Went for my first demo today having trawled the net reading reviews and this forum, as you do
Had arranged to listen to all of the above with RX1's, 685's, 684's and RX6's.
Thought i'd start with the Marantz micro, and work upwards!
Brought my laptop and memory stick with a few tracks in 128kbps mp3 and a few in flac.
The MCR603 and the RX1's sounded pretty good to me, but not the leap in quality I was looking for having been limited to an old Micro system.
Then it was suggested I try the 685's, and wow, so much more depth, and to my ears rythmn, a much more composed and easy listen, which made the RX1's seem very harsh to me. I really liked the full sound of the 685's.
Onto the Rdac and Marantz 6004 with the 684's, and the difference was slight, if at all, although I felt it was a little harsher/brighter and didn't like the sound as much. Didn't try any of the other speaker's with this combo as I was put off the Monitor Audio's having thought I may end up leaving with the RX6's before the demo.
Then the Rega pair. I really wanted to hear sound on another level and have a reason to splash out on the slightly quirky British kit, but it just wasn't there for me. I connected the memory stick to the Micro and my laptop to the Rega Dac (both containing identical tracks) and listened to one and then the other, switching the speakers frequently, and I really couldn't tell much difference at normal listening levels. Perhaps a bit more clarity from the Rega, but to me it was a very similar warm and full sound, really good.
We then tried the 684's with both and turned up the volume above my comfortably listening level and I could discern very little between them again, just the slight extra clarity from the Rega.
So either i'm a little deaf (possible) or the MCR603 is a blinding little hifi, even before all the other benifts or dlna streaming, cd player, dab etc.
I could appreciate the extra uumph of the 684's over the 685's, but still felt very impressed with the MCR603 and 685's that thats where my money will be going. Just gonna sleep on it first!
Had arranged to listen to all of the above with RX1's, 685's, 684's and RX6's.
Thought i'd start with the Marantz micro, and work upwards!
Brought my laptop and memory stick with a few tracks in 128kbps mp3 and a few in flac.
The MCR603 and the RX1's sounded pretty good to me, but not the leap in quality I was looking for having been limited to an old Micro system.
Then it was suggested I try the 685's, and wow, so much more depth, and to my ears rythmn, a much more composed and easy listen, which made the RX1's seem very harsh to me. I really liked the full sound of the 685's.
Onto the Rdac and Marantz 6004 with the 684's, and the difference was slight, if at all, although I felt it was a little harsher/brighter and didn't like the sound as much. Didn't try any of the other speaker's with this combo as I was put off the Monitor Audio's having thought I may end up leaving with the RX6's before the demo.
Then the Rega pair. I really wanted to hear sound on another level and have a reason to splash out on the slightly quirky British kit, but it just wasn't there for me. I connected the memory stick to the Micro and my laptop to the Rega Dac (both containing identical tracks) and listened to one and then the other, switching the speakers frequently, and I really couldn't tell much difference at normal listening levels. Perhaps a bit more clarity from the Rega, but to me it was a very similar warm and full sound, really good.
We then tried the 684's with both and turned up the volume above my comfortably listening level and I could discern very little between them again, just the slight extra clarity from the Rega.
So either i'm a little deaf (possible) or the MCR603 is a blinding little hifi, even before all the other benifts or dlna streaming, cd player, dab etc.
I could appreciate the extra uumph of the 684's over the 685's, but still felt very impressed with the MCR603 and 685's that thats where my money will be going. Just gonna sleep on it first!