I have been in need of a new CDP for a good few weeks now See here: http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/new-cd-player-required) and have been waiting less than patiently for the new Marantz CDP6004 to arrive in the shops.
In the meantime I've been listening to various contenders: NADC545BEE, Denon DCD-710AE, A couple of 2nd hand Arcams (CD72 & CD73T). Of all of them I was most impressed with the NAD, but felt it was lacking something that I couldn't quite define. I tried to find a Marantz CD6003 to audition, but they are like rocking horse poo!
Anyway, Richer Sounds in Prestwich finally got some CD6004s in stock yesterday & set up an audition for me this afternoon.
I listened to both the CD6004 & the CA Azur 650C through a Yamaha receiver (RS700, I think) and some Monitor Audio BX5s, with a good mix of music & the Marantz really did stand out as the better player to my ears.
That's not to say the 650C was bad, quite the contrary, it was very detailed & had a lovely warm sound. But the Marantz was incredibly revealing and the sound was beautiful: very involving & clear.
Johnny Marrs shimmering guitar work on "William It Was Really Nothing" was just sublime, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up! And Led Zeps "Stairway to Heaven" (a cliche I know, but I like it, and it has a good range of stuff going on!) was handled with aplomb, the acoustic passages beautifully presented & when Plant went into his iconic solo the Marantz absolutely sang!
In comparison the 650C sounded like there was a thin layer of cotton wool between the speakers & me. Again, it didn't sound bad, just not as detailed & clear as the Marantz.
I even tried out a USB stick in the Marantz. I bought the re-issue of Dark Side Of The Moon last week & it came with a voucher for a 320kps download, so I dragged & dropped that onto the stick. Even that sounded great (I'm no great fan of MP3s), especially the clocks on "Time" which even on some CDs I've heard "pixellating". I doubt that I'll be using that feature very much, but it's great to have it.
However both players revealed my copy of Nirvanas "Nevermind" is atrocious: splashy cymbals & horrndous sibilance, not just grungy as it should sound, but poorly produced & mastered. My old Sony never really revealed that, but towards the end it was managing to sound both overbright & lacking in detail at the same time. It's time to consider the remastered version I feel!
If anyone is looking for a new CDP, I doubt you'll do any better than the Marantz at this price point, and maybe even for a few hundred more!
In the meantime I've been listening to various contenders: NADC545BEE, Denon DCD-710AE, A couple of 2nd hand Arcams (CD72 & CD73T). Of all of them I was most impressed with the NAD, but felt it was lacking something that I couldn't quite define. I tried to find a Marantz CD6003 to audition, but they are like rocking horse poo!
Anyway, Richer Sounds in Prestwich finally got some CD6004s in stock yesterday & set up an audition for me this afternoon.
I listened to both the CD6004 & the CA Azur 650C through a Yamaha receiver (RS700, I think) and some Monitor Audio BX5s, with a good mix of music & the Marantz really did stand out as the better player to my ears.
That's not to say the 650C was bad, quite the contrary, it was very detailed & had a lovely warm sound. But the Marantz was incredibly revealing and the sound was beautiful: very involving & clear.
Johnny Marrs shimmering guitar work on "William It Was Really Nothing" was just sublime, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up! And Led Zeps "Stairway to Heaven" (a cliche I know, but I like it, and it has a good range of stuff going on!) was handled with aplomb, the acoustic passages beautifully presented & when Plant went into his iconic solo the Marantz absolutely sang!
In comparison the 650C sounded like there was a thin layer of cotton wool between the speakers & me. Again, it didn't sound bad, just not as detailed & clear as the Marantz.
I even tried out a USB stick in the Marantz. I bought the re-issue of Dark Side Of The Moon last week & it came with a voucher for a 320kps download, so I dragged & dropped that onto the stick. Even that sounded great (I'm no great fan of MP3s), especially the clocks on "Time" which even on some CDs I've heard "pixellating". I doubt that I'll be using that feature very much, but it's great to have it.
However both players revealed my copy of Nirvanas "Nevermind" is atrocious: splashy cymbals & horrndous sibilance, not just grungy as it should sound, but poorly produced & mastered. My old Sony never really revealed that, but towards the end it was managing to sound both overbright & lacking in detail at the same time. It's time to consider the remastered version I feel!
If anyone is looking for a new CDP, I doubt you'll do any better than the Marantz at this price point, and maybe even for a few hundred more!
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