MARANTZ CD 60 DISC SPINNER

Marantz launching a new mid-range CD player seems more relevant today than it perhaps would have a few years back, in light of the recent report by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) that compact disc sales in the US have risen for the first time in 17 years. The new CD 60 player combines CD playback with hi-res USB support in the hope of keeping the format alive in hi-fi component systems. “Marantz was present at the dawn of CD technology with our original player, the CD 63,” says Joel Sietsema, Marantz’s Brand President. “Now, the CD 60 reminds us why we fell in love with the format 40 years ago — delivering more warmth, musicality, and detail than any player in its class.”

The CD engineering benefits from Marantz’s latest proprietary HDAM (Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Modules) technology in the analogue output stage. The company says these are superior to off-the-shelf IC chip solutions found in other players and have been further optimised for the CD 60 to flow current more accurately to reduce distortion. As for USB playback, the front panel USB-A port supports PCM files up to 24-bit/192kHz as well as DSD128 from a connected USB storage device.

The CD 60 utilises a new “reference-class” DAC that can be user-manipulated via two DAC filters — ‘Filter 1’ delivers a gentle roll-off, and ‘Filter 2’ provides a sharper roll-off. Meanwhile, the CD player inherits the company’s HDAM-SA2 headphone amp circuit, which has three gain settings (low, mid and high) for wide compatibility with headphones of varying demands, or can be turned off to minimise electrical interference when not in use.

The new player is, Marantz says, “a perfect mate” to the also-new Model 40n streaming amplifier, with the two boxes covering CD playback, network streaming and physical connections between them.

Available now, the Marantz CD 60 comes in black or silver finishes and sells for $1,749 (RRP).

For more information, call Sound United Australia on (03) 8542 1111 or visit www.marantz.com