Marantz + B&W?

[admin_exported]

Hi

Are a Marantz Pm5003 amp + Marantz CD6003 cd player + B&W 685 speakers a good choice / combination for a medium apartment space?

Thanks

 

[d_a_n1979]

It all depends on what music you listen to IMO

The Marantz combo is good; I've heard this set-up and the 6002 system through Dali Lektor 1 and 2 speakers and it sounded divine BUT when I heard it through the B&W 685's it sounded thin and underpowered.

IMO the 685's need a solid, weighty amp behind them with a solid kick and bags of power in reserve (i.e. NAD, Cyrus, Rotel & Arcam)

If you do decide on the 685's then make sure you get solid stands for them; in agreement with What Hifi, the Partington Super Dreadnought stands should really be a minimum.

 

[Anonymous]

Trust your own ears, auditioning should be easy (in UK)...

My guess is 5003 may be a bit underpowered for 685s. I heard 685s with 6002 a few months ago and even though they sounded great at high volumes, the sound was a bit muffled at very low volumes. Try PM6003 if you want matching cd and amp. But ultimately I'd recommend speakers with 90/91db efficiency for PM5003.

 

[matthewpiano]

If you really want 685s go for a NAD amp. I auditioned the 685s with the Marantz PM6002 and my own NAD C325BEE and they sounded like a completely different speaker with the NAD. The Marantz amps just don't have the drive or solidity of sound to get the best out of the B&Ws.

 

[stevee1966]

Mazen74:
Hi

Are a Marantz Pm5003 amp + Marantz CD6003 cd player + B&W 685 speakers a good choice / combination for a medium apartment space?

Thanks

What HiFi have previously put Marantz amp and cd combinations in their 'HiFi Essentials' Section under the 'budget' range matched with either Dali Lektor 1's or MA Br2's. They place the B+W 685's into their 'midrange' section.

Personally, i use a Marantz combination (though different models to your kit) with the 685's and i have no problem with the quality of sound they produce.

 

[Cypher]

d_a_n 1979 ; So the Marantz 6002/6003 amp/cdplayer work very well with the Dali Lektor speakers ?

 

[d_a_n1979]

Cypher:d_a_n 1979 ; So the Marantz 6002/6003 amp/cdplayer work very well with the Dali Lektor speakers ?

I thought so yes; with the right music (Jazz/Vocals/Acoustic and Classical) they sounded superb; really smooth and detailed but with grunt in the right places and not too forward at all.

It was the PM6002 and CD6002 that I heard at Sight & Sound in Preston on the Atacama Aurora stands (which look v funky)!

 

[legoyoda]

Admitidly I have a slightly different set up (PM6002 and CD6002) but I auditioned the Marantz gear with the B&W 685's and they were good. Then I tried the Dali's I have and they blew the B&Ws out of the water.... It's ot that the B&Ws were bad (in fact they werer leagues better than my original Sony gear) but the Dalis had a much bigger soundscape and far more detail was presented with much less effort.

Test them both but make sure you give the Dali's a go!

 

[DIB]

I've got a PM7001/CD6002 combination that I shop tested with the BW885's and Quad 11L2's. Personally I thought the Quads were the equal of the 685's, so when a pair of ex-demo Quad 12L2's were available at half price I snapped them up. You rarely see the Quad's mentioned on these boards but they are well worth a listen.

.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the feedback. It was very useful.

 

[Anonymous]

Another thumps up for the Marantz/Dali combo. I use the PM6002 and the Lektor 2's and the sound is incredible! The stero width is amazing.