Pioneer NC50-DAB possible upgrade to Marantz mcr603?

[robdmarsh]

Does anyone own or has anyone heard this Pioneer all in one system?

I am thinking about upgrading my Marantz mcr603 to something more future proof but I still like the elegance of one box solutions. I think this will play hi res audio which is something I may want to investigate in the future, has a bit more power than my Marantz and very importantlyhas a usb connection on the front so I can still connect my ipod classic (this is something that other one box systems eg Yamaha don't have).

I also read somewhere that it has the same DAC used in the well- reviewed N50a streamer, something which is a little hard to believe as this costs over £500 alone with no amplifier.

There's very little about this unit online so I would really appreciate any feedback.

 

[robdmarsh]

Hi guys

No-one tried this Pioneer NC50-DAB? It would be great to get some information.

 

[nopiano]

Have you seen this earlier thread?

https://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/review-pioneer-nc50dab

I regret I know nothing about it.

 

[robdmarsh]

Thanks nopiano I did read this thread.

He seemed to quite like it. I don't know Neat speakers, just they they are quite small (even the floorstanders) and quite highly rated - those iotas are tiny and very cute. I just wondered if it would be a significant upgrade over the Marantz. I think I'm going to have to go into Severnoaks and try one. I've got some time off so I can even take the Elac speakers.

These are pretty special for budget bookshelves by the way. Better than anything I've heard from the likes of Wharfedale or Dali.

 

[nopiano]

Hearing and getting a chance to test the functionality is important, as almost all streaming devices seem to have their share of quirks and glitches. I’d explicitly ask them about this, in case you encounter any issues, should you decide to go ahead.

 

[robdmarsh]

Yeah, I've read about those. It seems that all this technology has come on so fast that products with a very rich feature set may be prone to teething problems. Thanks again and I'll tell you how I get on.

 

[Nelis87]

I can't imagine one being significantly better than the other. Same pricerange, same features, different companies. I owned the 603 and to be honest it sounds similar to the Denon Ceol N9 my parents use. Now for the Pioneer it may sound different to some ears but I doubt it will be better or worse. Both are nice units with bad app structure. Based on looks alone I would get the Pioneer.

I also use the N50A streamer and it has 2 DAC's, one for each channel. The NC50 got 1 DAC for both channels.

 

[robdmarsh]

Thanks I see where you're coming from. So you don't think the overall sound quality can rival separates such as Marantz pm6005/6 with a CD player or streaming device?

 

[newlash09]

Both should sound at the same level, but will depend on what presentation you prefer.

Sorry, I've never heard them too. But for a streamer the app has to be bullet proof. So give both a try and see how you get on. And if you are open to other ideas too, then you can also give the bluesound powernode a try, it should be adequate for the Elac's from my experience. But an audition will still be in order.

 

[newlash09]

From my recent experience, the difference between components with similar power is very very close to make out. Both the pioneer and pm6006 are at similar power levels. So both will excercise the same amount of control on speakers.

However, due to their signature sound presentations, the marantz will be warmer, and the Pioneer more direct. So which one you prefer, is upto you.

But between both, i dont think one is superior to the other.

 

[nick8858]

Who did the mini review. I can't offer any comparisons against anything else though. I like it personally. The app is good on android phone or tablet. Bought it because you can simply plug in a 1Gb usb hard drive into the back and play music. No faffing with NAS boxes etc. Also has a phono stage as I have a turntable. Its a jack of all trades really. I like radio so the FM tuner is a bonus (has DAB too but thats bum quality anyway). Also CD player. Neat Iots bought purely for fact I have to have speakers on a bookshelf and they are the perfect form factor for me. Excellent speakers in every way. Don't be put off by their size, they punch way above that. Bluetooth as well from phone if needed. Only thing missing is a balance control but I found a breakout box which does that job for me.

 

[Nelis87]

I guess it depends on what speakers you want to use, but I wouldnt make a big deal out of it in this price range. If you are short on space or just prefer the all in one features go for it, you wont miss much compared to the marantz separates.

 

[robdmarsh]

Thanks for all these comments.

Although there is nothing about this unit in the British hi-fi press I found a couple of German reviews which, admittedly given a rather clumsy translation by Google, are very favourable:

https://www.lowbeats.de/test-pioneer-nc-50-dab-all-in-one/
https://www.lite-magazin.de/2016/09/pioneer-nc-50dac-hifi-hi-res-streaming-all-inclusive/

 

[Nelis87]

Some user reviews on Amazon also. All pretty much state the sound and build quality is good, but the software and firmware is lacking. I guess that would be fixed by now. What im thinking is if you are just want to stream some Spotify etc you will be fine, but if your collection is largely folder based it may not be a good experience.

 

[robdmarsh]

Hi Nelis87

Well, at the moment I mostly use my iPod classic as a source via USB (about 80%) and I play CDs. I haven't used streaming at all on the Marantz as this has Apple airplay and I don't have an i thing. Also, the Marantz is pretty old now (2011).

There are couple of things I need to take into account. I think my ipod classic is not long for this world (it does strange things like freezing and not playing certain albums) so I would need to connect all the music on my pc in some way. I've heard of a Nas server but I don't really know what it is. The other thing is the world of high-res audio which I'm interested in investigating.

 

[robdmarsh]

Btw, forgive the ignorance, but when I connect my ipod via USB, does it use the DAC in the ipod or the DAC in the Marantz?

 

[Nelis87]

I believe when connecting to USB the amp will do the DAC work, maybe someone can confirm (or state otherwise). You could connect a harddrive or usb to the amp ofcourse instead of the iPod. And when you think the 603 is outdated look at the 611, it is the newer model of the 603 (2015). Also the Denon Ceol RCD N9 works exactly the same as the Marantz, but looks better (imo) and costs less. Slightly less power though.

 

[nick8858]

Some user reviews on Amazon also. All pretty much state the sound and build quality is good, but the software and firmware is lacking. I guess that would be fixed by now. What im thinking is if you are just want to stream some Spotify etc you will be fine, but if your collection is largely folder based it may not be a good experience.

The Google reviews from the continent are all good, be it Poland, Germany and I think Sweden. The comment about a folder based experience being not good is incorrect (By the way does the poster who made that comment have a Pioneer NC50-DAB or has tried one? If not please don't post hypothetical guesses). The folder experience from my 1Gb portable hard drive is excellent on Android phone or tablet. Easy to navigate, alter volume, move around and album art shows up nicely

 

[insider9]

Btw, forgive the ignorance, but when I connect my ipod via USB, does it use the DAC in the ipod or the DAC in the Marantz?

DAC in the amp.

 

[Nelis87]

Making hypothetical guesses is what the forum is for, its part of discussing HiFi, until someone with real in-use experience can clear things up or state otherwise. Besides my guess was based on the German and Polisch audio forum users, criticising Pioneer's app structure.

 

[nick8858]

Well in this case my comments are based on real world use. I contend the comments from overseas reviews are incorrect as the app is simply not a problem at all and works perfectly well.