD63 MKII K1 sig cdp ....

only item bought off ebay was the marantz cdp ... rest was from private sales/classifieds/dealers .... speakers were the most expensive item (£600) ....

I am very impressed with the speakers and system sounds superb (using cheap interconnect and speaker cable) ...

whole system so far is well under £1000 .... (would not mind a set of dynaudios for my A400)

they went to Richer sounds yesterday to check out the options to connect the system to a PC, so not sure if they have purchased anything yet. Will be interesting to see what they buy as that is my next upgrade for my personal system

 

[Anonymous]

That sounds like a good package for a K. Are the Countours quite bass heavy and demanding? Does the A400 keep them in check? After hearing the Focus 110s when looking for a pair of speakers that wouldn't boom I became somewhat frightened of Dynaudio!

If you like your used buys, Dim, power amps from Quad are very good value. The 606 is pretty good in standard guise, the 405 is nice but wants two/three hundred spending on them. Once you do you'll better the 606 though. Also keep an eye out for AVI S2000 series components as they're killer for the cash too.

 

[Anonymous]

igglebert, never listened to the dynaudio contours for long, just helped set up the system ... listened to half of a cd ... moved the speakers about 600mm from the back wall ... toed them in a bit and that was it, as had to go

can say that sound was superb! ... crystal clear with very nice bass and soundstage (a lot better than my B&W DM2's if I am honest)

would love a pair, but am strapped for cash (there is a set on ebay at present and currently standing at £400)

will definately have a closer look at your recommendations ... am looking for another system for my kitchen and I have an old pair of Leak sandwich speakers (paid a tenner) and may try them with the old quad setup and upgrade later to better speakers

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds good.

I know I go on about Quad but they last for donkey's years and are pretty easy to repair or get repaired due to their lack of ICs and the like. Bear in mind that a standard spec 303 or 405 doesn't like difficult impedance loads as theye can't deliver the current. A mod would sort that and can be done later on.

 

[the record spot]

Plus, I hear that Quad's servicing is pretty legendary; they still do their oldest amps and electrostatics and that's going back a decade or two now!

 

[matthewpiano]

Well in the end I've decided I still need a good CD player so I've just got a Rotel RCD965BX, and I'm picking the Missions up tonight. Day off tomorrow so I'll do some extended listening and report back.

 

[the record spot]

Ah, wondered when they were turning up - hope you like them!

 

[matthewpiano]

Thought I'd resurrect this thread to reply to RS rather than crashing somebody else's.

I've now got the system set up and I'm listening as we speak. The CD player and amp were both purchased from Steve's Hi-Fi, fully serviced and with a 3 month warranty. His service has been absolutely excellent. The Missions were purchased on Ebay from a local seller.

Early impressions?

I am very, very pleased. The sound is detailed but hangs together as a musical whole beautifully. The Missions are quite a revelation and I am very impressed with the way in which very retain weight and tonal control even at very low volumes. The system seems to be very dynamic with a nicely sparkling top end that never verges into harshness/brightness and the bass is plentiful but tight and rhythmic at all times.

I'll report back again after further listening. At present I am simply enjoying playing all my favourite CDs and hearing new things in them.

 

[Anonymous]

Matthew .... how would you rate your new system to the one that you had set your sites on at the show? (The brand new Marantz setup)