Marantz PM6005 vs PM6004 + Audioquest Dragonfly v1.2

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Hey so I need help picking out which of these 2 choices has a slighty better sound than the other. I'll be playing most of my music from a laptop. No CD player. To be paired with my Q Acoustics Concept 20s

Choices are,

1. Marantz PM 6005 + Behringer UCA202

2. Marantz PM 6004 + Audioquest Dragonfly v1.2

Both these options are about the same price. Which DAC is better?

Thanks

 

[Thompsonuxb]

What!?

Change your picture or your name or something...... Asking the same question over and over gets old real quick.

Just giving you an heads up - with ref this please refer to the responses in your previous thread.......

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_10156595417935657]

This is the Marantz Pm 6004 model inquiry

 

[Blacksabbath25]

This is the Marantz Pm 6004 model inquiry

i would say they are just about the same there would be little in it between amps

 

[ID.]

In case you hadn't gathered yet, I don't think anyone here has heard the specific combinations and compared them so you aren't going to get an answer. My bet is the differences are tiny and will come down to personal preference.

There really should be very little in it, and if you are so concerned you need to listen for yourself. Personally they both sound a bit jerry rigged. My instincts would be to avoid the Dragonfly because you'd be using the headphone out and thus have two volume controls in the chain. I'd buy a built for purpose USB DAC or one that has both RCA out and headphone out if you really needed a headphone amp. The. I'd audition the two amps to check whether there is a difference.

Over all I think that you are getting worked up over really minor differences and you have narrowed the range of kit you are considering to a bizarre extent. Determine what your priorities are and then aim for the sound or functionality you need.

Actually, seeing as you are using a computer as a source I'd spend the money on a combined headphone amp/DAC and use that as a preamp for some active monitors, something like the setup Vlad discusses in his recent thread where he bought a pair of JBL active monitors. Will be much more revealing and perform better than the setup you are considering.

 

[GCE]

After 20 years with Quad 24+306, I can say that Mara 6004 has more flexibility in input/output, better external finish, and a sound that even at low level fill spk and room, were Quad need to rise vol; at insane cd level ( at 15 o'clock vol) it still sound, were Quad gone in protection; I found 6004 better than Yam AS 500 too and than a 80 W-ish Meridian integrated , to bright for me.