The latest kit reviewed, including a Marantz 6007-series double, an A&K music player, a Roberts turntable and Sony’s new over-ears
An affordable CD player and a price-compatible amplifier to go with it – this appears to be a match made in hi-fi heaven
With not just one, but two highly anticipated products launching together, Marantz are spoiling us. An affordable CD player to replace the Award-winning CD6006 UK Edition, plus a budget amplifier that aims to improve on the current Award-winning PM6006 UK Edition amplifier, would seem like perfect companions. So can the latest additions to Marantz’s 6000-Series improve upon their predecessors?
Marantz CD6007
We couldn’t help but have a feeling of déjà vu when taking Marantz’s new CD6007 out of its box. Cover the model number and it’s impossible to differentiate this unit from the CD6006 model it replaces. Did someone at Marantz’s styling department just copy and paste the previous design?
If so, they’ve been doing it for years. You’d need to go back more than a decade and four model cycles to find a CD6000 model that looked notably different to these current products. Thankfully, the engineers responsible for the sound haven’t been taking things so easy.
The big news here is the change of DAC chip to an AKM 4490 from the previous Cirrus CS4398, allowing the CD6007 to process high-resolution files.
Not through the CD disc drive, of course. You’ll need to use the front panel USB Type A socket to get the files into the player, as there are no other digital inputs here. You can play hi-res PCM music up to 24-bit/192khz and DSD128. The last generation model could cope with 48khz files at best and not DSD.
Other engineering changes between the two generations of player are a quieter power supply and improved HDAM amplifier modules, helped along by a sprinkling of higher quality internal components. The headphone circuit now shuts down when not in use, which reduces unnecessary power draw on the supply and removes the potential for additional noise.
Smooth operator
The CD6007’S build quality, as with its predecessor, is excellent. It feels solid and operates with a slickness that belongs at a far higher price point. The disc mechanism on our sample is quiet and responsive, all the controls working with precision. We can’t think of a rival that feels as polished in use.
The remote is a full-system design and remains pretty much as before, though a few of the buttons do a slightly different job. It’s a nice handset, being easy to use and pleasant to hold.
Aside from the front-panel USB, there are the usual single-ended RCAS for the analogue output alongside optical and co-axial for digital. Unusually, Marantz offers the option of turning the digital outputs off when they’re not in use. This is worth doing because it brings a little extra clarity to the sound – although you’ll need a pretty transparent system to notice it. The same applies to switching the display off.
The option to tweak
Marantz also now offers a choice of two digital filter options for those who like to tweak further. Filter 1 has a slow roll-off and is claimed to offer a deeper stereo image, while Filter 2 has a sharper roll-off and is meant to produce a more direct and brighter presentation.
The sonic differences aren’t massive, but we have a preference for Filter 1. It just sounds more natural to our ears. But there’s no right or wrong here, and the choice comes down to taste and system.
Do all the engineering changes bring about a worthwhile improvement in the sound? The short answer is definitely yes; however, it’s not a step change.
We play a CD of Tchaikovsky’s Marché Slave Op.31 and the CD6007 gives a more
vivid and dramatic rendition. Notes are defined with more precision, particularly at low frequencies, and the scale of sound is notably bigger. Compared with the CD6006 UK, this machine is a crisper, more open performer.
Stereo imaging has benefitted, with the new Marantz being able to render a more expansive and better-focused sound stage. Instruments are easier to locate and stay more firmly locked in place even when the music becomes more demanding.
Greater verve
Similarly, larger-scale dynamics are delivered with more verve and punch. There’s a pleasing sense of composure to tie it all together. Tonally, there is a shift too, with the new player sounding more forward and a touch brighter.
A switch to India Irie’s Wonderful shows that it’s not all one-way traffic.
The older player has more solidity through the midband and gives Irie’s voice a sense of natural warmth the CD6007 doesn’t quite match.
The new machine responds with a more cohesive way with rhythms and slightly better sense of drive. We can hear the leading edges of the bass notes more clearly and there’s a greater feeling of space between instrumental strands.
This holds true when we play a variety of music files through the USB input. Both players prove admirably slick in use here, though using the relatively limited front-panel display to navigate the music feel clunky. The last-gen CD6006 UK can’t play the hi-res files, of course, while the new one copes with hi-res PCM and DSD without issue.
We try the headphone output and are pleased to report that it’s a good one. There’s no obvious difference in quality between the two Marantzes in this respect (apart from the inherent changes in the sound), and none is claimed. A built-in gain adjustment, found in the set-up menus, is a sensible touch that ensures wide-ranging compatibility with different headphones.
A clear win, but no KO
Overall, it’s a clear win for the newcomer, even if the result isn’t quite a knock out. Owners of the CD6006 shouldn’t rush to change their player; it still has much to offer and has an easier-going, more intimate presentation – even if it does come off second best in most respects.
No one can accuse Marantz of pushing the boundaries on the CD6007, but it didn’t really have to. The company has taken an already excellent CD player and made it a bit better. At this point in CD’S life arc, at the affordable end of the market at least, that’s all it takes to maintain its class leadership.