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This year, something magical happened: I came back to CDs. With revenge. And all this thanks to a very specific CD player: the Marantz CD6007.
“Ok Callum, sounds interesting and all, but… magic?” Is that so? Do you think your weird little obsession with CDs deserves to be talked about like it’s a Tolkien novel?
Well yes, actually. While the old pipe smoker, the boring elf probably did a jig on the occasional poem, I can guarantee you it never vibrated as loud as I did on the glorious compact disc. And, friends, what could be more magical than ~ atmosphere ~ ?
Either way, we’re going to move on to the Marantz CD6007 review, but let’s give what the heck I’m kidding some context.
Return to CDs
I recently wrote a full article on reintroducing CDs. Without retreading too much ground, I realized that the format was vastly underestimated.
Not only are compact discs superior in quality to the human ear, but you can buy them cheaply nowadays as well. In many ways, they’re still the perfect physical format – despite being almost 40 years old.
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One of the reasons I was able to come to this conclusion was the Marantz CD player. At the time, most of my CD listening was done with equipment that was not really audiophile level. It did a job – solid at that – but the hardware just wasn’t good enough to bring out the best in the format, a problem the Marantz CD6007 doesn’t have.
Anyway, I’ve created an entire video on this topic, which you can watch here:
But, today we are here to talk more specifically about the Marantz CD6007.
Introducing the Marantz CD6007… a CD player
One of the things that I’m not a fan of in reviews is listing a huge range of facts and figures. Basically, if you want some specs vomit, you can go check out the product page.
Despite this, there are some features of the Marantz CD player that we have to mention. Obviously he reads CDs. On top of that, it has a USB port on the front and the ability to play a range of files including WAV, MP3, AAC, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, and DSD files.
This is very useful on paper (“it’s not just a CD player, it’s a high-resolution music file player too!”), But it’s less true in reality. This is for two reasons.
The first is that if you buy a CD player hopefully you already have a way to play high quality music files on your stereo (Bluesound makes amazing equipment for this). and if not, why not?
The second reason is that the Marantz CD6007’s screen is simply not designed to browse folders on external drives. How easy is it to play an album or two from a USB drive? Absolutely. But browse your entire digital collection? I wouldn’t suggest it.
That’s not to say it’s not good that Marantz included this, but it might not be as helpful as you think.
Are there any other features of the CD player that I should know about?
Well, there is one that I really liked: the integrated headphone amplifier. It might not sound like much, but it quickly became one of my favorite features.
Indeed, the Marantz CD6007 has a headphone amplifier with HDAM-SA2 and gain control. I have found it incredibly helpful to be able to sit down with a nice pair of headphones plugged into the CD player and get lost, while my partner uses the amplifier and speakers for other things like maybe be reading a record or watching television.
There is also an auto-off feature for the headphone amp, so when you unplug your cans, the amp is disconnected, preventing interference. Honestly, I didn’t think I would love him as much as I did, but here we are. Crazy world, full of smells.
One thing to note, the CD player does not support SACD. It wasn’t something that bothered me too much, but it is a deciding factor for some people.
What about the design and construction of the Marantz CD6007?
Typical Marantz from start to finish. I’m a huge fan of the build quality of the company’s equipment, and everything I’ve used of it has lasted eons. Fortunately, all signs point to the CD6007 being the same. In other words, well done.
At this point, I have accepted the Marantz design language. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite (I still have a soft spot for brutalist, purely functional rectangles), but it does a job. Indeed, I think its curves are alluring enough to stand out, but overall they are understated enough to fit into most hi-fi setups without a stage.
Basically the Marantz CD6007 looks and feels like a piece of high end tech. Which is good. Because it is. The machine might not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s timeless enough that it won’t look out of date in a few years, while still retaining a bit of personality.
The sound of this CD player
Lord, I’m a fan of the sound of the Marantz CD6007. I mentioned at the start of the song that this machine made me come back to CDs – and for good reason: it sounds wonderful.
I have used the Marantz machine with a range of different music, from classical to emo, and was amazed at the presentation, clarity and detail. It still delivers music with a rounded bite, producing spacious and rich sounds. Its output is energetic, the bass punchy and the treble clear.
Whether it’s harmonies in Brahms’ Violin Concerto, Tame Impala’s throbbing bass, or Fiona Apple’s emotionally broken voice, the Marantz CD6007 CD player handles it all with aplomb.
Frankly? There are few things I could wish for or expect from a CD player in this price range. I love this damn thing and can’t find any glaring weaknesses on the audio side. It brought me a renewed admiration for compact discs and maybe Marantz will have to come and break down my door to get this thing back.
How much does the Marantz CD6007 cost? And who is this CD player for?
$ 500. This, my friends, is not cheap. Sure, that comes with a huge amount of quality and years of use, but it’s a tough pill to swallow for someone just getting into CDs.
If you dip your toes in compact discs (weird, but I’m into it), maybe the best approach is to buy a used machine for a more reasonable price and grab the CD6007 later.
But… what if you already have a large CD collection and are looking for a quality kit? Then the Marantz CD6007 could be for you. REMEMBER: go try something like this before spending the money. The way everyone interprets and hears audio is different and you have to make up your own mind.
Either way, this CD player has brought a rain of joy to my life, and I hope – and hope – it will in the future. Marantz, you sprinkled magic dust on my ears and gave me the precious gift of vibrations. Thank you.
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Published March 24, 2021 – 14:24 UTC
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