Meridian 506 sold bought Marantz cd6004 where the Bass go.

[davegrohlrocknroll]

Hi Everyone brand new to this forum but not to hi-fi .

ok my very first hi fi set up was this rotel cdp 1 bit dac version what hi fi award winner circa 1989 kenwood kx 5020 cassette recorder

arcam alpha amp and castle durham speakers naim speaker cable castle stands.

now with the HD tv and DVD /BLURAY I moved into surround sound so

after several PIONEER AMPS and DVD players and no cd player just the PIONEER DVD to play discs I bought the MERIDIAN

506 and here is my current system PANASONIC 46" PLASMA HDTV TH46PZ80B

SONY DA1200ES SURROUD SOUND AMP ,SONY BDP S370

Q ACOUSTICS 1030i FLOORSTANDING SPEAKERS ,CHORD CHAMELEON SLIVER PLUS ANALOGUE INTERCONECTS

ECOSSE COAXIAL DIGITAL INTERCONECT FOR BLURAY AND VARIOS CAMBRIDGE AUDIO INTERS FOR TV TO AMP

AND REAR SPEAKERS ARE Q ACOUSTICS 2010 AND A PARADIGM SUBWOOFER.

So the question is after having my Meridian for over 5 years I was happy with the sound it produced tons of bass and really dug deep but clarity and insight was not its best , maybe I had it set up wrong who knows ,but I generally use the analogue direct button so by passing any tone controls

display off , its 2 channel setup so no sub woofer employed .So I thought time to end the 20 year old cd player and sold it bought the Marantz cd 6004 as a replacement what a revelation clarity in abundance but where is the bass, after being swamped by bass with the Meridian I had it set up how I like it but could have been at the expense of clarity or is it just technology has moved on so quickly . Maybe it needs to bed in have not had a lot of time to play it but this weekend it will be put through its paces and see the outcome then .

Anyone with any suggesstions please feel free to add comments and your own ideas . Thanks for reading .

 

[PAULCHRISTOPHER]

All I can say is that my Marantz CD6004 has plenty of bass through my Marantz PM6004 amplifier and Q Acoustics 2050i floorstanders. I think it must be how you have connected your system together. I keep my hi-fi separate from my TV : that is my wife's department!. I have DVD & Blu Ray players in my computer which is connected to its own 2 -1 active speaker system . The only connection between the computer is my network audio player which is connected to my hub by Ethernet cable. The TV is completely separate.

 

[FennerMachine]

All CD players sound the same.

Except for the ones that don't.

Then the difference can be huge and not subtle at all, as you have found out.

It could be the way the CD players are 'voiced' or the implementation of the DAC or the quality of the analogue outputs or other that I can't think of.

 

[Covenanter]

Unless your Meridian produced excessive amounts of bass I have no idea. The Marantz is a neutral CD player and accurately reproduces what is on the CD.

Chris

 

[Rethep]

I think the problem could be that you have to get used to your new sound! Relatively, you have more clarity, and more open midfreq, and less bass. Give it a few days/weeks.

 

[davegrohlrocknroll]

Yes Thank you I got time to play it today wife not well so had to wait , but yes they are two completely different sounding machines and I let it warm up a bit but I know from experience that they have a burn in period and don't give there best until so many playing hours have passed .I will give the Marantz its due its punchy and there is bass there a plenty but I just guess the Meridian just maybe over egged the pudding slightly and was generous with the bass and was warmer . I do like the Marantz its great value now the new ones out, got it at a reduced price which was funded by the sale of the Meridian plus change. one thing I cant connect my samsung galaxy 3 through the usb wont recognise it :? any suggestions for this . BTW the Sony is a cracking amp even in stereo was a award winner a few years back think it was amp of the year here at WHAT HI-FI so my kit is up to the task . speakers are great .

I need 5 metres of speaker cable whats out there at a resonable cost say £5 a metre unterminated got my own.

 

[Rethep]

Cables ? I think 2,5 mm2 or 4 mm2 ordinary cable should do everything. I personally am very sceptical about (expensive) cables. At least you could try with this first! Good luck. With Samsung i cannot help you, sorry.

 

[ellisdj]

These Meridian CD players are special i feel in certain ways.
You wont have got anything like the best from it from the system you have.

I found even compared to today's players up to a fair price point they are better in a lot of areas.
You get a much bigger, bolder and more musical sound - smooth listenable for hours and more analogue sounding.
Depending on the model 506.16, 506.20, or 506.24 they became more detailed.

I owned and loved the 506.24 - it opened my eyes as a player.

They are very bassy / full sounding players only owners will know what i mean. If you are not happy with the marantz there are other players from M you can get cheaper thats an upgrade. a 508.24 supposed to still be a bit special or a G08.2 - this will be a slightly different sound

 

[PAULCHRISTOPHER]

Cables ? I think 2,5 mm2 or 4 mm2 ordinary cable should do everything. I personally am very sceptical about (expensive) cables. At least you could try with this first! Good luck. With Samsung i cannot help you, sorry.

+1

I use 5 meteres of Van Damme Blue 2.5 sq mm on each speaker. (from E Bay)

 

[davegrohlrocknroll]

Speaker cables are just as important as the rest of the system there have been many qaulity cables available in the past at the budget end QED springs to mind but I was seeking help from those that run the Marantz with similar speakers and yes VAN DER HUL make quality cables maybe I should seek out something by CHORD to keep a bii of system synergy .For those of you who have not had the pleasure of a full surround sound system are missing out , the Sony is great in stereo and makes a relly good partner its good enough for my needs and can I can use it top play music blu rays as well so its the best of both worlds for me.I agree possibly get better sound from the matching Marantz amplifier but why when the sony gives me everything I need so until it goes pop thats the STATUS QUO for now guys.

CHORD speaker cables to match chameleon silver plus anyone use CHORD SPEAKER CABLE or am I the exception to the rule.

 

[davegrohlrocknroll]

Speaker cables are just as important as the rest of the system there have been many qaulity cables available in the past at the budget end QED springs to mind but I was seeking help from those that run the Marantz with similar speakers and yes VAN DER HUL make quality cables maybe I should seek out something by CHORD to keep a bit of system synergy .For those of you who have not had the pleasure of a full surround sound system are missing out , the Sony is great in stereo and makes a relly good partner its good enough for my needs and can I can use it top play music blu rays as well so its the best of both worlds for me.I agree possibly get better sound from the matching Marantz amplifier but why when the Sony gives me everything I need so until it goes pop thats the STATUS QUO for now guys.

CHORD speaker cables to match chameleon silver plus anyone use CHORD SPEAKER CABLE or am I the exception to the rule.

 

[emperor's new clothes]

Quote:

These Meridian CD players are special i feel in certain ways.
You wont have got anything like the best from it from the system you have.

I found even compared to today's players up to a fair price point they are better in a lot of areas.
You get a much bigger, bolder and more musical sound - smooth listenable for hours and more analogue sounding.
Depending on the model 506.16, 506.20, or 506.24 they became more detailed.

I owned and loved the 506.24 - it opened my eyes as a player.

They are very bassy / full sounding players only owners will know what i mean. If you are not happy with the marantz there are other players from M you can get cheaper thats an upgrade. a 508.24 supposed to still be a bit special or a G08.2 - this will be a slightly different sound

__________________
Totally agree. My 506/16 was upgraded by Meridian when they replaced the transport for free - right at the end of the 5 year warranty. 24 bit dacs for £400 creating a "508 in a 506 case." Huge difference and still going strong.

 

[noddy1977]

Cables make a massive difference if constructed well and i have experienced some really positive gains from relativley inexpensive equipment using expensive cable.

I use a pair of floorstanders £1400 detailed below with a pioneer amp and cd both around £450 but speaker cable and interconnect cost around £3000 and the additional bass and transparancy is unbelivable!.

I recently listened to a pair of B&W 803's/804's on a full naim setup with chord tellerium cable almost18k expensive kit an cable but very poorly set up so very disappointed.

On the good side came home to my own system and spent no money.

 

[noddy1977]

Cables make a massive difference if constructed well and i have experienced some really positive gains from relativley inexpensive equipment using expensive cable.

I use a pair of floorstanders £1400 detailed below with a pioneer amp and cd both around £450 but speaker cable and interconnect cost around £3000 and the additional bass and transparancy is unbelivable!.

I recently listened to a pair of B&W 803's/804's on a full naim setup with chord tellerium cable almost18k expensive kit an cable but very poorly set up so very disappointed.

On the good side came home to my own system and spent no money.

 

[davegrohlrocknroll]

Okay Guys many thanks for your suggestions ,Have had a few hours with the Marantz with a lot of different music from BACH to GABRIEL to the FOO FIGHTERS , PINK FLOYD its starting to sound better the longer I play so thats a good thing, still I feel ita a liittle on the bright side maybe the CHOED CHAMELEON SILVER actually accentuates this so I have bought 5 metres of CHORD CARNIVAL SILVER SCREEN bearing in mind this is a system for playing BLU RAY AND FREEVIEW SET TOP BOX .

I 'm hoping the CHORD CARNIVALSILVERSCREEN will introduce some much needed warmth into the system .So will wait for the arrival and get to evaluate it all again.The Marantz is a really good player I do like its more open mid range wich give much more clarity to vocals that I can follow VAN MORRISON without any problems at all following with the FOO'S Dave Grohls raw vocals shine through with great clarity while Taylor's drums sound like rapid salvos of machine gun fire .Its got plenty of pace and excitement which makes listening a pleasure .The MERIDIAN was a nice player alright but buy another upgraded version or upgrade the 506 , I just thought better to spend £240 on the Marantz .

 

[davegrohlrocknroll]

Okay Guys many thanks for your suggestions ,Have had a few hours with the Marantz with a lot of different music from BACH to GABRIEL to the FOO FIGHTERS and PINK FLOYD and its starting to sound better the longer I play so thats a good thing, still I feel its a little on the bright side maybe the CHORD CHAMELEON SILVER INTERCONNECTS actually accentuates this so I have bought 5 metres of CHORD CARNIVAL SILVER SCREEN bearing in mind this is a system for playing BLU RAY AND FREEVIEW SET TOP BOX , TV as well and has its fair share of cables attached so need to be screened for less interference from other cables in the system.

I 'm hoping the CHORD CARNIVALSILVERSCREEN will introduce some much needed warmth into the system .So will wait for the arrival and get to evaluate it all again.The Marantz is a really good player I do like its more open mid range wich give much more clarity to vocals that I can follow VAN MORRISON without any problems at all following with the FOO'S Dave Grohls raw vocals shine through with great clarity while Taylor's drums sound like rapid salvos of machine gun fire with searing guitar solos from PAT and CHRIS rock at it's best :rockout: .Its got plenty of pace and excitement which makes listening a pleasure .The MERIDIAN was a nice player alright but buy another upgraded MERIDIAN or upgrade the 506 , I just thought better to spend £240 on the Marantz and so far its a wise choice ,there are always going to be diehard fans of a certain product but I 'm not one I realise it's sometimes better to embrace the new than stick with the old , I'm not slagging the MERIDIAN 506 at all a truly epic and classic cd player but I just thought it was time to move on . 8)

 

[ellisdj]

£250 Budget Marantz CD Player Vs £1000 Meridian CD Player in 1996 or something like that - there is a big difference there.
It wont compete with the Meridian in certain ways - especially for an analogue type of sound

the 16 bit 506 are a bit lacking in certain areas - however its the type of CD player designed for a good stereo setup - not going into an av receiver. So you are probably better off with the Marantz to a certain degree.

I did the same thing with my 506.24 - wired into a Pioneer AV receiver - and I know I didn't hear the best from it by miles. But it got me into Meridian kit which I am very grateful for.