Marantz M-CR603

[matthewpiano]

Chebby, HifiLover and anyone else using the Marantz...

How good is the M-CR603 sound quality wise?

I've heard and used one briefly and was very impressed but I'm interested in the thoughts of anyone who has gone from listening to very good seperates to relying wholly on the Marantz. I am interested in its performance with CD as well as streaming.

 

[Anonymous]

In short MP; brilliant!

I've never been a massive Marantz soundstage lover but the CR603 blew me away when I had it on home demo (it was that good that after an hour of listening to it I phoned the shop to tell them to confirm the payment)!

CD replay is very good; very quiet transport

Streaming/wifi capabilities are fantastic

Speakers ranging from the lower M/A & B&W range to higher end M/A, B&W, QUAD, PMC & Dynaudio will work superbly

 

[matthewpiano]

Thanks! How does it compare to some of the NAD equipment you've had in the past? I get the impression you aren't missing having seperates...

 

[DIB]

As above for me too.

Fantastic value for money, at under £450.

I went from a PM8003/CD5003/Beresford Caiman combo and I can't hear any discernable drop in quality at all.

The internet radio facility is excellent too.

Drives my Epos M22i's with ease.

Apart from losing all my stored radio stations after an online software upgrade, I've had no other negative issues.

.

 

[Sizzers]

Haha Now that IS funny! lol

 

[Jacko]

Someone of a Scottish persuasion will probably pop along - sooner or later - to tell you it is hopelessly under-powered and distorted compared to a Harman Kardon HK3490 or a 120 year-old Sansui 🙂 (Just give him a can of Tennents and he'll go away.)

🙂

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks! How does it compare to some of the NAD equipment you've had in the past? I get the impression you aren't missing having seperates...

Not at all MP. The whole reason of getting the Marantz was to reduce clutter but I also wanted to get into the wifi and PC based music etc.... If you do demo, get it at home and not in store, I found this made a big difference!

 

[matthewpiano]

Thanks guys. It's certainly an option right now, but only if it sounds good with my Aviano 2s. I have also thought about RS' favourites - the HK3490 and the Onkyo TX5050 - as well as the A5VL and CS5VL (the A5VL has digital inputs and I have quite a few dual layer SACDs which would be a mark for the CS5VL. I also like the fact that you get to choose between the Woolfson DACs in the CD player, or the Burr Brown ones in the amp). All the options other than the Marantz would involve using a digital output from my Squeezebox into the amp. I'm looking for a solution that gives me very good sound with more modern practicalities and something a bit nicer looking.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys. It's certainly an option right now, but only if it sounds good with my Aviano 2s. I have also thought about RS' favourites - the HK3490 and the Onkyo TX5050 - as well as the A5VL and CS5VL (the A5VL has digital inputs and I have quite a few dual layer SACDs which would be a mark for the CS5VL. I also like the fact that you get to choose between the Woolfson DACs in the CD player, or the Burr Brown ones in the amp). All the options other than the Marantz would involve using a digital output from my Squeezebox into the amp. I'm looking for a solution that gives me very good sound with more modern practicalities and something a bit nicer looking.

Having spent an hour and a half auditioning the Marantz against the NAD I have these thoughts. I liked the Marantz a great deal and could easily live with it. The reason I have the NAD is that it had a fuller, more musical sound to my ears and was a better match for my speakers.

incidentally the Marantz worked considerably better with the RX1's and Dynaudios rather than the B&W's that were also used in testing.

 

[the record spot]

One of our number can listen to Old Fart FM on this, drink Buckfast and dribble over the latest copy of the Oldie.

 

[ear]

My 1994 Aiwa walkman with Fm radio...still impresses me.Also use the original earphones with Pc music and they rock.better than any 30 pound earphones selling today.

 

[the record spot]

Thanks guys. It's certainly an option right now, but only if it sounds good with my Aviano 2s. I have also thought about RS' favourites - the HK3490 and the Onkyo TX5050 - as well as the A5VL and CS5VL (the A5VL has digital inputs and I have quite a few dual layer SACDs which would be a mark for the CS5VL. I also like the fact that you get to choose between the Woolfson DACs in the CD player, or the Burr Brown ones in the amp). All the options other than the Marantz would involve using a digital output from my Squeezebox into the amp. I'm looking for a solution that gives me very good sound with more modern practicalities and something a bit nicer looking.

For the budget Matthew, the HK and the TX8050 are ahead in terms of format handling and real world power needs. go up to £600 and it's the XTZ though that falls down on connectivity, the HK990 for more for similar reasons, both excellent however.

The Onkyo 8050 covers most if not all bases for me and it's available for a good price in a few places now. 105wpc at 8-ohms, internet connectivity, four digital input options, pre-outs, or the Onkyo 609 with a similar spec and Spotify.




EDITED BY MODS

 

[the record spot]

Someone of a Scottish persuasion will probably pop along - sooner or later - to tell you it is hopelessly under-powered and distorted compared to a Harman Kardon HK3490 or a 120 year-old Sansui 🙂 (Just give him a can of Tennents and he'll go away.)

Never mentioned distortion, but you're right about the rest. Well, not the Tennents, not my thing really. How's Old Fart FM doing tonight?

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Listen, I'm no expert but what about the Peachtree Audio stuff? Excellent DAC, valve somewhere long the line, filters and a decent amp.

Let's be honest, £450 with all them bells and whistles ain't gonna get you better than average, ands it's when you put on AC/DC and turn the volume up you get to know its limitation.

There's also a Hegel amp that has a built-in DAC they used when I was listening to speakers last weekend. Sounded good.

 

[Andrew Everard]

THREAD EDITED BY MODS – can we manage without the insults, please?

 

[chebby]

Listen, I'm no expert but what about the Peachtree Audio stuff? Excellent DAC, valve somewhere long the line, filters and a decent amp.

Let's be honest, £450 with all them bells and whistles ain't gonna get you better than average, ands it's when you put on AC/DC and turn the volume up you get to know its limitation.

The first word of your post was the best advice. Try and get to listen to it.

The Peachtree Decco 2 is about twice the price of what you can get the M-CR603 for, so it's not really relevant unless the OP expresses an interest in all-in-one units between £400 - £850.

Also the Peachtree Decco 2 puts out 40 watts per channel. So the AC/DC comparison falls a bit flat given that the M-CR603 has a bit more power.

 

[chebby]

Still enjoying it immensely.

Not missing the Naim stuff at all.

Yes, of course the Naim stuff sounded 'better', but i'm not into all that sound-quality faff anymore. Good enough is plenty and it's far better than I anticipated before ordering it. (Without even listening first.)

It is all still a bit big (the whole system including speakers I mean) and still has more cables than I would like (ideally only one for the power), but I reckon it'll be here for a good while yet.

I popped a CD in it back in March when I bought it. (To make sure the player worked.) It sounded fine.

 

[chebby]

Try and get to listen to it.

Ok, it seems you did...

I've heard and used one briefly and was very impressed...

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Mate, my point is that cheaper amps don't sound so good when pressed, even if they have more power, so AC/DC is probably goin to sound better at an equivalent volume with the expensive amp. It's to do with quality of the components they use. The amplifiers that is, not AC/DC who are class all the way.

 

[chebby]

Mate, my point is that cheaper amps don't sound so good when pressed...

Indeed. So, by that logic, if I 'trump' your £850 Peachtree suggestion with a recommendation for a £1700 amp, then would that be an even better suggestion for Matthew?

Every equipment query ever made on the forum could be answered with... "one that costs twice as much as your budget will be better".

It's a given in most cases.

Have you heard the M-CR603?

 

[altruistic.lemon]

EDITED - AGAIN - BY MODS. Final warning to all posters on sniping.

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Final warning? Haven't said or done anything! Think I've hit the cultural gap - can you explain what was wrong? The expression I used has no malice in it, just saying calm down, that's all. Didn't mean to offend anyone.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Thread locked.