Thoughts on the Marantz CD5004

MusicDirector

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Thanks to Joe I have a Marantz CD5004 as a dedicated CD player now. I just hooked it up tonight using only analog....uh,....cables. (a four letter word to me).
Anyway, here is how she's doing:
Right now I'm listening to The Psychedelic Furs - Book Of Days. Not the best choice, but I also figure if this thing can make that CD sound good then the rest will fall into place nicely.
When I first hit play, it didn't sound too much different than my Onkyo. Ok fine, no problem with that, but I also thought there was something more to this player. I thought I would hear a difference in dacs with the Onkyo running a wolfson and the Marantz running a Cirrus. I learned something, you won't hear a difference in dacs themselves. You WILL hear a difference in how the output path is executed.
I then went to play with the settings and set the AudioEX to mode 2. Not much difference that I could hear. Then I set it to mode #3. Ah ha! More detail, wider staging! The only problem is that it also turns off the display. I kind of need the display, so I'm facing a dilemma. Do I leave the display on and lose some staging detail or live with it off and have better staging detail? There is another factor. I can't see the display very well. It's fairly hard to read except in a dark room. This is not so much the players fault as it is the fault of my bad eyes. (I have narrow canal glaucoma and my inner lens is also thickening as a result). I did discover though that when leaving it in mode #3 with display off, I can push the Display button and it lights up for about 5 seconds or so. That works for me and solves the concern over having the display off since I tend to listen to CDs all the way through 99% of the time and I have to be on top of it to see the display anyway.
Another thing I notice about the sound quality of the 5004 is it's fantastic bass output. I hate boomy bass or what I call loose cannon bass. I like tight, clean musical bass appropriate to the recording. Well the 5004 delivers there. Of course, the majority of what one hears is the performance of the speakers, but the speakers (if efficient and transparent) will put out what is fed to them. The 5004 is very accurate sounding especially in mode #3.
Also, it is a nice looking CD player from a cosmetic view with rounded corners and a minimalist style it is very sleek looking. I also like the functionality choices: Scan, repeat, random, program and I have always found calendar displays most useful. Why most makers have taken those away is beyond me, but the 5004 has one! It's linear along the bottom of the display and that's as good as any format!
The longer I listen to the 5004 it seems the more detailed it gets!! I think my speakers are starting to enjoy themselves even though they are under-powered. (It's important to keep one's speakers happy).:bonkers:

Almost time for another disc! This thing just sounds better and better the longer it plays. I can't wait to throw in a more detailed disc.

~Eric
 
Well, that didn't take long! Listened to one CD all the way through and now popped in a second one. Psych Furs again - World Apart. I'm listening to all my CDs in alpha order by genere.
Here's the thing though, upon putting in the second CD she is REALLY SINGING NOW!!! Very detailed staging!!! This CD is no different in production than the first one I played. Looks like she just had to warm up, but it only took one disk to do it!!! This 5004 has better staging than my Onkyo did!
 
Let it break in and it will get better. On all my players/dacs, I turn off the display. I do think it sounds better with the display off but it could be my imagination.

One thing I've learned is "Marantz Rules".
 
Let it break in and it will get better. On all my players/dacs, I turn off the display. I do think it sounds better with the display off but it could be my imagination.

One thing I've learned is "Marantz Rules".

+1...

Dave
 
Let it break in and it will get better. On all my players/dacs, I turn off the display. I do think it sounds better with the display off but it could be my imagination.

One thing I've learned is "Marantz Rules".

Yes, I knew shutting down the digital output should make a difference, but I wasn't sure if the display would make any difference. Perhaps it doesn't and what I am hearing now is just a benefit from having it off while it breaks in. Perhaps I will be able to have it on later, but it doesn't matter much since I have to get up every time I want to read the display.
 
Here's my own personal view on CD playback only:

1. Any brand new CD player, give it from 100 and up to 500 hours of break in period. ...Yours, I'd say 100 to 200 hours (a week of constant play).

2. Elimination of the fluorescent display (pure audio direct mode on several audio components) always results in slightly better sound.
And besides, when I listen to music I only use my ears, and not my eyes. ...Plus, if you really want to see where you're at, with yours you can do it! :cool:

3. I love having a dedicated headphone jack with its own volume level. :cool:

4. Experimentation (between analog RCA out jacks and digital Coax out) is always fun and educative.
=> Use the connection that sounds best to you, and only that one (don't use the other jacks; don't plug any interconnects there).

5. Your Marantz CD player is fully loaded (features, and from its rear).

6. After full break in period, I would love to see a comparison with the Esoteric K-03. ;)
 
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Playing the third CD now = REM - Fables of the reconstruction. I'm hearing little details I had not heard before! The sound is crystal clear! I think my Onkyo had a tiny bit of transport noise perhaps?
 
A little comparrison of my Onkyo DX-C390 vs the Marantz CD5004:
Onkyo DAC - Wolfson
Marantz DAC - Cirrus Logic

Onkyo - Digital filter = 352.8 Khz 128 x oversampling
Marantz 5004 - N/A

Freq response:
Onkyo C390 = 5Hz - 20kHz
Marantz 5004 = 2Hz - 20kHz

S/N Ratio:
Onkyo C390 = 96dB
Marantz 5004 = 110dB

Dynamic Range:
Onkyo C390 = 96dB
Marantz 5004 = 100dB

THD (1kHz)
Onkyo C390 = 0.005%
Marantz 5004 = 0.002%

Channel Separation (1kHz):
Onkyo C390 = 92dB
Marantz 5004 = 110dB

Wow & Flutter:
Onkyo C390 = Below threshold of measurability
Marantz 5004 = N/A

I'm not too sure what all that means, but I am assuming the Marantz is scoring better.
What really matters at the end of the day is what my ears are hearing and right now I'm hearing details I was not hearing with the Onkyo.
Sure, the Onkyo had a Wolfson DAC which for all intents and purposes is just as good as Burr-Brown and Cirrus. However, I guess it was not output executed as well on the Onkyo as the Cirrus is on the Marantz.
Then again the Marantz has some extras in it the Onkyo did not have, such as HDAM-SA2, Slimic & Cerafine high performance audio grade capacitors, AudioEX mode. Whatever all that means.
 
Here's my own personal view on CD playback only:

1. Any brand new CD player, give it from 100 and up to 500 hours of break in period. ...Yours, I'd say 100 to 200 hours (a week of constant play).

2. Elimination of the fluorescent display (pure audio direct mode on several audio components) always results in slightly better sound.
And besides, when I listen to music I only use my ears, and not my eyes. ...Plus, if you really want to see where you're at, with yours you can do it! :cool:

3. I love having a dedicated headphone jack with its own volume level. :cool:

4. Experimentation (between analog RCA out jacks and digital Coax out) is always fun and educative.
=> Use the connection that sounds best to you, and only that one (don't use the other jacks; don't plug any interconnects there).

5. Your Marantz CD player is fully loaded (features, and from its rear).

6. After full break in period, I would love to see a comparison with the Esoteric K-03. ;)

I don't have an Esoteric K-03. I've never even heard of it.
 
WOW! I just stuck in a CD-R that was recorded in lossless wav redbook. Not only did the Marantz 5004 read it, but it showed text!! (Artist, Title and list of tracks)!!!!! Then I hit Play and it sounds great! I was not expecting to see text because it's not Metadata encoded! I don't know how the hell it did that, but I'm very impressed! The sound also just keep getting better and better! Playing Mannheim Steamroller now. (I like to call it Anaheim Steamroller because that's how it usually comes out of my mouth).:D
 
WOW! I just stuck in a CD-R that was recorded in lossless wav redbook. Not only did the Marantz 5004 read it, but it showed text!! (Artist, Title and list of tracks)!!!!! Then I hit Play and it sounds great! I was not expecting to see text because it's not Metadata encoded! I don't know how the hell it did that, but I'm very impressed! The sound also just keep getting better and better! Playing Mannheim Steamroller now. (I like to call it Anaheim Steamroller because that's how it usually comes out of my mouth).:D

That's great!!!
 
WOW! I just stuck in a CD-R that was recorded in lossless wav redbook. Not only did the Marantz 5004 read it, but it showed text!! (Artist, Title and list of tracks)!!!!! Then I hit Play and it sounds great! I was not expecting to see text because it's not Metadata encoded! I don't know how the hell it did that, but I'm very impressed! The sound also just keep getting better and better! Playing Mannheim Steamroller now. (I like to call it Anaheim Steamroller because that's how it usually comes out of my mouth).:D

You lucky guy !!
Enjoy.
 
Tell all your goods friends about that, and everything else. :) ...Invite them all over. ...All that jazz.

I don't know anyone outside cyberspace that is into audio or music. I wish I did, but that's not the way the cards came out for me I guess. I almost don't know anyone outside of cyberspace period, come to think of it.
 
You are too funny Eric, Anaheim Steamroller. I like that better. I really am glad you are having fun with the Marantz. Makes me happy.
 
You are too funny Eric, Anaheim Steamroller. I like that better. I really am glad you are having fun with the Marantz. Makes me happy.

And that is why I would not let them promote me to Air Talent when I worked in radio. It was far too easy for me to mis-say the name like that. Besides, I saw that job and it sucked in my opinion. I was very much made for the position they promoted me to before which was Music Director/Associate Producer.
I gotta tell ya, that Marantz is amazing! I thought my Onkyo sounded pretty good when it worked right, but this Marantz 5004 is blowing it's doors off and blowing my mind! What's interesting is that there was a huge improvement and change when I got my speakers I run now, but the Marantz has improved things another notch, telling me that while speakers (and placement thereof along with room acoustics) makes the biggest improvement and change, but a piece of electronic gear can also make a noticeable improvement as the case with the Marantz.
For example: I'm hearing details in my REM CDs that I have never heard before and I have heard them over and over before. It's nearly like hearing them for the first time!
This is the kind of thing guys like me live for!
 
Wow Eric!

Awesome! That's what it's all about. :woot::scholar:
 
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Eric...don't look now but it seems to me that you are quite the audiophile no matter your protestations to the contrary :D
 
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