Good Cd Spinner

[dinyaar]

Hi,

I am looking for a good CDP in the 50-60 K range. My current cdp is a NAD c 542 which is at best decent. Any suggestions?

What HI FI really recommends the Rega and the Cyrus players and i hope to hear them soon. Has anyone heard the New marantz SA 7001 and SA 7001 KI as they are cheaper and beautifully built. Have heard the Rotel players and i didnt fancy either of them.

Since there should not be major compatibility issues i am open to consider anything that i can demo and buy in mumbai.

Regards.

 

[particleman]

This may not be much of a lead as the Arcam, Creek, Cyrus, Rega players are no doubt much better but just in case you wish to check out a CD player with a lot of bells and whistles you have the Cambridge Audio 840C available from FX Entertainment (Fx Entertainment).

Cambridge Audio 840C - Product Description

It has upsampling, dual 24-bit, 384-Khz DACs, accepts two digital inputs and offers balanced XLR output. Price should be in the low 50s. It is usually described as "decent" not "exceptional" but then I have no ideas how much Cyrus, Roksan, etc. cost, to compare.

 

[unleash_me]

Hello Dinyar,

I have heard marantz SA 7001 and SA 7001 KI. You cant go wrong with this combo.

Also, I have heard Rega Apollo. Simply out of the world presenation. I'm yet to hear the Saturn; have heard really good reviews from lot of audio nuts around the world - many suggest the Saturn is even better than the Apollo.

 

[dinyaar]

hi and thanks to both of u for taking the time.
It will sound silly but i find it easy to judge speakers and amplifiers but cd players are just too damn difficult to pick.
They sound different but whats best in the budget is tough for me to judge. Forget the reviews of different magazines please tell me what u think the nad C 542 sounds like to all of u. Thats the sound i have heard for a while now and since i have not heard too many current models am a little lost. Have always been a Vinyl and tape deck person for years with various systems and given the least time to the cd spinner. Though i am sure the Nad c 542 is the weak link in my set up.
Thanks in advance.
Regards.

 

[Absolute Phase]

You can also try the Arcam Cd Players too.

 

[dinyaar]

Hi to all,

Went and heard the marantz SA 7001 and the SA 7001 KI. Couldn't tell if there was a difference in sound as i heard them at two different homes on their respective set ups. But they both sounded brilliant to my ears. Really fluid, articulate and very smooth sound and they are brilliantly built too. Can anyone here tell me how they would fare in a match up with the Rega and the Cyrus players? Also does anyone know where to buy the marantz in mumbai?

Regards.

 

[particleman]

Alpha Electronics (022-26285871) in Vile Parle may have the Marantz (grey mkt). They have AVRs but not sure about CDP/Amp.

I think Nova Audio in Bandra (NOVA AUDIO PVT. LTD.) keeps Advance Acoustics so their tube-based MCD-203II player may be another option to consider.

 

[unleash_me]

Can anyone here tell me how they would fare in a match up with the Rega and the Cyrus players?
Regards.

Well REGA is certainly much better than the Marantz and I would even rate it better than the Cyrus.

If you can get hold of Rega Saturn, or even the Apollo am sure you wouldn't have to upgrade for a very long time!

best regards.

 

[dinyaar]

Hi,

Well i managed to demo the Cyrus CD 6 s, Marantz SA 7001 , Arcam CD 73 at my place and could compare them to the Nad C 542 that i own.

The arcam has a similar sound to my nad, the cyrus and marantz sounded better to my ears than the arcam player. Again i guess its a matter of taste and the rest of the set up. The marantz is much cheaper than the cyrus and i just cant get hold of the Rega to demo so i guess ill go with the marantz and hope to be musically satisfied for a while!!!

Thanks for all the info.

Regards to all.

 

[particleman]

If you don't mind my asking, please could you tell me how much you paid for the Marantz SA 7001? Did you get it in Mumbai from Alpha? That player is the reason I was a bit reluctant to buy the 6002; I thought it better to wait, save up and get something like that with good SACD reproduction. Good to hear it lives up to expectations. Thanks.

 

[dinyaar]

Hi Particleman,

Have not bought it as yet. But i have spoken to and confirmed with Irfan from Sound out at Heera Panna at Haji ali, Mumbai for about 35K gry Mkt. This is the KI one and the basic SA 7001 is a few thousand cheaper.
Unless u must have mp3 why do u want to buy the 6002. I know its highly rated but the 7001 is sturdier and to my ears much more musical. i also liked the 5001 OSE at the price. Also the sa series is made in japan if that matters to u.(To me it does)

Checked the marantz web site and there are no distributors/dealers in india so i wonder how a few so called dealers are selling the cdp s at ridiculous prices(KI for 74500/- + tax) here in mumbai.

Regards and good luck.

 

[particleman]

Hi Dinyaar,

Thanks very much for the information. I am happy to know it is available for such a good price. If you decide to go in for it I would look forward to hearing your thoughts on its long-term performance. Price was the only factor in my considering a 6002 as, like you I found dealers quoting a very high price for 7001. Now that I know better is a future option.

That it is made in Japan definitely increases its worth ten-fold. I had dropped in at Sound Out a few times but was in a hurry and did not dig too deep. Looks like it is a noteworthy stop on the auditioning tour.

 

[auro]

hi and thanks to both of u for taking the time.
It will sound silly but i find it easy to judge speakers and amplifiers but cd players are just too damn difficult to pick.
They sound different but whats best in the budget is tough for me to judge. Forget the reviews of different magazines please tell me what u think the nad C 542 sounds like to all of u. Thats the sound i have heard for a while now and since i have not heard too many current models am a little lost. Have always been a Vinyl and tape deck person for years with various systems and given the least time to the cd spinner. Though i am sure the Nad c 542 is the weak link in my set up.
Thanks in advance.
Regards.

call me whatever but i can honestly say that tapes always sounded better to me than CD's. would anyone here agree? iv had my eye on the said marantz cd7001 for a while, but my budget only permitted me the cd 5001. my amp is PM 7001. couldnt find anyone in delhi dealing the KI series of these models

 

[Kamal]

Sharada Motors in Delhi are the distributors for Marantz. Did you contact them?

 

[auro]

Sharada Motors in Delhi are the distributors for Marantz. Did you contact them?

used to be long ago but not anymore. these days cinebells are the only dealers it seems and i got a bad deal from em

 

[awedeophile]

Unless you must absolutely upgrade, I would suggest that you hold off the urge for now.

Digital reproduction is fast moving towards hard disk based players / music servers and many CD player manufacturers are getting into these. Some have already launched their products, but wait for a few months for them to iron out any problems and for prices to settle.

Some examples:

Naim Audio
McIntosh | MS750

 

[ranjeetrain]

Unless you must absolutely upgrade, I would suggest that you hold off the urge for now.

Digital reproduction is fast moving towards hard disk based players / music servers and many CD player manufacturers are getting into these. Some have already launched their products, but wait for a few months for them to iron out any problems and for prices to settle.

Second that.

Alternatively, use a PC with a USB DAC, or even better a sound card with SPDIF out and an External DAC. Less money to lose when you upgrade.

 

[sriramksharma]

Hi Dinyaar and Particleman,

Are you aware of the current price of Marantz CD 6002 in Sound Out or other places ? I heard that the CD 6002 and even 5001 are better on Red Book CD than SA 7001 / KI. Also I heard that the SA 7001 / KI are good at Upper and Middle frequencies and slightly poor at the lower end. Could you please let me know your opinions ?

 

[dinyaar]

Hi Sriram,
I prefer the 7001 and the KI to the 6002/5001. Current prices should be around 22K for the 6002 and 16K for the 5001.
Regards

 

[particleman]

I appreciate Dinyaar's response as indeed he is the authority on this subject. I would add only that:
1) 5001 was already 15k a year back so should be lower now.
2) I believe Boomarang in Mumbai is quoting around 36-40k for Marantz 7001.
3) You should contact member SNV as he is the dealer for Marantz right there in Pune. I believe his web site is: Sound & Vision Hi-Fi

I would personally prefer SACD capability in a player and so feel that 7001 comes out on top.