The return of an old friend (Marantz M-CR603)

[chebby]

Not much to say now. (You'll be relieved to read )

 

[Paulq]

Not much to say now. (You'll be relieved to read )

Not at all. I blame you for my now being in the 'post button push' Phase of 'What have I done'?

*cray2*

 

[chebby]

Not much to say now. (You'll be relieved to read )

Not at all. I blame you for my now being in the 'post button push' Phase of 'What have I done'?

*cray2*

*diablo*

 

[matthewpiano]

The test for me is always how much I'm enjoying the music. If I'm enjoying the music enough that I'm almost forgetting the equipment then I know things are right. If I'm spending more time obsessing over the equipment than enjoying the music, I know I've got it wrong.

 

[matthewjh]

My Dad has the 611 partnered with Diamond 10.1's.

Considering the amount of glass in his extension and the fact they back onto a window, it sounds great in Source Direct. He always goes back to loudness and EQ though *aggressive*

Matt

 

[Nelis87]

Good job one the 611, I used to own the 603, thought I would be better off with a nad c326bee, turned out I wasnt.

All in one has caught my interest again lately. Mcr611, onkyo tx8270, pioneer nc50dab, nad c338. Wish I could compare them all side by side.

 

[steve_1979]

The test for me is always how much I'm enjoying the music. If I'm enjoying the music enough that I'm almost forgetting the equipment then I know things are right. If I'm spending more time obsessing over the equipment than enjoying the music, I know I've got it wrong.

Nail on the head there Mattew.

IMO every hifi forum should have this statement pinned to the top of the main forum page.

 

[Paulq]

Nail on the head there Mattew.

IMO every hifi forum should have this statement pinned to the top of the main forum page.

Completely agree Steve and that's what got me thinking over the weekend 'what am I doing?'. I genuinely love the kit I have got but I tend to find myself sucked into a (self-imposed) 'need' to always look for the next step. I had Technics, Marantz and NAD gear many years ago when I started - all perfectly good stuff.

Then I started working and earning more and got my first Linn system and have gone from there. I went from Classik > Majik> Akurate and then passive to active and now my inherent 'need ' is telling me I need to go Exakt next.

I am not sure I do and I actually want to get off the treadmill and as the guy above says, just get back to enjoying the music.

The PM6006 and NA6005 turned up today but it will be a couple of days before I can set them up, literally side by side with my Linn gear. I'll be comparing:

Linn Akurate DSM/Linn Akurate 4200/Linn Katans in active config with

Marantz PM6006/MarantzNA6005/Monitor Audio Silver 1's

and I need to prove myself whether the difference, as I am sure there will be one, is more than the price differential of £9k. If there is then I'll stick with the budget system and console myself that you're never to old to learn!

 

[steve_1979]

...I am not sure I do and I actually want to get off the treadmill and as the guy above says, just get back to enjoying the music...

Have you considered trying a good quality pair of active speakers instead of the budget Marantz passive system? Not necessarily actives from the company who must not be mentioned either. The new KEF LS50 actives and Acoustic Energy AE1 actives are also held in very high regard. I bet either of these would keep you happily enjoying the actual music and stop you worrying about the next step on the hifi ladder of poverty.

 

[MajorFubar]

The test for me is always how much I'm enjoying the music. If I'm enjoying the music enough that I'm almost forgetting the equipment then I know things are right. If I'm spending more time obsessing over the equipment than enjoying the music, I know I've got it wrong.

Nail on the head there Mattew.

IMO every hifi forum should have this statement pinned to the top of the main forum page.

Nice ethos but wouldn't work too well on this forum because the magazine's survival relies on its ability to make you obsess over equipment. In particular, new equipment.

 

[Paulq]

Have you considered trying a good quality pair of active speakers instead of the budget Marantz passive system? Not necessarily actives from the company who must not be mentioned either. The new KEF LS50 actives and Acoustic Energy AE1 actives are also held in very high regard. I bet either of these would keep you happily enjoying the actual music and stop you worrying about the next step on the hifi ladder of poverty.

How do they actually work? With the Linn stuff there's all the faffing about installing active cards in amps etc.

Assuming I stuck with the Marantz stuff I've bought can you give me the idiots guide to what kit I'd need and how they are connected up? If they wouldn't work then what other hardware is compatible with, say, LS50's?

 

[MajorFubar]

How do they actually work? With the Linn stuff there's all the faffing about installing active cards in amps etc.

Assuming I stuck with the Marantz stuff I've bought can you give me the idiots guide to what kit I'd need and how they are connected up? If they wouldn't work then what other hardware is compatible with, say, LS50's?

Active speakers have the amps inside, so they need nothing other than a line-level source and (sometimes) a way of controlling the input level, though 'hifi' actives (as opposed to those intended for studios) usually have that problem covered with their own volume control, because the assumption is hifi enthusiasts won't routinely have a mixer knocking around the place.

Some active speakers also include digital-to-analogue converters, so all you need to feed them is a digital signal and they do pretty much everything else. Some are even wireless, so they will receive digital audio streamed from a remote device such as your phone or tablet.

 

[Paulq]

Active speakers have the amps inside, so they need nothing other than a line-level source and (sometimes) a way of controlling the input level, though 'hifi' actives (as opposed to those intended for studios) usually have that problem covered with their own volume control, because the assumption is hifi enthusiasts won't routinely have a mixer knocking around the place.

Some active speakers also include digital-to-analogue converters, so all you need to feed them is a digital signal and they do pretty much everything else. Some are even wireless, so they will receive digital audio streamed from a remote device such as your phone or tablet.

Thanks that helps me to understand. So, in theory, the audio source for KEF LS50's could simply be the Marantz streamer, for example, connected to the KEF's via something like optical out?

That being the case is there any reason why the Linn streamer couldn't be used in the same way with something like the Kefs to avoid all the mucking about with active cards being inserted etc?

I'd be keen to explore that some more. Any others that are recommended?

 

[nopiano]

Active speakers have the amps inside, so they need nothing other than a line-level source and (sometimes) a way of controlling the input level, though 'hifi' actives (as opposed to those intended for studios) usually have that problem covered with their own volume control, because the assumption is hifi enthusiasts won't routinely have a mixer knocking around the place.

Some active speakers also include digital-to-analogue converters, so all you need to feed them is a digital signal and they do pretty much everything else. Some are even wireless, so they will receive digital audio streamed from a remote device such as your phone or tablet.

Thanks that helps me to understand. So, in theory, the audio source for KEF LS50's could simply be the Marantz streamer, for example, connected to the KEF's via something like optical out?

That being the case is there any reason why the Linn streamer couldn't be used in the same way with something like the Kefs to avoid all the mucking about with active cards being inserted etc?

I'd be keen to explore that some more. Any others that are recommended?

This thread will help answer much more about the KEFs.

https://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/kef-ls50w-review

 

[MajorFubar]

Marantz streamer would work, yes. If the Linn streamer has an optica out, that should work as well.

 

[MajorFubar]

Just been thinking, if you go for a pair of wireless active speakers, you might find your yet-to-arrive NA6005 a bit surplus, because you can stream audio to wireless speakers from a mobile device, just as though they were an Argos wireless soundbar on steroids.

Easily 90% of the music I listen to these days is streamed using my iPhone, either lossless CD rips from my NAS or from the Apple Music lossy streaming service. It's even easier than faffing with a dedicated streamer, because I can just sit in the chair and choose music on a nice big(ish) colour screen. As a receiver I use an Apple Airplay Express, which uses a lossless tx/rx codec so there is zero sound quality difference between streaming from the phone and using my previous method of digital-out from a Mac Mini.

 

[steve_1979]

... That being the case is there any reason why the Linn streamer couldn't be used in the same way with something like the Kefs to avoid all the mucking about with active cards being inserted etc?

Yes it can be used.

Any active speakers can be can be plugged directly into the 'pre-out' sockets on the back of your Linn Akurate DSM/1 or Linn Majik DSM/2. It really is as simple as that.

 

[steve_1979]

Sockets 7 and 8 on the photo below are the 'pre-outs' for use with active speakers.

Domestic active speakers like the KEFs or Acoustic Energy that I suggested can be connected via socket number 8 using normal RCA cables. Active pro-audio monitors such as Genelec connect via socket number 7 using a standard balanced cable.

Simple as that. It's no more complicated than connecting a normal pair of passive speakers to an amplifier really.

 

[ErwinC]

Thanks that helps me to understand. So, in theory, the audio source for KEF LS50's could simply be the Marantz streamer, for example, connected to the KEF's via something like optical out?

That being the case is there any reason why the Linn streamer couldn't be used in the same way with something like the Kefs to avoid all the mucking about with active cards being inserted etc?

I'd be keen to explore that some more. Any others that are recommended?

The LS50W has a good streamer. You don't need anything else if you only use streaming. And the sound quality is extremely good imo.

 

[Paulq]

Sockets 7 and 8 on the photo below are the 'pre-outs' for use with active speakers.

Domestic active speakers like the KEFs or Acoustic Energy that I suggested can be connected via socket number 8 using normal RCA cables. Active pro-audio monitors such as Genelec connect via socket number 7 using a standard balanced cable.

Simple as that. It's no more complicated than connecting a normal pair of passive speakers to an amplifier really.

That makes complete sense Steve thanks for taking the time. I have been having a look at some others and like the look if the ATC SCM19A (though would need to listen). I assume that they are the same principle in terms of how they work and how they are connected up?

The journey has just become more interesting...

 

[MajorFubar]

Well if you do audition the LS50s it would be interesting to know how you feel their sound compares to your current set-up. My AVIs have been my first experience of active loudspeakers, so I have little to compare them to, but I have to admit, they've definitely sold me to the benefits an active system. I'm not suggesting passive speakers can’t ever sound as good, I think that’s daft talk. But the way I visualise it, it's like two runners competing in a 100m sprint and one of them gets to start 10m ahead of the other. It's possible for the other guy to win if he's simply a much better runner, but he'll still spend at least the first 10m playing catch-up.

 

[Paulq]

Well if you do audition the LS50s it would be interesting to know how you feel their sound compares to your current set-up. My AVIs have been my first experience of active loudspeakers, so I have little to compare them to, but I have to admit, they've definitely sold me to the benefits an active system. I'm not suggesting passive speakers can’t ever sound as good, I think that’s daft talk. But the way I visualise it, it's like two runners competing in a 100m sprint and one of them gets to start 10m ahead of the other. It's possible for the other guy to win if he's simply a much better runner, but he'll still spend at least the first 10m playing catch-up.

Agree. Prior to having the active set up I have today I had a pair of passive Kudos Super 20's and they were absolutely fantastic. My original long term plan was to save until I could afford a Linn Exaktbox and then pair that with the ADSM and a set of the new, Exakt compatible, Super 20's. I am reliably informed that they are something to behold in that setup.

However that was what got me thinking. There is no doubt in my mind that there's a quantum leap in clarity, definition and everything else that goes with systems that cost that much. But the reality is that a further investment such as that would set me back at least £7k and that's if I buy used. That's over and above what I have spent already.

I must have been tapped to even consider it....I think!

 

[nopiano]

Sockets 7 and 8 on the photo below are the 'pre-outs' for use with active speakers.

Domestic active speakers like the KEFs or Acoustic Energy that I suggested can be connected via socket number 8 using normal RCA cables. Active pro-audio monitors such as Genelec connect via socket number 7 using a standard balanced cable.

Simple as that. It's no more complicated than connecting a normal pair of passive speakers to an amplifier really.

That makes complete sense Steve thanks for taking the time. I have been having a look at some others and like the look if the ATC SCM19A (though would need to listen). I assume that they are the same principle in terms of how they work and how they are connected up?

The journey has just become more interesting...

I've no direct experience of using either, but whilst it is true both KEF and ATC models can be connected the same way (from the streamer pictured), the KEF alone carries its own DAC, and can therefore stream from, say, a mobile phone. By contrast the ATC requires a regular, full range analogue signal.