I have recently bought the CD5000 on eBay, for the princely sum of £60.00. I had reservations about buying it, my thoughts were to use it solely as a transport with my Yamaha AV amps dac. When I unpacked it I was struck by how light weight it was, this didn't fill me with confidence at first, but having connected it up using the analogue, both digital optical and co-ax outputs (I set the amp up so I could switch between each to compare them). To mix things up a bit more I also used my Denon universal bluray player too. And not to go into too much detail, but after playing several cd's including Quincy Jones Back on the Block, Prince Emancipation disc 2, Gary Moore Still got the blues , and The Who Tommy, the order of preferred sound is, in reverse order - long pause to create tension......... In last place the Denon, gives a woolly presentation in third place Marantz optical, good sound but seemed narrow, in second place, Marantz co-ax, very impressed tight and focused though a bit sterile. And so in first spot, the Marantz CD 5000 analogue output, a good wide soundstage, nice tight bass, and very detailed. I have owned and used in the past equipment such as Meridian 200/203 and Marantz CD 17 and so to get this result from a £60 player has thrown all my previous perceptions out of the window!! If you get chance to get hold of one of these in good condition for a bargain price don't hesitate, they are a much maligned diamond in the rough. One last thing, I'm really enjoying going through my CDs and seeing or hearing what is missing from using MP3 versions even at 320kbits.

Never read so much bollocks in my life ,well here is some more

Of course built quality is less en when you open the black box there is more empty space than in Siberia.
BUT this one has the magical TDA 1549 DAC from Philips. (Actually the player is 100% the Philips cd 753 in a different casing).
It is simply one of the best sounding players out there !!!! (leave the one of, and i'm not lying)
Audio NIrvana class seal approved !!! (read Lampizator)
Grab it if you come along one of these !!!!!

This is a follow-up review from the one I wrote in June 2, 2003.

The reason I write this is because when my brother entered my name and last name in Googles search box he came up with that ridiculous review.

Yes I was new to the internet and was eager to write something about my new cd player...

I still own this cd player and am satisfied with it, though some thing I have written are bollocks:

1. "But my experience is that treble-rounded players put more an emphasis on agressive tones than more revealing players: revealing players integrate a harsh tone better, the result being more liquid,treble rounded players translate a brash sound to a fixed rounded point wich in my experience atracts more attention."

How could I possibly claim this? What a load of crap!
It's a true fact that there are smoother cd players out there, though not for the money I had spend.

2. "Maybe there is one slight complaint: the upper midd's are a tiny bit too bright(does every singer smoke Gauloises?), but that problem is solved by Wireworld oasisIII interconnects ($70)"

A true lie.
Those Wireworld interconnects didn't do anything else than just look nice.
Yes the upper midds were definitely too bright with some recordings.
When my old Pioneer SA 7500 died I bought a new amp, a Marantz pM7200 and things dramatically improved.
Though music still isn't always grain-free and I wonder if there's a system that is.
Some cd's are simply recorded and mastered that way

Other things I wrote are still valid: the error-correction is impecable, not a single time did a cd skip or did it read: "no disc"
And the relatively "weak" bass is still a plus in my opinion, it complements the PM7200's beefy bass well. Never ponderous or slow.

But enough of this.
Luckily I never got infected with the upgraditis virus, I simply enjoy listening to music, that's it, I'm not searching for the ultimate system.

GREAT CLARITY AND DEFINITION ,A GOOD BUY FOR THE PRICE, SOUND ALMOST AS GOOD AS REGA PLANET

NOT THE BEST TO PLAY ROCK MUSIC

good CD PLAYER WITH A EXCELENT SOUNDSTAGE AND GOOD STEREO SEPARATION ,IF YOU LIKE JAZZ OR VOCAL MUSIC THIS IS FOR YOU, BECAUSE HAS A GREAT CLARITY WITH VOICES AND ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS, IN THE OTHER HAND IF YOU PREFER ROCK OR HEAVY ,THIS CD IS TOO SMOOTH AND LACKS OF EXCIMENT.

Similar Products Used:

REGA PLANET

It's a very neutral,clean and transparent sounding player.It's slim bass is dry and well defined, which suits especially pop music very well. I like the stereoimage,depth and overall balance very much.It,s transparancy is a bonus, as well it's definition and texture(as I have said in the beginning,that I never was looking for a better sound) Finally and that's really important: the error-correction is impeccable compared with mainly newer models(my roommate's cheap, ugly looking 15 year old Schneider plays the only disc,which my player rejects, without a problem) Thank god I didn't choose the NAD c520,I've read nothing but complaints about this machine.

If you really love a bigg bass this player is not for you. And if you like your music to be smooth all the time you should buy a valve-player. But my experience is that treble-rounded players put more an emphasis on agressive tones than more revealing players: revealing players integrate a harsh tone better, the result being more liquid,treble rounded players translate a brash sound to a fixed rounded point wich in my experience atracts more attention.

My old kenwood cd-player began skipping and send messages from hell:"NO DISC". I loved watching myself,throwing the damn thing on the ground,laughing maniacally. So,I was in search of a player that is dependable (a good error-correction),not so much a better sound(wich was oke) I had a choice between marantz cd5000,NAD c520,yamaha cdx 496 and the Denon dcd 755. I was on a tight budget and reviews I had read didn't really favour(overall seen) any of these particuarly. I chose the marantz for it's looks and excellent error-correction(according to 'STEREOPLAY') I listened to it at Hobo-Hi fi,but found it not usefull,so I just bought it(room conditions,mood,atmosphere are different than mine) At first I was dissapointed by the sound:thin bass,bright upper mid and less sweeter treble than my old kenwood. Depth,stereoimage and texture were(are) much better,so i gave it a try. I was rewarded for my patience: the sound is absolutely gorgeous. Maybe the sound had to kick in;I have read about players that needed time to play in,but personally I think that's a load of crap,I intend to believe that it's more a matter of getting used to the sound.Goldfrapp's "lovely head" sounds, by using headphones,the same(when she sings "...do you reckognise the sssmell") as the first time I listened to it. But which cd-player does sound smooth with many pop-recordings? With classical music this marantz works really delightfull:texture,timbre,depth and well defined bass. With pop music it sounds just how cd's are recorded: marvelous with good recordings,awfull(exaggerated) with bad recordings. The relativetly thin bass works as a treat with most pop cd's,Radiohead's Ok computer doesn't sound overblown. Many times people comment that a small bass is best suited for classical, not pop. I think it's rather the other way around; pop is mostely overproduced,classical much more natural. What I really like about the sound is it's natural warmth. My old Kenwood sounded thicker,with an artificial warmth(as if a loudnes was already built in) instruments,voices everything was rounded, without any sens of texture.Listening through headphones this is very pleasing: a thick, closed soundstage, run it over the speakers and only pop works fine. The marantz sounds its best through speakers, especially classical music sounds involving compared with the kenwood,the midd's are very detailed and although the bass is not as big as the kenwoods, by many recordings it simply sounds bigger because of it's definition.Maybe there is one slight complaint: the upper midd's are a tiny bit too bright(does every singer smoke Gauloises?), but that problem is solved by Wireworld oasisIII interconnects ($70).

Similar Products Used:

An old Pioneer amplifier SA 7500 B&w 201 speakers Monitor speaker cables(the cheapest) Wireword oasis III audiointerconnects My old Kenwood midi-set cd-player and amplifier cd47,m47

dac is 96 hz, you can heare the differenc

none

As a replacement for my Proceed CD player i bought the musical fidelity cd player a a 3.2 The sound is must more clearer and transparant

Similar Products Used:

proceed

rather warm and inviting. i find that there is a strong bass note, as well as a nicly rounded soundstage.

mabey a little light i nthe ''ol build quality.

Bough this a a cheap socond transport for my side system and have ended up liking the sound from it much more than my higher priced denon unit. I really enjoy the look of this player as well. Has great staging and, contrary to other peoples opinions here, find that it has the most bass i have heard in a while. I really enjoy the player at this moment.. i do notice the build quality is a little weak.. but it is a low cost player, and it doent seem to detract from the sound what so ever! so i guess it gets 5 stars.. as it really is better than i could have imagined, it really made my solid state system sound more like my tube amp set up. (which is a good thing) cheers

Similar Products Used:

denon, NAD, AMC, Yamaha, Sony, nak. etc etc etc

Clear and beautiful sound, well built, CD text display, also plays CR-RW.

None found so far

I was finally tired of the quality problems of my AMC CD9. Although I stil like the sound of it, it has more and more problems such as annoying noise added during play (a sort of distortion), some CDs it refused to play, etc... Anyway, in comes the Marantz CD5000 I found for only a slightly higher price. And a bargain it is. At first sight, although it is lighter than the AMC, it seems a much sturdier build. Also, it has a lot more interesting functions such as random play (Not on AMC), CD text (looks nice) and both toslink and coaxial digital cable. Soundwise, I think I still have to come to a decision whether or not I like it better. The soundstage is wider, lows, mids and highs are very clear and well-defined and I seem to be hearing more detail. It also seems a lot warmer than my AMC. I still have to do an A/B comparison. All said, I am very happy with this. It''''s a tremendous value for the $$$ and it sounds very very good. I haven''''t experienced any problems with lack of bass, bass is deep and well-controlled. Soundstage is quite wide and deep. This is a definite recommendation for anyone that is interested in good quality audio on a budget.

Similar Products Used:

AMC CD9, C.E.C. CD-2100

CHEAP

CHEAP

What a piece of crap. Got it dead on arrival from Accessories4less.com, refurbished. But it is not the point, this may happen with any product. Trying to figure out what is wrong (disc did not spin at all) I opened the box. CHEAP is the best word to describe the design. Standard cheap CD block + small output stage board. They even connected using cheap non-shielded cable. Returned to manufacturer and bought Denon DCM-370. That one plays like a rock.

Sound is warm, detailed and easy listening.

Built is not as good as it should be.

I think I first have to say that the Marantz I own is modified by Heart, a tube company from Holland. The model I got is called: Marantz cd5000, tubed by Heart. To be short: it''s got a tube amp. The tubes make this player a beauty. Marantz makes great players, (I own de cd writer dr700 and I LOVE that thing) but Heart did a great job modifying the player. The soundstage is BIG, the bass is warm and tied, the hights are crisp and tight. I just love listening to music more than ever. The built of the player is exactly the same as the the cd5000. That''s a shame, because it''s not that good. The KI sign I owned is like a tank. Fully metal. This one''s not that good. The top of the player feels soft and breakable. (I got the player on top of my set. The Arcam D290 Amp and the DR700 writer are not lightweights!) If you like warm, but detailed sound you got to have this player. Even If you turn up the volume to unhuman levels it sounds great. Never harsh, because of the tubes! The lifespan of the tubes is estimated to 5/10 years. Greetings. My set: Arcam D290 amp Marantz cd5000 tubed by heart cd-player Marantz DR700 writer Van Medevoort silver interconnect (cd player) MIT T6 interconnect (analogue in cd-r) Audioquest coral interconnect (out cd-r) Ixos coaxal interconnect for cd to cd-r Infinity kappa 6.2 Ixos 602 biwire speakercable With audioquest gold plugs. Musical fidelity X24/96 dac for CD-writer and PC / dvd usage. Ixos coaxal interconnect an optical interconnect

Similar Products Used:

Denon DCD 1450AR, Marantz cd17 KI sign, lots of Philps cd players, Sony players.