user control with Marantz M-CR603 or back to M-CR502

[admin_exported]

The Marantz M-CR603 seems to be well liked and fits my requirements well (which are in rough order: budget / streaming ability / CD ability / looks / other inputs) but I have one big issue.

As streaming music is a big feature of this unit and for me I'm amazed they only have a iphone app available. Surely no one is going to be happy scrolling through a music library on the units own display let alone internet radio or napster.

Isn't the user interface the make or break aspect of any streaming system?My misses has an android phone so as far as I can see she can't control this unit in any satisfying way. Am I missing something?

Due to all this I'm thinking of going the M-CR502 route and adding a sonos or squezebox touch unit.

Is there much difference musically in the 603 and 502 units? (i don't think I'm interested in airplay).The M-CR603 has an optical input but I know nothing about how to compare DAC's and am not able to test these sets ups so wonder how the sound will vary between the 603 with its own DAC and the 502 when using an alogue output from a sonos/touch unit?

Cheers-

 

[Anonymous]

I too have a question regarding the network capabilities of the CR603. I know networking, but I've never used DLNA devices. Does that mean the CR603 can ONLY stream music (i.e., command can only be initated from within the CR603)?

I'm very interested in the CR603, but I would like to know if it can be set up like this:
- Laptop contains all the music properly tagged.
- Open up a media player (Windows Media Player, J River Media Player, etc), play a song/album/file/etc, and have it played through the CR603.

Does it work in that manner? Please advise.