Again in February, I spent a while with Marantz so I might expertise the brand new Marantz 40n Community Built-in Amplifier. The $2,500 amplifier drove a number of pairs of Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers within the lodge area with relative ease and I left after two hours of listening pondering that Marantz wanted to introduce one thing cheaper to match it. There have been different CD gamers on show within the room however they had been priced properly above what I used to be pondering. I hoped to see the 40n linked to one thing just like the model new Marantz CD60 that was simply launched at Munich HighEnd for $999.95 USD.
There are many individuals who will shake their head at one thing just like the Marantz CD60 in 2022 with streaming proudly owning 85% of the market proper now — however I’m not a part of that group. Not even remotely.
I began shopping for CDs in 1984 when my father introduced house a brand new Yamaha CD participant from Bay Bloor Radio and after nearly 38 years of purchases, my assortment approaches nearly 2,000 CDs.
I spent nearly 4 years ripping them to a number of exterior exhausting drives and I’ve the power to entry all of them by means of a There Nucleus Server that’s linked to my house router and a number of Roon finish factors scattered all through my house.
I additionally nonetheless personal a number of CD gamers as a result of I’m nonetheless bought on the concept that a extremely good CD participant sounds higher than most community gamers.
However does it make sense in 2022 to speculate $999 USD in one thing just like the Marantz CD60?
CD gross sales elevated for the primary time in 17 years in 2021, up 21% to $584 million. Though it should one other 12 months or so to determine a real upward development, the actual fact is that listening to music on bodily media isn’t useless and vinyl information (and even audio cassettes) is probably not your solely alternative in that realm. The flexibility to personal music on a bodily medium is vital.
Possession is an enormous factor for the youthful era; I’m pretty sure that it’s nonetheless an enormous factor for older audiophiles as properly who’ve been accumulating bodily media for five or extra many years.
The Skinny
The CD60 options an industrial design and durable construct that not solely seems to be good however contributes to steady efficiency freed from pointless vibration. The chassis is kind of massive; even perhaps too massive for the whole lot that resides below the quilt. Marantz is sticking with an analogous chassis for the entire parts on this lineup as a result of it’s simpler to fabricate that manner and there’s a consistency to the commercial design that almost all consumers will like.
Marantz was in on the event of the CD format with their first participant, the CD 63. Now, the CD60 has benefitted from the legacy of engineering and refinement that features the most recent HDAM (Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Modules) utilized within the analog output stage. The brand new HDAMs present superior response in comparison with off-the-shelf options present in different branded merchandise.
These modules have been additional optimized for the CD60 providing considerably decrease distortion at excessive frequencies than the earlier era mannequin.
The CD60 additionally contains the unique Marantz HDAM-SA2 high-performance Headphone Amp circuit with three acquire settings (Low/Mid/Excessive) for an ideal match with nearly any headphone. The headphone amplifier may also be switched to “off” when not in use, eliminating any undesirable interference.
CD playback compatibility contains CD/CD-R/CD-RW discs. CDs with MP3 and WMA information are additionally playable. HDCD discs are playable, however entry to the 4-bit extension is just not supplied. SACD playback functionality is just not included (based on the specs supplied by Marantz).
Connectivity contains each Analog RCA and Digital Optical/Coaxial audio outputs, in addition to wired distant management connections for integration with different parts or programs.
The Marantz CD60 additionally comes with a wi-fi distant along with its onboard controls which can be found on the entrance panel.
The distant has respectable vary however the textual content on the buttons is de facto exhausting to learn if in case you have getting older eyes like myself or typically neglect your glasses.
The construct high quality is superb and operation has been flawless.
Sound
The Cyrus Audio i9-XR Built-in Amplifier was on its manner out when the Marantz arrived and I made a decision that the value mismatch didn’t make sense when it got here to system constructing.
My NAD C316BEE V2 and Shia Audio Ragnarok 2 Built-in Amplifiers really make sense with the Marantz; the NAD is 50% much less in value however the synergy between the 2 was apparent from the primary 3 CDs that I listened to within the early morning hours earlier than a collection of journeys.
The NAD and Q Acoustics 3050i Loudspeakers are an unlikely match however it simply works higher than nearly the entire amplifiers that I’ve tried with these extremely underrated loudspeakers from the British producer.
The 3050i will be considerably boring with the mistaken amplifier and supply however that was definitely not the case with the CD60; barely ahead sounding, a heat and extremely resolved midrange, and a very good sense of tempo.
Listening to Bruce Springsteen’s The Ghost of Tom JoadI used to be instantly struck by how a lot texture and presence the vocals had on the CD; I’ve all the time been extra of a fan of the vinyl copy however the Marantz CD60 provided up a really completely different tackle this very darkish album that’s certainly one of my favourite from his discography.
I’ve definitely heard extra element from this CD on far pricier CD gamers from Naim, Cyrus Audio, and YBA — however they didn’t fairly have the identical diploma of midrange heat and texture.
My Audiolab 6000CDT is a wonderful CD transport for $599 USD however there have been some apparent variations between the 2 nearly instantly; the British CD participant is a cleaner sounding participant with better transparency and extra sharply drawn photographs, however it’s a far cooler sounding machine that always strips away the colour and texture from the human voice.
You may change that with a a lot hotter sounding DAC or amplifier on the opposite finish however the Marantz has extra punch within the midrange and beneath and I somewhat most well-liked that.
Horns have greater than enough chew with zero hardness within the treble; the CD60 delivers Miles, Coltrane, Dolphy, and Byrd with colour, texture, and simply sufficient element minus the slight lack of airiness on high.
The NAD and Schiit Audio amplifiers are usually not precisely state-of-the-art within the regard so you’ll have to wait till I write up the second a part of my listening notes the place the Marantz CD60 spends a while with Cambridge Audio Edge A and Magnepan LRS.
My preliminary impression is that the Marantz CD60 is a really robust performer which may have the ability to shine in far pricier programs which makes it a powerful purchase at $995 USD.
I’ll have extra to say on the finish of subsequent week after two journeys to Florida and Toronto once more for household causes.
The place to purchase: $999 at Crutchfield | Amazon | Marantz.com
Proceed studying: Marantz CD60 CD Participant Evaluate – Half 2
